THE Newcastle Eagles made it three wins from three in the BBL with a 112-105 success over the Leicester Riders. Reggie Jackson led the way with 31 points for the Eagles, who have set the early pace in the standings. The Sheffield Sharks got off the
A THREE-year-old boy had a visit from the fire brigade after getting his leg trapped in a chair. The incident, at College Lane, Masham, North Yorkshire, happened at 7.45pm tonight. The boy was released unharmed and left with his parents
A TEENAGE girl had to be taken down from a roof in Darlington tonight. Details are sketchy, but eyewitnesses said police, fire and ambulance were called to Coniscliffe Road in the town shortly before 10pm. One said he saw firemen on the top of a ladder
POLICE are hunting a gang of armed robbers who targeted a bank in broad daylight. An armed response team was sent to the HSBC bank in Redcar, east Cleveland, at around 4pm this afternoon after the alarm was raised. It has not been disclosed
IT was a case of third time lucky when I got behind the wheel of the Forester. You see I'd driven it twice before in the last year or so and on each occasion was highly unimpressed. The first one wouldn't let me in and the second bucked
STRANGELY for a marque with such a proud heritage in rallying, Saab and four-wheel-drive have been exclusive bedfellows - until now. Saab embraced turbo technology to help Stig Blomqvist win the Rally Sweden in 1979 (the first ever victory for a WRC
VAUXHALL reckons 15 per cent of Insignia sales will be Sports Tourers. Personally, I just can't see it. In terms of looks, practicality and performance, the Sports Tourer is the pick of the Insignia range. I'd be very surprised if the estate variant
SORRY, this has been a bit of a long time coming. I promised in Wednesday's article that I'd repeat the tale of Eliza Barclay, the daughter of the Backhouse family who had the Blackwell Hill mansion built overlooking the Tees in the posh end of Darlington
Reading: Federici, ODea, Ingimarsson, Bertrand, Cummings, McAnuff, Howard, Kebe, Karacan, Gunnarsson, Rasiak Middlesbrough: Middlesbrough: Jones,Bennett, St Ledger, Wheater, McMahon, Johnson, Williams, ONeil, Yeates, Lita, Aliadiere Middlesbrough
OFCOM today imposed fines totalling £80,000 over a scandal that led to North-East comedy duo, Ant and Dec, being wrongly given a prize at the British Comedy Awards. The regulator imposed the penalty on Channel TV - which was supposed to ensure
Newcastle: Harper,Simpson, S Taylor, Khizanishvili, Enrique, Guthrie, Nolan, Smith, Gutierrez, Harewood, Carroll Reading: Reading: Basso, Orr, McAllister, Carey, Nyatanga, Sno, Skuse, Johnson, Elliott, Saborio, Maynard Newcastle subs
Darlington: Hoult,J Smith, Foster, Miller, Kane, Devitt, Groves, G Smith, Chandler, Bennett, Gall, Main Macclesfield:: Brain, Tremarco, Brown, Morgan, Reid, Draper, Sinclair, Daniel, Bencherif, Tipton, Rooney Darlington subs (from): Liversedge
AN ORCHESTRA will bring the soundtrack of the silver screen to a theatre venue later this month. The Soundpower Orchestra and Singers are to perform A Night At The Movies at The Gala Theatre, in Durham City, on Thursday, October 15. The newly-formed
Exeter City: Jansson, Duffy, Seaborne, Archibald-Henville, Taylor, Noone, Harley, Cozic, Dunne, Stewart, Corr Hartlepool United: Flinders, Austin, Collins, Liddle, Hartley, Brown, Humphreys, Sweeeney, Monkhouse, Boyd, Behan Pools subs
KEVIN Keegan has been awarded £2m compensation after bringing a constructive dismissal case against Newcastle United. You can read the full transcript below: IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGER'S ARBITRATION TRIBUNAL PHILIP HAVERS QC (CHAIRMAN
FRUSTRATED town councillors have written to the county’s top police officer in an effort to beef up coverage in the town. Bedale Town Council has been calling for an increased police presence in the market town, and its surrounding villages, for the
Manchester United: Foster, O'Shea, R Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani, Berbatov, Rooney Sunderland: Gordon, Bardsley, Turner, A Ferdinand, Richardson, Reid, Cana, Cattermole, Malbranque, Bent, Jones Sunderland
A CHILD abductor who raped a 12-year-old girl after snatching her off the street and driving away with her in a stolen car was jailed indefinitely today. Stephen Turton lured the vulnerable youngster into the vehicle in the Doxford Park area of Sunderland
LOCALS unhappy at a defence scheme for a flood blighted town want the Environment Agency to spend its money elsewhere. The Government flood agency has responded to long-term pressure to draw up a scheme to combat problems from Cod Beck, Thirsk. The
A BEEMAN has become the latest giant image to be displayed in an outdoor exhibition at one of a town's main approaches. A photograph called The Beeman is the new image for Futurescope, a circular image 45ft in diameter which is displayed at Darlington
COUNTRY-lover Holly Rogerson has landed her dream job - battling an American invader. She’s just been given the newly-created role of red squirrel ranger in the Yorkshire Dales. And, using humane traps, she will work full-time to keep grey squirrels
POLICE are appealing for help to trace the movements of a pensioner found dead in a stream near a town centre. Gerald Turner, 72, of Thirsk, was found floating face down in Cod Beck in the town around 7am on Monday, September 21. He was discovered by
A CHURCH is celebrating the heritage and unsung heroes of Coundon and Leeholme this weekend. As part of its’ £60,000 learning porch project, St James’s Church, in Coundon, has created an exhibition entitled Lives Lived in Coundon and Leeholme. The display
A SCHEME to support a new generation of skilled workers on the North York Moors has won an award for its efforts. The North York Moors National Park Authority’s modern apprenticeship scheme has won praise for its commitment to training in the workplace
DOZENS of tenants are expected to attend a housing body’s third annual conference tomorrow. The conference, organised by Derwentside Homes, takes place in South Stanley Community Centre, in Tyne Road, Stanley from 10am to 3pm. Organisers say around
KEVIN Keegan quit Newcastle United over the club's transfer policy - after he was asked to approve a signing based entirely on You Tube footage, he said today. Newcastle were today ordered to pay former Toon boss Keegan £2million in damages
A PRIEST who has served the communities of Ferryhill and Chilton for a decade has moved parishes. Father Brian Murphy was the parish priest for All Saints Catholic Church, Ferryhill, and The Sacred Heart Church, in Chilton, for ten years. He has now
ARCHAEOLOGISTS are to attempt to trace the extent of an ancient village and find long-lost features of a Roman fort. Organisers are looking for volunteers to help map Longovicium, the Roman fort which stands on a hillside above the County Durham village
A POLICEMAN accused of causing the death by careless driving of a bride-to-be will face a retrial after a jury failed to reach a verdict this afternoon. The jury was discharged by Judge Christopher Prince after he was told the nine women and
A BELGIAN sailor had to be evacuated from his ship this morning after a cable snapped, breaking his leg. An all-weather lifeboat was launched after the Belgian navy minehunter, anchored a mile off Tynemouth, made an emergency call at 6.49am saying the
A BOOK by a grandmother-of-four who grew up in the region during the Second World War is back in stock after it sold out without days of hitting the shelves. Mary Grant's Granny Mary's War chronicles her childhood memories from Bishop Auckland, where
I was after-dinner speaker at a dinner for consultants from the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust in the grand setting of Durham Castle last night. I was lucky enough to sit next to a remarkable man - Dr John Cotes. Dr Cotes told me
A FATHER and daughter duo will hold a joint three-day exhibition at an historic venue with links to some of the region’s most famous colliery artists. Colin Richardson and Lynn Rocks will display more than 130 pieces at The Spennymoor Settlement
AN ANIMAL centre has been given a spruce up after receiving a donation of paint. Four volunteers spent a week decorating the walls of the kennels and reception area at The Stray Aid shelter, in Coxhoe, Durham City. The kennels dog-eared beige walls
QUAKERS are to hold a series of free weekly events to introduce themselves and their beliefs to the wide public. Quaker Quest is being launched in Durham City on Thursday, October 8 and continues on the following three consecutive Thursdays. Each week
BREAKING NEWS: Kevin Keegan has been awarded £2m in compensation after winning his case for constructive dismissal claim against Newcastle United, an independent arbitration panel convened by the Premier League has announced.
SUNDERLAND midfielder Lee Cattermole should face Premier League leaders Manchester United tomorrow after returning to match fitness. The 21-year-old was withdrawn at half-time during Sunday's 5-2 victory over Wolves having trained for just one day in
A NEW environmental project is being launched to reduce the carbon footprint of North Yorkshire’s county town. The Northallerton and Villages in Transition Initiative will look at practical ideas to enable the community to collectively work towards a
AN RAF serviceman based in the region has been killed in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The gunner, from 34 Squadron RAF Regiment, based at RAF Leeming, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, died yesterday. He was on a patrol near
This week we’re casting around for the UK’s cheapest phone line rental. WHETHER it’s Radio 2 presenters, cabbies, or the airport security guard, it seems people everywhere are infuriated by telephone line rental – or at least it’s the first thing
Reader's question: Mrs Chaplin sent me some samples of leaves with holes and would like to know what could have caused them. HOLES in leaves can be caused by many insects. Neat, semicircular holes about half an inch across with the damage always
Happy birthday to Newcastle Medical School, which is celebrating 175 years since it admitted its first students. Health Editor Barry Nelson examines its legacy. IT has been estimated that eight out of ten North-East doctors and dentists trained in
EVERY seat for every performance has sold. Pitman fans are packed into unfamiliar nooks and crannies as Lee Hall’s latest masterpiece returns to the region after two years of coalfired success. It has conquered audiences at Live Theatre, the
IT was the turn of bluegrass music to take the spotlight when Washington DC act Wayne Taylor took to the stage with his four-piece band, Appaloosa. Taylor, pictured right with his band, possesses a fine musical pedigree and impressed from the
FORMER glamour model Melinda Messenger co-hosts the new TV show Live From Studio Five, on Channel 5, with exfootballer Ian Wright and The Apprentice runner-up Kate Walsh. The Swindon-born 38-year-old turned to presenting following the birth of
IN 1939 I passed my exam and went to AJ Dawson Secondary School at Wellfield. Now I am assured by everybody I speak to that I am wrong, because it was A J Dawson Grammar School before and during the Second World War. I think it became a grammar
I AM researching my father who was born in Trimdon Grange. In 1919 he was presented with a book by “The Daisy Tent, Trimdon Grange”. Can anyone tell me anything about The Daisy Tent? Peter Stewart, 16 Burnham Rise, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11
SOME people, challenged by an aspect of religious belief/practice they can’t or refuse to understand, stoop to snide, cynical, self-congratulatory wit signifying nothing. Robert Meggs’ comments on St Therese fit this category (HAS, Sept 27). He
IN THE late Fifties I was a member of a Girl Guide troupe that met in a hall in South Church (Echo Memories, Sept 23). The Guide leader was Vera Barber. Are there other readers who remember being part of this group and the good times in that hall
TRYING to send my son two parcels to southern Afghanistan, I was informed by the post office counter staff that my parcels were over the two kilo limit. I had to remove a bag of jelly babies from one parcel in front of a full shop of customers
I READ the article with interest regarding the need for violent men to be removed from the family home (Echo, Sept 29) which I agree with, as domestic violence should not have to be suffered at all. But this problem is not just a crime against
IN his conference speech, Gordon Brown promised a commitment to having a referendum on electoral reform during the next Parliament. Following his failure to keep the last manifesto promise to have a referendum on the European Treaty, why should
WITH regard to the “fishy” smell that Harold Evans noticed in the area in the Sixties, it occurred during the 30 years that I worked in Stockton and lived in Kirklevington (Echo, Sept 25). The smell was known as the “Tom Cat” smell. My work caused
LOOKING thorough Wednesday’s paper (Echo, Sept 30), in the Tender and Contracts section was an advert from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service for the “development and supply of a bespoke Social Marketing Engagement Toolkit”.
THE flood of angry criticism against Children’s Secretary Ed Balls’ proposals to cut £2bn from the schools budget is justified. It is beyond belief that a Labour Education Minister can publicly propose axing up to 3,000 senior teaching posts, many
IN Harry Mead’s haste to pour scorn on the idea of MPs meeting outside London, he turned his fire on Middlesbrough, but without a firm grasp of the facts (Echo, Sept 30). Mr Mead criticised the Regional Grand Committee, held in Middlesbrough
TWO stories caught my eye this week. One was comic, the other tragic; in a strange way both were linked. The comedy first, and the farce of the two police officers told by Ofsted that their mutually beneficial childminding arrangements were illegal
Times have changed since the first Citizens Advice Bureau opened 70 years ago. However, Lucy Richardson discovers that the problems facing clients haven’t changed. A DEBT-RIDDEN mother, about to be evicted from her home and too poor to feed her
A DETAILED legal report into how taxpayers in Darlington lost more than £800,000 will be presented to members of the borough council’s cabinet next week – but it is due to be considered in private. The Northern Echo today publishes leaked details
THERE will be plenty of 1000 Guineas clues on offer today in the Electrolux Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. The likes of Special Duty, Lady Of The Desert, Habaayib and Misheer all figure fairly prominently for the first fillies’ Classic
ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss was snubbed in the International Cricket Council’s player of the year awards. Strauss, 32, was shortlisted for both the main cricketer of the year award and the Test player of the year but was overlooked despite
STUART Broad and Matt Prior are doubtful for today’s ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia. England will decide upon their participation for the 15th meeting scheduled between the sides inside three months this morning. All-rounder
ENGLAND manager Martin Johnson threw his weight behind the idea of rolling substitutions and predicted their introduction to rugby union could be inevitable. Twickenham bosses are looking into the possibility of experimenting with rugby league-style
HE hasn’t had a season ticket hurled in his face like his predecessor, Steve McClaren, but it is fair to say that Gareth Southgate is not exactly the flavour of the month amongst Middlesbrough supporters at the moment. Many wanted him out in
HULL boss Phil Brown claims to have saved the life of a suicidal woman while taking his team for a walk across the Humber Bridge this week. Under pressure after a dismal start to the season, Brown has varied his training methods since last Saturday
THOMAS Bjorn did not have much to smile about in France last week, but what a difference it was in Scotland yesterday. Bjorn, non-playing captain of the Continental Europe team hammered by Britain and Ireland, began the Alfred Dunhill Links
CHRIS Turner has a welter of strikers at his disposal – and admits finding the right blend is a nice problem to have. Denis Behan and Adam Boyd both scored in Tuesday’s draw at Stockport, while James Brown has moved to the right wing in the last
STEVE Bruce will be relieved to have his only recognised right-back returning to the Sunderland squad for tomorrow’s game at Old Trafford, as he feels Manchester United left winger Ryan Giggs is “the greatest player ever to play in the Premier
Harry Evans, doyen of The Northern Echo's editors, visits us today. Harry, the paper's great editor from the sixties, has published his memoirs, called My Paper Chase, and he's coming to Darlington to promote the book. I've brought in my copy to be
CRAIG LIDDLE has sought advice from a fellow North- East manager as the rookie boss bids to mastermind Darlington’s first win of the season. The Quakers caretaker manager insisted that he will not agitate to be handed the reins on a permanent
After three years of playing the Headline Game on TFM Radio, I finally earned a draw this morning. The story was about Swedish commandos who blew up the wrong house during a training exercise. Our headline was "Bomb steer" and it was awarded a "pity
DANNY Simpson has claimed that Marlon Harewood’s ‘roughhouse tactics’ could help Newcastle United muscle their way back to the Premier League. Harewood made an instant impression in Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw with QPR, tapping home a close-range
DARLINGTON chairman Raj Singh last night outlined the qualities required in the club’s next manager, saying they must be ‘young, ambitious and with a knowledge of the lower leagues’. He is currently reviewing applications for the vacant hot
GARETH Southgate accepts that his relationship with the Middlesbrough supporters has become fractured, but the under-fire boss insists he will not allow this week’s criticism to blow him off course as he attempts to steer the club back to the Premier
POLICE forces have spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money on repairs to cars after officers filled them with the wrong type of fuel. Mark Wallace, TaxPayers Alliance campaign director, branded the spending as “a huge waste of taxpayers’
A NEW advisory group could play a major role in driving forward the North-East’s offshore wind market, a business organisation says. Sarah Green, director of the CBI in the North-East, said the Infrastructure Planning Commission should streamline
THE man heading the 2012 Olympics will be in the region this month to tell businesses how they can benefit from the games. Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, will meet
A FORMER commercial pilot who took over his family’s coffee company has gone back to his previous career to promote the business. Caffe Gabriele, which is based in Chester-le-Street and owned by former pilot Paul Gabriele and his business parther
MORE than 50,000 companies in the North-East yesterday discovered that their business rate bills will fall next year as a result of the five-yearly revaluation of property. The Valuation Office is letting businesses in England know their new rateable
A COMPANY that developed a world first in recycled plastic packaging for food received its Queen’s Award for Innovation yesterday. Greenstar WES, based on the Wilton International site near Redcar, east Cleveland, was formally presented with
SMALL and medium-sized energy companies will benefit from a £1.6m package to help them expand by developing new technology. Newcastle University will establish a facility specialising in combined heat and power (CHP), trigeneration, which involves
A SECOND new airline service from the North-East to Norway will be introduced this month. UK regional airline Eastern Airways is introducing a Sunday service to Stavanger from Newcastle, from Sunday, October 11. The service will leave Newcastle
DETAILS of how businesses in the region can access a £12m package of export support have been released. As reported in The Northern Echo yesterday, the European and public sectorfinanced package will help more than 1,000 North-East businesses
AN MP has rejected claims that an increase in National Insurance will cost the Tees Valley almost £50m. Figures produced by the Conservatives show the 0.5 per cent rise due to take effect from April 2011 would cost employees more than £80 on
A MAN accused of raping a teenager during a three-in-abed session has denied an allegation that he treated the girl as a plaything. Craig Wayper, 27, told a jury at Teesside Crown Court yesterday that the 16-year-old “wanted it” and consented
NINETY-FIVE North-East jobs will go at an off-licence chain after it was broken up by administrators. Wine Cellar, which operates the Booze Buster and Simply Drinks brands, called in Deloitte after it failed to find a buyer. Deloitte
A GANG of burglars targeted convenience stores in a series of “professional, wellplanned” raids in rural villages, a court heard. Three men involved in the spate of night-time break-ins in Durham dales villages earlier this year, were yesterday
Diabetic, 12, gets £10,000 to stage her own musical. A DIABETIC girl with a passion for drama has been awarded £10,000 to stage her own musical. Twelve-year-old Charlotte Smith is bringing Alice in Wonderland to Middlesbrough Theatre for two
CELEBRITY chefs, world cuisine and live entertainment will attract thousands of food lovers to a town’s second annual food festival. After more than 25,000 people attended last year’s inaugural festival in Darlington, the town is again celebrating
THE Headline Game – a daily battle between TFM Radio’s Graham Mack and Northern Echo editor Peter Barron – is moving to a new early evening slot from Monday. After three years of fierce rivalry in the mornings, the game is moving with Graham
A NORTH YORKSHIRE mother-of-three has been revealed as the secret love child of horseracing legend Willie Carson. Jackie Schollar, from Ripon, has never met her famous father. The 47-year-old was the product of a relationship the five-times
DURHAM cricketers rounded off a triumphant season when they were honoured at a civic reception yesterday. After winning the County Championship for the second year running, they were presented with Durham County Council’s Chairman’s Medal at
DAVID CAMERON was warned to stop “measuring up for the curtains in Downing Street”, as Labour’s last conference before the election closed on a defiant note yesterday. Deputy leader Harriet Harman also accused the Conservative leader of planning
Hundreds of people gathered yesterday for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the remains of a 19th Century saint. Neil Macfarlane joined the queues alongside the devout, the lame and the curious. THE lawns at Darlington’s Carmelite Convent
A FAMILY devastated by a fatal bomb blast hope their three-year fight for £1.1m compensation from Turkey shames the UK Government into action. In a landmark case, the family of Helyn Bennett, who died in the 2005 tragedy, was this week awarded
Q1. Why does the council have so little correspondence and paperwork? Is it normal practice not to keep files recording the authority’s involvement? Q2. Why did the authority not finalise a signed contract with the project’s lead consultant
FOR most people, retirement is a chance to sit back, relax and spend more time on your hobbies. But when Darlington Borough Council announced in 2006 that £780,000 of public money had been spent in a error over a gas pipe, 79-year-old retired
When Darlington Borough Council opted to delay core town centre reconstruction work in October 2005, it hoped to help the town’s hard-pressed shopkeepers in the run-up to Christmas. Instead, the authority was putting in place a chain of
DETAILS of the mismanagement of a North-East town centre redevelopment – which left taxpayers facing a £780,000 bill for a gas pipe blunder – are revealed today. The Pedestrian Heart scheme, in Darlington, ran into costly delays in January
