DEVELOPERS are closing in on a deal that will create up to 4,500 North-East jobs. Newcastle-based Merchant Place Developments (MPD), which led the campaign to bring a 730-jobs Hitachi train factory to Newton Aycliffe, expects to announce next month
PROCEEDS from the sale of a former village church will not go directly back to the village, church commissioners have confirmed. Rookhope Parish Church in Weardale was closed earlier this year due to falling demand and the high cost of renovating
WE have been warned about the paucity of spare capacity that will be available for the National Grid this winter – again. We get this warning year after year and the issue seems to be getting worse rather than better. We must be careful with
WHILE not wishing to deny anyone a deserved pay rise, to expand NL Kellet's (HAS Oct 30) point about wages, there are some interesting facts that are easily found. Across a time period where the local authority demanded nearly £1,000 more in council
NICOLA STURGEON wants Scotland to have a veto on the UK's possible exit from the EU. This reflects a difference between Scotland and England in the balance of pro and anti-EU sentiment. Underlying this are different attitudes to inward migration
I HAVEN’T got a lot of time but I need a newspaper. When you get to the shop counter there are a couple of elderly ladies, one of whom is buying most of the shop when she suddenly realises that she has to pay for her stuff. So it’s down to
AREAS that have traditional high unemployment are those with the lowest immigrant population, and this includes the North-East. Remember the Jarrow Crusade had no corresponding Kensington March. Immigrants and emigrants historically moved to seek
THINK we should call time on the number of people entering our small island because there are not enough jobs to go around. As for paying the EU an extra £1.7bn (Echo, Oct 18) I think this demand is totally out of order. We know there is a
A TREASURE trove of gold and silver coins discovered on Holy Island has been saved for the region following a £30,000 fundraising campaign.Builder Richard Mason stumbled across a pottery jug while renovating a house on the island of Lindisfarne,
A FARMER has been left devastated after rustlers stole lambs worth thousands of pounds the night they were to have been taken to the market.The thieves truck on Harehill Moor, near Haswell Plough, east Durham, stealing 76 texel lambs worth about £
TWO of the country’s leading silver specialists are to give a talk at a leading auction house in North Yorkshire.The talk at Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn, North Yorkshire will be an Introduction to Hallmarks and Styles of Silver 1650 to 1900
A WOMAN was arrested by police for her own safety after she ran back into her burning home while firefighters tackled a blaze she started.Teesside Crown Court heard how mother-of-three Christine Macleod set fire to bedding with a lighter and then screamed
A TOWN’S war memorial has been restored in time for a special service to mark the outbreak of the First World War.Tow Law’s memorial statue of a soldier in uniform was built in 1921 by a local builder.Specialists were brought in to restore
A DOG which has been in the care of an animal charity for more than 200 days is still in need of a home.Gigi is a one-year-old terrier cross which staff at the Blue Cross pet charity believe may never have experienced a loving family home.The dog is being
A TEENAGER who was handed a suspended jail sentence after striking his mother with an ornament has refused to do any more unpaid work because of bullies, a court heard.Paul Harvey, 18, has only completed 46 of the 120 hours unpaid community work he was
TRADERS are offering treats rather than tricks to young customers sporting fancy dress on a Hallowe’en theme.Members of the town traders’ group in Stanley, County Durham, are offering youngsters an incentive to visit their premises in coming
SOME of the North-East’s top chefs kept their cool in the kitchen as they battled it out to be crowned the best in the region.Darlington College hosted the Great North Menu Challenge today (Thursday, October 30) which saw 11 chefs competing for
A WOMAN who sends parcels of treats to soldiers serving abroad has received a donation of goodies from her local supermarket.Brenda Storey, from Trimdon Village, has been sending gifts to servicemen and women stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan for seven
A YOUNG boy whose parents were attacked after a machete and bat-wielding gang burst into their home said those responsible were a "bunch of cowards”. The youngster described how he shouted at one of the men to leave his father alone and feared
A CHRISTMAS fair to fundraise for a child protection charity will be opened by Apprentice star and Lord Alan Sugar’s right hand man, Nick Hewer.The NSPCC Christmas Fair at Castle Howard last year raised more than £40,000 and organisers hope
POIGNANT tributes are taking place over the next three days to mark the centenary of one of the most dramatic sea rescues ever to take place off the Yorkshire coast.HMHS Rohilla was a First World War hospital ship which had been heading to Dunkirk to
A COUNCIL is warning of major changes to its services as it seeks to plug a £46m funding gap.Gateshead Council’s cabinet is expected to order public consultation on a range of proposals designed to achieve the budget cuts needed at a meeting
PARENTS are being urged to warn their children of the dangers of climbing pylons or of playing near to electricity lines.Northern Powergrid wants to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to electricity across the North-East and North Yorkshire.Geoff
A GHOULISH guest brought Halloween chills to visitors to a North-East shopping centre.Uncle Doom and his Piano of Gloom entertained shoppers at Darlington’s Cornmill Centre with his own terrifying take on Halloween favourites – including Thriller
THE historic Crathorne Hall hotel, which was recently ravaged by fire, is expected to re-open in a matter of days.The Northern Echo understands the Grade II-listed building will re-open on Monday, November 10 following a fire which gutted the east wing
A DAREDEVIL policeman launched his latest charity challenge at Sedgefield Racecourse’s annual armed forces fundraiser today (Thursday, October 30). PC Keith Todd, 56, jogged on a step machine at the County Durham racing venue for six hours to kick
A PIONEERING scheme to protect benefit payments is to be continued.Labour chiefs at Durham County Council angered Conservative ministers in 2012 by introducing a Local Council Tax Support scheme which meant no working-age council tax benefit claimant
A DARLINGTON landlord has a special connection with his latest venture – it is his father’s old haunt. Dave Johnson took over the Hole in the Wall pub at the beginning of September. The 37-year-old from Darlington, who also runs The Chequers
A MOTORCYCLIST has died after a collision with a van and a car in North YorkshireThe 68-year-old man from Thirsk was riding a silver Honda motorbike on the road between Ripon and North Stainley, near Lightwater Valley, at about 3.55pm on Wednesday when
SIX people were arrested today (Thursday October 30) in the wake of an armed raid at a small town store.The robbery took place at the Co-op premises in Ryton, near Gateshead, at 9.10am yesterday (Wednesday October 29).Two men, one believed to have been
VISITORS are being invited to meet creatures that creep, crawl and slither, as RSPB Saltholme rounds off a week of Halloween fun.The nature reserve, near Stockton, has organised the activity-packed event this weekend (November 1 and 2) and hopes to prove
POLICE are urging a hit-and-run driver to come forward after a cyclist was knocked off his bike.The incident happened at about 12.15pm today (Thursday, October 30) on the A1086 coast road at Blackhall Rocks, near the entrance to Dene Mouth Caravan Park
The Full Monty is a theatre adaptation of the 1997 film of the same name; the show stars Gary Lucy, Louis Emerick, Andrew Dunn, Rupert Hill, Martin Miller and Bobby Schofield and also comes from the pen of Oscar-winning film-writer Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog
SHADOW Health Secretary Andy Burnham has told The Northern Echo he felt “a moral obligation” to revive the stalled project to build a new super-hospital in the North-East if Labour win the next election. Mr Burnham, who was in the North-East to
24 Hours in A&E (Channel 4, 9pm) WHILE Casualty and Holby City might appeal to the more hypochondriac among us, there’s nothing quite like this enthralling look at the real life practitioners and patients in action at St George’s Hospital in
STRIKE action is being called for civilian workers at military training ranges across the country over concerns about redundancies and safety.Unite, the country's biggest union, is calling on its 325 members at Landmarc Support Services, which runs
Jockey Kenny Johnson appears to have escaped serious injury after a heavy fall at Sedgefield resulted in him being taken to hospital by air ambulance. Johnson was partnering Lord Brendy, trained by his father Bob, in the Durham Army Cadet Force Novices
HUNDREDS of people gathered together on Teesside to celebrate a festival inspired by Diwali.The Festival of Light and Colour is a free event organised by Stockton Council in association with the Hindu Cultural Society, Middlesbrough.Held at the rear quadrangle
A CRIME commissioner has welcomed a new study into the government’s approach to drug misuse - labelling it 'long overdue'. The Home Office paper on illegal drugs – the first of its kind for 43 years which was released on the day the House of Commons
RESIDENTS are fighting to save their community centre from closure in council cutbacks.The centre at Annfield Plan, near Stanley, is one of those that Durham County Council wants to stop funding.Residents formed a committee and drew up a plan to take
THE widow of a former councillor who died of asbestos-related cancer is suing a council Anthony, or Tony, Westgarth, of Leadgate, near Consett, County Durham, died aged 69 in 2011 just days after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, the aggressive
REGARDING the story about health workers who are sick of low pay and being treated as second-class citizens (Echo, Oct 14). Intrigued, I researched the salaries for the 1,203,519 NHS staff in England in 2012. I found that the minimum starting
DAVE Cook by highlighting the Labour leadership's failings has raised the prospect of a future Conservative/Ukip coalition government (HAS, Oct 25). It’s not as unlikely as it might initially appear. Opinion polls support the position that Labour
I HAVE called for resurfacing work on the main footpath ruinning from Ox Close School to the Ash Tree pub, in Spennymoor. This path is a main thoroughfare which runs through the large Greenways area, en route to the School and the shops. I
I WISH fans and the media would stop calling sporting stars heroes.They are not heroes. They just happen to be very good at what they do.The real heroes, in my opinion, are the soldiers who, in the First World War, went over the top of the trenches to
With soaring cases of gout, rickets and TB, Nel Staveley takes a look at the Victorian diseases haunting our modern nation’s health SCIENCE and medicine have thankfully moved on quite a lot since Queen Victoria was on the throne. But, with
I’D LIKE to invite any readers who have been thinking about adoption to a special open evening, being run by North Tyneside Council’s Fostering and Adoption Service, on Tuesday, November 11. We’d be delighted to hear from anyone living in the North-East
JUST as the payday loans sector begins to clean up its act, the industry has a new kind of parasite preying on the poor - the internet payday loans broker. Although they do not lend cash themselves, a payday broker acts as an intermediary to find
I WAS saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Bruce, bass player and singer of most of the hits by the super group Cream. He played a lot of different instruments, including the cello, and was a real legend. He had more talent in his big toe
WHAT a deeply depressing week for those of us who yearn for a sensible debate about immigration – so thank God for the guy in the dog collar. The past few days have seen the Conservatives and Labour battling to be the tough guy, with thunderous
ELDERLY care home residents have been left devastated after callous thieves stole potted plants from their garden.Residents and staff at North Park Care Home, in I’Anson Street, Darlington, had raised around £300 through fundraising events
PAUL Murray has made his first signing, with former Walsall midfielder Nicky Featherstone joining Hartlepool United. The 26-year-old can play in a central or wide role and has been playing for Harrogate Town after a short-term deal at Scunthorpe
NORTH Yorkshire’s crime commissioner wants protecting vulnerable people to be the priority of the county’s police force – and an emphasis on quality and safety over crime statistics.The Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan has
CONCERN is growing for a missing 30-year-old man who was last seen on Saturday, October 25 in Eston Town Centre.Paul Anthony Kerrison was believed to be heading to the Redcar area. His disappearance is out of character and police are becoming increasingly
A LIFE-CHANGING dementia zone that offers craft classes and bingo has been opened by the Lord Lieutenant of County Durham.The Arcade facility at Age UK Darlington’s headquarters, which also includes a shower and treatment room, was funded by a &
A SCHEME to helping buy their own homes has create more than 3,500 homeowners in the North-East.The Government’s Help to Buy scheme was set up to help people get on to the property ladder.In Britain more than 39,000 people have used the Equity Loan
DETECTIVES investigating an attempted murder believe the victim's car could have been stolen.A 66-year-old man remains in a critical condition in Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital.He was found at his home in Brookside, Boosbeck on
JOBLESS young people are pulling out the stops to improve their community on a course run by firefighters.Over the last two weeks a team of ten on the Prince’s Trust Team programme, run by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service at Farringdon Community
MUSICAL The Lion King completes its record-breaking run at the Sunderland Empire on Saturday (November 1), having sold out performances throughout the season.It opened in the city on September 18 and will have been seen by over 90,000 people by the time
ALAN PARDEW is delighted to see Newcastle United's academy being rewarded for a conscious decision to prioritise the development of local North-East talent. Having abandoned a previous policy of recruiting teenagers from right across Europe, Newcastle's
A CRAFT shop and gallery to raise cash for a heritage railway line has had its official opening.Crafts at the Crossing at Bedale Station, part of the Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire, opened on Tuesday with Bedale deputy mayor Councillor Christine
A PLANNING inspector has told a council to rethink its student housing policy, in a move welcomed by delighted campaigners. Harold Stephens, the independent inspector leading the ongoing examination in public of Durham County Council’s 15-year
FORMER Steps singer Faye Tozer will help switch on Sunderland’s Christmas lights. The 90s pop star will join Mayor of Sunderland Stuart Porthouse and a star from the Empire Theatre’s Christmas pantomime in pressing the button on Thursday,
A MAN has been remanded in custody after being charged with causing death by dangerous driving following a crash in Middlesbrough in which father-of-three Andrew Corfield died. Jake McCabe, 18, of Cramlington Close, Hemlington, appeared at Teesside
PROPOSALS to redraw parish boundaries in Barnard Castle and the surrounding area have been rejected.Members of Durham County Council full council agreed a recommendation on Wednesday (October 29) to maintain current boundary arrangements.It follows a
SCHOOL superheroes battled monstrous visitors in an initiative designed to promote health and the environment.Pupils at St Augustine’s Primary School, Darlington, won the opportunity to walk to school in fancy dress led by Frankenstein’s monster.Parents
HITACHI Rail Europe today marked the first phase of its 730-jobs North-East train factory by announcing it will also be the site for its UK design office. The factory 'topping out' ceremony represented a significant milestone in the £82m development
THE mood of the British people appears to have become very concerned regarding the controversy highlighting the immigration problem. Our so-called elected leaders, past and present, have allowed our homeland to be swamped, unchecked, by millions
WITH winter fast approaching, the nights drawing in and the weather surely about to take a turn for the worse, it's not always easy to find the energy and inclination to head out for something to eat. But sometimes, especially on a weekend, you have
MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Aitor Karanka admits it was a difficult decision to let Richard Smallwood leave in the summer and he expects the Teesside midfielder to come out with a point to prove when his side play Rotherham on Saturday. Smallwood
SANTA hit the treadmill as he prepares to take part in a sponsored fun run in support of Teesside Hospice.All adult Santas taking part in the 5km run are asked to pay a £10 registration fee which entitles them to a Santa suit, mince pie and hot
THE funeral of Flight MH17 victim John Alder will be held tomorrow (Friday, October 31).The 63-year-old avid Newcastle United fan died in July with fellow supporter Liam Sweeney when the Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down over Ukraine. There were
MEMBERS of the public are being asked to hand in any illegally held or unwanted guns and ammunition to police during a firearms surrender fortnight.North Yorkshire Police is holding the amnesty from Saturday, November 1 to Sunday, November 16, and anyone
A LEADING author of books about birds will talk to enthusiasts in Durham City.Richard Crossley will give a lecture called Past, Present and Future to the RSPB Durham Local Group and Durham Bird Club on Tuesday, November 11, at Durham University&rsquo
A TWO-week gun amnesty is being launched across the Cleveland Police force area in a bid to firearms and ammunition off the streets.The initiative is urging people to surrender unlawfully held or unwanted guns and ammunition to help avoid them getting
A DARK and dingy underpass has been brightened up by a team of young volunteers,The tunnel that runs under the A167 and links the north end of Chester-le-Street town centre with the Riverside Park has been given a makeover by a Prince’s Trust team.The
THE CHAIRMAN of a district council has helped make and display poppies in the Tower of London centenary memorial.Cllr Russell Lord, chairman of Richmondshire District Council, volunteered to help with the remembrance scheme to mark the centenary of WWI
TWO village churches have joined forces to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.Matching pairs of memorial plaques have been installed in St Mary Magdalene Church and St William’s Roman Catholic Church in Trimdon Village, County Durham.One
A YOUNG concert pianist who has appeared at venues across the UK and beyond is returning to his Durham roots for two recitals next week. Stephen Raine, 23, who hails from West Rainton, near Durham City, will be performing Beethoven’s Pathetique
A VILLAGE theatre group is gearing up for its latest production - after experiencing a new lease of life in the past three years.Osmotherley Village Theatre, based in the village near Northallerton, has seen its numbers more than double in the past few
RESIDENTS of Newton Aycliffe in County Durham can once again celebrate Guy Fawkes Night together when the annual fireworks display returns to the Oak Leaf Sports Complex as a ticket only event. Last year, Great Aycliffe Town Council’s decision
A SPOOKY comic entertainer is thrilling and chilling shoppers today in Darlington's Cornmill Centre. Uncle Doom is performing a set of eerie tunes on his Piano of Gloom - including his own special versions of Thriller and Ghost Town.
A CHARITY has vowed to 'explore every opportunity' to help secure the future of an over 50s group, amid fears that it could fold when council funding ends next year.The Darlington branch of the Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) is in line to take
A MOTORCYCLIST has died after a collision with a van and a car in North Yorkshire on Wednesday. The 68-year-old man from Thirsk was riding a silver Honda motorbike on the road between Ripon and North Stainley, near Lightwater Valley, at around
A MOTORIST was killed after car left a stretch of rural road and collided with several trees on Thursday morning.Police received a report from the fire service which was called to attend the incident, on the A694 Spa Well Road, between Winlaton Mill and
A COMPANY which offers people with disabilities the chance to gain practical paid work experience while protecting the environment has been launched.The Woodpile Company is the brainchild of Karen Stubbings, who after 13 years working for the national
MARINE engineer Tekmar Energy has won a major contract to supply its new cable protection devices for a wind farm in Dutch waters. The Newton Aycliffe manufacturer, whose products safeguard offshore wind farm cables from the elements, has been
GRAEME STORM suffered a disappointing opening round in the BMW Masters in China. Following a real upturn in form of late, Storm enters the season finale with hopes of success in the Race to Dubai. The Hartlepool-based, Rockliffe Hall attached
A VULNERABLE boy who ended up half-blind due to neglect scrawled “help me” on the wall outside his bedroom in a desperate cry for help from social services. A Serious Case Review is under way into the case after the youngster lost the sight in
AN image of a man sought over a sexual assault on a girl has been issued by police. The artist’s impression is a likeness of a suspect in a recent incident of exposure and sexual touching in Newcastle. A 12-year-old girl was walking near to
THE Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks are being readied for a stock market flotation after their Australian owner confirmed plans to exit UK banking.National Australia Bank (NAB), which has owned Glasgow-based Clydesdale since 1987 and Yorkshire since 1990
BARCLAYS has set aside £500m over the alleged rigging of foreign exchange (forex) markets which are being probed by regulators around the world.It adds to penalties and compensation costs it has already had to shoulder to deal with other scandals
RYAN TAYLOR has admitted he had to survive two years of "injury hell" in order to make a remarkable return to action in Wednesday night's Capital One Cup victory over Manchester City. Taylor made his first appearance since August 2012 as he helped
HOUSE prices climbed to another all-time high in October after dipping slightly the previous month, Nationwide Building Society has reported.Property values lifted by 0.5 prices month on month to reach £189,333 on average, reversing a 0.1 per cent
MORE than half of firms expect to increase their workforce in the next year although many are worried that "burdensome" employment regulations could affect their business, according to a new report. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said a
DANIEL Sturridge is hoping to form a successful partnership with Mario Balotelli after the Italian scored just his second Liverpool goal against Swansea on Tuesday night. Balotelli helped his side secure a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory in the Capital
An NFL franchise in London could be worth more than £100m a year to the UK economy, according to a new report.A report published on Wednesday by accountants Deloitte, and produced in cooperation with the NFL, said a London-hosted team could net
A training ground meeting was instrumental in Adam Mitchell’s return to form in last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Burscough, says Darington manager Martin Gray.The boss says he demanded more from the former Sunderland winger, who put in a man of
Ian Poulter's autobiography was never going to pull any punches and has already led to the downfall of former PGA of America president Ted Bishop, who was sacked for "insensitive gender-based statements" in response to Poulter's criticism
England's Lee Westwood will look to complete a unique double at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club this week.Westwood is part of a 78-strong field for the CIMB Classic, which is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and Asian Tour and is being held on the
LIVERPOOL defender Kolo Toure has no doubt team-mate Mario Balotelli is one of the best players in the world and is backing the striker to go on a scoring run following his goal in Tuesday night's Capital One Cup win over Swansea. On an eventful
Lewis Hamilton has conceded to feeling far from comfortable as the battle for this year's Formula One world title heads into the home straight.Four successive victories for the second time this season have catapulted Hamilton into a 17-point lead
PAUL DUMMETT is hoping Newcastle carry their current feel-good factor into Saturday lunch-time's Premier League game with Liverpool. The Magpies recorded their best result of the season last night as they dumped holders Manchester City out of the
Peter Schmeichel now regards Manchester City as a "bigger club" than their bitter rivals United based on recent form.City and local foes United lock horns on Sunday in the first Manchester derby of the season.During his eight years at United
Five-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan continued his swift progress through the International Championship draw, beating Li Hang to reach the quarter-finals.A second successive 6-1 win in Chengdu, having beaten Anthony McGill by the same scoreline
Andy Murray moved within one win of qualifying for the ATP World Tour finals as he brushed aside Julien Benneteau 6-3 6-4 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Masters.The British number one needed just 71 minutes to reach the last 16 in Paris and should
MIDDLESBROUGH head coach AITOR Karanka has revealed on loan midfielder Milos Veljkovic will get a chance to impress soon.The 19-year-old joined from Tottenham earlier this month but so far he has been restricted to bench duty and is yet to make an appearance
THE Archbishop of York has apologised to a man for "abuse and hurt" caused by an Anglican priest. Dr John Sentamu also revealed that poor management by the York diocese of abuse allegations in 1990 against the priest, the late Reverend Dennis Franks
A WOMAN who was raped by her father is calling on victims of sexual abuse to come forward to put their attackers behind bars. Retired diesel fitter George Slater, who raped his daughter and sexually assaulted his sister-in-law, was jailed last
A JUBILANT Alan Pardew claimed Newcastle United’s future is in safe hands after the club’s emerging stars played a pivotal role in last night’s sensational Capital One Cup win at Manchester City. Rolando Aarons and Moussa Sissoko scored the decisive
MATHIEU FLAMINI has backed Vito Mannone to bounce back from his latest goalkeeping howler, but the Sunderland shot-stopper is still set to lose his place for Monday’s trip to Crystal Palace. Having made a series of errors in the 8-0 humiliation
NORTH-EAST bank Atom is trying to raise about £20m to support its planned launch next year. Reports said the bank's backers included North-East investor and Lep board member Jeremy Middleton; Paul Pindar, former chief executive of the outsourcing
