Archive

  • Resentful son set fire to his mother's house, court told

    A MAN escaped jail today despite torching his mother's house. John Paul Meads, 21, was sentenced to a two-year community supervision order at Durham Crown Court. The court heard he visited Doreen Meads' house in Lilac Court, Shildon,

  • Retired Cleveland Police officer jailed over child abuse

    A RETIRED police officer and former soldier is tonight starting a ten-year prison sentence for a catalogue of sickening abuse against two children decades ago. Joseph Sample was told by a judge that he had ruined the lives of the victims, still

  • Warning after bogus water worker steals from 96-year-old woman

    POLICE are warning householders to be on their guard, after a man posing as a water board official tricked his way into the home of a 96-year-old woman. The man called at her home, in Sowerby, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, on Monday afternoon. He claimed

  • Teen posed as Chief Constable's son, court told

    A TEENAGER changed his name so he could pretend to be one of Britain's top policemen. Sean Dodds, changed his name to Nathan Craik so others would think he was the son of Northumbria Police Chief Constable Mike Craik. Craik, 19, lived out his fantasy

  • Charity recital

    Tickets are on sale for a music recital at Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, featuring Sir Thomas Allen, Ruth Jenkins and Martin Martineau in aid of Durham Wildlife Trust on Sunday February 8. Tickets are £30 from Gillian Rae on 0191-3780162

  • Fishing boat issues 'Mayday' after onboard blaze

    LIFEBOAT volunteers helped the crew of a fishing boat after an electrical fire broke out off the coast of Sunderland this morning. Shortly before 10am the skipper of the Grenaa Star, a 65ft fishing boat sent a 'Mayday' distress call to Humber

  • Roundabout for disabled children at Wolsingham

    A wheelchair-accessible roundabout has been installed at Wolsingham Park for disabled children can be included in play. Charity Independence 4 Disability donated £2000 for the facility supplied by company G L Jones who specialise in disabled play equipment

  • Police appeal and warning after car key burglaries

    FOUR houses in a County Durham village were burgled last night. In the space of two hours thieves targeted car keys are four properties in Sedgefield and got away with two vehicles. Homes in Whitehouse Drive, The Leas, Hornby Avenue and The

  • Fishburn panto to raise roof, after it rained in

    THE show will go on for a village youth group despite thieves causing damage to their venue- threatening its biggest annual fund raising event. Young people from the Fishburn area perform a pantomime each spring to raise money for youth club activities

  • School misses out on MTV ball

    TEENAGERS have narrowly missed out on having music television channel MTV organise and host their end-of-term ball. Hurworth School Maths and Computing College came second in the national competition, which had the first prize of MTV providing and

  • Budding politicians see democracy in action

    THE next generation of politicians got a taste of how democracy works during a visit to Darlington Town Hall. Harrowgate Hill Primary School’s student council held their January meeting in the council chamber before learning about what goes on at the

  • Last call for dance festival entries

    TIME is running out to enter a historic dance festival which has added new classes this year. Organisers of Darlington Dance Festival have received lots of entries from dancers outside the town but are looking for more entrants from schools

  • Puplis encouraged to eat healthily

    A TEESSIDE primary school is taking part in an international food campaign to encourage pupils to eat school meals. The GetReal campaign runs next week and St Josephs RC Primary School, in Norton, is holding a themed lunch day as part of The Really Good

  • Convicted drug dealer loses his assets

    A CONVICTED drug dealer and money launderer has been stripped of all his assets. Andrew Lee Usher, formally of 15 Westerham Grove, Beechwood, was ordered by a court to hand over 71,000 of goods. Teesside Crown Court ruled that he had illegally earned

  • Flood relief plan

    HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds will be invested to reduce the risk of homes flooding in Hartlepool. Northumbrian Water is spending 900,000 to upgrade 200 metres of sewer pipe and install a 220 cubic metre storage tank in the Glentower Grove and Stanmore

  • Female only football coaching course

    PLACES are up for grabs on a series of football coach courses to be held in Hartlepool. Three introductory courses, beginning on February 25, May 6 (female only) and September 9, have been organised by the Councils Football Development Programme in partnership

  • Police warning after Thirsk burglary

    POLICE are warning householders to be on their guard, after a man posing as a water official tricked his way into the home of a 96-yr-old woman. The man called at her home, in Sowerby, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, on Monday afternoon. He claimed

  • Vehicle watch scheme launched in Stockton

    MOTORISTS in Stockton are being given the chance to join a new scheme to protect their vehicles from theft. Stockton Neighbourhood Watch team are spearheading a new scheme designed to make your car noticeable to Police should it be stolen. Bright yellow

  • Driver charged over man's death

    A MAN has been charged with causing the death by dangerous driving of a popular academic and charity fundraiser. Andrew Brian Done, 42, of Ainderby Steeple, North Yorkshire, died after being hit by a Vauxhall Astra, on the A684, at nearby Morton-on-Swale

  • Reward offered after knife raid

    A SHOP owner is offering a reward of £1,000 in a bid to track down a knife-wielding raider who threatened a female assistant. Stephen Kane, owner of Cardland at Nether Poppleton, near York, hopes the offer will help detectives investigating the robbery

  • Dinwiddie leads region's charge in Doha

    ROBERT DINWIDDIE remains in contention at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, despite failing to repeat his opening round heroics today. Dinwiddie, who has embarked on his second season on the European Tour, carded a one-over par, 73, at the Doha Golf

  • £7.4m for new station

    NORTH Yorkshire should have a new railway station in the next four years. Funding has been won for a new commuter station at Haxby on the outskirts of York. The Regional Transport Board has announced it will give £7.4m to City of York Council for the

  • New bus service for hospital

    HEALTH bosses have unveiled a new bus service to a north Durham community hospital. The new service to Shotley Bridge Community Hospital in Shotley Bridge, near Consett, means that patients and visitors to he hospital can now be dropped off and picked

  • Incentives to buy flat pack homes

    THE country’s first development of Ikea houses has fallen flat with buyers. The flat pack development in Gateshead was conceived two years ago as the answer to the UK’s housing shortage. It was hoped the Ikeadesigned BoKlok houses and flats would

  • Mido joins Wigan on loan

    WIGAN have signed Egypt striker Mido from Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season. With Emile Heskey moving to Aston Villa, Wigan boss Steve Bruce wasted no time in seeking replacement firepower. "Mido brings vast experience to the table,"

  • Coach crash driver charged with manslaughter

    THE driver of a coach which was involved in a crash in which a couple were killed has been charged with manslaughter. Paul and Deborah Clements, from South Yorkshire, died after the crash near Staxton, North Yorkshire, last September.

  • Crackdown on waste offences

    ENVIRONMENTAL officers in an east Durham community are getting tough on waste offences with six takeaways warned to clean up their act or pay the price. Easington District Council has issued each of the businesses with enforcement notices after they

  • Fury over huge retirement village

    PLANS to create a sprawling retirement community in the heart of North Yorkshire have sparked fury among local people. The proposals have been labelled as "outrageous" and "totally inappropriate" by opponents who have vowed to fight against the scheme

  • Enraged cow injures farmer with axe...

    Further to yesterday's blog about silly headlines from around the world, former colleague Hylton Marrs has sent me the following collection: Grandmother of eight makes hole in one Deaf mute gets new hearing in killing Police begin

  • Renault Koleos 2.0 D Privilege dCi 175

    I’VE just had a dirty weekend, but not in the way you might expect! No, far from enjoying some quality time with my other half, I’ve been finding out the pluses and minuses of owning Renault’s new off-roader, the Koleos. It’s the first crossover

  • Nissan 350Z GT

    THE 350Z isn’t your typical Nissan. When it first went on sale in the UK three years ago the entire year’s supply sold out in one hour! For the best part of a year, second-hand examples traded hands for a premium. Buyers were desperate to get

  • Security warning after four houses burgled

    FOUR houses in a County Durham village were burgled last night. In the space of two hours thieves targeted car keys and four properties in Sedgefield and got away with two vehicles. Homes in Whitehouse Drive, The Leas, Hornby Avenue and The Meadows

  • Nurse "killed mother with ornamental horse"

    A NURSE killed her mother by hitting her over the head with an ornamental shire horse, a court heard today. Jennifer Shelton, 56, fatally injured her mother Bertha Martin, 84, by striking her over the head with the ceramic horse on June 17 last year.

  • Cash-point ram-raided with JCB

    THIEVES used a JCB to smash their way into a supermarket cashpoint in the early hours of this morning. The digger, from a building site, was used to crash through the wall of the Tow Law Co-operative store, in County Durham, at around 1.30am

  • Horse sense on Dales roads

    A CAMPAIGN to boost road safety in the Yorkshire Dales is coming to fruition, with plans to put up signs warning drivers of horse hazards. Councillor Mick Griffiths, who represents Eppleby and Newsham on Richmondshire District Council, had called on

  • Catterick woman guilty in connection with puppy's death

    A WOMAN has been found guilty of crimes connected with the death of a puppy. Carrie Munden, of Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, was convicted of causing unnecessary to a protected animal, as well as a further three animal welfare offences. The

  • Showcase local talent

    WORKSHOPS that allow talented people in north Durham to showcase their skills are being held. The Lamplight Arts Centre, Stanley, is launching a new series of Open Mic sessions to create a platform for up-and-coming talent. The idea is to get them to

  • Healthy future for young people

    A PROGRAMME of events combining healthy eating and exercise has been arranged for north Durham children. Over 900 year seven pupils from all comprehensive schools and two special schools in the Derwentside area will take part. The week long scheme,

  • Schoolgirl injured on road

    A SCHOOLGIRL has been treated in hospital after being struck by a car as she crossed a busy road. The 14-year-old girl was injured as she crossed Durham Road, in Blackhill near Consett Community Sports College yesterday afternoon. The girl, from Medomsley

  • Suspected shoplifter wanted

    POLICE are appealing for help in tracing a man in his early 20s who is suspected of shoplifting. The man, who is described as being around 6ft tall and slim, went into the Peacocks in the Dragonville area of Durham City at around 3.25pm on Thursday,

  • Gerrard to deny assault charge

    ENGLAND footballer Steven Gerrard is to deny assaulting a man during a nightclub brawl, a court heard today. The Liverpool captain will plead not guilty to affray and assaulting company director Marcus McGee, 34, last month following the Reds' 5-1 defeat

  • Lovenkrands seals deal with Magpies

    NEWCASTLE today completed the signing of former Rangers forward Peter Lovenkrands until the end of the season. The 28-year-old Denmark international, who left German club Schalke earlier this month after his contract was terminated by mutual consent,

  • Buyers renew interest

    THE property market has experienced a promising start to the New Year, according to County Homesearch, which has seen a greatly increased number of potential buyers registering for its services in the first two weeks of January 2009. Reinforcing

  • New year, new office for Westpark

    THIS looks like being an exciting year for Darlington estate agent Westpark as it opens a second office in a prime town-centre location. Due to unprecendented levels of business on the rental side, Westpark, which has been operating out of an

  • Pines escapes price axe

    IN THESE difficult times for the property market, it is refreshing to hear some good news for a change. This comes in the form of a house sale that has actually made a profit in practically the first year of its life. The latest property to

  • Landlords sit out the credit crunch

    ALARGE majority of UK landlords refuse to be forced into selling properties as a result of the credit crunch, according to a survey among private-sector landlords by the Residential Landlords Association, whose members own over 100,000 properties

  • Property sale on at Bairstow Eves

    BAIRSTOW Eves is this week hosting a three-day new-year property sale for homes across Tyneside following a successful yearend sale during December 2008. Properties featuring in the sale, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, include a range of

  • How to beat winter blues!

    IN A BID to beat those winter blues, Keepmoat Homes North East is offering five per cent deposit paid on selected plots and developments. This includes starter homes, family homes and properties for those looking to upgrade or downsize. Currently

  • Cross The Old Moat to your own castle!

    THEY say your home is your castle, and what sort of castle would it be without a moat? Well, while The Old Moat is hardly a castle of the recognised variety, it will certainly make a splendid residence for those wishing to enjoy the space and

  • Price cut for fine family home

    Wingrove, View Lane, Stanley, is an elegant, stone-built, semi-detached town house which has been reduced in price to £199,950 from £239,950 through agent J W Wood (01207 235221). The property has been refurbished to a high standard, with modern

  • Helping beat the credit crunch

    IN A BID to help house-buyers beat the credit crunch, Bellway is promising to double savings of up to ten per cent of the price of one of its homes. It works like this: you save ten per cent and Bellway matches your deposit by giving you ten per

  • Sustainable homes project recognised by government

    A£2m prestige housing project, with views of the Angel of the North, Lumley Castle and Durham Cathedral, is set to become the first development in the North-East to gain the highest possible accreditation under the government’s Code for Sustainable

  • Housing gets go-ahead

    TEN houses are to be built in an upper Teesdale village after councillors gave the plan the go-ahead. The houses, near Jubilee Place, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, will be a mixture of three and four-bedroomed homes. Three of the properties will

  • Jeffries left in limbo after fight deal collapses

    OLYMPIC bronze medallist Tony Jeffries has suffered a false start to his professional career after his deal with Sheffield promoter Dennis Hobson fell through. Sunderland light-heavyweight Jeffries had been hoping to make his professional debut

  • Off to a Doncaster flier?

    DONCASTER racegoers can get off to an uplifting start by supporting Cordier in the crownhotel-bawtry.com Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle. John Mackie’s seven-year-old is no great shakes, but has done enough this term to indicate a debut success

  • Olazabal wants top job

    JOSE Maria Olazabal has put himself forward as a candidate for the Ryder Cup captaincy next year, even though all the signs now point to him having to wait until 2012 and Colin Montgomerie taking charge at Celtic Manor. ‘‘He is available. If

  • Coltart back on song

    A REVITALISED Andrew Coltart is back where he wants to be and chasing a second Qatar Masters title after taking a share of the firstround lead alongside Ryder Cup duo Henrik Stenson and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Last year Coltart was without

  • Ross is back - so are the boring headlines

    Enough, enough! I've had enough of Jonathan Ross headlines built around his speech impediment. I know we've all done it, but it's an old joke now. Ross's return to his BBC show has predictably made front page news in the national papers this morning

  • Venus crashes to defeat

    VENUS Williams had no excuses after crashing out of the Australian Open in the second round. The American sixth seed was beaten 2-6 6-3 7-5 by Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, a player ranked 40 places below her. Williams, who reached the quarter-finals

  • West lumped with toughest EDF draw possible

    WEST Hartlepool have kicked off a lively debate by being drawn away to Hartpury College in the quarter-finals of the EDF Energy Intermediate Cup on February 28. Their Gloucestershire hosts had scarcely been heard of during West’s time as a

  • Collingwood happy to take a senior role

    FORMER England captain Paul Collingwood has promised staunch support to new leader Andrew Strauss as the Test team start a new era in the Caribbean. Collingwood, who quit as one-day captain last August shortly after Michael Vaughan’s resignation

  • Storm standing tall in search of a title

    HAVING revitalised Lee Westwood’s golf career, sports scientist Dr Steve McGregor has turned his attentions towards shaping Graeme Storm up for an overdue second title on the European Tour. It is 18 months since Storm won the French Open and,

  • Murray: I am a real contender

    ANDY Murray believes he has had enough success in the past few months to warrant being mentioned in the same breath as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic when it comes to contenders for the Australian Open title. Djokovic, the defending

  • Clegg gets a Falcons start in Cup tie

    RORY Clegg will return to Newcastle Falcons’ starting line-up for Sunday’s European Challenge Cup tie with Cetransa El Salvador. Fly-half Clegg, who turned 19 earlier this month, has shaken off the groin problem that kept him out of last weekend

  • UK officially in recession

    THE UK is officially in recession, figures confirmed today. The economy contracted by 1.5 per cent in the final three months of 2008 - the worst performance in more than 28 years, according to the Office for National Statistics. The

  • Dead and buried

    Cheated yet again this morning... Our story about false reports that former Bishop Auckland footballer Tommy Farrer had died was the subject of this morning's Headline Game on TFM radio. The headline couldn't have been better: "Alive and kicking."

  • Liddle is relishing midfield battle

    IF in victory over Stoke City in round three, the game was all about how Hartlepool United’s defence coped with a barrage of long balls pumped forward, preparations for the visit of West Ham tomorrow couldn’t be different. And, for Gary Liddle

  • Tainio wants to add to his cup collection

    TEEMU Tainio will be sentenced the stands tomorrow, but the Sunderland midfielder has urged his team-mates to keep his FA Cup dream alive in his absence. Tainio, who picked up his fifth booking of the season in last weekend’s defeat to Aston

  • Magpies wage bill increases

    NEWCASTLE United’s wage bill is still at a dangerous level according to the club’s 2008 accounts that were published yesterday. The Magpies now have a wage bill of £62.6m – an increase of £9.4m from 2007 – and wages account for more than 70 per

  • IPL deal is given the nod

    ENGLAND’S leading players will head into a Test summer without first-class practice after a deal was brokered on their central contracts. The dozen men under England and Wales Cricket Board control have finally signed their 12-month deals, which

  • Turner plotting a third Premier League scalp

    IN two games against Premier League opposition at Victoria Park this season, Hartlepool United remain unbeaten – but Chris Turner knows that record will be put the sternest of tests tomorrow. After seeing off West Brom in the Carling Cup and Stoke

  • Carole exits for a trial

    DARLINGTON manager Dave Penney last night confirmed that departing winger Seb Carole was unhappy at not being treated as first-choice in Quakers’ line-up. The Frenchman is hoping to earn a deal with Huddersfield Town, where he is on trial, after

  • Watson expected to join King on Teesside

    HAVING signed Wigan striker Marlon King on loan for the rest of the season, Gareth Southgate is confident that Ben Watson will complete a permanent transfer to Middlesbrough within the next 24 hours. But Southgate is also likely to lose a player

  • Sbragia has five targets

    RICKY Sbragia is mulling over a move for Hearts defender Christophe Berra after turning down the opportunity to sign Bolton centre-half Danny Shittu for a second time. Sbragia has assembled a hit list of five possible signings – four defenders

  • Bishops get to the root of problem

    THEY’RE bottom of the league, fighting relegation, still awaiting government clearance for their new ground and now the oncemighty Bishop Auckland FC face a new and intractable problem – they’ve copped for Japanese knotweed. Known in England

  • Oh Brother

    Celebrity Big Brother – The Live Final (C4, 8.30pm and 10pm) SO, another star-studded contest is almost over, and here we get to see who emerges victorious after three weeks in TV land’s most famous prefab. The action kicked off with Davina McCall

  • Money For Beginners: How to catch the cheapest train

    CATCHING a train to London? To go from Darlington would you rather pay £13.50 or £127.50? And that’s just a single, standard class. If you wanted to go First, that could be £185.50. One way. It seems ridiculous when you fly all over Europe for

  • Don’t shop, just swap

    Want the buzz of a shopping spree, but can’t afford it? Just clear out your unwanted old clothes and head for a swishing event, the latest craze for credit-crunchers. Julia Breen reports. IT’S eco-friendly, cheap, cheerful and a good girls’ night out

  • Jamuary 23rd, 2009

    Reader's Question LESLIE from Durham was shocked to go out into the garden early one morning this week to discover that every single one of his crocus bulbs, which were only a fortnight or so away from flowering, had been nibbled off at the point

  • Centre’s royal launch

    THE PRINCESS Royal yesterday officially opened the £20m Sunderland Aquatic Centre. The centre, which first admitted members of the public last April, was voted one of top three sporting venues in the country following a public vote in the

  • Get fighting fit: whatever your age

    Hollywood stars can buy a lot of things, but not a toned physique. Harrison Ford’s trainer tells Patricia Allen how hard the actor worked to get fit for the latest Indiana Jones movie. DO you secretly yearn to be a male superhero, even though your

  • Showing mettle on Krypton course

    Following the come back of The Krypton Factor, Philippa Weighell tries out the new assault course at Adrenalin North Yorkshire. TELEVISION’S toughest quiz – those were the words ringing in my ears as I drove to Adrenalin North Yorkshire – the

  • ‘Police slow to react over farming crime’

    THIEVES targeting isolated farms in the upper dales are becoming increasingly violent and desperate according to residents, who say they are worried by a lack of support from police. Councillor John Blackie, who represents the area on Richmondshire

  • Police handed new powers on streets

    POLICE officers have been handed new powers to tackle drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour. A total of 203 streets in 16 wards across Hartlepool are now covered by Designated Public Place Orders (DPPOs), which allow officers to confiscate alcohol

  • Victory in sight for Kelly Campaign

    A MOTHER whose teenage daughter was killed by a drink-driver may see her call for a change in the law come to fruition. Jan Woodward’s daughter, Kelly, was killed by drink-driver Andrew Burrell in 2006 and a year later she launched a petition

  • Closures of care homes was on budget hit list

    COUNCILLORS at a proposed new unitary authority considered proposals to close seven care homes, The Northern Echo can reveal. The proposal was on a list of “rejected savings” in a leaked report prepared for Durham County Council’s ruling Labour

  • Changes to rates system attacked

    PORT companies faced with big increases in their business rates will be thrown a lifeline today when MPs order the Government to save them from possible bankruptcy. A report by a powerful Commons committee will fiercely criticise ministers’ response

  • Memories of intrepid female artist go on show

    ONE hundred rarely seen Victorian paintings have gone on display. The work of Marianne North is being exhibited at Preston Hall Museum, in Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, until March 8. The collection is on loan from the Royal Botanic Gardens

  • Sales up by 8.2 per cent

    SUPERMARKET chain Morrisons yesterday revealed like-for-like sales rose 8.2 per cent over Christmas. The group reported record levels of trade across the 382 stores in its estate, helped by its focus on fresh food and promotional offers. The latest

  • Administrators close city centre hotel

    A NORTH-EAST hotel has become one of four nationally to close after its parent company went into administration. The Quality Hotel, in Newcastle, has been closed by administrators of the Real Hotel Company, with the loss of about 20 jobs. A handwritten

  • Joining forces to weather credit crunch

    RECRUITMENT entrepreneurs Mark Ions, managing director of Exclusive Human Resources, and Nicky Archibald, co-founder and director of Archibald & Dutch have joined forces to help them weather the credit crunch and expand their businesses. The

  • Court told of woman’s years of suffering

    A JURY yesterday heard of the history of alleged domestic abuse a woman suffered in the years leading up to her death last summer. Carol Chambers was said to have been regularly beaten and left covered in bruises by her drunken partner, John Bickford

  • Off-licences at risk of closure, owner warns

    THE owner of high street offlicences Threshers and Wine Rack yesterday confirmed that some of its stores faced closure if it was unable to renegotiate rents. First Quench – which has scores of stores throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire

  • Motor industry ‘will see signs of recovery in 2009’

    THE crisis-hit motor industry could begin to see signs of recovery this year in a revival inspired by the election of Barack Obama as US president, predicts one of the leading figures in the sector. Tom Purves, chief executive of Rolls Royce,

  • Three jailed for firearms

    THREE men arrested as part of a police investigation into illegal arms dealing have been jailed for a total of 17 years. The three, who were among six men initially arrested in Operation Opinjay, by Northumbria Police, were sentenced in separate

  • All aboard for first passengers

    THE first main line steam locomotive to be built in this country for nearly 50 years is to pull its first public passenger train next month. The Northern Echo has teamed up with the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to offer readers the chance to win

  • Sex charge man may face ten years

    A SOCIAL worker from the North-East could be jailed for ten years in the US if found guilty of two counts of child sex abuse. Prosecutors are building a case against Dwight E McGuire, from Darlington, County Durham, who is expected to plead

  • Motorist ‘could not have avoided boy’

    A DRIVER who knocked down a 12-year-old boy could not have avoided him, an inquest was told yesterday. Joe Caven-Norris was crossing the road after getting off a bus yards from his home in Margrove Park village, near Guisborough, east Cleveland

  • Miners' strike

    IN reply to the recent criticism of the miners, I am old enough to remember the 1926 General Strike. Miners were the “salt of the earth”. My granddad worked down the pit for 57 years, retiring at 72 years old. He travelled underground three miles

  • Why the mess?

    IS there anyone out there who can explain to me why the world is in a terrible state when we have such clever men in England like David Cameron, William Hague, George Osborne, plus Robert Peston, Nick Robinson and other TV reporters? With all

  • BT charges

    IT was interesting to read the letter from Jacquie Bell (HAS, Jan 16) regarding BT charges. We had our BT line taken out about three years ago and have a mobile phone. The socket is still in place and the outside wire still connected to a telegraph

  • Racism

    IN response to Ralph Musgrave (HAS, Jan 16), I’m surprised he hasn’t noticed the oppression of the Palestinians by Israel has often been described as racist. It has also been referred to as ethnic cleansing, and compared with apartheid. However

  • Ken's return

    INSTINCTIVELY, I shudder at the possible consequences of Conservative leader David Cameron bringing Ken Clarke back into the fold (Echo, Jan 20). This is a man, who I blame, whether directly or indirectly, for making the Labour Party seem like

  • Barack Obama

    AS America and most of the world celebrated the inauguration of President Barack Obama, my mind went back to May 1997, when a fresh-faced Tony Blair entered Downing Street to the strains of “Things Can Only Get Better”. Then, even the most dyed-in-the-wool

  • Oh for some American enthusiasm

    IT was a bad day to be a cynic, wasn’t it? Barack Obama’s inauguration was one of those rare occasions when you can forget the grit and grease in the engine we call democracy and marvel, instead, on its capacity to inspire people. Looking at the

  • Too little, too late

    WE applaud British Gas for breaking ranks with its fellow energy suppliers to cut prices. Taking ten per cent off the standard gas tariff means that the average annual British Gas dual-fuel bill will drop from £1,328 to £1,240. Unfortunately, our

  • Cheaper bills are just ‘grand gestures’

    MORE than seven million homes were promised cheaper energy bills yesterday after British Gas announced its first major price cut in almost two years. The ten per cent reduction on standard gas tariffs will come into force on February 19, affecting

  • So well suited

    Playing their cards right has turned a North-East bridge club into a big success. David Roberts asks players to show their hand and reveal the secrets of the game. TUCKED away between used car dealerships and factories in Darlington sits St George

  • Increase in council staff paid more than £50,000

    COUNCILS have been accused of ignoring economic reality after figures showed the wage bill for middle and senior managers had jumped by 20 per cent in the past year to nearly £2.4bn. The TaxPayers’ Alliance, which campaigns for lower taxes,

  • Squirrels go nuts

    RAMPAGING squirrels are attacking nurses on their way to work, meaning health chiefs have been forced to give advice to their employees to protect them from the animals. Staff in Langley Park, County Durham, have been told to wear protective

  • Tributes to man who stole mining banner

    TRIBUTES have been paid to a man who was passionate about preserving his town’s mining heritage. Fred Smith, who has died at the age of 86, was known locally as “the man who pinched the miners’ banner” in 1964. That year, bosses at the struggling

  • Forces defend crime statistics after inquiry

    TWO of the region’s police forces were yesterday named among 18 in the country accused of under-reporting levels of serious violent crime. But senior officers at Cleveland and North Yorkshire Police angrily dismissed the claims, and said they

  • Custody death: Fresh inquest

    A HIGH Court judge has ordered a new inquest into the death of a teenage boy who hanged himself in custody. Adam Rickwood, 14, from Burnley, Lancashire, became the youngest person to die in custody in modern times when he hanged himself using

  • Alive and kicking

    Few footballers get a minute’s silence before they die, but that is exactly what happened to one North-East legend when false rumours of his demise reached his old club. Helen Smithson reports. A FORMER star of amateur football declared himself fit

  • Inquiry into Rock bonuses ‘outrage’

    NORTHERN Rock is to face a Parliamentary inquiry over generous cash bonuses paid to thousands of staff after a senior Treasury figure condemned them as outrageous, The Northern Echo can reveal. Michael Fallon, deputy chairman of the powerful