REDCAR and Cleveland Council is celebrating after the Government gave the go-ahead to spend more than £1m on dozens of new play areas in the borough. The investment comes from the launch of the National Play Strategy, with the council among 89 local
The blocked culvert at Howe End has been a bone of local contention, the permanently flooded road posing a risk to travellers prior to their descent down Howe Bank. The Highways Department has performed heroically in appalling weather, clearing and rebuilding
Due to the heavy rain on the night of 12th -13th of December the level of the River Esk rose dramatically. The combination of rain and run off caused the river to burst its banks and cause intermittent flooding between Howe Wath and Danby Bridge. The
DOCTORS across the country have reacted with relief after "potentially catastrophic" White Paper reforms were rejected by the Government. Under the proposals, which were put forward for consultation this spring, rural practices would have seen their
AN elderly man has died after being rescued from a house fire. Emergency services were called to Cherry Cottages in Tantobie, near Stanley, County Durham, at 11.20am. A man was helped from the building while fire crews tackled the blaze
Just got home after an afternoon spent signing copies of the new Dad At Large book. It went really well - thank you to everyone who came along. I shouldn't really single anyone out but the gold award goes to Cora and Derek Reeves, of Darlington, who
AND so the Ricky Sbragia bandwagon keeps rolling on. Two wins on the bounce have not only lifted Sunderland clear of the relegation zone - they have also pressed the caretaker manager's claims for the managerial job on a permanent basis. There might
THE Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called for the introduction of a series of measures to help companies in rural areas ride out the economic downturn. The demand comes amid predictions from the trade body that rural businesses are becoming
Prior to this game, Gareth Southgate voiced his concern that key members of his side were at risk of being poached by cash-rich Premier League rivals; on this showing he can rest easy. Perhaps the only positive the Boro boss can take from this
SUNDERLAND have named an unchanged starting line-up for this afternoon's Premier League clash at Hull. While former manager Roy Keane used to chop and change his team at will, caretaker boss Ricky Sbragia has opted for consistency in the wake of last
RESIDENTS are being urged to help a recycling service during the festive season. Wear Valley District Council’s green box recycling scheme collected over 409 tonnes of recyclable material, including 280 tonnes of paper and card, throughout last December
Gareth Southgate has handed Mohammed Shawky a start in midfield in place of the injured Didier Digard with Mido given a place on the bench. Tuncay plays as the lone striker with Jeremie Aliadier tasked to get forward whenever possible to support
A NORTH-EAST sleep expert has joined forces with sufferers to help thousands of people who suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness. Consultant neurologist Dr Paul Reading, from James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, is the medical
SCORES of jobs have been saved after 14 North-East branches of a photo processing chain were bought out of administration. Shoe repair and keycutting chain Timpson has bought 187 Klick and Max Spielmann shops after parent company Bowie Castlebank
A BUILDING society is confident of legally holding onto money invested in it by a collapsed Icelandic bank. Newcastle Building Society had £43m in Icelandic banks at the time of their collapse in October. Yesterday, chief executive Colin
I AM writing on behalf of Darlington Youth Brass Band to thank everyone who attended their recent Christmas Concert at Grange Road Baptist Church, Darlington, on December 5. The concert, which was a huge success, was held in aid of Marie Curie
THERE is nothing new. Norman Tebbit, in Maggie Thatcher’s government, told out-of-work people to get on their bikes and look for work like his dad did. That was the support they got then. Today, they are offered a lot of support – which isn’t there
I DO not think much of the idea of changing police uniforms to a paramilitarystyle as is about to be given a trial by frontline officers of Durham Police (Echo, Dec 12). To me, it spells the end of the “friendly English bobby”. Is it just a coincidence
FOLLOWING my column (Echo, Dec 9) correspondent Eric Gendle (HAS, Dec 17) berates me for criticising the universal superstition of global warming without my supplying any evidence or reasoning for my views. If he will consult back issues of The
WHAT’S going on? Columnist Peter Mullen writes a thoughtful, balanced piece on assisted suicide (Echo, Dec 16) with which I vaguely agree. Watch him, Editor, he may be losing his grip. Linda Chadd, Darlington.
THIS Christmas, we’re gonna party like it’s 1929. The more you look at it, the more it feels like the 1920s all over again. A Stock Market crash, caused by extravagant speculation with money that didn’t exist, followed by a long, deep recession.
IT is extremely concerning that County Durham’s acute hospital beds were all full on Monday and patients were stacking up in accident and emergency. Generally, our National Health Service has performed extremely well over the last decade, and that
I AM writing to say a very big thank all to all your readers who have supported Grace House North-East Children’s Hospice Appeal during 2008. We have had some fantastic support from donors, companies, individuals participating in our challenge
WHEN I read of the excuses given for the disposal of dogs – in your story headed “‘My dog doesn’t match my furniture’” about a report from the Dogs Trust charity (Echo, Dec 16) – words failed me. In writing the above sentence I had originally
WE wanted to visit Hartlepool Art Gallery on a short visit to Seaham, which is well worth the trip. Though there’s public parking owned by the council outside the gallery, clearly indicated and half-full of vehicles bearing no disabled badges
Actor Hugh Jackman lived up to his sexy image playing a rough, tough cattle drover in his latest film. But, as the tells Steve Pratt, he rather spoiled things by fainting in the heat on set. BEING introduced as the sexiest man alive is a tough description
A CITY centre street was turned into a trunk road for the delivery of a full size elephant to a North-East museum. As one of the world's largest land mammals, the creatures are normally seen roaming the plains of Africa. But people will be able to see
BLAYDON, the last team to win at Tynedale two years ago, will be looking to end the Corbridge club’s 33-game unbeaten home run in today’s National Two showdown (2pm). The hosts will be without Tim Visser and Rob Miller, who are both in Newcastle
STEVE Bates will oversee a series of last-minute fitness tests ahead of this afternoon’s Guinness Premiership game at Leicester, but a flu bug has already ended Rory Clegg and Adam Balding’s hopes of making Newcastle Falcons’ starting line-up.
CRAIG GORDON will rejoin the Sunderland squad in training on Monday, but caretaker boss Ricky Sbragia does not expect the goalkeeper to be back until the end of next month, writes PAUL FRASER. Gordon was given a few weeks to rest the ankle ligament
DEEP Purple left his puzzling first run over fences behind him by continuing on an upward spiral and making all in the Grade Two BGC Noel Novices’ Chase at Ascot. The corresponding afternoon 12 months ago gave the seven-year-old an opportunity
ALAN King is notably downbeat about Katchit’s recent homework as his miniature superstar limbers up for the rearranged Boylesports.com International Hurdle at Ascot today. Katchit was second to Osana in the event last year and has a peerless overall
SHAY Given has repeated his call for Newcastle to add to their squad during the January transfer window, even if it means signing players on loan until the end of the season. While Joe Kinnear has spent the last seven days attempting to tie up
FERDY Murphy is looking forward to getting more experience into his exciting prospect Kalahari King in the Taag Steelwork 30th Anniversary Novices’ Chase at Haydock today. The seven-year-old has always been held in high regard and justified his
NICKY Henderson’s strength in depth in the hurdling division is virtually unrivalled this season and the master of Seven Barrows has two strong chances to hold on to The Ladbroke today. Tony McCoy has been booked to partner JP Mc- Manus’ Aigle
DAVE Penney has dismissed any suggestion that he could be tempted to make the switch to Quakers’ bitterest rivals by confirming that his loyalties are firmly with Darlington. The managerial vacancy that followed Danny Wilson’s sudden sacking has
Hartlepool United 3 Southend United 0 CHRIS Turner insisted on Thursday he had not thought about taking over as manager at Hartlepool United for the second time. Appointed caretaker boss, he may wake up this morning with different thoughts.
HAVING been part of the goalkeepers’ union at Middlesbrough for the best part of a decade alongside Mark Schwarzer, Ross Turnbull confesses this afternoon’s trip to Fulham will remind him how far he has come this season. It is seven months since
BINOCULAR can live up to all the hype with a significant victory in the rearranged Boylesports.com International at Ascot. Nicky Henderson’s fouryear- old faded up the hill in the Supreme in March as the soft ground really tested his stamina
JUST hours after Ricky Sbragia finally conceded that he would have to ‘seriously consider’ becoming the next Sunderland manager, his opposite number this afternoon also revealed an interest in taking over at the Stadium of Light. Phil Brown has
WHEN he first arrived at Newcastle, Joe Kinnear infamously spent more than 20 minutes swearing at the North-East press. On Thursday, as he reflected on an opening 11 matches that have brought three victories, six draws and just two defeats, the
HE has suffered plenty of disappointments since moving to Sunderland two years ago, but Marton Fulop claims the hardships have all been worthwhile now he is an established member of the first team. Last season, Fulop made just one senior appearance
SEVEN people have been arrested after a series of police raids targeting cannabis farms. More than 250 cannabis plants, with an estimated street value of more than £125,000, have been seized in the Stanley area of County Durham over the past
WHEN a workman started knocking down part of a chimney in a museum he found a letter in a beer bottle that had lain hidden for 102 years. Stonemason Joe Kipling discovered the bottle as he worked on a major alteration project at the Bowes Museum
NISSAN yesterday dismissed reports it is planning to cut staff wages by 75 per cent as “utterly untrue”. The Japanese motoring company said it had no plans to cut salaries at its Sunderland plant for three months next year as it battles to overcome
A COUNCIL and an arts promotions company have admitted breaches of safety regulations following a tragedy in which two people died when an inflatable artwork flipped over. Chester-le-Street District Council yesterday admitted a breach of the
A GRIEVING woman hopes to use the anniversary of her partner’s death to deter children from playing on railway lines. On Sunday, it will be one year since Liam Hayton was killed while crossing a railway track in Darlington. The 20-year-old father
A VILLAGE came to a halt as residents paid their last respects to a soldier who died in Iraq only weeks after celebrating his daughter’s birth. Lance Corporal David Wilson, 27, from Spennymoor, County Durham, died from a gunshot wound to the
THE future of a historic North-East college could be in doubt after a former bursar was jailed for stealing nearly £500,000 from its funds – to buy clothes. Christine Starkey, 59, who worked at St Chad’s College, part of Durham University, was
THREE members of the so-called Million Pound Gang have been jailed after admitting a string of burglaries and car thefts. The prolific thieves burgled at least 26 homes and stole more than 30 cars between September last year and February this
THE Chief Constable of Cleveland Police last night defended his force for taking the Suzanne Holdsworth case to trial. Sean Price spoke out after the BBC’s Newsnight programme on Thursday night criticised the people working on the case of the
CAMPAIGNERS claimed North-East hospital services were “on a knife edge” last night after it emerged that one of the region’s biggest NHS trusts ran out of beds earlier this week. The Northern Echo can reveal that an email was sent to all County
CHRIS Turner insisted on Thursday he had not thought about taking over as manager at Hartlepool United for the second time. Appointed caretaker boss, he may wake up this morning with different thoughts. He looked on from the Victoria
POLICE and fire crews in North Yorkshire were called out to a series of road accidents overnight caused by heavy rain. Shortly after midnight a Vauxhall Zafira with four occupants became stuck in floodwater near Aysgarth. Minutes later, a Citroen crashed
ONE person was given oxygen and had to be treated for smoke inhilation after a fire broke out in the kitchen of a house in Oliver Street, Seaham, tonight. Two fire crews - one from Seaham and one from Peterlee - were called to the blaze at 9.10pm. Firefighters
A NURSE who bombarded a former colleague with offensive phone calls has been spared jail. Kathleen Windle, 48, warned fellow nurse Gloria Softley "I will teach you a lesson" and told her "I will have the last laugh" during late night calls.
