Ten goals in two seasons may not see Jonathan Franks down as a centre-forward, but the Hartlepool United attacker is making a claim for a spot in his favoured spot. Franks has three goals in two pre-season games and will be involved tonight when
MIKAEL MANDRON scored the only goal of the game as Sunderland continued their pre-season preparations with victory at Carlisle United. With Gus Poyet’s team facing Hartlepool United on Wednesday night, half of the first-team squad got some minutes
MIDDLESBROUGH have been warned there is extra competition for the signature of striker Jelle Vossen as the drive to enhance Aitor Karanka’s squad continues. As Boro attempt to put the finishing touches to Kenneth Omeruo’s second spell at the Riverside
A TEENAGE boy was admitted to hospital tonight (Tuesday, July 22) for a precautionary medical check after falling ten feet down a ravine when a makeshift rope swing snapped.A spokesman for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue service said the
A DRUNKEN murder squad detective was "absolutely legless" when he ripped off his shirt and attacked a holidaymaker in a pub, a court heard today. Detective Sergeant Paul Whiteley, 50, also hurled abuse at the mother of an autistic teenager, it
AN AUTISM campaigner has spoken of her anger after just 12 MPs turned up to a House of Commons debate on the provision of education for autistic children.Anna Kennedy, originally from Middlesbrough and who was awarded an OBE for her work campaigning for
MORE than 150 innocent people were bitten by police dogs in three years across the country, it has been claimed.The issue is in the spotlight after Irene Collins, 73, was bitten by a police dog in her Middlesbrough home last week and subsequently died
THE Highways Agency is warning motorists over the closure of a section of the A19 next week.Work to resurface the northbound carriageway of the A19 between South Kilvington and Borrowby, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, will take place from Monday (July
THE taste of success is definitely sweet for one Darlington businesswoman. Darlington’s Retro Sweetshop has been named the town’s best independent retailer - and could go on to win the UK title. The shop’s owner, Sanae Aljabory, started the
A SAUSAGE and beer festival is taking place this weekend in North Yorkshire to celebrate local brewers and butchers.The fundraising event is being run at the Camp Hill Estate near Bedale on Saturday, July 26.From midday visitors will be able to sample
PLANS to build houses on a former dairy site which had been earmarked for a £12.5m business park have been approved.The Stonebridge Dairy site, near Neville’s Cross, Durham City, stood idle for several years after the Express Dairy closed
POLICE are investigating two arson attacks on vehicles in east Durham, on Wednesday, July 17. A white Range Rover Sport was set alight in Waskerley Drive, Shotton Colliery, at 11.30pm. The flames then spread to the attached garage of a house.In the second
A GROUP of motorcyclists are on the last lap as they promote their trip to the Menin Gate to lay a wreath to mark the outbreak of the First World War.Up to 50 riders from the Boundary 500 Motorcycle Group are setting off from Sedgefield on Saturday morning
MORE than 30,000 people attended concerts, events and workshops over a ten-day musical festival. This year’s Brass: Durham International Festival featured 119 events over ten days, ending with a Streets of Brass grand finale on the streets of Durham
A CANCER survivor with a keen interest in gardening has expressed disgust after a town's 'in bloom' competition was cancelled because of a lack of entries. Dennis Woodcock proudly entered his immaculate garden in Darlington in Bloom, only to receive
EIGHT business owners are in the running for the Entrepreneurs' Forum Awards 2014 that celebrate the cream of North-East entrepreneurial talent.The finalists for Entrepreneur of the Year are:Andrew Esson, of Quick Hydraulics of North Shields; Ian
AN animal charity is looking for a home for a friendly cat left without owners due to a house move. Three-year-old Pumpkin is one of a rising number of animals left with rehoming charities because tenants living in private rented accommodation are increasingly
DOCTORS’ leaders have urged the Government to take urgent action to tackle a growing shortage of GPs, with signs that the North-East is struggling to attract them.A new British Medical Association report called Securing the Future GP Workforce
A SPECIALIST dive team has called off its search for a teenager who went missing while swimming in the River Tees on Monday. The police unit will resume its search for the 19-year-old, named locally as David Zikhali, in the morning along the stretch
A SECTION of a Teesside beach was cordoned off following the discovery of a suspected explosive device.Redcar Coastguard and Cleveland Police were called to Huntcliffe, Saltburn, at about 7pm on Monday (July 21) after reports that a suspicious item had
A POLICE commissioner has joined calls for the punishment for using a mobile phone while driving to be doubled.The Government is currently considering a change in the law to increase the number of penalty points issued for the offence from three to six.Durham
AN ANNUAL folk festival returns this weekend (July 25-27).This year’s Durham Folk Party is the 25th such event.It will be held at venues across Durham City from Friday to Sunday.There will be music and dancing at the Durham Amateur Rowing Club,
A LANDLORD is looking to build up trade in a village pub after it reopened following a nine-week, £200,000 refurbishment . Steve Metcalfe and his partner Lynda Harland opened the Fox and Hounds Inn, at Kirk Merrington, near Spennymoor, on July
THERE were coos all round when a pigeon set up home on a pensioner’s flat cap. Alan Robinson refused to let the bird ruffle his feathers when it made an unscheduled landing as he walked through Darlington town centre recently. Mr Robinson had
A 62-YEAR-OLD man is fighting for his life after falling from the roof of a bungalow. It is believed the man had been working on the property near Thirsk town centre when he lost balance and fell about 12ft at 11.50am today. He was treated
A WAR of the pies has broken out on Stockton High Street after a market trader opened a pie and peas stall outside a pub.The stall has opened outside The George, upsetting pub landlord Craig Harker because Stockton Borough Council ordered him to remove
A NORTH Yorkshire angler has landed the big one - the largest fish ever caught from the British shoreline. Daniel Bennett, 26, from Whitby, was on a fishing trip to the Isle of Skye, in the Inner Hebrides, with friends when he caught the 208lb
YOUNGSTERS who illegally ride off-road motorbikes face having their machines crushed, police are warning. Police in County Durham are bracing themselves for an increase in calls about problems caused by the young riders with the start of the school
COUNCILLORS have backed plans to build new homes in a village, after hearing they were much-needed in the former pit community.Durham County Council’s central and east area planning committee today (Tuesday, July 22) voted to grant Gleeson Developments
IT was party time at a Chester-le-Street old people’s home as one of its newest residents celebrated her 100th birthday.Ada Dodd recently moved to the Pelton Grange Care Home in Front Street, Pelton, having previously lived at Durham County Council
PLANS to legalise babies being born with three genetic parents have come another step closer.The Department of Health announcement was welcomed by Professor Doug Turnbull, who leads the Newcastle University team which invented the controversial technique
COUNCILLORS have approved another 109 student beds for Durham, despite claims the city is now suffering a gross over-supply of such accommodation. Durham County Council today (Tuesday, July 22) backed CCL Group’s scheme to build 109 student bedrooms
A GANG of seven men forced their way into a flat and beat the householder with sticks.The intruders left their 22-year-old victim with cuts to the head before escaping with a wallet and a moneybox.The incident happened at about 10.45pm on Friday, July
Andy Serkis and co are back in the follow-up to smash hit The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. Susan Griffin chats to the cast about monkeying around in the name of work WHILE most people want to stay forever young, Andy Serkis is relieved his latest
A KNIFE-wielding thief who was bravely tackled and disarmed by shop staff has been handed a suspended jail sentence. Andrea Blakeburn brandished the knife when she was confronted over the theft of clothing and other items from Darlington’s Matalan
THE opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games takes place in Glasgow tonight, with the first of the sporting action scheduled for tomorrow morning. In total, 19 competitors from the North-East and North Yorkshire will be competing in the Commonwealths
A COUNCILLOR has paid tribute to the courage of those serving in the Army by raising £22,000 for a charity which supports wounded and sick soldiers. Ripon North Yorkshire County Council member Bernard Bateman, who recently stepped down as the authority's
IF you are looking for a holiday that combines azure seas and blue skies with healthy portions of history and delicious local food, Northern Cyprus will tick all the boxes. Add to that the fact the your spending money will go a long, long way and it
Despite her reservations, Sarah Foster found farm-style glamping to be a memorable experience for all the right reasons DRIVING to Dolphinholme, a campsite in Lancaster that is part of the Feather Down Farms group, I must admit that I felt like
THE organisers of an annual 10km race, staged to help maintain a community hub, have issued a plea to runners to sign up.Villagers in Tholthorpe, near Thirsk, have regularly attracted about 250 runners to the event over 19 years, but organisers fear this
A MUCH-loved chocoholic vicar and her eccentric parishioners will be gracing a Richmond stage as part of a drama society’s 80th anniversary celebrations.Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society is preparing to open its production of the Vicar of Dibley
A taste of the Mediterranean brings the garden to life I HAVE been very excited by the Mediterranean border in recent weeks, as it’s suddenly become a riot of colour. This border was only created a couple of years ago, after an insightful trip
Thinking of buying a new shower? Then let Julia Gray’s tips wash over you IRECENTLY went to a discussion on multigenerational homes with experts from Mira Showers. There was a plumber, a psychologist, an architect and an interior designer, and
LESSONS in life in the trenches and wartime medicine replaced maths and English to mark the final week of term at a North-East school. Students at St Aidan’s Academy, in Darlington, dropped their usual lessons and spent a week learning about respect
A BISHOP’S wife is heading to Glasgow to provide first aid at the Commonwealth Games. Rosemary Butler, wife of the Right Reverend Paul Butler, the Bishop of Durham, trained as a nurse and midwife and volunteered at the London 2012 Olympics and
AN INSPIRATIONAL nursery school head teacher, recognised both nationally and internationally for her work with young children and families, was given a Royal send-off when she retired. Paddy Beels, 69, took up her post at Wingate Community Nursery
A SPECIAL evening is being planned to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Organisers of the national Lights Out initiative are encouraging people across the UK to turn off their lights between 10pm and 11pm on Monday, August
POLICE have released images of a man wanted over an attack on a railway worker on a train. British Transport Police said the worker, a 30-year-old man from the Redcar area, was left in shock following the unprovoked assault on board the 22.30 Northern
RESIDENTS furious at the “studentification” of their city could be on the brink of a major success, after planners came out against multi-million pound plans to turn a former hospital into digs. More than 200 Durham residents, along with councillors
BRIAN Howarth used to be a reasonably fit and energetic pensioner who regularly walked two miles a day. But when his leg muscles started seizing up in 2002 he went back to his GP and asked if there was anything he could do. That was back in
FIVE councils in the Tees Valley have launched a joint appeal for more foster carers because the demand from children is outstripping the supply of homes. Although more than 1,300 children from the Tees Valley are already being looked after, the
POSITIVE headway is being made in a parking row that has divided Darlington, a trader who attended a private meeting with council officials has said.The town’s leader, Councillor Bill Dixon, met with a cross-section of traders last week to discuss
Forget key rings and fridge magnets – these days museum shops are bursting with unique homewares and accessories. Sam Wylie-Harries explores exhibition style THEY bring history, science and art to life. A peaceful amble around a museum can transport
MORE than 200 North-East jobs will be created at a £7m trade park, enterprise bosses have revealed.The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELep) says it has agreed funding to help build the Portobello Trade Park next to the A1 (M) at Birtley
AIR pollution will continue to kill hundreds of people every year in the North-East for at least another decade, the Government has admitted. Ministers had predicted that European limits on deadly nitrogen dioxide – mainly from vehicle exhausts
VOLUNTEERS are urgently needed to drive elderly and infirm patients to and from doctor appointments in Chester-le-Street. Community Service Volunteers’ Retired Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP) has run the area’s GP transport scheme, which serves
A SCHOOL holiday treat for parents and children is on track with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the arrival of story trains.Normally, passengers on the heritage railway board a train at Pickering and expect to head up the line to Grosmont or Whitby
A TRANSPORT project that helps jobseekers, reduces congestion and protects the environment is expanding thanks to £840,000 in funding.Durham County Council’s Local Motion project has been awarded the money from the Department for Transport
A TEACHER took on the Great North Swim to raise £750 for a teenage cancer charity in memory of a pupil who died of the illness.Paul Simpson, a PE teacher and head of year at Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College, finished 23 out of 8,000 competitors
OVERNIGHT road closures through the centre of Darlington have been announced as part of work to reconfigure a major route. The building work on St Cuthbert’s Way and the Stonebridge roundabout, which Darlington Borough Council hopes will cut congestion
Steve Pratt visits a moving exhibition marking the centenary of The Great War, and the lasting impact it had on the people of Britain THE curators of York Castle Museum’s latest exhibition, 1914: When The World Changed Forever, wanted it to be
POLICE have named the climber killed when he fell from cliffs near Runswick Bay in North Yorkshire on Friday. Malcolm Hall, also known as Mac, aged 51, was from Skelton near Saltburn. It is believed he may have been collecting Whitby Jet - something
WORK is due to begin on a £1.1m upgrade to a sewer network on a Durham City housing estate. Northumbrian Water says essential work will be carried out in Salisbury Road and York Crescent, in Newton Hall, to reduce the likelihood of flooding to
A FAMILY fun day at a Darlington rugby club will raise funds for a North-East charity. Darlington Mowden Park and the National Fostering Agency are hosting the event in aid of Gosforth-based St Oswald's Hospice. It will be held at The Northern
A VOLUNTEER with Durham Constabulary has won national acclaim for his outstanding contribution to making people in an east Durham community feel safer. Stephen Maitland, of Shotton Colliery, near Peterlee, received a Lord Ferrers Award from Home
Sarah Willcocks talks to a Teesdale couple who have chosen to spend – and fund – their retirement raising a herd of alpacas WHEN Carole and Clyde Burn started thinking about retirement, they knew they wanted to find something enjoyable and meaningful
ROYAL ASCOT hero Eagle Top looks set to join Investec Oaks-winning stable companion Taghrooda in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes after being supplemented for Saturday’s Ascot feature. Taghrooda was confirmed an intended runner in
Until Peter Sotheran arrived, the almshouses themselves were nearly skint FIRSTLY to Redcar, sun high and glass of wine in hand, to help acknowledge the end of Peter Sotheran’s inspired and outstanding service to Sir William Turner’s Almshouses
The UK manufacturing sector’s recovery is continuing at a pace, with faster growth in domestic orders and output, a report has said.The quarterly CBI Industrial Trends Survey said firms saw robust order growth in the three months to July, with total
MAKING an all too rare appearance on these shores, Minneapolis alternative Country Rockers, The Jayhawks were back for a short tour. They were at The Sage as part of the annual three-day Summertyne Americana Festival which has previously featured
IT ISN’T often you meet a man who loves his audience as much as Vin Garbutt does. The nice thing is that his audience seem to feel the same way. When I got there, he was in the foyer, surrounded by fans, one telling him stories about Teesdale Tups
LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard admits the club’s return to the Champions League was one of the factors in his decision to retire from international football. The 34-year-old was used judiciously by Reds manager Brendan Rodgers last season and
Sir Chris Hoy: How To Win Gold (BBC1, 10.45pm) ONE of the greatest cyclists of all time, Sir Chris Hoy admits he feels kind of silly on reflection concerning “all those sleepness nights, about riding a bike in a circle”. But that’s the mark
Sunderland fans raised more than £25,000 at the weekend in memory of two Newcastle supporters killed in the MH17 plane crash in Ukraine. Richard Mason discusses whether their actions will lead to a more friendly meeting when the next Tyne-Wear derby
DURHAM’S ACADEMY team won the North East Premier League T20 title at Tynemouth on Sunday. After six weeks of intense competition involving all 22 clubs in the league, the youngsters beat Benwell Hill and South North Bulls to lift the Co-operative
YORKSHIRE captain Andrew Gale scored an unbeaten century during yesterday’s third day of their LV= County Championship match against Middlesex at Scarborough to put his side on course for victory. Gale posted his second ton of 2014, a season’s
MCCOLL’S says it will continue its expansion to 1,000 convenience stores after posting strong results.The retailer, which has shops across the North-East, said total sales were 3.6 per cent higher at £444.2m for the 26 week period to May 25
I AM glad that Chris Foote-Wood is enjoying a healthy fulfilling retirement (HAS, July 15). Long may it continue.But the truth is that for many retirees growing old is a bitter sweet experience. The stark reality is that in athletic terms the bell
I AM not a football fanatic. My life has never revolved around the fortune of any team. I consider the enthusiasm for it as understandable because most people have soul-destroying jobs and the worries of all their responsibilities and finances.
STUDENTS at a Darlington primary school have said a fond farewell to their headteacher, who has retired after a career spanning more than 40 years. The end of term last Friday saw a lot of changes at Northwood Primary, as many members of staff
BUSINESS leaders, economists and academics have spoken out about being lent on by the Scottish government to stay out of the independence debate. Some have felt pressured, intimidated and constrained to keep quiet. Gavin Hewitt, a former chief
IT WAS disappointing to see the latest unemployment figures showed a rise in the North East, and in particular the youth sector of the figures (Echo, July 17). The North-East unemployment rate is now 10.1 per cent after the last two quarters showed
Dear ID Planning, In your Planning Support Statement which accompanies Hallam Land Management’s application to build 190 unneeded houses in Parkhill, Coxhoe, you say that 1,140 jobs will be created during the four years of construction, and that the
ENGLAND collapsed to a 95- run defeat at Lord’s, to concede a 1-0 Investec series lead and pile ever more pressure on their captain Alastair Cook. The hosts lost their last six wickets for 50 runs – an implosion Cook in particular could ill afford
NEWCASTLE UNITED new boys Siem de Jong and Emmanuel Riviere both scored as Alan Pardew’s side beat Sydney FC 4-0 in New Zealand. De Jong scored his second goal in as many games to give the Magpies a 19th minute lead in Dunedin when he tucked the
I NEVER met my paternal grandfather as he died after the First World War and, because my Dad was young when he died, I knew nothing about him except that he was buried in Redhills Cemetery in Durham which is now disused and overgrown. I was always
BEN STOKES scarcely seems to know where his next run is coming from for England. The Durham allrounder’s three successive ducks since being recalled for the Test series against India have left him with a total of 18 runs in his last ten innings
ALASTAIR COOK is experiencing the toughest moments of his professional career, by his own admission, but remains determined to lead England out of their long losing run. The manner of England’s 95-run defeat to India was especially dispiriting
LIFE is intolerable for Palestinian families living in Gaza. They have to negotiate hundreds of Israeli checkpoints, and Israel’s navy has imposed a blockade. This makes ordinary every day movement nearly impossible. At the last count, 258
Janet Renou, the new regional Schools Commissioner for the North, explains her new role in driving forward the academies revolution introduced by former Education Secretary Michael Gove FROM modest beginnings in 1988, the academies programme has
A NEW generation of North-East teachers have cleared the final hurdle before embarking on careers to shape and develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the young.Sixty-seven trainees graduated from the Darlington-based Carmel Teacher Training Programme
A DARLINGTON sixth form college is celebrating winning Teesside University’s inaugural ‘criminal justice trial’ competition. The team from Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College’s Law Department triumphed over five other North-East colleges to lift
From modest beginnings in 1988, the academies programme has come a long way. In 2010 there were 203 open academies. But following the 2010 Education Act, the last four years have seen an acceleration of this process. Now the majority of secondary
A CHARITY is warning students they must get a vital meningitis vaccine before they head off to university and ensure they know the signs and symptoms, as some kinds of meningitis can’t be prevented. Meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours
THIRTEEN year old ‘wannabe’ writer, Abby Walker, has returned from a creative writing competition in Somerset covered in glory. The Staindrop School student, who has written stories since she could first hold a pen, entered a national creative
ENGLAND have been heavily criticised in the wake of their 95-run defeat to India, with former captain Michael Vaughan calling for change after labelling their performance at Lord’s “pathetic”. The pressure continues to build on skipper Alastair
POLICE are warning people about the dangers of taking illegal drugs after a man died in Gateshead. At just before 8am on Monday, July 21, police received a report that a man had been found dead inside a house at Longhirst in Leam Lane Estate.
A FAMILY theme park in the North-East has expanded, creating four new areas for children. Adventure Valley, near Durham City, has opened an indoor farmyard, Wild West themed area, a theatre for family shows, and a new reptile enclosure. The
A MAN used charm and generosity to manipulate two children who he went on to repeatedly rape.Harry Fickling, 67, was today (Monday July 21) given a 25-year jail sentence for the catalogue of abuse inflicted on his two victims, in one case in the early
POLICE have this morning arrested a third man in connection with a firearms incident on Teesside over the weekend. The 27-year-old remains in police custody awaiting questioning following the incident in Grangetown on Friday afternoon. "A 19
ONE of the qualities of leadership is knowing the right time to stand aside – and that is particularly pertinent in the world of sport. Alastair Cook insists he will not resign as England captain this summer despite yet another embarrassing defeat
SUNDERLAND head coach Gus Poyet will give fringe players Charis Mavrias and Duncan Watmore the chance to earn a place in his first-team squad next season, but Fabio Borini’s agent has reportedly poured cold water over his protracted move to the
MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Aitor Karanka will step up attempts to strengthen his squad upon returning from the club’s pre-season tour in Spain this week.Boro rounded off their training camp in Marbella with a 5-0 win over Atletico Clube de Portugal
PUBLIC sector job vacancies in the North-East have been hit hard by George Osborne’s "slash and burn approach" to public services, according to recruitment firm Venn Group. Vacancy levels fell by 16 per cent between quarter one and quarter
Sunderland fans raised more than £25,000 at the weekend in memory of two Newcastle supporters killed in the MH17 plane crash in Ukraine. Richard Mason discusses whether their actions will lead to a more friendly meeting when the next Tyne-Wear derby
A SERIAL burglar who was once spared prison because it would have been "too easy" for him was back behind bars last night - for yet another break-in.James Wanley was let free by a controversial judge who told him that Probation Service supervision
THE family of a university worker from County Durham who died following a car accident in Wales have paid tribute to "a bubbly person" who "lived life to the full". Joanne Smart, who moved to Cardiff 10 years ago, was killed when the Peugeot 206
NEWCASTLE UNITED manager Alan Pardew will field a strong line-up for the opening game of the club’s pre-season tour to New Zealand this morning in honour of two fans who tragically died on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.The Magpies take on Sydney
POLICE forces in the region are continuing to provide a good service despite having to cut costs, inspectors say. Cleveland Police is making excellent progress while Durham and North Yorkshire are making good progress to make savings while protecting
A FUNDRAISING appeal has been launched to buy a simple piece of equipment which will allow a young boy explore the outdoors.Ross Tulloch, who turns four today (July 22), has cerebral palsy and is unable to sit or stand independently so requires a manual
