Archive

  • Failings led to baby's death

    Children’s campaigners and an MP expressed their fury tonight after a review exposed a series of serious errors led to a five-month-old baby’s death at the hands of her father. No one will resign for the failings which led to Alisha Allen being

  • GrooveNeo iPod alarm clock

    WAKING up is always a drag - especially on dark winter mornings - but the GrooveNeo iPod alarm clock from Cygnett can help you greet each new day in style. Designed to match the piano black look of an iPod Classic, the GrooveNeo is no slouch in the

  • Quitting by text

    Just catching up with the way the national tabloids reported Roy Keane's resignation from Sunderland yesterday. Like The Northern Echo, most of them went on the angle that Keane had confirmed his departure to chairman Niall Quinn by text. It reminded

  • Need For Speed: Undercover

    Publisher: Electronic Arts Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, PC Price: £49.99 (PS3/Xbox 360) STRANGE as it may seem to gamers who have only discovered Need for Speed in recent times, but the first NFS game was the Gran Tu rismo of its day

  • Lakeview Terrace (15)

    Samuel L Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington Running time: 110 mins Rating: Four stars ABEL Turner is the neighbour from hell, as California cul-de-sac newcomers Chris and Lisa Mattson find out. This is all the more surprising

  • Madagascar Escape 2 Africa (PG)

    Voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer, Alec Baldin, Bernie Mac Running time: 89 mins Rating: Three stars THE success of the 2005 animated feature – which took

  • Transporter 3 (15)

    Starring: Jason Statham, Natalya Rudakova, Robert Knepper Running time: 104 mins Rating: Two stars THE original Transporter is a dim memory. Transporter 2, I didn’t see. That’s not a problem when we come to Transporter 3, as nothing

  • Rail "crunch" fears

    THE region’s main rail link could face a “capacity crunch” without investment in a new high speed train line. Susan Goldsmith, deputy managing director of National Express East Coast, warned last night that such a development was fast becoming an economic

  • Order to move on potential troublemakers

    POTENTIAL troublemakers in Stockton will be directed away from problem drinking areas in a bid to reduce alcohol related crime and disorder. Police officers will use powers under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 over the Christmas period to

  • Free parking for Richmondshire

    COUNCIL bosses are suspending car-parking charges in a bid to help people in the face of the looming recession. Charges in all of Richmondshire District Council’s car parks have been axed from now until Christmas. The move is one of a number of initiatives

  • Family promotes benefits of pilates at Stokesley

    FOUR generations of the same family have all discovered the benefits of pilates. Audrey Royle attends the class at Stokesley Leisure Centre, led by Lisa Brown, along with her daughters - ITV Tyne Tees presenter, Pam Royle, and Linda Parrish. Granddaughters

  • Early morning sex attacker hunted

    A TEENAGER was sexually assaulted after mistaking a minibus for her taxi to work. The 19-year-old was waiting on Fabian Road, in Eston near Middlesbrough, at around 6.35am on Saturday morning when she climbed into the burgundy van by mistake. The girl

  • Cost saving Christmas lights

    RESIDENTS concerns about a council’s Christmas light extravaganza running up massive electricity bills have been allayed. Redcar and Cleveland Council came up with a bright idea to ensure the bill did not spiral out of control and add to the taxpayers

  • Chief Constable hands out festive cheer

    CLEVELAND Police hope hand delivered festive cards will help Christmas shoppers enjoy a crime free Christmas. Chief Constable Sean Price joined neighbourhood police teams mingling with shoppers at the Teesside Retail Park to personally deliver the message

  • Parents fined for failing to send their child to school

    THE parents of a student who missed nearly two and a half months of school in a five-month period have been fined nearly £900. The child attended Unity City Academy just 87 times out of a possible 156 between April 21 and September 23 this year. During

  • Jenson Button: "We've got to stick together."

    Jenson Button -- facing a season on the side-lines after Honda pulled the plug -- has urged the team's employees to stay positive. The British driver visted the team's headquarters in Brackley today after Honda quit the sport as part of a wider cost

  • Unlicensed computer recycler given community service

    A businessman who disposed of school computers in North Yorkshire without a licence has been ordered to carry out 100 hours’ unpaid work for the community. Michael Higgins, 37, of The Green Crescent, Slingsby, near Malton, today pleaded guilty

  • Power restored to 15,000 homes hit by snow

    POWER has been restored to all 15,000 homes which were left without electricity in below freezing temperatures on Thursday after snow collapsed power lines. Homes in North Yorkshire and Teesside were affected, with Redcar and Easington amongst the

  • Keegan in £8m Toon compensation battle

    KEVIN Keegan has begun his multi-million pound legal battle against Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. According to a report in today's Daily Mirror the Geordie legend has lodge court papers claiming unfair dismissal. At stake could be a potential

  • MP denies she was a secret mole

    ONE of the region's MPs has poured scorn on claims that she was once Gordon Brown's secret mole - in an eerie parallel to the "Greengate" affair now rocking parliament. Helen Goodman, the Bishop Auckland MP, was at the centre of a leak inquiry after

  • Four arrests for gun offences

    FOUR men have been arrested for firearm offences following an early morning raid in Hartlepool. Cleveland Police carried out the pre-planned operation this morning, acting upon intelligence suggesting that some people in the town were in possession

  • Ferguson shocked by Keane exit

    SIR Alex Ferguson has admitted he is surprised by Roy Keane's sudden exit from Sunderland. Ferguson had been looking forward to welcoming his old captain to Old Trafford tomorrow as the Black Cats look to climb out of the relegation zone. Instead former

  • Thirsk visitor centre starts wallpaper hunt

    STAFF at a North Yorkshire visitor centre want people to root in their attics to give them something to hang on the walls this Christmas. Wallpaper at The World of James Herriot, in Thirsk, has been badly affected by rising damp in recent years

  • Remove gates or face court, couple told.

    ARTISTS could face court action if they fail to remove an access on their property that dates back to 1857. The North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) wrote to Judith and William Tillyer, of Westwood Studios, Ingleby Greenhow, about two gates

  • Baby's abuse death "caused by series of errors"

    A SERIES of errors by social services and health staff allowed a five-month-old baby to stay with her violent father and incompetent mother before she was shaken to death, an independent review found today. Alisha Allen was considered at

  • North Yorkshire swimmer set for national team

    A TALENTED North Yorkshire swimmer is making a splash after she was picked for the British Triathlon National Talent squad. Maddy Winzer, 14, of Harrogate District Swimming Club, is the youngest member of the national squad. Bill Evans, Harrogate Borough

  • Sunderland’s greatest day, bar one

    IT’S 100 years ago today since the most extraordinary Tyne-Wear derby in football history. Sunderland won it 9-1, before 56,000 – drenched and disbelieving – at St James’ Park. The Northern Echo’s headline writer became duly carried away, talking

  • An audience with Gareth Southgate

    The really successful journalists are marked out by their enviable knack of being in the right place at the right time. Just think of John Sargeant at Thatcher's resignation. One moment an anonymous hack, the next he's on the gravy train to

  • New Xbox Experience

    The NXE update released 19th of November has changed the way we use xbox live. With personal avatar customisation, group chat and a whole new makeover for the dashboard. However there is a down side. This update is causing lots of problems.

  • Duffy, Newcastle Carling Academy

    AIMEE Ann, professionally known as Duffy, is famous for her retro-soul singing. As soon as she stepped on stage she oozed style that might even overshadow the vintage divas with whom she has been favourably compared. She was accompanied by two

  • Simple Minds, Newcastle Arena

    I FIRST saw Simple Minds in their native Scotland 25 years ago. It was the early 1980s. Margaret Thatcher’s recession was starting to bite. They sang to hundreds of unemployed Glaswegians of their New Gold Dream, of a Glittering Prize, of how

  • Party animals

    Come Dine With Me (C4, 8pm); I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here (ITV1, 8.30pm); The World’s Strongest Man: Super Series (five, 8pm) ‘I LOVE squishing with my hands, whipping, grating,” says Natalie, making me wonder if this week’s Come Dine With

  • Gift for gardening

    Sharon Griffiths is on the hunt for unusual presents and finds them on her doorstep JOHN Hutchinson has a gift for gardening – a few hundred gifts actually in his Vflora Gardens and Gifts Collection. John, who lives in Bellerby, near Leyburn, has

  • How could she?

    I've had a nice letter this morning from Lynda O'Malley, who was a guest at last week's Local Heroes Awards. Lynda, who was on North Yorkshire motor sport hero Robert Lawson's table, said she had a fantastic night. The presentation was "exemplary",

  • December 5th, 2008

    Reader's question ROBERT from Easington is disappointed in his garden. It has looked lovely from spring through to autumn, but there is no interest in winter. He has some evergreen plants but wants some examples of trees or shrubs with colourful

  • Did Beyonce’s diet work for me?

    It’s party season and in an effort to squeeze into her little black dress Abigail Johnson tries Beyonce’s Lemon Detox. CHRISTMAS is almost upon us, and it’s time to dig out those party dresses and start loading up on mince pies and cocktails

  • Little Dorrit

    I AM sure I am not alone in having my enjoyment of the BBC adaption of Little Dorrit totally ruined by the crass programming of Dickens’ story. I can only assume the BBC plans a finale at Christmas, no doubt to try and spoil ITV viewing figures

  • Fags and booze

    THE Labour Government that denies the working man a cigarette in his working man’s club is now going further. It is removing competitive pricing on alcohol to penalise even the most moderate drinker. This is the Government that seduced young voters

  • Words

    I HATE many of the words that appear in common use today. One of the worst is the adjective “must have”, as applied to a vast number of consumer goods. This implies a total absorption of a well-off user in his/herself. If such a purchase is undertaken

  • Hospital

    I WOULD like to pass on my sincere thanks to Mr J Sudhakar, his surgical team, staff and physios at Bishop Auckland General Hospital after my second knee replacement. Their commitment is superb and they are an asset to the medical profession.

  • Wonder of Woolies

    OWEN Amos gave a very sarcastic report on Woolworths (Echo, Nov 28), whilst giving a glowing report on Wilkinsons. Richmond is a tourist town (despite the lack of a bus shelter). Probably every visitor to Richmond has been in our Woolies (we do

  • Time

    WITH concern focused upon the economic slowdown, woefully little attention is now being paid to the runaway acceleration of time, a problem that few readers will have failed to notice. There can be little doubt that it will soon be 2009, and it

  • MEP's work

    GOOD news is a rare commodity in our troubled world. I take great pleasure in bringing to the attention of your readers the hopeful tidings flowing from the European Parliament. The North-East MEP Stephen Hughes is a member of the European Parliament

  • Power prices

    AN excellent programme on Tyne Tees TV on Monday evening highlighted wholesale energy prices and what the householder is actually paying for gas and electricity. Thousands of people are paying well above the odds for their energy supply and 15

  • A lack of sound judgement

    I’VE often said in this column that we give too much credit to the people at the top of organisations. Sharp suits, six or seven-figure salaries and an ability to trot out well-crafted soundbites don’t mean these people have what we pay them for

  • Failing the vulnerable

    ENGLAND spends 13.8 per cent of the total NHS budget on mental health care – one of the highest levels in Europe. People who need mental health care on the NHS have a high level of access to a professional. There are 12.7 psychiatrists per 100,000

  • The angel of the orphans

    To mark World Volunteer Day, The Northern Echo’s Jim Entwistle travels to South Africa to meet a woman working at the heart of a community beset by disease and poverty. THE civilisation of the city gradually loosens its grip as you travel into the

  • Barbers Shop looks a snip

    BARBERS Shop ran a mighty race to finish second in the Paddy Power Gold Cup on his seasonal reappearance and it would be quite a surprise if he finishes out of the frame at Sandown today. The six-year-old defied his limited experience against hardened

  • Quakers back at strength

    DARLINGTON are back to full-strength and manager Dave Penney is looking forward to tomorrow’s game with promotion rivals Rochdale. Snow was yesterday cleared from much of the Arena surface, but parts of the pitch last night remained frozen.

  • Black Cats ease past Cirencester

    Sunderland Youths 2 Cirencester Town Youths 1 EARLY goals from Blair Adams and Ben Wood were enough to put Sunderland into the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup. The Black Cats made hard work of it after going 2-0 ahead inside the first ten minutes

  • Pietersen confident Test will go ahead

    ENGLAND captain Kevin Pietersen was typically bullish in the face of fresh security concerns in India, insisting he is confident next week’s Test in Chennai will go ahead. Indian airports were put on high alert of a terrorist attack yesterday,

  • Leach appeals for more Durham members

    DURHAM chairman Clive Leach has appealed for more members to sign up in support of the county champions, writes TIM WELLOCK. Writing in Riverside Review, the club magazine, he says: “The members we have are terrific. I can’t stress that enough

  • Pressures growing, claims Boro boss

    GARETH Southgate has experienced the same intense pressures that are thought to have resulted in Roy Keane deciding to call a premature end to his career at Sunderland. But while the Middlesbrough boss empathises with his erstwhile local rival

  • Fagan forgives Guthrie for horror tackle

    HULL forward Craig Fagan has forgiven Newcastle’s Danny Guthrie for the horror tackle which broke his leg. Fagan has not played since being felled by Guthrie’s challenge in Hull’s Barclays Premier League win at St James’ Park on September 13.

  • Wilks back in running for rally title

    DARLINGTON rally driver Guy Wilks is fired up in readiness for his battle to retain the British Rally Championship title. Wilks is in a three-way challenge for the top honours with brothers Mark and David Higgins, who top the leaderboard with

  • Short attention is bound to increase

    Until now Ellis Short’s involvement at Sunderland has remained off the agenda. Sports Writer Andy Richardson examines his ever-increasing influence.,p> AS MOMENTOUS meetings go, Niall Quinn’s introduction to Ellis Short in a hospitality tent at the

  • Who will be Sunderland's next manager?

    SAM ALLARDYCE (11-8) Pros: The former Sunderland defender is freely available, having been sacked by Newcastle in January. He boasts extensive Premier League experience, and repeatedly kept Bolton in the upper echelons of the table. He was

  • Never a dull moment with razor-sharp Roy

    Having covered Sunderland throughout Roy Keane’s reign, Chief Sports Writer SCOTT WILSON gives a first-hand account of life with the most opinionated man in football. IN my decade as a sports writer, I thought I had seen pretty much everything that

  • Quinn sets his sights on Strachan

    GORDON Strachan has emerged as a surprise contender for Sunderland’s vacant managerial post following Roy Keane’s dramatic resignation from the Stadium of Light. Having expressed a desire to leave Wearside in the wake of last weekend’s home defeat

  • When the going got tough Keane got going – again

    IN the end, it all comes back to Saipan. “I’d do it again tomorrow,” said Roy Keane, when he was challenged about his departure from the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup squad during his introductory press conference as Sunderland manager. Twenty-seven

  • Supporters arrested over racist chant claim

    TWO men have been arrested over alleged racist chanting against Middlesbrough footballer Mido. The Egyptian striker was targeted by Newcastle fans as he warmed up in the Tees- Tyne derby at the Riverside Stadium last weekend, and has called on

  • Finding a Zoe’s Place in workers’ hearts

    DESPITE the doom and gloom surrounding the credit crunch, a baby hospice charity has received a welcome boost. Zoe’s Place, in Normanby, Middlesbrough, was given a cheque for £20,000 after a businessman read of its financial woes. Staff at Simon

  • Jailed for drunken bike ride with child

    A QUAD bike rider who was more than three times the drink-drive limit when he fled from police with a child sitting on his lap, was yesterday jailed for eight months. Durham Crown Court was told the three-year-old girl was holding onto the handlebars

  • Suffragette necklace sells at auction for £2,170

    A NECKLACE echoing the colours that North-East suffragette heroine Emily Davison tried to pin on the king’s horse during the 1913 Epsom Derby made £2,173 at auction yesterday. The emerald, pearl and amethyst piece, representing the green, white

  • Train operator commended for fleet reliability

    TRAIN operator National Express East Coast has been recognised for improving its fleet reliability. The company won two Golden Spanner awards, in an annual contest promoted jointly by trade and technical magazine Modern Railways and rail industry

  • Presenter Grundy to give input on revamp

    TELEVISION presenter John Grundy will play a part in the refurbishment of a city’s market place. He will work with a consortium led by the Ryder architectural practice, which is behind a £5.25m revamp of Durham Market Place and surrounding streets

  • ‘Dementia sufferers being betrayed by Government’

    THE growing number of dementia sufferers are being betrayed by a big fall in the number of care home places across the region, the Conservatives say. The Tories released official figures revealing that more than 1,600 beds and 38 care homes have

  • New planning applications proposal branded a disgrace

    PLANS for housing and industrial schemes that could be approved by councillors living many miles away have been branded a disgrace. Councillor Mark Wilkes said Durham County Council’s proposals to create planning committees with as little as

  • Tonnes of work for The Wensleydale Creamery

    A FAMOUS cheesemaker is to supply a leading supermarket chain with a tonne of cheese a week after an improved agreement. The Wensleydale Creamery, in Hawes, has substantially increased its supply contract with Sainsbury’s. The retailer has

  • Six-star hotel moves step closer

    PLANS for a six-star hotel and leisure development in the region are closer to fruition following the appointment of an architect. Niven Architects, based in Darlington, has started work on the three-phase programme at the site of the former

  • Ice cream maker invests £1.5m in treatment plant

    AN ice cream factory is investing £1.5m in a fully automated waste treatment plant. R&R Ice Cream, the UK’s largest ice cream manufacturer, could eventually use the plant, at its Leeming Bar factory, to generate electricity. Work has begun and

  • Builder reports sales down by 50%

    HOUSEBUILDER Bellway yesterday said sales rates were down more than 50 per cent on last year after trading conditions remained “extremely testing”. The Newcastle firm reported 50 to 60 sales a week, while its order book at the end of last month

  • Cash-hit shoppers head for Morrisons

    SUPERMARKET group Morrisons yesterday reported an 8.1 per cent leap in its thirdquarter sales, thanks to the chain’s value ranges and cut price deals. The group, which has branches throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire, said its efforts

  • Here’s a fundraiser we organised earlier

    PUPILS at a North-East school got a helping hand with their fundraising when the cast of Blue Peter turned up to publicise their work. Youngsters at North Ormesby Primary School, North Ormesby, near Middlesbrough, are among pupils of schools

  • Woman feigned cancer to get cash

    A WOMAN pretended to be dying of cancer to get a friend to give her thousands of pounds, a court was told yesterday. The victim of Sylvia Mitchell’s deception gave her the only cash she had available – from a fund to pay for her mother’s funeral

  • A day of honour for young Brave Hearts

    THE inner strength of courageous children from across the North-East has been recognised at an event in their honour. The Brave Hearts of the North East Awards ceremony was hosted by BBC television presenter Carol Malia. Twenty-three

  • Town reeling after double jobs blow

    MORE than 250 jobs were lost in a North-East town yesterday as the effect of the economic turndown on the region’s manufacturing sector deepened, The Northern Echo can reveal. Thyssenkrupp (TK) Tallent said it was forced to make up to 160 people

  • ‘Hospital has been kicked to pieces’

    A CONSULTANT has made an outspoken attack on the way a hospital has been treated over the years. Speaking on the eve of a major rally organised by the Save Our Hospital campaign, and hours before a consultation meeting in Bishop Auckland about

  • First priority is to keep people in employment

    The fourth annual North-East Economic Forum takes place in Newcastle today, bringing together big-hitters from the worlds of business and politics. The themes were supposed to be energy, environment and transport, but the state of the economy will probably

  • The winter of Keane’s discontent

    The mood of Sunderland fans on hearing of Roy Keane’s departure matched the miserable weather yesterday. Mark Tallentire reports from the Stadium of Light. WHEN Roy Keane, one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, was unveiled as the new

  • ‘Toddler’s injuries common in car crashes’

    A TODDLER suffered brain injuries more often seen in victims of high-speed car crashes, a murder trial was told yesterday. Babysitter Suzanne Holdsworth denies hurting twoyear- old Kyle Fisher and maintains he suffered an unexpected fit at her

  • Roads come to a standstill amid winter chaos

    WINTRY weather brought the area’s roads to a near-standstill during yesterday morning’s rush hour, with thousands of motorists stuck for hours. Heavy snow, which blew in on Wednesday night but was still falling yesterday morning, caused havoc

  • Text ends Keane’s Black Cats reign

    SUNDERLAND begin their search for a manager today after Roy Keane confirmed his resignation yesterday by text message following 27 months in charge of the club. Keane tendered his resignation on Saturday, following a 4-1 home defeat to Bolton.