MILITARY families at Europe's biggest Army base will march in memory of murdered Woolwich soldier Lee Rigby next week. Organisers are hope hundreds of people will take part in the walk from Catterick Garrison to Richmond - and help raise money
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT: Emergency services attended the scene of an accident between a car and a van on the B6275 near Piercebridge at about 5.20pm today (Friday, May 24). A 10-year-old girl sustained minor injuries, but there were no other casualties.
A CAR struck the wall of a house following a collision with a bus in a Darlington road this afternoon (Friday, May 24). The accident happened on Carmel Road North, Darlington, at just after 6.05pm. The front of the bus was damaged and the car
THE driver of a works van killed a teenager who he failed to spot pushing a car as he approached a dual carriageway. As a result the Ford Transit ploughed into the rear of the Peugeot 406, on the inside lane of the A689, at Sedgefield, County Durham
A NORTH-East mining museum is one of the top tourist attractions in the world, according to a popular travel review website. Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum, in County Durham, has been awarded a 2013 Certificate of Excellence
CYCLIST Simon Ripley is preparing to compete in the World Transplant Games - just five years after undergoing a heart transplant. The 29-year-old from Darlington will represent Great Britain when he jets off to South Africa in July to take part
HARTLEPOOL'S Graeme Storm carded three birdies on the back nine this afternoon to ensure he made the cut at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth with plenty to spare. Having started at one over after a decent opening round, Storm slipped to three over
A BOOZED-UP burglar stole a crate of lager and downed half a bottle of wine before leaving the rest and fleeing, a court heard. Sean Fletcher, 39, was trapped for the break-in after leaving blood up the walls and on light switches in the house
BUSINESSES in Darlington are urged to join an online hub to boost the town's economy. Set up in October last year, the hub - named DarloBiz - has already attracted hundreds of online users who promote businesses through a number of social networking
A £5,000 donation has been presented to a rabbit rescue centre in North Yorkshire. Today (Friday, May 24) the store manager of Pets at Home in Darlington visited Bunny Burrows near Richmond to present funds that should help the centre fund neutering
A FORMER lap dancing club manager was today (Friday May 24) warned to expect a long prison sentence over his “chilling” attempts to lure young girls into his car. Lewis John Lamb was said to have “cruised” round County Durham villages in his new
YOUNGSTERS from a North-East school will help entertain crowds before a major sporting event this weekend. Students from Hurworth Primary School, near Darlington, won the chance to take part in a tag rugby demonstration before the Premiership final
A NEW exhibition placing the spotlight on Hinduism opened at a North-East museum today (Friday, May 24). Hinduism in India, featured at Durham City’s Oriental Museum, uses objects, prints and photographs to focus to tell the story of religious
FLOWER SHOW: The McNay Street Flower Show, featuring arts and crafts will be held at McNay Street Children’s Centre from 10am until 11.30am on Thursday May 30. All ages are welcome at the free event. SEASIDE EVENT: A ‘Haughton By The Sea’ event
MUSLIMS in the region have joined together to pray for murdered soldier Lee Rigby and condemn the attackers who took his life. Worshipers from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in the North-East travelled to London to join 5,000 worshipers at the
PARTY TIME: Ripon Spa Gardens will be celebrating its bandstand’s 110th birthday with a community party on June 2. There will be music and events in the bandstand throughout the day from 11am to 4pm. HALL'S AWARD: Kiplin Hall, near Scorton, Richmond
TRAFFIC on a busy dual carriageway was brought to a standstill when a caravan was blown into a lorry on the A19 just before noon today (Friday). The accident resulted in debris being strewn across three lanes of the road and caused lengthy delays
TWO pensioners were taken to hospital and one of their pets was mauled to death when an escaped dog went on the rampage, a court heard. Lee Boville was meant to be looking after Staffordshire bull terrier Tyson when it ran off from his cousin's
PEOPLE taking part in free Lindisfarne Gospel-inspired art workshops at a Darlington arts centre this weekend could see their work go on display at Durham University. The course is taking place at the Bridge Centre for Visual Arts, in Yarm Road
An evening class in ballroom and Latin American dance for absolute beginners is to be held in the ballrooms of Bedale Hall, in Bedale near Northallerton. Anyone wishing to take part should contact Len on 01609-776638 for more information. MOTORBIKE
A CHARITY weekend at a Newton Aycliffe shop raised more than £240 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS). Staff at Wilkinson’s dressed up as superheroes on Saturday, May to solve customers’ problems, from DIY disasters to bad hair days
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a small fire at a house in the Sedgefield area today (Friday, May 24). Three crews attended the property at Elwick View, Trimdon Village, at around 11.30am, following reports of it being full of smoke. Firefighters arrived to discover
PLANS have been unveiled to build housing on the site of a former fire station. Social housing provider Home Group has announced plans to build 18 houses for rent on a site in Woodstone Village, near Fencehouses. Details of the proposed £1.9m
DETECTIVES investigating a robbery believe the suspect made off in a vehicle driven by a second man. It happened at 11.30am this morning (Friday, May 24) when police received a report that a man armed with what is believed to be a firearm, went
DESPITE strong winds battering the North-East the weather forecast for the Bank Holiday weekend is looking a bit more promising. A weather warning was issued today (Friday) across the region due to the high winds but by tomorrow (Saturday) morning
THREE former pupils from the same North-East school are expected to line up in a major sporting event this weekend. Mathew Tait, Calum Clark and Lee Dickson, who all went to Barnard Castle School, in County Durham, are likely to feature in the
PEOPLE with moles can have them checked out much quicker thanks to a new pilot available at GP surgeries in the Sedgefield area. Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has introduced the pilot in all 11 GP practices
YOUNG people are invited to join in the Darlington Community Games on Tuesday (May 28) and Wednesday. The games will be held at the Phoenix Centre, in Eldon Street, between 1.30pm and 3.30pm, with various sports and activities on offer for young
A TEENAGER who hit a man several times with a dog lead while on bail for threatening to glass a police officer has been sentenced. Shane Connor Dowson assaulted the man after the victim turned up at his home at Low Row, North Bitchburn, near Crook
A NORTH Durham housing association reached a major milestone today (Friday, May 24) when it officially unveiled its first new-build development. The Cestria Community Housing development on the former Crossleas site, in Sacriston, near Chester-le-Street
A police horse punched by a football thug will be back on duty in Newcastle, the city where he was attacked as part of a major operation to keep the peace between EDL supporters and their opponents. A 45-year-old was arrested after Bud, who belongs
POLICE have boosted their coffers to the tune of more than £1.5m after finally selling a redundant station. The old police station in Harrogate, on North Park Road, has been disused since last summer when a new local base was opened at Beckwith
Rossini’s opera, La Donna Del Lago, will be broadcast live via satellite from the Royal Opera House in London to Showcase cinema at Teesside Leisure Park, Stockton, on Monday, May 27, at 6.45pm and will be repeated on Sunday, June 2, at 1pm. Tickets
MORE than 200 women who braved the rain to take part in a charity’s midnight walk have been thanked for their efforts. The sixth annual St Teresa’s Hospice Midnight Walk took place on Friday, May 17, around South Park, in Darlington. On arrival
A HERO soldier who removed his body armour to try and rescue a comrade killed a year ago in Afghanistan is taking part in an 11-day fundraising walk in his memory. Private Lewis Murphy of the Yorkshire Regiment, was presented with the Queen's
UP to 500 ambulance workers will strike for two days next month, in an escalating row over staffing changes. The union Unite said its Yorkshire Ambulance Service members feared for the quality of the service after the trust which covers 6,000 square
MORE than 300 soldiers who returned from Afghanistan just last week proudly marched through the streets of York today, May 24. And crowds lined the streets, some waving Union flags, as the troops marked their Freedom of the City as part in their
A MAJOR obstacle against plans to build a mine in a national park has disappeared after the Ministry of Defence announced that it intends to withdraw its objection. Defence chiefs had submitted a holding objection over proposals by Sirius Minerals
ANYONE who has shopped Darlington’s famous covered market will be familiar with the white and blue awning of Fenwick’s family butcher. The business is run today by brothers Nick and Nigel, but started when Ray, their father, quit his job as a publican
COUNCILLORS are being recommended to approve the building of a new fire station on farmland. An application has been lodged to build a new community fire station on a field next to Sniperley Farm on the outskirts of Durham City. The building
“IF you never try then you’ll never know. Don’t live with regrets.” That was the philosophy instilled in Tracey Campbell, general manager of Aston Hotel in Darlington, from a young age. Growing up in Chilton, County Durham, she watched both of
A WOMAN stole £400 from her ill mother and used some of it to buy drugs, a court heard. Appearing before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe today (Friday, May 24), Victoria Ann Denise Bell admitted she stole her mother’s debit card and withdrew the
ONE man died and another was seriously injured in a road traffic accident involving a lorry and a van. The collision happened today (Friday, May 24) at 1pm on the A68 at the Ingleton junction near Heighington, near Darlington. A man in his
A FUND-raising tribute is to be held in memory of a North Yorkshire soldier killed in Afghanistan nearly four years ago. Serjeant Phillip Scott, a married father-of two serving with 3 Rifles, was killed by an IED while on patrol in Helmand Province
A MAN has been charged with nine historic sexual offences against a girl under the age of 16. Raymond Brown of Plantation View, Howden le Wear, Crook, is alleged to have committed four indecent assaults and four act of gross indecency with a girl
SOME of the region’s bulkiest blokes will put their brawn to the test when they face a series of eye-watering challenges this weekend. Around 25 competitors will flex their muscles and hope that countless hours in the gym pay off when they line
SEVERAL hundred cannabis plants have been discovered at a terraced house. Police discovered around 300 plants growing at the house on the outskirts of Durham City after a tip-off from a member of the public. Officers discovered what they described
A WOMAN was so angry at being arrested for assaulting four police officers she chewed a mattress in her custody cell, a court heard. Simonia Lovette Chambers-Shaw admitted kicking and spitting at the officers after she was removed from her own
A VILLAGE which has waited more than 50 years for its own community room has reacted with frustration after planners refused proposals to create one for free. The plans involved turning a dilapidated barn at Thornton-le-Moor, near Northallerton
A PRIMARY school has been named one of North Yorkshire's most eco-friendly. Bolton-on-Swale St Mary’s Church of England Primary School has been awarded a third Green Flag as part of the Eco-Schools international award programme, which encourages
FAMILY and friends of a much-loved Darlington woman embarked upon a 165-mile journey in her memory today (Friday May 24). After a long battle with breast cancer, mother-of-one Sharon Whitfield, 43, died on Sunday May 5, leaving behind her husband
A TRADITIONAL tea dance has given children in north Durham a taste of how their forebears would have socialised. Lindy jazz performed by a live band was played at Bullion Lane Primary School in Chester-le-Street, while pupils taught their parents
SCHOOL children are being asked to do some blue-sky thinking - to find a name for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s new mascot. Primary school pupils across the county are being asked to enter a special competition to name the new helicopter mascot
SHOPPERS in Stockton were treated to an hour-long impromptu performance that brought the town centre to a standstill. The arrival of an upright piano kick started the entertainment with a mixture of music, dance and mime to brighten up a damp miserable
WILLIAM Hague has spoken of his disappointment over the Health Secretary’s decision not to order an independent review into proposed changes to key services at a general hospital. The Richmond MP said he would continue his campaign for a unique
A FUTURISTIC train that boasted the best of British technology has received an Institution of Mechanical Engineers award to mark its place in history. The Advanced Passenger Train – Experimental (APT-E) was a groundbreaking project created by British
The world's first electric lighthouse is undergoing a spring clean. Souter Lighthouse, situated between Sunderland and South Shields, was the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity. It opened in 1871 to
POLICE are hunting a man who stole a pub landlord’s mobile phone. The thief stepped behind the bar of the Locomotive pub, Byerley Road, Shildon, at 3.53pm on Monday, May 13, when the landlord’s back was turned and stole a Nokia 6300 phone.
PUPILS from a Darlington primary school sang their way to lessons during a themed walk. Youngsters from St Bede’s RC Primary School took part in the walk on Friday (May 24), led by members of Darlington Borough Council’s Local Motion team.
No play before lunch, although it’s not as black as it was been over Bill’s mothers. That phrase has been rumoured to be a reference to Bill Proud, who hailed from Bishop Auckland and played 74 matches for Durham from 1947-55, many of them as captain
HARTLEPOOL UNITED have confirmed former Middlesbrough defender Colin Cooper as their new manager. Cooper, 46, has been appointed at Victoria Park and has named another ex-Boro man Craig Hignett as his assistant at Victoria Park. After a couple
SUNDERLAND have lined up promising Altrincham teenager Duncan Watmore to move to Wearside on July 1. The 19-year-old has scored 14 goals in 29 appearances in Conference North this season and is set to be added to Sunderland's development squad
MOTORBIKE enthusiasts are been reminded to pencil the date of the twelfth Ridewell event in their diaries. This year’s event, on Sunday, August 11, will see stunt rider Dave Coates take centre stage along with a host of other attractions such as
A CONSULTATION meeting to enable people to give their views on several sites in Hartlepool as potential locations for gypsy and traveller pitches has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. The meeting was scheduled to take place at Hartlepool
FIVE friends from Darlington are taking part in a London to Paris cycle ride to raise funds in the name of a sick family member. James Salmond, Martin Watson, Chris Marksby, Michael Pearson and Michael Doherty set off from London today (May 24)
A FAMILY-RUN sawmill business has teamed up with two horticultural therapy projects to help its display area flourish. Duncombe Sawmill, in Helmsley, asked the team at Helmsley Walled Garden to plan and maintain the area off Castlegate, close to
One of a market town's biggest employers could be forced to leave with the loss of 350 jobs. Angry workers at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, are launching a campaign to stay and have called on local MPs William
COUNCIL officers warn they will continue to crackdown on flytipping after a hidden camera caught culprits red-handed as they dumped waste at a troubled beauty spot. Paul Kitching faces fines and court costs of more than £600 after pleading guilty
A Police and Community Together (Pact) meeting will be held at the Centrefield Pavilion, Sunderland Road, Horden, from 2pm to 3pm on Tuesday (May 28). A member of the neighbourhood policing team will be in attendance. EXERCISE SESSIONS: Exercise
SHARES dived on the FTSE 100 Index as a surge which threatened to take it to an all-time high was cut short following poor economic figures from China. Comments from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke that policymakers could slow the pace of
MONTHLY rock nights will be held at the Travellers Rest, in Cockerton, starting on Friday (May 31), at 8pm. North-East rock band The Whole Hog will be the first to appear, covering music from bands like Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Who and Pink
CONTRIBUTER had to settle for second at Chester this month but can get back on the winning trail in the Casco Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood. Ed Dunlop’s charge came off second best to impressive winner Magician in a Dee Stakes that turned into
HOME is where the heart is – and where your grown-up children are probably still hogging the sofa and the remote control. More children than ever are living at home – three million at the last count – long past the age when they should have flown the
TWO charities are to share £26,000 raised during a civic leader’s term of office. Coun Linda Marshall, outgoing chairman of Durham County Council, has closed fund raising for her chosen charities. The money will be divided between Cardiac Risk
SO Felicity Kendall was nothing like her alter ego Barbara in The Good Life, but had a number of affairs, she admits in a magazine interview. Well, of course. Men all over Britain fell madly in love with her – and not only because of the way
AT the age of 68, Rod Stewart has a new topselling album, Time, at number one – for the first time in 34 years and his 15th number one. Most of the tracks he wrote himself because, he says, he’s got back into song-writing. He reckons the music
A CHRISTIAN artist has created an anniversary painting to help his Methodist church celebrate its 100th birthday. Derek Slater, of Ferryhill Station, has produced the painting to mark the centenary of Windlestone Methodist Church, Chilton.
A STEEL fabrication firm, which erected buildings across the North-East for more than 80 years, has ceased trading. Hares of Snape, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, has folded, leaving 22 workers looking for new jobs. Directors say the decision
CAPTAIN Alastair Cook believes the spectre of Kevin Pietersen’s return will create healthy competition in England’s batting line-up during the second Investec Test against New Zealand. Pietersen is on the sidelines with a troublesome knee injury
SOUTH AFRICA’S James Kingston claimed the clubhouse lead in the weather-disrupted BMW PGA Championship as Luke Donald’s bid for a third straight victory suffered a potentially fatal blow. Kingston recorded seven birdies and one bogey to card a
A COMMUNITY centre which will celebrate its fifth anniversary next month says it is now working on plans for an extension. The trust which runs The Fulforth Centre, in Sacriston, says the centre has been so popular that it now requires further
A DARLINGTON cemetery has been branded “a disgrace” by a visitor who has criticised the council for what he says is poor maintenance. Paul Armstrong, 51, moved from Darlington to Scotland in 2004, but still returns to the town twice a year to put
POLICE say they discovered 14 young cannabis plants in a property in Grange Villa, near Chester-le-Street on Wednesday night (May 22). Two people were arrested and released with a caution, while the plants and growing equipment were destroyed.
NEWCASTLE moved a step closer to a return to the Aviva Premiership after claiming a nine-point lead over Bedford in the first leg of their Championship final, with fly-half Jimmy Gopperth doing most of the damage. The New Zealander booted all 18
IF you were faced with a man covered in blood, holding a machete and a knife and who had just hacked someone to death, would you go up to him and try to talk? No, neither would I. But Ingrid Loyau-Kennett did. Faced with the terrifying
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former stalwart of the farming industry described as “a man of great honesty and integrity”, who has died aged 84. Edward Richardson, of Carmel Road North, Darlington, died at Darlington Memorial Hospital on Friday,
WITH the domestic football season having finished last weekend, its time to pick out some personal highlights and lowlights from the last nine months. The only caveat? Only matches I've actually seen this season count. BEST GAME It's a
A "Therapy Day for Stressed Farmers" is being held at Wycliffe, near Barnard Castle on 31 May. Organiser Jim Haddow of J.H. Agri describes a range of theraputic treatments as including demonstrations of a new range of grassland and cultivation
A HOUSING association has pledged to raise thousands of pounds for two local charities following a successful year-long fundraising drive. The Vela Group has announced that staff will be raising money for Butterwick Hospice and Hartlepool &
GARDENS at Chelsea Flower Show this year include outdoor kitchens – wood burning ovens, sinks, even a fridge. Are we mad? Have they not realised this is Britain and that we’re still waiting for a decent spring, let alone summer. Or, as a friend
CARE home residents were serenaded by a women’s choir in an afternoon of musical entertainment. The Friends of the Church Choir, comprising singers from a mix of local churches, visited residents at Ashwood Park, Peterlee, to sing a number of classics
TWO of the guests on the sofa in The Graham Norton Show have something in common other than being Hollywood movie stars. Michael Douglas and Will Smith share the same birthday – September 25 – although obviously not the same year of birth. Douglas
IF you think politicians today get a bad press, perhaps you should brush up on your Tudor history. Thomas Cromwell, a commoner who rose to the position of Chief Minister, was one of the architects of the English Reformation, and helped to engineer
IN current affairs documentary strand Unreported World, Krishnan Guru- Murthy travels to Yemen where he hears the cases of young men who have been sentenced to death and are awaiting execution for crimes they are accused of committing while under the
THE trousers may be a little less tight, the top a little looser around the middle and the voice can’t quite scale the heights that it used to, but there’s no doubting David Coverdale still has what it takes. The Saltburn rocker brought Whitesnake
ANEW BBC2 series takes an inside look at Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports. Covering five square miles and processing nearly 200,000 passengers each day, Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports. In a live event broadcast over
ALAN Pardew has emerged from his end-of-season debrief with Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias with his position as Newcastle United manager strengthened. Despite persistent speculation that his position as Newcastle boss was under threat, there was never
Day Two Durham v Middlesex LV County Championship DURHAM will be praying that the weather allows them to avoid a repeat of the Yorkshire match after Graham Onions bowled them into a dominant position against Middlesex. On a day of frequent
ALFRED N'DIAYE claims Paolo Di Canio's hardline approach has come as nothing new to Sunderland's foreign players. Di Canio has turned the Black Cats dressing room upside down since replacing Martin O'Neill two months ago, and his attempts to transform
AN investigation is underway into practices at a former children’s home after a woman claimed a member of staff had an inappropriate relationship with her in the early 1980s. The woman, now in her 40s, said she was groomed by the man from the age
Campaigners battling to keep consultant-led maternity and children's services at a general hospital have expressed their disappointment after the Health Secretary rejected an appeal for an independent review. Jeremy Hunt said Hambleton, Richmondshire
HOT on the heels of a hugely successful production of The Sound of Music, a North-East drama group has announced its next project. Darlington Operatic Society’s Strictly Musicals will be stacked full of popular numbers from the world’s most favourite
AN entertainer from the other side of the world is making a special trip to North Yorkshire – to help celebrate the best of local food. Comedian Justine Sless is heading directly to North Yorkshire for Northallerton’s Homegrown Food Festival after
A FAMILY-OWNED chemical firm, which makes products used in antiseptics and disinfectants, has launched a system to increase its global presence. Thomas Swan and Co, based in Consett, County Durham, has developed the CygNET software system that
THE deadline is looming for entrepreneurs in the North-East to enter a competition and enhance their business venture. The If We Can You Can Challenge (IWCYC), run by The Northern Echo and the Entrepreneurs' Forum, wants to get hundreds of people
TWO North-East schools have been named as regional winners of the 2013 Pupil Premium Awards. Frederick Nattrass Primary School, Stockton-on-Tees, was named best primary school in the region and Belmont Community School, Durham City, best secondary
WALLING TUITION: Visitors to Harehope Quarry near Frosterley in Weardale, County Durham, can try their hand at dry stone walling on Saturday, September 14. Places on the course run by Peter Moorhead cost £40 and need to be booked by calling Nic Cullens
CAKES FESTIVAL: The sixth Annual Cakes and Puddings Festival will be held at Cowshill Village Hall at 10am on Saturday, June 15. Classes for adults are cakes, puddings and sweet pies and savoury pies while under 16s can enter cakes and puddings and
A MAN from County Durham is on Crimestopper’s most wanted list after he evaded arrest more than two years ago when police uncovered a cannabis farm. Jason Puccio is one of almost 700 people on the Crimestoppers' list and police are appealing for
A RETIRED miner will celebrate 50 years of happy marriage to his gem of a wife tomorrow (May 25). Jack and Anne Wilson grew up streets apart in Stanley Crook but it was at a dance at the Elite Hall in Crook where sparks first flew. Mrs Wilson
A CHEF who lost his sense of smell following a vicious random attack has spoken of his anger after his assailant was spared a jail sentence. Stephen Mountford suffered multiple fractures to the nose when he was head butted and beaten by Gordon
