RNLI volunteers rescued two fishing boats on one call out this afternoon. Sunderland RNLI was initially called out to help the crew of a fishing boat which had broken down, but came across a second fishing boat which had become lost in thick fog one
AN elderly woman had to be rescued by fire fighters after spending almost six hours trapped in a deckchair. A fire crew passing the 83-year-old’s home in Northway, Scarborough, heard her shouting for help from her second-floor balcony at about 1.50pm
THE Government is to announce U-turns on controversial Budget proposals dubbed the pasty tax and the caravan tax. Plans to levy VAT at 20 per cent on all hot food had been criticised as taxing lunchtime snacks such as pasties. But under
DARLINGTON'S hopes of a successful appeal against their demotion to the Northern League appear to have been dashed by confirmation from the Football Association that Shildon's ground is unable to host matches at a higher level. And in another blow to
A TEENAGE boy has been airlifted to hospital after being knocked off his bike by a car. The 13-year-old suffered a broken leg and serious head injuries in the incident in Boosbeck, near Guisborough, at 4pm today. A spokesman for the Great North Air
THIS blog is almost as underemployed as half the country seems to be, and I am sorry about that. There just aren't enough hours in the day, although I do tweet this sort of nonsense on a more regular basis (follow me @echochrislloyd on twitter)
THERE'S no denying that Heidi Mottram's CV is extremely impressive. She holds an OBE, is the recently-appointed chairwoman of the North-East CBI and was the first woman to take charge of one of the UK's major water and waste water treatment
DOZENS of people have gathered to take part in a series of workshops discussing the future of public transport in rural parts of Darlington. The workshops were arranged by Darlington Borough Council as part of the consultation process to decide how
A VILLAGE pub has reopened after a two-year closure following a major restoration by its new owners. Lesley and Peter Jones worked round their full-time jobs to renovate and redecorate The Comet, in Hurworth Place, near Darlington, after they bought
A GROUP of keen gardeners are to open their gates to the public for a charity event. Five people living on The Green, in Hurworth, near Darlington, will take part in the National Gardens Scheme on Saturday, June 9. The same people opened their gardens
A WILDLIFE trust has asked people across the region to take part in a survey to monitor the number of bumblebees in their gardens. The Durham Wildlife Trust, which promotes nature conservation across County Durham, South Tyneside and Darlington, is
A KIND hearted fundraiser has handed over £3,000 to help the work of two popular and good causes. Councillor Ken Campbell has raised the money for charities throughout his time as the mayor of Ferryhill over the last year. The Ferryhill Town councillor
YOUNG runners from Weardale got advice and inspiration from an Olympic medal winner when they took part in a competition. Four children from some of the Dale’s smallest schools competed at the County Cross Country finals and met Olympic medal
CAR park charges in Bishop Auckland town centre need to be reviewed before out-oftown shops drag trade away, councillors have claimed. Campaigners in the town are calling for charges in car parks to be changed before six shops at St Helen Auckland
A BUTCHER is celebrating after his home-made sausages clinched first place in a trade competition. Butchers Allisons of Ferryhill has won the Northern Council of Butchers Association with its sausages. The team beat off the sausage challenge of 28 other
It might become unhealthy and even cosy at times, but it is inevitable and necessary that relationships develop between politicians and figures in the media. Politicians want journalists on their side because of the influence they have at their
A SWIMMING club treasurer has retired after 42 years of service in and out of the water. Barbara Hardisty left her post at Richmond Dales Amateur Swimming Club this month but members will still compete for three trophies bearing the Hardisty name.
A COMPETITION will encourage tenants of council-owned properties to flex their green fingers. Throughout June and July, judges will mystery shop all Richmondshire District Council homes to find the best gardens, window boxes, tubs, hanging
RICHMONDSHIRE’S only local runner in the Olympic Torch Relay is preparing for his moment in the spotlight on June 20 when he will run through Richmond. John Hacking, 57, was nominated as a torchbearer for his work with sport in the local community during
A SCHOOL about to mark its 40th anniversary is celebrating after being officially labelled as “good” by a team of inspectors. Broomfield primary, in Northallerton, was scrutinised by Ofsted inspectors late last month “This is a good school overall
ROYAL Air Force personnel have raised about £3,000 for charity by running the length of a World Heritage Site. The nine runners, from RAF Leeming in Northallerton, ran 90 miles coast to coast in less than four days earlier this month. The central part
AN HISTORIC lifeboat involved in a rescue disaster five decades ago will soon have a new home as work to create a visitor and heritage centre gains momentum. The £282,000 scheme to restore Seaham Lifeboat House includes the development of a tourism and
AXL ROSE surprised fans on Tyneside by being nearly punctual and sailing through a three-hour-long set without having a temper tantrum. Guns n Roses, the band that make tardy an art form, rarely arrive on stage before 11pm and, when they do,
A driver died after breathing in fumes from an airbag during a car crash, an inquest heard. Ronald Smith inhaled noxious chemicals after the airbag was deployed when he was involved in an accident. Although unhurt in the smash, the 59-year-old began
A WOMAN has spoken about the importance of installing a smoke alarm after she was alerted to a fire in a kitchen as she spoke to friends outside. The fire brigage were alerted and were on the scene in Horden, near Peterlee, east Durham, and
SPRINGWATCH presenters Chris Packham and Martin Hughes-Games are talking about their pets. “My poodles Itchy and Scratchy are the finest animals that tread the earth. “They are the epicentre of my world. In fact, Scratchy is working
IN January I stopped claiming JobSeeker’s Allowance as I had got a second part-time job. I informed Durham County Council of my change of circumstances. This week, some four months later, I received my P45, which my new employer needs to be able
PETER MULLEN (HAS 15th May) has produced a very accurate analysis of the tripartite schools system and the reasons for its demise. He made the very important point that in this context equality of opportunity does not mean that everyone receives
AM I the only reader to have realised that the man behind Darlington’s Eastern Transport Corridor foul up is the same Councillor Nick Wallis who is now pushing the wheelie bin fiasco? The Eastern Transport Corridor was only 20ft too high and
SINCE 1997 groups like the Referendum Party and UKIP have warned of the dangers of a single politically inspired European currency. Based on ideological not financial needs or sound economics, the euro came into being and again warnings were
I CAN understand why the major parties are so afraid of Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party. I recently heard him speak and his short address covered all the major faults with the present set-up. It should be required listening
LIKE newspaper editors, police chiefs get plenty of stick if something goes wrong, so here’s a bit of appreciation for our boys in blue. My wife became the victim of crime recently. Her car was broken into near Darlington Civic Theatre
I AM surprised at The Northern Echo. The BBC I can understand, but not the best local newspaper in the North- East. What am I on about? The photo in The Northern Echo of the Olympic flame (May 19) being brought from Greece, in what were described
ART lovers wishing to visit the exhibition of invisible art at The Hayward Gallery, in London (Echo, May 19), may be interested to know that works of equal talent are also on display at libraries throughout the region. They are normally on display
BOSSES at an historic cricket club have defended plans to sell their ground for housing, saying the move is vital to its future. Burnopfield Cricket Club has lodged a planning application to build a new club with modern facilities including a pavilion
THERE were plenty of things to do on Saturday afternoon. Summer had arrived, the sun was shining and the weekend was in full swing. Yet more than 4,000 people opted to give up a huge chunk of their weekend to join a protest march against a recommendation
With no end to the economic downturn in sight, more and more people are turning to charity food banks for help. Mark Tallentire reports "IF I didn’t have help I’d be eating grass by now – that’s the next step.” Welcome to the UK in 2012: a
Castle Eden put on their Sunday best yesterday to pick up 26 points in the second of a Durham Senior League double header, and it was pro Swaru Purkayastha who did the business, his six wickets crushing Boldon to leave them beaten for a second
With a two-game programme also a feature in the Durham County League Esh Winning got their weekend off to the best of starts with a comprehensive 94-run home win over Crook Town. There were two Brandon centurions in their total of 262-3 against
With the Durham Coast League frontrunners slugging themselves to a standstill in their head-to-head, Dawdon made a significant move to cut the gap on the two teams above them. An unbeaten century from Ryan Consitt, who hit 15 fours and two sixes
POLICE are hoping to recruit 1,000 new households to join their local Neighbourhood Watch scheme in just two days. On Wednesday, members of the community safety team will be in the village of Ludworth, near Durham City, canvassing people to join the
ROCKLIFFE Hall is gearing up for the sight of a raft of dapper Trilby hats on the golf course, as the William Hunt Trilby Tour returns to the region for the second time. The event, which aims to make amateur golfers feel like the pros for the day, is
A Premier League footballer groped one woman's bottom in a club before repeatedly sexually assaulting another in the back of a taxi, a court heard today. Sunderland defender Titus Bramble, 30, denies four counts of sexual assault alleged to
STUDENTS tackled their exams in a dramatic way when they staged one the most vital performances of their studies. An official examiner joined an audience of family and friends as Northallerton College students put on a show-stopping A-level performance
A COLLEGE has again struck gold and secured its reputation nationally as one of the best places in the country to study the arts. For the second consecutive time, Northallerton has been award gold status by the Arts Council for its commitment to the
WAYNE ROONEY is emerging as the central figure in Roy Hodgson’s England plans. Rooney was absent on Saturday night, resting a niggling injury, as England began the Hodgson era with a 1-0 win over Norway in Oslo. The Manchester United
A NORTH-EAST woman has been arrested over the smuggling of £1.6m worth of cocaine to the tropical island of Bali. Lindsay Sandiford, 55, originally from Redcar, covered her face as she was taken out to face the media at a press conference in
SUNDERLAND'S James McClean is set for a key role at Euro 2012 after an encouraging full debut for the Republic of Ireland. Giovanni Trapattoni has hinted he will be naming Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady in his starting line-up when Ireland open their
TRAFFIC wardens issued a parking fine in Durham City every 46 minutes last year, it has been claimed. Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by car insurance provider Swiftcover reveals that, despite there being no increase
THE Government’s social mobility advisor is calling for employers to move jobs to the regions to peg back the North-South divide. Former Darlington MP Alan Milburn is to publish a report on Wednesday claiming the “socially exclusive” recruitment
A TEENAGE pedestrian seriously injured in a collision with a car has died in hospital, police confirmed today. Daniel Maurice Millichamp suffered serious head injuries in the accident, involving a Mercedes Benz car, in Consett, County Durham, on Friday
HE may have a Champions League medal in tow, but Ross Turnbull thinks former Middlesbrough team-mate Jason Steele could have something just as special to go for this summer: Olympic gold. Stuart Pearce is expected to announce the 18-man pool
A 23-YEAR-OLD woman is believed to have fallen to her death while climbing a drainpipe after becoming locked out of her boyfriend’s flat. Last night, the parents of Lauren Howlett paid tribute to her, saying: “She was a lively, passionate girl
KAT Copeland and Jess Eddie both claimed fifth-placed finishes at this weekend's Rowing World Cup in Lucerne. Copeland teamed up with Sophie Hosking to secure her second World Cup final appearance in succession in the lightweight double.
1. Don't expect any radical tactical innovations from Roy Hodgson If you're after experimental formations and tactical fluidity from the new-look England, you're going to be disappointed. Hodgson's first England line-up was identical to the vast majority
Savannah Marshall made history last weekend when she became Britain's first female boxing world champion. But what transforms a quiet teenager from Hartlepool into a star of the ring? Scott Wilson and Paul Fraser met some of the people who have
DARLINGTON FC officials will be appealing against the club’s demotion to the Northern League. The Football Association effectively relegated the Quakers four divisions on Friday because members of Darlington FC 1883 (DFC 1883) had been unable
A FRUSTRATED businessman lost on a rural road caused a serious accident after pulling out to overtake a car and a bus on a bend. The resulting head-on collision between Zain Khan’s Audi Q7 and a slower moving Vauxhall Corsa left its driver, a
TWO of the 12 towns named as the first Mary Portas pilot towns are in the region. The success of Stockton’s bid for £92,000 has been hailed as a validation for its £20m plans to breathe new life into Stockton High Street – which has the highest
THE sun shone and the runs flowed in the NTSL as frustrated batsmen filled their boots, with three centuries to admire among other impressive individual efforts. Chris Hewison hit the day's highest, an unbeaten 131 that included nine fours and six sixes
SIX days of sunshine were all it took to turn the Emirates Durham ICG into a batting paradise and Scotland's second highest 40-over total proved no obstacle to Durham yesterday. While the visiting batsmen seemed to find the bonny banks of the
WILLIAM HAGUE has pledged to continue pressing the Health Secretary to maintain key services at a general hospital after leading a massive protest march involving about 4,000 people. The Foreign Secretary and Richmondshire MP would appear to
MUSICIANS have teamed up to release a charity single to celebrate the Olympic torch passing through the UK. A seven-strong group called Athleta has formed in Teesdale, County Durham, to mark the Olympic torch relay’s journey reaching Barnard
A TEENAGE rugby star whose heart stopped during a match has been told he will never play the sport again despite making a recovery. Sam Windross, who collapsed on the pitch while playing for Northallerton Rugby Club in a league fixture at Halifax
AN adventurer whose body was found in a crocodileinfested Indian river died from drowning after hitting rocks and plunging 300ft down a waterfall. Investigators said Ian Turton, of Huntington, York, and his friend Michael Easton, of London,
Martin Gray was last night confirmed as Darlington's new manager as the club prepare for the Northern League. He has agreed a two-year contract and has brought with him a four-strong backroom staff including two fellow former Darlington players
SUN LOVERS were in their element over the weekend as temperatures soared to 24C, with parts of the North-East and North Yorkshire hotter than Greece and Corfu. People flocked to soak up the sunshine at events across the region – with Archer
DURHAM'S South African born Mike Richardson hit his second century in five days to send the hopes of Stockton moving out of the bottom three crashing spectacularly. Although playing his club cricket with Newcastle it was on Teesside that his week of
ANY doubts that Darlington couldn't keep their nerve as the championship leaders disappeared on a sun-drenched afternoon when they fired a sharp reminder to Richmondshire, the more popular tip to win the title, that the battle lines are well and
Yorkshire, inspired by centurion Gary Ballance, could not have asked for better opponents than the Unicorns as they looked to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition yesterday. Two defeats
