THREE days after celebrating their 13th hour survival, Darlington were left dispirited as they sank to a shock defeat at lowly Hayes & Yeading last night. They were 2-0 down inside the first ten minutes and then 3-0 after an hour, but a heartening
Spennymoor missed a chance to go top of the STL First Division table when they lost 4-1 at Ashington last night, and afterwards manager Jason Ainsley blasted his players.. Moors struck first with a strike by Steve Richardson on 30 minutes
An injury to Aaron Brown means that he is unavailable this evening’s game for which Darlington have made two changes at Hayes & Yeading. The left-back is replaced by Phil Gray who makes his first start of the season while also coming into the line-up
DARLINGTON residents have been warned to ensure their television can receive a digital signal in preparation for analogue services to be switched off this year. As the countdown begins to digital TV switchover in September, figures show more than
CAMPAIGNERS are asking a council to think again on proposals to axe lollipop men and women by marching on a town hall to hand in a 1,300-name petition tomorrow. Darlington Borough Council is considering replacing paid crossing patrols with volunteers
A JOB club will be held in Darlington to help the unemployed find work. The drop-in centre, at Northland Methodist Church, North Road, will give people aged over 18 a chance to learn how to improve their CVs, apply for jobs, write letters to apply
PLANS to close a Darlington library have failed to win the backing of an important council committee. The place scrutiny committee has said it can not endorse the closure of Cockerton library until more investigations have been done into alternative
AN open mic night that offers the chance for authors to preview their latest work is to be held at a community venue. Darlington for Culture (DfC) has organised a series of open mic nights at Darlington Arts Centre, in Vane Terrace, with the next
STUDENTS helped to welcome in the Chinese New Year in Darlington. Hummersknott Academy and Carmel College joined together in Joseph Pease Place, off High Row, to perform traditional Chinese dances to mark the Year of the Dragon. As shoppers and
A SHAKE-UP in council house funding payments by the Government will mean Darlington Borough Council needs to take out a £33.8m loan. The loan, of which repayments will be set at about £2.3m a year, will eventually rid the borough council of its reliance
A MAN tried to fake the amount of prescription drugs he was allowed because he disagreed with his doctor’s dosage. John Murray, 31, of Whessoe Road, Darlington, changed his prescription of Zopiclone, a drug taken for insomnia, from 7.5 millogrammes
A HUSBAND and wife had a fortunate escape after a yob threw an object from a bridge over a dual carriageway, smashing their car windscreen. Bryan Honeywell, 60, was on the A66, in Middlesbrough, at 3pm on Sunday, when the incident happened. The
YOUNGSTERS in Hartlepool are celebrating the transformation of a popular centre. The West View Project, a not-for-profit organisation which runs a host of activities for those aged eight to 18, has just completed £25,000 of improvements to its premises
AN MP took four science students to the House of Commons to help a university showcase work helping the area's youngsters. Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, took the children from St Michael's Roman Catholic School, in Billingham, and local
LOCAL crafters are being urged to fly the flag for their country ahead of this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Quilts4London project aims to give each athlete visiting London a hand-made pennant to take home with them. The initiative
WORK has started on a project to improve an open space in an east Durham town. The scheme at Hawthorn Square in Seaham, has seen the removal of the old outdated play area on the site, which will be replaced by new equipment as well as some landscaping
BUSINESSES and job-seekers are benefiting from extra support thanks to the recruitment of two new business advisors. Lynne Groves and Neil Pearson were selected for the roles with the South Durham Enterprise Agency after £85,000-worth of funding was
A £200 limited edition MGP Nitro stunt scooter, which was given to a nine-year-old boy for Christmas, was stolen from outside a house in Duncomb Terrace, Ferryhill, between 8.30pm on Saturday, January 21 and 12.15am on Sunday, January 22. The scooter
A SUPERMARKET has launched a campaign to find a torch bearers for the London 2012 Paralympics. Customers across the region have until Tuesday, February 14 to nominate teams or individuals who they feel deserves the once in a lifetime opportunity of
A WOMAN pedestrian suffered serious leg injuries following a collision between a bus and a car. The incident happened just after 10.15pm on Saturday at the junction of Newgate Street and South Church Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham. A single-decker
A PUB which was closed and had its licence revoked during a police probe into cannabis farming will be allowed to reopen - despite overwhelming objections from police officers. Appearing at a statutory licensing sub-committee meeting today,
YOUNG thespians are adding the finishing touches to their annual pantomime. The Tearaways youth theatre group, in Shildon, is gearing up to perform its musical version of Aladdin at the Shildon Civic Hall, from Thursday to Sunday. The pantomime
BILLED as the biggest thing to come out of East Anglia since Stephen Fry's brain, the Kabeedies will hit Middlesbrough on February 4. The four-piece are appearing at The Crown to promote their second album, Soap. "I originally thought of 'Soap' based
Richmond Tourist Information Centre is now selling Diamond Jubilee commemorative items, to mark the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, died on 6 February 1952 at the age of 56. The
THE A1 has reopened near Brompton-on-Swale following a collision which resulted in power cables lying across both carriageways. The accident happened just after 1pm and involved a silver Vauxhall Astra which hit a pole at the side of the north-bound
FIREARMS officers swooped on two men as they drove past a village after the pair were spotted at a chinese restaurant with what appeared to be a silver Magnum handgun on their table. A shocked pedestrian alerted North Yorkshire Police at 4.05pm on Monday
AROUND 60 staff at a petrolium firms Tees Valley operation are facing an uncertain future after it went into administration today. PwC was appointed administrator of Petroplus Refining Teesside Limited which operates an oil storage site on Teesside and
A DRIVER suffered severe injuries when his van overturned on the A19 this morning. The accident happened near Peterlee, in County Durham around 10.45am and involved a 21-year-old from Darlington. According to the Great North Air Ambulance
THIN Lizzy are a band who built their reputation with a succession of classic albums and great live shows but when talismanic lead singer Phil Lynott died in 1986 it appeared that those songs were destined to be enjoyed only on album and video
DONNA is a 14-year-old, clumsy, bespectacled fat lass. She’s the victim of bullying by her school mates and her mum. Even her beloved nana, who makes great teas, isn’t really very helpful. In an incredible solo performance, directed by Laura
Farewell Becky (ITV1, 7.30pm) First Love (Sky Arts 1, 8pm) Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands (BBC3, 9pm) BECKY MCDONALD (nee Granger) first crashed onto the cobbles of Coronation Street in 2006, which in Weatherfield terms makes
A COUPLE of unusual events led me to being at Darlington instead of watching Dagenham, as had been the original plan. I unfortunately broke my foot but as a Saturday afternoon without football is not a prospect that fills me with joy, my eightyear
Echoes of bus wars, two of the region's big companies yesterday began the fight to see who can really be No 1. Crook Market Place, 6.30am yesterday. If this is to be a little moment in history, Crook is in great danger of sleeping through it
I AM not surprised by the falling number of visitors to the World of James Herriot attraction and Thirsk in general. My family spent a wonderful three hours there recently. Why three hours I hear you ask? Because of my blue badge, otherwise just
LABOUR politicians seem determined to talk down anything positive on the jobs front. A large number of jobs are being announced, particularly by small companies helping to rebalance the economy which has been dominated by the public sector for
EVEN though the non-political Church of England bishops were at the heart of last night’s defeat of the Government on the issue of welfare reform, this debate is all about politics. The Conservatives will press ahead with their reforms because
WHEN I offered Christopher Wardell my old RAF tunic I had no idea that it would involve the Durham Light Infantry for whom I have the greatest admiration (HAS, Jan 23). In his reply to my letter, Mr Wardell had the gall to suggest that my time
WHAT a splendid photo by Paul Kingston published in Monday’s Northern Echo (Jan 23), displaying the Milky Way and hundreds of stars in the sky above Teesdale. As a regular stargazer, I was extremely impressed with the photograph as it gently portrays
ONE of the enduring problems in the Labour Party has always been the working class firebrands who are seduced by money and power as soon as they become national politicians. In fact, perhaps because of their backgrounds, they seem to be particularly
PLEASE can I use your newspaper to thank Thixendale wildlife artist Robert Fuller for his actions in helping to bring a gang of low life scum to justice by taking secret photos of them. Sadly, the powers that be have not shown the same courage
OF course the nation should provide the Queen with a new Royal Yacht. It was to our shame that Britannia was ever scrapped. We should build the new yacht out of affection for the Queen and gratitude for the 60 years of selfless and untiringly dependable
Durham’s Gala Theatre is ten years old. But with bosses considering outsourcing it to a charitable trust, how will its next act play out? Mark Tallentire reports. THE ten-year-old Gala Theatre has had more twists than a good whodunit.
THE North-East's historical place as one of the most inventive regions not only in the UK but in the world is in decline and steps need to be taken to address it, Business Editor Owen McAteer discovers. In a warning shot James Hayton, Newcastle University
AN ENGINEERING firm's diversification into the space industry will either create jobs or maintain them. In 2010 it emerged that Durham Precision Engineering (DPE), based in Newton Aycliffe, had been awarded work connected to the Square Kilometre Array
A NORTH-East subsea company has highlighted the importance of the Asia-Pacific region as it completes two major projects in the area. Deep sea cable installation firm CTC Marine Projects (CTC), said it expects to remain active in the region following
A NEW fund is set to provide thousands of pounds in grants to further grow the North-East's successful creative industries. The Creative Jobs Fund will provide £150,000 of investment into the region's film, TV and digital media sector. It includes £75,000
A NORTH-East architects has completed a £5m sports development that will help Olympic rowers. Space Group has completed work on a new high performance training centre for rowing on behalf of Durham University. The firm, based in Newcastle, also carried
CUCUMBER Run went some way to upholding family honour by claiming the totepool Irish Day – Saturday 4th February Novices’ Chase at Wetherby. Nicky Henderson’s sevenyear- old is a half-brother to Saturday’s Victor Chandler Chase winner Somersby
ANDY Murray described as ‘‘boring’’ his 49-minute stroll against Mikhail Kukushkin at the Australian Open, but admitted it was good to get through to the quarter-finals with the minimum of effort. Kukushkin was struggling from the outset with
ALASTAIR Cook will have a reassuring partner at hand on and off the field as he tries to put England back on track in the second Test against Pakistan. He and wife Alice, who arrived here on Sunday along with the rest of the England team’s nearest
Darlington's preparations for this evening's game at Hayes & Yeading have suffered a blow with Aaron Brown ruled out of action. The left-back suffered an injury in Saturday's game with Fleetwood Town that will keep him on the sidelines this
A CYCLIST who died after a collision with a HGV on the A19 near Wolviston has been named as 50-year-old Christopher Paul Griffiths. Mr Griffiths, from Wynyard, was killed yesterday morning after the accident at 7.10am. A 53-year-old
THERE are plenty of valid reasons why you might want to rip a DVD. The huge upsurge in popularity of tablets and smartphones has led to a demand for compressed versions of home recorded DVDs or camcorder footage. Currently, ripping movie
A PROLIFIC car thief serving eight-and-a-half years in jail for a raid in which a farmer’s wife died spent three months on the run after absconding from an open prison, it emerged yesterday. Tony Aaron Blair vowed to “live a lawful and productive
THE family of a man who was beaten to death by vigilantes who wrongly thought he had stolen a pensioner’s savings told last night how their lives have been rocked by the “barbaric act”. Relatives of John Newton spoke after a fourth man was yesterday
FORENSIC experts spent last night carrying out the rare and painstaking process of exhuming the remains of a woman whose death has baffled police for more than 30 years. The unidentified woman was found in undergrowth close to Sutton Bank,
Hartlepool United have offered to help raise funds to secure the future of Darlington - by arranging a friendly at The Northern Echo Arena. The clubs have been regular and fierce rivals over the years, although two divisions now separate the
WITH confidence lifted and their home hoodoo broken, Antony Sweeney believes Hartlepool United are capable of a push into the top half of League One. Pools are in mid-table on the back of Saturday's point at Sheffield Wednesday and take
A GOVERNMENT advisor has accused enterprise chiefs in the north of the region of "lagging behind" their Tees Valley counterparts and urged them to "get their act together" or risk missing out on crucial funding. Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, who
THE LOSS of their top scorer and midfielder enforcer has prompted Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew to rethink his tactics, but Danny Guthrie believes that defeat at Fulham was not necessarily down to the Magpies' new look formation. With Demba Ba
A FINANCIAL investigator who helped convict a subpostmaster for the murder of his wife has been shortlisted for a prestigious award. Teresa Bentley, from North Yorkshire Police, has been recognised for her painstaking examination of the financial
A MOTOR home company has been left with a bill of tens of thousands of pounds after thieves stole catalytic converters from 15 vehicles. The theft at Cleveland Motor Homes, based at Durham Tees Valley Airport, was only discovered when a customer
VINCE CABLE says the region faces a long hard slog to economic recovery, after figures revealed most job losses were in the private sector. Interviewed by The Northern Echo, the Business Secretary said the North-East was the English region that
A CHILDREN’S outdoor activities centre manager who pretended to be a woman to gain acceptance into an international paedophile ring has been jailed for four years. Jonathan Garner-Harris, a former deputy director of the Marrick Priory centre
A PRISON officer stabbed by a triple murderer has pledged to continue his fight for justice, despite getting few answers when he took his campaign to Parliament yesterday. Craig Wylde suffered lifethreatening injuries when he was slashed with
TWO men were last night arrested by police investigating a ram raid which destroyed the front of a Co-op store in a normally- peaceful North Yorkshire market town. One eyewitness described the scene in Masham as like something from a movie. Ram
A NORTH-EAST hospital trust has set up a helpline for patients after officials confirmed that it carried out more controversial PIP breast implants than any other NHS trust in England. Officials at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation
AMBITIOUS plans for the community to take ownership of Darlington Football Club were last night boosted by significant pledges of funding from businesses in the town. Darlington MP Jenny Chapman said offers of support from companies came “flooding
THE Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has urged energy companies to pass on lower fuel costs to the regions small and micro businesses. Earlier this month, suppliers including EDF Energy and British Gas announced plans to cut domestic gas and electricity
THE construction industry has urged government and local decision-makers to do more to ensure the North-East does not lose out in the race to secure vital infrastructure investment. The government has published details of projects totalling £250bn over
TONY MOWBRAY takes charge of his first North-East derby on Sunday with Middlesbrough in the worst shape possible. Boro travel to Sunderland missing Kevin Thomson and former Black Cat Julio Arca through suspension, while injuries to Nicky Bailey
WES BROWN knows all about the benefits of a good run in the FA Cup - after all, he has won it twice. Brown picked up Cup Final winners' medals in 1999 and 2004 while at Manchester United, and is confident of his new employers Sunderland making
Jason Gillespie is expected to take up his new role as first-team coach with Yorkshire next week after agreeing an early release from his MidWest Rhinos contract in Zimbabwe. The Australian was expected to arrive at Headingley shortly before
