A TEN-YEAR-OLD boy has suffered a badly broken leg after he was injured in a road traffic accident. The boy was struck by a Toyota Corolla on Benfieldside Road in Blackhill, Consett, at just after 6pm this evening. The female driver of the car is believed
A PRISONER jailed for his part in a high-speed motorway crash in which a man died has escaped from jail. Neil Bennett went on the run from HMP Sudbury on Thursday. The 28-year-old from Peterlee, in County Durham, was serving a sentence of 45-months imprisonment
SET and prop designers at a Teesside college are to see their work on the big screen after it was selected for a Channel 4 film. Renowned director Bob Lee chose students Alison Lee and Dan Martin from Cleveland College of Art & Designs (CCAD) entertainment
The Local Government Association has launched a new crackdown on public sector jargon. Thank goodness for that. I was at a meeting of Darlington Partnership this week and sat through one session which might as well have been in a foreign language. The
YOUNG people in Shildon are set to be rewarded for their hard work at an awards evening in the town. The event, sponsored by Shildon Town Council and the Shildon Children and Young People’s Action Network (SCYPAN), aims to acknowledge individual young
JOBLESS families are being helped to find work by their landlord. Tees Valley Housing has joined forces with a social enterprise group to turn tenants' lives around. The project, one of only ten pilots across the country, aims to banish worklessness
A RIDING school that caters for disabled and able-bodied riders has appealed for voluntary helpers after an increase in users. The Riding Centre for Special People, based in Escomb, near Bishop Auckland, provides riding therapy to disabled people from
A COUPLE who indulged in open air sex outside a church within hours of meeting were today advised to "grow up" by a crown court judge. Passing members of the public complained to police on seeing Louise Lincoln and Kristian Osbaldestin taking part in
COLIN Bainbridge has sent this interesting postcard on which the caption says: "William C Browne, Military Medallist, Darlington, Durham on his 8,000 miles' walk which he has undertaken to complete in 10 months. Commenced 17th October 1924."
THREE troubled teenagers have taken their first step along the path of finding a job. They have secured a Work Place Hazard Awareness Award after successfully completing a British Safety Council scheme. The teenagers, who are the first to be accredited
A BID to protect teenagers against skin cancer by banning them from tanning salons moved a significant step closer to becoming law today. The Sunbeds (Regulation) Bill, put forward by a Labour backbencher cleared its Commons stages in a victory for The
A SENIOR Tory MEP has defected to the Liberal Democrats over David Cameron's stance on Europe. Edward McMillan-Scott, MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, once leader of the Conservative MEP faction in the European Parliament, rebelled against
Likely Line Ups: MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Coyne; Naughton, Wheater, McManus, Pogatetz; Franks, O'Neil, Robson, Arca; Killen, McDonald. NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Harper; Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Enrique; Routledge, Guthrie, Nolan, Gutierrez; Carroll,
GUISBOROUGH-based British Superbike outfit, Swan Honda, have completed their final Spanish pre-season test in positive mood. On the final day at Guadix James Ellison and Stuart Easton targeted longer stints on track as the team's hard work over the past
Northampton Town: Steele; Johnson, Hinton, Beckwith, Gilbert; Rodgers, Osman, Gilligan, Davis; McKay, Akinfenwa. Darlington: Purcell; Diop, Main, G Smith, Waite; Dempsey, Byrne, White, Miller; Madden Redmond. Darlington subs (from): Liversedge
NORTH-East born CHERYL Cole has been forced to pull out of a string of appearances after being struck down with a bout of bronchitis. The singer, who recently announced her split from footballer husband Ashley Cole, was due to give a hotly anticipated
MICHAEL Schumacher's claim he is not in the running for victory on his comeback in Bahrain on Sunday appears to hold little water. The seven-times Formula One champion and Mercedes GP team-mate Nico Rosberg finished first and third at the end
COUNCIL chiefs have been labelled mad for considering closing a successful tourist office to save money at the start of the tourism season. People in Thirsk are concerned that Hambleton District Council is looking at relocating the town’s tourism information
CAROL ANNE CORNWELL (nee HAYES) and also known as SUSAN CORNWELL is looking for cousins from Stockton. Mrs Cornwell's father was Raymond Hayes, who had brothers and sisters Walter, Bill, Nancy, Ella and Mary. She is looking to find her uncle Walter's
ONE of the country’s veteran political heavyweights will be speaking in York Minster later this month. Tony Benn will speak on "The Moral Choice in Politics" when he gives the city’s next Ebor Lecture on March 24. The president of the Stop the War Campaign
TRAIN company Grand Central has warned passengers without seat reservations that they may have to stand on one of its services this weekend. The firm said it expected its 5.10pm service from Sunderland to London Kings Cross on Sunday would be "exceptionally
THE final phase of a package of highways improvements in Catterick Village begins on Monday, March 15. The work involves the resurfacing of the High Street, and parts of adjoining roads, and is likely to last most of the week. The old road surface will
THE comedy magic of Tommy Cooper returns to the stage later this month, 25 years after the great man's death. Jus' Like That! A Night Out With Tommy Cooper starts a three-night run at The Gala Theatre, in Durham City, on Thursday, March 25. The show
BRITISH Airways cabin crew are to strike for three days from March 20 and for four days from March 27 in a long-running row over cost-cutting, Unite announced today. Len McCluskey, Unite's assistant general secretary, said BA had turned down a remarkable
While many entertainers might have fallen at the first hurdle on finding they are suffering from MS, Wayne Dobson is still making stage appearances – with a bit of magic. He talks to Steve Pratt. MAGICIAN Wayne Dobson was starring in his first
MR Charlton, from Hartlepool, has a clematis that has grown up and over his garage, and flowers every summer. The trouble is he cannot see the flowers as they are in his neighbour’s garden. Can he cut it back down so that he can benefit from the
MOTORISTS searching for a parking space at Bishop Auckland railway station were left confused after new restricted parking signs were fitted incorrectly. New parking measures have been introduced at the station's car park to include short stay bays
COUNCILLORS have been accused of jeopardising the livelihoods of local traders after approving plans for a convenience store for a major supermarket chain. Tesco, which has three stores in nearby Durham City and one in Chester-le-Street, will operate
A CHARITY bookshop is looking for new volunteers. The Oxfam Bookshop, in Durham, has launched a recruitment campaign as part of the charity’s national books volunteering drive, which runs until Monday, March 22. Shop manager Michael Ridsdale said:
GOLFERS worried their fitness could be below par are being encouraged to join a new fitness class. The sessions include sitting on a large Fitball and undertaking exercises to boost flexibility, strength, stability and cardiovascular fitness. Classes
A £300,000 CHURCH hall project has taken a major step forward, with the laying of the building’s foundation stone. The Bishop of Whitby, the Right Reverend Dr Martin Warner, laid the stone at Holy Cross Church, in Swainby, near Stokesley, on Wednesday
A COMMUNITY group is celebrating the completion of a new green scheme that brightens up the route to a local woodland. The Church Lane Community Partnership has spent £8,000 improving access to Greystones Community Woodland in Grangetown, near
SCHOOL pupils have been praised for a series of impressive reports. More than half of year seven and eight pupils at Durham School scored ten or more ‘excellent’ grades in their February Symbols assessment. They were presented with certificates of excellence
WHO will represent the UK at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest? Eurovision: Your Country Needs You offers a chance to play a part in choosing the act. Considering the hit-and-miss – with the accent on miss – performances of recent years, it
Credit cards have a name for parting us from our money, but with a little care they can actually save cash. I LOVE credit cards. You may be surprised but, without doubt, done right, credit cards are the best way to spend. Unless there’s no
The X Factor Live, MetroRadio Arena, Newcastle. CHERYL COLE was waiting for me when I returned to my seat after the interval. Not in person, you understand, but on the big screens flanking the stage. During a commercial break she sells shampoo
THERE may be a fly in the ointment if the first practice session of the new Formula One season is anything to go by. All the talk in the pre-season build-up has centred around the big four of McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Mercedes.
A WOMAN suffered a serious sexual assault near a main road on the outskirts of Redcar last night. Police are appealing for information following the incident which occurred closed to the A174 road at Lazenby shortly after 8pm. The road is still closed
I WAS at the well-attended meeting in Newton Aycliffe on Thursday evening last week to listen to the presentation given by representatives of Durham County Council over the issue of the future of the county’s care homes. Having listened to all
THERE is a common misconception that half the world’s refugees are heading for England. Only a small proportion of immigrants into Britain are asylum seekers. Britain deals with about 25,000 asylum applications a year – less than France or Italy
WELL done, Amy Williams. It was really wonderful to see a British athlete bringing home a solitary gold medal from the Vancouver Winter Olympics. People keep asking why our athletes don’t bring home more medals. The answer is that we haven’t got
MYSELF and members of the Barnard Castle King Edward VIII Lodge of the RAOB have been kindly allowed to put collection tins in various establishments in the town in aid of the Help for Heroes fund. I was, however, dismayed to discover that last
RICHMOND MP William Hague got Conservative Party deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft a peerage on the basis that he would become resident in this country for tax purposes in the year 2000. Since then, has Mr Hague never asked the billionaire party
THE single mother issue, as raised by Merv Bain (HAS, March 9), is a disgrace as is the PlayStation generation who sit in their parents’ homes in their mid-twenties and avoid work at all costs. Life on benefits is now a viable and all too common
I CONDEMN the actions of the two children involved in the blaze that destroyed the Adan House surgery in Spennymoor and it is clear that the father of one of the boys is sincere in his apology for his child’s actions (Echo, March 8). We are told
IT may not have been everyone’s cup of tea – and you’ll understand that’s a very apt metaphor as you read on – but I had a marvellous Saturday night last weekend. I was at the Salvation Army Citadel in central Middlesbrough where the principal guests
UNION leaders claim the author of an independent review has missed an opportunity to kick racism out of education. Expert Maurice Smith was asked by the Government to look at whether teachers should be banned from being members of racist organisations
The trust fostered by making three movies together helped director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio through the madness of their latest collaboration. The pair give Steve Pratt a masterclass in film-making. BEING introduced as “the greatest
AT long last, Labour has come up with a plan to upgrade Britain’s rail network. As far as it goes, it is a sensible, welcome plan, and faster travel from London to Leeds will benefit this region. But the plan, like the line, doesn’t go far enough
BINOCULAR is likely to run in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham should he please connections in a crucial final workout today. Only last month trainer Nicky Henderson ruled Binocular out of the big race, in which he was a close
ENGLAND captain Alastair Cook saw one of his firstchoice seamers ruled out of the Bangladesh series, but is hopeful Stuart Broad is fit to lead the attack in the first Test. With James Anderson not fit enough to travel, England had pencilled
PORTSMOUTH’S battle for survival was boosted yesterday when Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs accepted the club’s move into administration. Pompey escaped being wound up after HMRC abandoned their claim that Pompey owner Balram Chainrai did
WAYNE Rooney believes his receding hairline has contributed to his prolific season and the Manchester United striker is adamant he is not feeling the weight of expectation ahead of England’s bid for the World Cup. Rooney scored twice on Wednesday
AS part of his ongoing charm offensive, Derek Llambias used last weekend’s programme notes to issue the following missive to Newcastle United supporters: “If it wasn’t for Mike’s (Ashley) continued input, I genuinely think we would be in
WITH Denis Behan’s season as good as over, Chris Turner is already looking to the next campaign for his striker. The Irishman damaged ankle ligaments in Tuesday’s reserve loss at Rotherham. It’s the same ankle he suffered ligament damage to
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Gordon Strachan was quick to offer his assessment of the job that Chris Hughton has done in piloting Newcastle United to the brink of promotion. “Rubbish,” reckoned Strachan ahead of tomorrow’s Tees-Tyne encounter.
WINGER Chris Moore has swapped the prospect of a Wembley appearance for a relegation battle at the foot of the Football League after signing for Darlington. The 26-year-old will be in the squad at Northampton tomorrow after leaving the FA Vase
Lille 1 Liverpool 0 LILLE winger Eden Hazard’s late goal inflicted Liverpool’s first defeat on French soil in six visits and left Rafael Benitez’s side with an uphill battle to make the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The visitors
RORY Clegg, now with Harlequins, will be back alongside his former Barnard Castle School team-mate Tom Catterick in the England Under 20 team for tonight’s showdown with Scotland at Firhill in Glasgow (7pm). Head coach Mark Mapletoft has made
EUROPEAN TOUR golfer Graeme Storm has predicted that the recently opened Rockliffe Hall complex will host the Ryder Cup in the not too distant future. Storm, from Hartlepool, is now officially attached to the plush Hurworth course after ending
CHRIS Hughton last night angrily denied suggestions that Newcastle’s senior players will be asked to take a pay cut at the end of the season. A series of reports have suggested that the likes of Alan Smith, Kevin Nolan and Jonas Gutierrez will
A PROMISING young sportsman who suffered multiple injuries caused by a drink-driver, last night told how he feared he might never compete again. Brian Jackson, 33, who was almost three times the drinkdrive limit in his Vauxhall Vectra when it
SUNDERLAND striker Kenwyne Jones yesterday joined a session of the SAFC Foundation’s Family Learning through Football programme. The Trinidad and Tobago international visited Lumley Junior School, Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, to help
THIEVES have stolen steel intended to create an entrance for a village primary school. Steel worth about £1,000 was taken from ACT Fabrications, on Meadowfield Industrial Estate, near Durham City, at about 9pm on Saturday. Some of the heavy
PUPILS are competing to make theirs the most ecofriendly school as part of a competition to raise awareness of sustainability. Three senior schools are working with hundreds of primary school children in a competition organised by electronics
POLICE involved in the case of a father who poisoned and tried to kill his newborn son last night described him as pure evil. The man was convicted of attempted murder this week and faces a possible indefinite sentence for the protection of
A COMPANY that developed a world first in recycled plastic packaging for food has hit new production records. Greenstar WES, based on the Wilton International site near Redcar, east Cleveland, hit the production records last December when it
HOME Retail Group yesterday said it expected annual profits to exceed market hopes, despite a new year slide in sales at its Argos chain. The retailer said profits were likely to be about £290m in the year to February 27, slightly ahead of city
ENTRIES are already starting to flood in for this year’s If We Can, You Can entrepreneurial challenge. Just days after its launch, aspiring business people from across the region are already staking their claim to be named one of the challenge
NEARLY 40 green research organisations, chosen to test the feasibility of their inventions at a new facility, could be creating industries and jobs within two years. The organisations, some involved in consortiums between the private sector and
INDUSTRIAL manufactuers Sabic and Sembcorp have signed a five-year deal for the supply of steam from a new £36m turbine. The companies have reached agreement on the supply of Sembcorp steam in varying pressures to Sabic’s Olefins 6 “Cracker
NIALL Quinn has underlined his faith in Steve Bruce by revealing that the Sunderland manager will not be dismissed even if his side fails to pick up another point this season. And while the Black Cats chairman remains confident relegation
THE head of one of the region’s most prominent financial institutions will retire on a high note today after it announced it was out of the red. Newcastle Building Society chief executive Colin Seccombe leaves his post to be replaced by Jim Willens
A PENSIONER has spoken of his devastation after the unlicensed motorcyclist who knocked down and killed his wife had his prison sentence cut. James Sugden has spent the past 14 months coming to terms with his loss and was slowly starting to
HUNDREDS of people are expected to line the streets of a market town to welcome home members of an Army squadron after six months in Afghanistan. About 120 members of 10 Field Squadron Royal Engineers will parade along the High Street, in Northallerton
AN unsung hero has been recognised for Going the Extra Mile. Care worker Doreen Williams has won £100 for being the region’s top employee last month. She braved a snowstorm to ensure the needs of one of her clients were met. The
AFTER years of debate, work has finally begun on a controversial £5.25m revamp for a North-East city centre. Regeneration officials behind Durham’s Heart of the City project say three days of tree pruning, which began on Wednesday, will open
A MAN was yesterday remanded in custody after being convicted of raping a teenager following a party at his home. Barry Sinclair will be sentenced next month after background reports are prepared on him by the Probation Service. Sinclair, 36,
A SOLDIER fighting on the frontline in Afghanistan has urged people to back the 3 Rifles Wristband Appeal. Serjeant Major John Pepper, from Meadowfield, near Durham City, said the appeal, which is being supported by The Northern Echo, was a
THE girlfriend of a soldier killed in Afghanistan told of her “pride and honour” yesterday, as she watched the bodies of five servicemen return home. Stephanie Orr, 23, took her place among the crowds in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, for the repatriation
THE manager of a homeless hostel that was earmarked for closure has been given an award for his fight to keep it open. The Salvation Army is hopeful that Tom Raine Court, in Darlington, will now be able to continue, due in part to the efforts
THE threat to close a North-East stroke unit appeared to be receding last night after hospital bosses said they were “much more optimistic” about the future. The acute stroke unit at Darlington Memorial Hospital had been in danger of closure because
PETER MANDELSON and Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling were among those granted the Freedom of Hartlepool at a ceremony last night. Former town MP and now Business Secretary Lord Mandelson received the honour together with Countdown and Sky
The problem with regulating social networking sites is how it could implemented. John Steel, head of Darlington Borough Council’s learning technologies team, suggests one way. ‘AS we know from Ashleigh’s story, the way that social networking sites
THE region faces being shut out of Britain’s 250mph highspeed rail network after the Government yesterday rejected the plans as too expensive. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis announced a Y-shaped “core network”, creating twin lines from London
A ROBBER who was drunk and armed with a meat cleaver threatened to cut off the head of a betting shop employee if he did not hand over cash. Alex Ferguson threatened the cashier when he was on his way back to the betting shop, carrying £200 in
A GRIEVING father has spoken of his horror after discovering chickens running around the cemetery where his daughter is buried. Martin Jewkes said the general upkeep of the graveyard, at All Saints’ Church, in Hurworth, is poor and the birds,
POLICE binned gallons of beer, cider and wine yesterday before beginning preparations for the next stage in their battle against youth drinking and anti-social behaviour. Officers in Cockerton dumped about 50 litres of alcohol seized from underage
THE murder of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall by a man she met on Facebook has prompted The Northern Echo to call for social networking sites to be regulated. The Government is being urged to introduce legislation that forces websites to adopt measures
