COASTGUARDS were called out tonight after three youths were reported stranded on rocks in the sea. Police alerted the Humber Coastguard at 8.54pm after the group was spotted in the water at Souter Lighthouse, near Marsden, Sunderland. The police helicopter
Basketball in association with Game Time & Ravenwood Roofing in Middlesbrough & Teesside (01429 291793) Game Time, Tees Valley Leisure & Ravenwood Roofing are promoting a weekend feast of basketball next Saturday and Sunday as Eston Sports Academy
A DEVOUT Hindu lost his High Court battle this morning for the legal right to be cremated on a traditional open-air funeral pyre. Spiritual healer Davender Ghai, 70, told a judge at a recent hearing that a pyre was essential to a good death and the release
A BROTHER and sister were struck by a taxi after running into its path near a zebra crossing, police said tonight. The ten-year-old girl suffered a fractured skull and a broken right leg in the incident, in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, at 4.20pm. She
A CHINESE couple involved in a football betting scam who were murdered in their own flat had received a series of threats over the internet before their deaths, a court heard today. Xi Zhou and her boyfriend Zhen Xing Yang, both 25, were found with horrific
Ferryhill Town Band has recorded a new CD to celebrate 100 years in existence. The band was originally formed in 1909 by miners from Mainsforth Colliery and was named Mainsforth Colliery Brass Band. In the early years the miners contributed
A CHARITY that helps impoverished families turn their houses into homes is itself planning a move. The County Durham Furniture Help Scheme plans to expand its work by relocating to a former social club which closed last summer. The charity has outgrown
A NUMBER of disability day service centres are facing closure as councillors discuss their future. The centres in the spotlight are the Zetland Day Centre at Marske, the Rugby Club at Guisborough and based at Heatherfields in Eston and the Settlement
GREEN fingered schoolchildren have been given the right tools to grow their own fruit and vegetables. The youngsters from Belmont Primary School in Guisborough were presented with the gardening tools and seeds thanks to Morrisons Lets Grow campaign.
YOUTH crime is in the spotlight after plans have been unveiled to invest £700,000 to tackle the problem. The Redcar and Cleveland Children's Trust and the Redcar and Cleveland Community Safety Partnership are joining forces to implement a Youth Crime
A PUB in Darlington could have its licence revoked after a police drugs raid landed a haul of cocaine. Durham Constabulary has urged Darlington Borough Council to review trading permissions at the Skerne Park Hotel after officers found customers had
A LOYALTY card scheme to encourage shoppers to get behind local independent retailers has now signed up more than 80 businesses. The Shop Local North Yorkshire project, launched last month in Bedale, had a stall at the recent Dales Festival of Food
A TEENAGE student has called on the Government to appoint a minister for men, claiming the lack of such a politician is detrimental to equality. Reece Wilkes, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, is lobbying Harriet Harman, in her position
ADULT learners celebrated in style after reaching personal goals in education. Darlington’s mayor Ian Haszeldine hosted an awards ceremony and reception for people from all walks of life who proved they were never too old to learn. The
RAILWAY museum staff are trying to trace four former engine drivers for an oral history project. The Locomotion: National Railway Museum in Shildon is keen to hear from former drivers Walter Hughes, Albert Newman, Alan Gill and Stan Pickney - all believed
PARENTS whose children have complex special needs are being given in a say in how services in County Durham can be linked. A series of consultation events are taking place in the next two weeks at children’s centres around the county. They are aimed
WINDFARM developers chose one of the breeziest days of the year to unveil plans for turbines on the edge of a popular beauty spot. Renewable energy specialists Banks, of Tow Law, received a mixed reaction from Woodland residents to their proposed £20m
SPECIAL events are under way at one of England’s largest and highest nature reserves in the North Pennine hills. The Moor House reserve, near Langdon Beck, in Upper Teesdale, has experts on hand to tell visitors about the North Pennines landscape and
PLAYERS union body the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) has denied that Darlington FC's first team squad has been released. A statement issued on behalf of the administrators on the club website last night said the players had been
REDCAR and Cleveland Council has expressed its "shock and sadness" at the announcement by Corus to begin consulting on possible redundancies. The Council's leader Coun George Dunning said: "We've had the threats hanging over the Teesside steel industry
BOTH sides seemed keen to make up for lost time when the start was delayed until 12.20 by rain as Sussex added 73 runs but lost three wickets in the first 70 minutes. They were 342 for nine when lunch was taken at 1.30, still 38 behind. With the new
Business Secretary Peter Mandelson has said Corus should seek legal action to reinstate its agreement with buyers and keep its Redcar plant open. He expressed strong concern that unilateral termination of the Offtake Framework Agreement by Marcegaglia
TWO brothers are to take centre stage at an orchestra’s concert later this month. Durham Sinfonia will be joined by international violinist Geoffrey Silver and conductor Jeremy Silver for the concert at Durham Cathedral on Saturday, May 16. The concert
POLICE are appealing for help tracing two men seen behaving suspiciously in a supermarket. The pair, both in their late 30s were spotted in the Tesco store at Dragonville, in Durham City on Wednesday, March 4. At about 10.50am, the first man was seen
CORUS may take legal action against the consortium of steel slab buyers which has thrown the future of its giant Redcar plant into turmoil. A visibly angry chief executive, Kirby Adams, accused the four steel slab buyers of throwing workers
BUSINESS Secretary Peter Mandelson has pledged the Government's support to closure-thretened Corus. Mr Mandelson spoke to Kirby Adams, the Chief Executive of Corus, yesterday evening, on hearing the news of the possible mothballing of the Teesside Cast
PASSENGERS had a lucky escape when a youth smashed a bus window as it drove through Hartlepool. A group of youths were stood on Clavering Road when one of them threw an unknown object at the window, causing it to smash. The youths then ran away from
A FACTORY worker who killed a grandfather in a motiveless and unprovoked attack outside a pub was today jailed for three years. Michael Kelly was told he had brought “overwhelming grief” to the family of much-loved Clifford Palmer by his actions in last
MORE than 500 cyclists, including Olympic and international bikers, will head for a forest in the region this weekend. The second round of the British Mountain Bike Race Series is being held at Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, on Sunday
VOTERS in a small village can call into their local for a pint and a vote on North Yorkshire County Council election day. Locals in Wass, near Thirsk, will cast their votes for both the county and European elections held on June 4 in The Wombwell
LORD Mandelson today rejected claims he used taxpayers cash to renovate his home for profit, insisting the money was spent on essential maintenance. The Business Secretary and former Hartlepool MP, reacted to reports in the Daily Telegraph which disclosed
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for urgent action to improve disabled access at Thirsk Railway Station after labelling it a disgrace. Thirsk Regeneration Initiative (TRI) has criticised Network Rail, which owns the buildings at the station, claiming
Appointed Young Conductor in Association with the Northern Sinfonia at the age of 19 and the first conductor of the then new Young Sinfonia 10 years ago, Ilvan Volkov’s career has blossomed since. Now the chief conductor at the Scottish Symphony
Appointed Young Conductor in Association with the Northern Sinfonia at the age of 19 and the first conductor of the then new Young Sinfonia 10 years ago, Ilvan Volkov’s career has blossomed since. Now the chief conductor at the Scottish Symphony Orchestra
ENGLAND'S hopes of wrapping up a quick first Test win at Lord's were dashed by rain this morning. Opponents West Indies headed into the third day on 39 for two, after following on 225 runs behind, and with a mountainous task to prevent the hosts taking
REDCAR MP Vera Baird has reacted angrily to the decision to mothball the blast furnace at Corus on Teesside. "I am absolutely furious, as are Corus, with the consortium," she said. "They are in the middle of a ten year contract and for years
WITH the entertainment world going Abbacadabra at the moment, any show boasting a strong tribute link is bound to earn some bookings. Quite how this train-crash of a show – having jumped the spandex-coated rails after eight numbers to plough
NICHOLAS KRAEMER, a leading exponent of early music, treated the audience to an intimate evening of music-making. Leading from the harpsichord, he opened the evening with Bach’s Suite No 4 in D major. The work, one of the warhorses of the repertoire
English Heritage (BBC2, 9pm) TWO muscular young men wearing loincloths are being raised in the air by a forklift truck in a warehouse. They stand on a column, holding a very large ball on their shoulders. Onlookers take pictures and
A GIRL’S handbag is her life support system. Take our handbags away and our lives fall apart. Everything we need is in there. Given the contents of the average handbag most of us could go away for a month and would probably be fine even if cast
Marjorie McIntyre meets a woman who turned the loss of her banking job into an opportunity to set up on her own WHEN Barbara Chrisp lost her job in the financial sector, she decided to go it alone and launch a business providing healthy fruit and
FIVE members of the same North-East family have been charged with offences relating to an alleged £1m fraud. The five, all involved in running two County Durham companies, will each face charges of conspiracy to money-launder when they appear before
Reader's question JOAN often walks in the woods near Middleton-One-Row and loves the wild garlic that is growing there at this time of year. She wants to know how she can get some to grow at the bottom of her garden, in a semishaded area
Twenty years ago a new centre began welcoming people with mental health problems. Health Editor Barry Nelson finds out who it’s helping today. WHEN doctors told Andy he probably had cancer, he admits he took it very badly. The former technician,
DIDN’T Margaret Thatcher do well when she was Minister of Pensions by stopping pensions from increasing with the cost of living? When she became Prime Minister, she destroyed the mining, shipbuilding and steel industries. She ran schools, the
PETER MULLEN (Echo, May 5) criticises attempts to achieve equality by invoking the obvious argument that by nature we are not all the same. This is not the point. Nor is it enough to suggest “equality of opportunity” is an adequate alternative.
AT Lanchester, in County Durham, the A691 has a 30mph speed limit, sensibly so. Turn right up the A6076 Howden Bank – a steep hill – and the signs indicate end of restriction, with a dual-carriage way up the hill (a crawler lane for buses and
THERE has been a great deal of debate about the Durham Park and Ride, which prompts me to write about the new park and ride at Filey Road, Scarborough. The old one in Weaponess Road is closed, and a new one has been opened between Filey and Scarborough
I SUPPOSE we’ve all done it. I know I have. The football is on, the commentator is in full flight and we say to ourselves: “This guy knows nothing – I could do a better job myself.” Take it from me, you couldn’t. I spent Saturday afternoon in the
HOW I wish that something or somebody would spirit away that egotistical, idiotic fool of a HAS correspondent, Christopher Wardell. What gives him the idea that he is an expert of anything and everything? If the “visitors from afar” could not
I BELIEVE we have lost 179 of our young men fighting a futile war in Iraq. It would be nice to remember them by having a memorial garden dedicated to them, and we should ask Tony Blair to open it. It would hopefully serve as a reminder to politicians
MY fellow Scotsman, Hugh Pender, is correct in pointing out the luck of a Prime Minister (HAS, May 4) neither elected by his own party (as the forgettable John Major was) nor the electorate. A man who bullied and intimidated his leader (Tony
I READ about the plight of the swans nesting near Darlington town centre (Echo, May 2), and felt sick, thinking that poor David Reid was having to do something about this – alone. He is writing to the Queen, who owns all swans, because their nests
NISSAN has said it is creating 150 short-term jobs at its North-East plant in response to a rise in demand, and said it would be targeting the temporary workers it recently made redundant to fill the positions. The company said as a result
PASSIONS are clearly running high in the light of the crisis facing Darlington Football Club. Administrator David Clark has blamed the fans for driving away potential investors by directing abuse at former chairman George Houghton and for failing
A MAN of previous good character was told to expect a prison sentence after being convicted of groping two teenage girls. Leonard Michael Young received the warning as Judge Richard Lowden remanded him in custody following jury verdicts on the
Last night, nominations closed for June’s European Parliament elections. The campaigns have begun in earnest. Chris Lloyd offers a beginners’ guide to the excitement in store. THE NITTY-GRITTY ABOUT 375 million people from 27 European Union member
ONE of the biggest steel plants in the UK is to be mothballed, threatening the future of up to 2,000 workers, it was revealed today. Workers at the Teesside Cast Products plant in Redcar were told the grim news this morning ahead of a 90-day
ARE you an optimist or are you a pessimist? Your designated category will entirely depend on whether you have had your fingers burnt during this last 18 months of economic downturn. Like most people, I have been affected, however, I still like to
A LEADING North-East business figure has branded legislation which may prevent public bodies buying goods and services locally as unsustainable and unfair. The North-East Chairman of the Institute of Directors (IoD), Richard Elphick, has given
BARCLAYS yesterday posted a 15 per cent rise in pre-tax profits, but part-nationalised rival Lloyds Banking Group said it was still on course for losses this year. Barclays posted a surplus of £1.37bn in the first three months of 2009, although
ABOUT 1,600 jobs have been lost in the North-East’s civil engineering sector in the past year with 1,100 more to go before the end of the year, it was revealed yesterday. The jobs, which account for about 19 per cent of the region’s total workforce
A SIGN-MAKING firm has gone to drastic lengths to catch the eye of potential customers. N Sign has taken delivery of its latest advertising weapon – a van parked on the firm’s roof. The Stockton-based company is hoping that its radical approach
JOBS will be created when a bakery business opens the first of two stores in the region next week. North-East Bakery will launch its Nichols store in Saddler Street, Durham City on Monday. It is the first of two Nichols stores, with the second
THE rally on London’s FTSE 100 Index ground to an abrupt halt yesterday as investors rushed to secure profits amid more gloomy news on banks after their recent bull run. The FTSE initially brushed aside a poor update from Lloyds Banking Group
AN architect responsible for ensuring Manhattan’s iconic skyline remains impressive is hoping to have input in the future regeneration of the North-East. David Burney, commissioner of design and construction for the city of New York, will give
A point! A point! I got a point in the Headline Game this morning on TFM radio but I was already 3-0 down on the week so it didn't do me much good. The story was about the Middlesbrough woman who found a neighbour's missing pet snake called Jake in
MORE than 75,000 homes in the North-East have had their energy efficiency assessed by a heat-detecting car. Experts say that about 30 per cent of properties surveyed would benefit from improved insulation. The heat-seeking vehicle assessed homes
A KURLING club scored a double victory in the sport’s world championship. The Wear Valley New Age Kurling Club won the singles and doubles events at the New Age Kurling World Championship, in Liverpool. Daniel Bainbridge, 21, won the singles
FAMILY loyalties will be pushed to the limit at this weekend’s North-East university boat race, with twin brothers racing in opposing crews. Edward Ford will row for Newcastle, while John will row for Durham. The 19-year-olds have previously shared
It was bound to happen, wasn't it? As soon as Durham's Graham Onions took five wickets in his debut Test against the West Indies at Lord's, we were bound to be smothered in silly headlines. We've got Onions coming out of our ears - more Onions than Darlington
THE European Parliament probably changes people’s lives more than the House of Commons, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said yesterday. He was speaking in Gateshead, as he launched the Liberal Democrats’ North- East campaign for the European elections
THE 13 candidates in the Hartlepool mayoral election have been confirmed. The election, on Thursday, June 4, will be the third time townspeople have gone to the polls to select a mayor. Current Mayor Stuart Drummond is again standing for re-election
POVERTY is on the rise across the region, dealing a devastating blow to Gordon Brown’s crusade to cut the numbers living below the breadline. The proportion of workingage adults and of pensioners living in poverty rose last year in both the North-East
ENROLLER can enhance his growing reputation with victory in the betchronicle.com Ormonde Stakes at Chester. Trained by William Muir, the four-year-old ran well in a number of top races last season without ever really getting the credit he deserved.
LIAM PLUNKETT provided all-round confirmation that he is back on track yesterday before Durham were almost swamped by the turning of the tide at Hove. Plunkett followed his unbeaten 94 with three top order wickets, only to see his efforts undermined
YORKSHIRE skipper Anthony McGrath recorded the first double-century of his career at Edgbaston as Warwickshire’s bowlers were put to the sword in the County Championship. McGrath racked up 211 before being bowled by Neil Carter after giving himself
CHELSEA will learn today the extent of the disciplinary charges they will face as a result of the fall-out of their Champions League clash with Barcelona. UEFA disciplinary chiefs have been studying the reports from match referee Tom Henning
GRAHAM ONIONS enjoyed a dream Test debut to put England on course to win the first match of the npower series against West Indies. Durham paceman Onions claimed a maiden five-wicket haul, the final five wickets of the West Indians’ paltry 152,
RICKY SBRAGIA believes Sunderland need to recruit an experienced centre-back this summer to help Anton Ferdinand emerge as one of the best defenders in the Premier League. Sbragia tried to recruit Sami Hyypia in January but, with the Liverpool
JOEL Porter this week said his training ground farewells to his Hartlepool United team-mates. But defender Micky Nelson hopes the Aussie will be around for one more fixture this summer, before he heads back home down under and a deal with Gold
MIDDLESBROUGH first team coach Steve Agnew has offered an insight into Gareth Southgate’s methods on the training ground by comparing the Middlesbrough manager to Guus Hiddink. With Boro’s Premier League future hanging by a thread ahead of Monday
This weeks meeting was at the Booth Hall finishing off rally entries, while some members competed at Beef Judging for the rally. Thank you to members who attented dairy judging, beef judging and breeding sheep judging this week. Remember horse
HE has been accused of ruling Newcastle with an iron rod, but Alan Shearer last night claimed his new code of conduct was merely a way of ensuring his players were at training by 10am. Shearer unveiled his “12 commandments” in an attempt to
GRAHAM ONIONS was still having to pinch himself last night as it sank in that his five wickets on his Test debut had done most to put England in a dominant position at Lord’s. The 26-year-old Durham seamer admits to plenty of ups and downs
Last month's clothing collection and coffee morning at Hutton Magna raised a grand total of £347 for the Great North Air Ambulance. Many thanks to everybody who donated items.
AN elderly woman was threatened with court action by gas bosses because she owed 53p on her bill. Delia Howarth, who lives alone, had just paid £473 after her last bill arrived in April. But the 76-year-old was shocked when a letter landed on
A NORTH-EAST man has set a new a new world record after completing a marathon carrying his Army backpack full of kit. Warrant Officer Gordon “Charlie” Chaplin, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, completed the London Marathon in 5hrs
A TEACHERS’ union has refused to rule out further strikes after its members walked out over plans to replace their school with a privately- sponsored academy. About 600 children were told to stay at home after 40 members of the National Association
THE businessman at the centre of a police probe into proxy donations to the Labour Party said he was “relieved” yesterday after prosecutors announced no one would face charges. Millionaire David Abrahams, who hit the headlines when it was revealed
FORMER Darlington manager David Hodgson has ruled out any return to the club as he does not want to be part of somebody’s “impossible dream”. Hodgson, who is revered by Quakers fans after three spells as manager, had been touted as a possible
Darlington Football Club stands on the brink this morning, with the club’s administrators admitting the current situation is “very serious and worrying”. Scott Wilson and Paul Cook look at what the future could hold. Quakers faced with two
A £10.5M learning centre at a college has been officially opened. The facilities at Carmel RC College, Darlington, were unveiled by town MP Alan Milburn yesterday. The project at the technology college involved pupils being taught in
THE financial crisis engulfing Darlington Football Club took a new twist late last night when the administrator announced the majority of the first team squad had been released. In a statement on the club’s website, administrator Dave Clark said
Woman finds 5ft snake in bathroom. A TERRIFIED woman woken in the middle of the night by strange noises was confronted by a 5ft snake in her bathroom. Unbeknown to Gee Ruzvidzo, her neighbour’s pet corn snake, Jake, had been missing
HEALTH bosses are holding an open day to encourage more women to use an under-used North-East maternity unit. Although the midwife-led maternity unit at Bishop Auckland General Hospital is not under threat, it is known that hospital bosses
A WALK in the park proved costly for a dog owner who was left with a bill for more than £300 when one of his pets fouled the area. A passing council warden saw one of Dennis Patton’s dogs defecating in North Lodge Park, Darlington, on July 3,
PRAYERS IN YOUR STREET A Methodist church is reaching out to people in the form of ‘A prayer in your street’. Bondgate Methodist Church, Salt Yard, will be praying in your street, for you and your neighbours. Would you like help with
