IT wasn't quite supposed to be like this at Victoria Park for Hartlepool United. In losing to Preston North End last night, Pools have now lost seven successive games on home turf. For the visitors it was a first victory in 14 games. For their manager
Sunderland RCA striker Alex Benjamin scored his second hat trick in as many games in his side’s 7-0 romp over Guisborough in the STL Northern League last night. Benjamin scored three last Saturday against Norton, and he opened the scoring
IT was billed as an opportunity to further their promotion ambitions, but it ended up being an exhibition of the failings that could ultimately deprive Middlesbrough of a return to the Premier League. West Ham had a handful of decent opportunities all
BARRY Robson misses out this evening as Middlesbrough entertain West Ham United at the Riverside. Robson has sustained a minor thigh injury, so his place in the starting line-up is taken by the recalled Merouane Zemmama. Scott McDonald and Marvin Emnes
ADAM Boyd returns to the Hartlepool United side for their home game with Preston. Pools have lost their last six at home – with only a Boyd penalty to show during that run – while the opposition have gone 13 games without victory. Gary Liddle is named
What happens if you are too claustrophic to have a normal MRI scan? Health Editor Barry Nelson discovers an alternative. IT is becoming increasingly common for patients undergoing investigation to be referred for a MRI scan. Since it was developed
Michael Jackson's former doctor, Conrad Murray, has been jailed for four years, three weeks after being found guilty of killing the pop star. Prosecutors who depicted Murray, 58, as remorseless for the superstar's death urged the judge to sentence him
Sarah Willcocks visits an interiors shop in Teesdale which is so tempting people even want to buy the display units – the perfect stop-off then for all those Christmas presents. AFTER 20 years running a garden centre near Darlington, retailer
UNDERAGE drinkers are being targeted as part of a wide-rangingmove to address the damage alcohol has on young people's health. Operation Cleansweep, which brings together organisations such as Hartlepool Council, Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire
POLICE are stepping up their hunt for a man who who has sexually assaulted several women on buses. All three reported attacks, which are believed to have involved the same man, have happened on Monday afternoons this month – on November 7, 14
YOUNGSTERS have been working with an artist to help to create artwork to decorate Redcar seafront. Sculptor Ian Randall visited Zetland Primary School to help provide some inspiration for the pupils. The renowned artist is about to start work
CONCERN about the possibility of a landslip has not stopped plans for a swimming pool being built on the side of Saltburn bank. People living in Marine Parade turned out in force to express their fear about potential damage to their Victorian homes
True Blood (C4, 11.10pm) The Vampire Diaries (ITV2, 9pm) America On A Plate (BBC4, 9pm) THEY may have teeth the size of tombstones and love the taste of human blood, but are vampires really evil? That’s a tricky question to resolve. Certainly
NOT content with holding the record for being Hartlepool United's youngest-ever season ticket holder, six-month-old Ross Cooper has joined the team's new Junior Poolies Club. Born in May, Ross made headlines across the country when his father John
THE Government has overturned a council's decision to block the building of 48 retirement apartments. A Government planning inspector dismissed Stockton Borough Council's decision against the development, allowing Chris Morgan to push forward with
TV STAR Ryan Thomas had hearts fluttering across Redcar at the weekend when he opened the borough's Christmas fair. Thomas, who plays Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street, started the three-day festival at Friday's lights switch-on. The festival
A DOZEN teachers have been showing off their facial hair as their school takes part in a day-long Movember fundraising event. The 12 teachers from Northfield School, Stockton, have been growing moustaches since the start of the month to raise awareness
Ryan Bowman is in contention for a return to action due to Liam Hatch's suspension when Darlington play at Wrexham tomorrow evening. Hatch collected his tenth booking of the season during Saturday's 2-0 win over Tamworth, resulting in an automatic two-game
FORMER Newcastle United star Gary Speed was found hanged at his home by his wife, an inquest was told today. The 42-year-old Wales manager and father-of-two was found dead at his Cheshire home on Sunday morning. Detective Inspector Peter Lawless, of
POLICE are appealing for information about a burglary in a rural village. A house on Saunders Avenue, in Hamsterley Village, was burgled sometime between 6pm and 6.45pm on Saturday. A window at the property had been forced open to gain entry and it
A Barnard Castle cycle shop has relocated to larger premises in the town. Spitfire Cycles, run by Richard Varcoe, started trading from a shop on The Bank in May 2010, with the help of grant obtained through Barnard Castle Vision. Richard spent 22 years
Jeffrey Allison is safely back after an unprecedented Arctic adventure – and even closer to home than our man had imagined. HOME is the sailor, home from the sea, the extraordinary Jeffrey Allison cheerfully admitting that he feels more tired
HAVING digested Darlington Borough Council’s medium term financial plan I am forced to conclude that the council is in a serious and very deep financial mess. For many years, the opposition parties on Darlington Borough Council have urged the
IT is my understanding that an automatic gearbox in a bus is supposed to make life easier for both the driver and his passengers. The average journey resembles a trip in a cocktail shaker, with rapid braking and acceleration. I no longer buy full
HOW ironic that presidential candidate Herman Caine was perplexed when asked about Libya. His country had been bombing it but Mr Caine had no idea whether he was in favour or not. Then, again, George Bush didn’t even know where Pakistan was.
THE letter from Mrs J Robson (HAS, Nov 19) about the regular contributors to the paper’s letters page cogently reflects the general disapproval of parts of this column. Similar concerns have been expressed by many readers in recent past but you
EVEN though I am not politically motivated, it does not take much to realise that this country is in a mess. The rot was setting in when Gordon Brown was in charge, but under David Cameron and Nick Clegg things seem to have gone from bad to
I HAVE been approached by a driver who received a £60 parking ticket from Excel Parking Ltd which controls the Iceland Car Park, in Spennymoor. The two cases that I was involved with when this area was owned by Netto ended with the fines not
WHEN the only lift from Walkergate car park up to Millennium Place broke down on Friday night during the Lumiere display, in Durham City, the only resulting action appeared to be to put an Out of Order sign on the lift door. Was it not beyond
THERE is something unsettling about the daily, gaudy procession of celebs giving evidence to the Leveson inquiry. But before everybody starts writing to me in green ink to accuse me of not taking seriously the problem of freedom of the press versus
EDUCATION Secretary Michael Gove wins no prizes for diplomacy, even though there is more than a smidgeon of truth in his claim that some union leaders are “itching for a fight”. But there is also more than a smidgeon of truth that some rightwing
Loved by millions and paid a king’s ransom, elite sportsmen and women appear to have it all. But all the money in the world cannot combat depression. Barry Nelson reports. ONE in four of us will be affected by depression at some stage in our lives
I NO longer call public employees servants. They serve no one, other than themselves and their politically motivated union masters. A decent proposal has been made in respect of honouring current pensions. It follows that new staff will have
GEORGE Osborne was forced today to acknowledge a grim picture of declining growth and rising unemployment for the UK in the years to come. The Chancellor insisted he will still meet his key target of eliminating the UKs structural deficit by
THE mother of a Darlington boy who suffers from a rare lung condition has launched a campaign to change the way schools nationally record pupils' classroom absence. Adam Cameron, 13, suffers from obliterative broncholitis and is often forced to miss
AN enforcement notice issued following complaints over the height of waste at a controversial Darlington skip hire firm has been withdrawn. Darlington Borough Council retracted the notice served on August 5, which ordered Albert Hill Skip Hire to
EQUESTRIAN equipment was stolen from insecure stables in Burma Road, Hurworth Moor, Darlington, after thieves entered through an unlocked gate, between 6pm on November 24, and 1pm on November 25. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to
George Osborne's autumn statement 2011: live coverage from the Treasury via Twitter.
IN May I had a lovely bike ride through Great Ayton. I think I'd really gone to search out fireplates in Stokesley but carried on into Ayton where I found a couple of sundials - as tomorrow's Echo Memories informs a wondering world. Ayton
POLICE hunting a woman who attacked a pensioner with a hammer have made an arrest. A 47-year-old woman is being questioned after being detained late last night following the assault on an 84-year-old woman in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, yesterday
A HEARTBROKEN burglary victim has offered a cash reward to catch the thief who stole a necklace which belonged to his late mother. Michael Smedley has pledged £1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever broke into his home
THERE are times in this job when you have to pinch yourself. Last night, at Buckingham Palace, was so surreal, I woke up this morning wondering if it had been a dream. There I was, at a media reception to mark The Queen's forthcoming Diamond
PATRONS of the arts flocked to the under-threat Darlington Arts Centre at the weekend. The Christmas Art Fair, held on Saturday, attracted many people to see art demonstrations, listen to live music, and do some Christmas shopping. Last
THE latest victim of council cutbacks will be Darlington's entry into the Northumbria and Britain in Bloom competitions, it has emerged. Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for leisure and local environment,
BUSINESSES are being advised to be on the alert for a batch of counterfeit notes. Police in Darlington recovered a number of fake notes which were used at one premises in the town on Saturday evening, but believe more may be in circulation
A FATHER-OF-FOUR pleaded with magistrates to keep his driving licence after he was convicted of a driving offence. Mitchell Baum, 39, of Yew Tree Farm, near Newcastle, in Staffordshire, pleaded guilty to using his mobile phone while driving
A MEDIA hub for young people in Darlington is to be officially opened today at a special launch event. Located in Priestgate, C: The Box is a media hub for young people. Organisers say they hope to provide youngsters with an opportunity
AN annual golf day held to raise money for a hospice has raised £16,130. The Landteam Charity golf tournament has now raised £120,961 for St Teresa's Hospice in the decade it has been running. A total of 28 teams from local businesses and friends
A CHARITABLE organisation for the young homeless has marked its 18th year by opening a new service for residents. A chill-out zone and internet cafe at Tees Valley YMCA's Darlington residential centre was opened by Jenny Chapman, MP for
ANOTHER application for four more traveller caravans has been submitted for a village site. Foster Lee has submitted a planning application to site four mobile homes and six touring vans on land he and his brother-in-law own at Snipe Lane, near Hurworth
While Ellis Short has refused to pull the trigger in the wake of Saturday's home defeat to Wigan, Steve Bruce's position as Sunderland manager remains on the line. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson assesses the arguments for and against dismissing
Fastflow Chief Executive Neil Armstrong has arrived in Nepal to see what a difference his company’s £68,000 donation to WaterAid has made to the people of Biratnagar. Here is his first blog about his six day visit. I landed in Kathmandu
A JURY has heard an odd job man give a variety of different accounts when quizzed by detectives investigating his friend’s murder. Malcolm Harland initially insisted he had not seen Terence McGlade for a day-and-a-half before the pensioner was killed
FIND information on which schools and council services are affected by the public sector strikes on Wednesday, November 30. Below are direct links to the relevant information on council websites. North Yorkshire County Council
BRAVE little Rhys Turner has battled a rare cancer for two years, enduring treatment after treatment with barely a complaint. But yesterday his illness was forgotten – and a huge smile spread across his face – as he took off on the treat of a lifetime
A CABINET Minister was under fire last night after urging workers to abandon tomorrow’s huge public-sector strikes – because they may tip the region back into recession. Francis Maude sparked anger by saying the one-day strike – the largest
VICTIMS of the Farepak collapse, which left thousands of customers out of pocket, say it is ludicrous that administrators’ costs are higher than the proposed compensation payout. The Christmas hamper firm, which allowed people to spread the
A PAEDOPHILE from the North-East has become the youngest person in the country to be jailed indefinitely after being branded “a significant danger” by a judge. Former football club steward Jason Langstaff was 20 when he lured a nine-year-old boy into
A CABINET minister sparked outrage yesterday after accusing union “militants” of “itching for a fight” as plans were being finalised for a strike by up to two million workers, ranging from lollipop ladies and refuse collectors to headteachers and
NHS patients have been warned to expect delays and postponed operations tomorrow during the country’s biggest strike for a generation. However, doctors say A&E services will be maintained and that seriously ill patients will not be abandoned
A QUIET market town was in shock last night after an 84- year-old woman was beaten around the head with a hammer and her own walking stick by another woman. The attack happened in the popular Yorkshire Dales town of Leyburn. The victim, who lives
A COW that broke loose from an auction mart yesterday was shot dead by police marksmen. Attempts to recapture the cow after it broke free from Darlington Mart at 9am failed and it was killed by armed officers in Victoria Embankment.
The family of Gary Speed expressed their thanks for the ‘‘overwhelming support'' they have received following the death of the Wales manager. Tributes have poured in for the former Wales, Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United midfielder
A WOMAN left paralysed after a row over a spilt drink faced her attackers in court and told them “Look what you’ve done to me, you have ruined my life”. Claire Hilton, 28, suffered a broken neck and back after she was punched during a night
NEWCASTLE UNITED'S Nile Ranger has revealed how his off-the-field behaviour has cost him numerous opportunities to move on this year - insisting he has learned from his errors. Ranger made the first appearance of his loan spell at Barnsley
MIDDLESBROUGH'S preparations for tonight's eagerly-awaited battle with promotion rivals West Ham United have been hit by significant doubts surrounding the fitness of their first-choice strikeforce. Neither Marvin Emnes nor Scott McDonald
STEVE BRUCE was back at the Academy of Light training complex yesterday to begin the process of trying to emerge from the deep mess he finds himself in as Sunderland manager. He is expected to discuss the situation with owner Ellis Short in
A leading North-East business organisation last night welcomed the Prime Minister's claim that there was to be a "real focus" on improving infrastructure across the North of England, after claiming it was needed to prevent the region striving for economic
A PLANNING application for a potash mine that could create upto 5,000 jobs in the region could be submitted within a year after developers discovered the area contains more of the mineral than they previously hoped. It emerged in January that York Potash
CONTROVERSIAL plans to extend the hours of a takeaway in Durham City have been approved - but not for as long as the owners would have liked. Members of Durham County Council’s licensing committee were told, there had been four letters of objection
MICK Wadsworth isn't concerned about the problems encountered by tonight's opposition, the Hartlepool United coach has enough to think about himself. Phil Brown's Preston arrive at Victoria Park without a win in 13, but Pools lost their sixth successive
Guisborough could climb up to 14th in the first division if they win at Sunderland RCA tonight. However, it could have been a little better for Guisborough if they hadn’t thrown away a 3-1 lead at Billingham Town on Friday and had to settle
Jason Gillespie's first competitive match as Yorkshire's new first-team coach will be an LV= County Championship Division Two meeting with Kent at Headingley. The White Rose begin their quest to bounce back to the top tier of English cricket
DURHAM fans seeking an attractive away trip next season will be delighted to know that they are to pay their first four-day visit to Arundel Castle. Created in 1895 by the 15th Duke of Norfolk, the ground is renowned as one of the most picturesque
THE BATTLE for the Start Fitness North-East Harrier League senior men's title has hotted up at the halfway stage of the season as Gateshead leap-frogged over arch-rivals Morpeth by winning the third fixture at Blaydon. Led home by race-winner Ryan Stephenson
