Holders Shildon comfortably beat Durham City 3-0 in the last 16 of the Durham Challenge Cup last night. The Railwaymen took the lead after just 4 minutes, when Micky Rae knocked the ball down for Ben Wood to score with a left foot shot that hit
FIRE crews last night dealt with flooding in a house at The Wynd at Gayle, near Hawes. Crews from both Hawes and Leyburn are at the scene after being alerted shortly before 8pm. A flood alert has was issued by the Environment Agency for
THE killing of 12 people – including eight journalists – at the office of a satirical magazine in Paris is a terrifying act in revenge for the publication of a cartoon. And, in the wake of such an atrocity, it is easy to insist that freedom of
PETER Maine had booked a family holiday and was planning for the future before he was stabbed, his widow told his inquest.Despite having just learned he was to be charged with conspiracy to defraud, the 56-year-old father-of-two was “fine”, Joanna Maine
A DRUNKEN scaffolder who was part of a gang attack on a man in the toilets of a club was last night starting a nine-month prison sentence.Peter Harper was the only one of the three assailants charged with the assault in Flares, in Middlesbrough town centre
A man dressed as Superman assaulted an off-duty police officer during a drunken night out in Durham City. As Daniel Walls was given a £590 fine, magistrates in Peterlee were told that "alcohol was his kryptonite". Full story
THE grieving family of a solicitor found dying of stab wounds to the chest may never know whether he was murdered or killed himself, after his inquest ended in an open verdict today (Wednesday, January 7). His widow wept today (Wednesday, January
A WOMAN faces a possible spell behind bars herself, after admitting trying to pass drugs to her inmate son, on a visit to see him at a top security prison.Janet Eunice Richardson will return to court at the end of the month to be sentenced after admitting
A SNIFFER dog helped put a drug dealer behind bars after picking him out in a crowded pub with cocaine in his pocket.Jack Lucas was yesterday jailed for two years for possessing Class A substances with intent to supply last November.Teesside Crown Court
A CRICKET club that has worked to become an integral part of the community has been awarded £50,000 to extend and refurbish its clubhouse. Crook Town Cricket Club, on Dawson Street, almost closed in 2013 but a new committee was formed and chairman
A NEW consignment of Gurkha recruits have arrived in Catterick Garrison ahead of their basic infantry training.Major Dammar Bahadur Shahi, from Royal Gurkha Rifles, Infantry Battalion, said 230 new recruits from Nepal had arrived in the garrison over
AN MP says a fall in apprenticeships across the region is “shameful”.A Government-backed apprenticeship scheme saw a 15 per cent drop in starters in 2013-14, compared to the previous 12 months, recent figures showed.Numbers fell in every area of the North-East
A NORTH-EAST Anglican church has welcomed reports that the Government is considering proposals to install Wi-fi in churches - but has pointed to its own difficulties as an example of the problems that will be faced.St Michael and All Angels in Witton
THE region's biggest police force has arrested six people over a series of armed robberies of security vans The five men and one woman were seized by Northumbria officers investigating 'cash in transit' robberies in Newcastle and Gateshead that happened
SEVEN thousand years of beer-drinking could lead to a medical breakthrough for people suffering from bowel disease. Bacteria which have uniquely evolved in the human gut to break down yeast found in bread and beer could help develop new treatments
A 101-YEAR-OLD woman on Teesside had to wait six hours for an ambulance to be taken to her hospital just one mile away, it has emerged.The case has come to light after her MP, Tom Blenkinsop, Labour, told her story in an effort to highlight ongoing difficulties
MINISTERS refused to rethink “inhumane” benefits sanctions yesterday, after North-East MPs lined up to protest they were causing widespread suffering. A Commons debate heard stark warnings that benefits were being stripped from vulnerable people
A FOUNDER of a charity has vowed to carry on despite thieves stealing crucial equipment, including a forklift truck. Burglars stole the six-tonne Linde forklift truck worth about £7,000 and thousands of pounds worth of other tools from the Stockton
STAFF at a North-East rugby club have spoken of their anger after it was announced the club would be run by volunteers. The Northern Echo previously reported that Darlington Rugby Club had decided to become a wholly amateur operation, with the
DETECTIVES investigating an alleged serious sexual assault against a child in Whitby are urging the public to help them locate a black Blackberry-style mobile phone. The phone, which has a screen with a keyboard underneath, may contain crucial evidence
PEOPLE living in parts of County Durham can access Saturday appointments at their GP practice until the end of March.NHS Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is continuing to commission the scheme, originally introduced
MOCK The Week star, Gary Delaney, will be visiting the region in the next few months with his critically acclaimed Purist tour.The double Sony Award winning and Chortle award nominee is back by popular demand with the final leg of the tour and will be
WORK on a multi-million pound historical leisure park will begin in April –providing planning permission is granted. It has also emerged that the Eleven Arches Trust, which is behind the project, has already raised £16m of the £23m needed to fund
ONE of the region’s most successful attractions is asking the public to dig deep into their memories as it prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary.The National Railway Museum in York was the first national museum outside London when it opened back
A TEESDALE art gallery is appealing for more residents to use it amid fears it could be forced to close.The Nest, in Barnard Castle, is facing a ‘use it or lose it’ situation with cash worries and warned it could have to shut if trade does not pick over
BOURNEMOUTH boss Eddie Howe has become the latest person to distance himself from a possible move to Newcastle United to take over as head coach. Howe is one of the leading domestic candidates understood to have been considered by Magpies managing
THE North-East’s largest taxi firm has received a final warning for persistently flouting regulations over its minibus fleet. Boro Taxis, based in Middlesbrough, was given a formal warning by the Traffic Commissioner at a public inquiry after receiving
LABOUR MPs have called on the Government to release in full all documents about the bitter 1984 Miners’ Strike.The call was led by North-East MP Ian Lavery, who is president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Dennis Skinner, the former miner
SEWERAGE works in Chester-le-Street town centre might inconvenience people, but are preferable to residents being flooded out, the chairman of the town's Residents Association has said.Phase two of the £2.7m Northumbrian Water scheme, which started last
SUNDERLAND’S form in front of goal continues to be an issue for Gus Poyet with his side having failed to score in nine of their 23 matches this season, while only three teams in the top four English divisions have scored less. Sports Writer Steph Clark
THE Princess Royal will officially open a £450,000 accommodation facility for young racing staff in a move prompted by the tragic death of two teenage jockeys.Jamie Kyne, 17, and Jan Wilson, 18, died in a fire at Buckrose Court in Malton, North Yorkshire
DEVELOPERS hoping to transform a former college site into digs for hundreds of students have managed to overturn conditions they said threatened the £20m plan.The applicant, Alumno Developments, was given the go-ahead to create student digs on the former
CHANGES to a controversial housing scheme have been approved, despite objections.Durham County Council’s planning committee met yesterday (Tuesday, January 6) to discuss the 271-home housing development on land near Browney, west of Durham City.Outline
LISTED places of worship in need of urgent roof repairs can apply to a multi-million pound grants pot.The Government-funded £15million Listed Places of Worship: Roof Repair Fund was created to address urgent repairs to ensure their historic buildings
ALCOHOL was the kryptonite that caused the downfall of a man dressed as Superman who tangled with the law in a drunken night out, a court was told today. Daniel Walls landed himself in the dock at Peterlee Magistrates Court after punching a special
A MAN has admitted taking a taxi, while over the drink-drive limit, before colliding with a number of parked cars in residential streets.The Ford Focus was commandeered with the driver still in the vehicle, and, after he was told to head to various locations
A LONG list of volunteers have been rewarded for giving golf a boost in the region. Durham Golf has paid a special tribute to those who have done so much to help grow the sport in the area. The Durham County Golf Partnership’s second Development
THE anticipated reopening of one of the region’s most iconic landmarks is facing a further delay after a subcontractor went into administration.It had been hoped that the Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough would reopen this month following a £2.6m Heritage
A TEESSIDE MP has claimed that "public safety is being jeopardised" by further cuts to Cleveland Police's budget.Last month, Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner, Barry Coppinger, confirmed that the force faced further cuts of £4.5m or
DARLINGTON hospice officials have praised the fundraising efforts of theatre staff and pantomime performers who have helped raise thousands for the facility.St Teresa’s Hospice is a regular recipient of funds raised during audience collections at the
MIDDLESBROUGH’S FA Cup fourth-round trip to Manchester City has been surprisingly overlooked for live television coverage and will take place on Saturday, January 24 (3pm). Both the BBC and BT Sport are still to confirm their selections for fourth-round
A CORONER has recorded an open verdict into the mysterious death of a County Durham solicitor. Detectives investigating the stabbing of solicitor Peter Maine in Durham said they investigated whether he was targeted by a killer, was the victim of
A MOTOR RACING circuit has been warned after a "schoolboy error" led to it breaching noise levels at a recent rally. Croft Circuit, near Darlington, has an agreement with Richmondshire District Council to report all noise data, and to make sure
HOW do you replace an icon? Porsche and Volkswagen managed it with the 911 and the Golf respectively, but Renault couldn’t come up with a like-for-like replacement for the Supercinq and Peugeot has spent 30 years trying to build a ‘new’ 205 GTi.
MORE than 1,000 protesters are expected to take part in a march on Saturday over cuts to NHS services at Hartlepool Hospital.The rally was the brainchild of Sue Little from Seaton Carew who wants the downgrading of her local hospital reversed.A campaign
REMAINING North-East workers at a crippled delivery firm have lost their jobs.Staff at City Link's bases at Belmont Industrial Estate, near Durham City, Leeming Bar, in North Yorkshire, and Newcastle were today (Wednesday, January 7) told they will be
A TRAIN builder has moved closer to starting work on its £82m North-East venture. Hitachi Rail Europe is today beginning the process of delivering its first rolling stock to the UK. The Japanese firm says the Class 800 train, made for the Government
A MOTORIST who led police across a playing field on a high speed chase in a town centre was finally forced to stop after officers boxed his car in. Daniel Robinson, 23, drove on the wrong side of the road, across a roundabout and reached speeds
11:46pm A last check with Rob Warne, patient flow manager, who tells me "we are still having problems." Earlier on the problem was a shortage of beds for men in the main hospital. Now the problem is a shortage of beds
MORTALITY rates from liver disease as a result of drinking are increasing in Darlington, an investigation by councillors has concluded.Members of Darlington Borough Council’s health scrutiny committee spent two years looking at how excess alcohol affects
THE Bank of England congratulated itself on its handling of market turmoil during the early stages of the financial crisis, just a day before it was called in to prop up Northern Rock, newly-disclosed documents have revealed.They show that the Bank remained
THE company leading the £100m transformation of Sunderland has appointed a chief executive to drive forward its plansJohn Seager joins the Sunderland City Council and Carillion joint venture company from his post as a director of UK Land Estates. During
A WOMAN who has worked tirelessly to protect young people from alcohol misuse has been honoured by police.Education worker Joanne Boyd has been presented with a commendation by Durham’s Chief Constable Mike Barton for her dedicated work in schools and
MOVES to encourage European-style al fresco dining are among a raft of proposals designed to bolster the economy of a Victorian spa town.In light of the challenges facing town centres, Harrogate Borough Council appointed planning consultancy Peter Brett
POACHERS caught with lurcher dogs and a lamp in a field while hunting rabbits have been fined.Police travelling along the A689 at Sewage Corner Field, near Stanhope, spotted a lamp beam moving across the field at 9.55pm on October 16.They stopped and
A MAN and woman have been arrested following a spate of garage burglaries.A resident of the Winterton estate in Sedgefield, County Durham, contacted police during the early hours of Monday, January 5, after witnessing two people breaking into garages.Police
TRIPLE Paralympic gold medallist Stephen Miller and wheelchair fencing star Gemma Collis are among the athletes set to headline the next Paralympics GB Sports Fest, which will be held at Durham University on Thursday, March 5.Sports Fest is a free multi-sport
WEST End stars are set to perform a production of a cinema classic that has been adapted for village halls.Richard Ede, who has recently starred as Richard Hannay in an Olivier Award-winning production of The 39 Steps, will be among a cast of four and
A RECORD-BREAKING North-East car plant has made more than 500,000 vehicles for a third consecutive year.Nissan says its Sunderland factory produced 500,237 cars in 2014, helped by strong demand for its ever-popular Qashqai and all-electric Leaf hatchback.The
TWO musical men have been rewarded for years of dedication to the brass band movement - which runs to more than a century between them.Spennymoor Town Band rewarded stalwarts George Lavery and Hugh Stephenson for their efforts within the organisation
PRIMARY children are preparing to open their doors to the public to give them a taste of why their school is rated highly by Government inspectors.Cockerton C of E Primary School, in Darlington, is planning two open sessions for parents of children due
TWO free exhibitions are running at Crown Street Library this month and into February.The Tees Valley exhibition, 'Remembering Our War' is on until February 26 and tells the story of people living in the area during the First World War, including what
A COMMUNITY association chairman has officially announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate in Darlington’s local government elections this May. Kevin Nicholson, 26, has been chairman of the Firthmoor Community Association since 2008
DURHAM all-rounder Ben Stokes underlined the folly of his omission from England’s World Cup squad as he smashed a remarkable half-century on his Big Bash debut for Melbourne Renegades. Stokes, who was left out of England's final 15 for the forthcoming
A DRUNKEN lout who glassed a woman in the face during a pub row was last night starting a five-year prison sentence. John Donaldson's victim was left scarred for life and says she is now anxious and paranoid whenever she leaves her home. Friends
A MOTHER who nearly died in a motorbike crash has relived the incident in air ambulance footage which is due to be broadcast on TV next week.Motorcyclist, Joanne Weatherill, 43, said seeing the footage of the incident on July 5, 2014, made her realise
SAINSBURY'S has warned it faces more challenges after reporting a 1.7 per cent drop in like-for-like sales over Christmas.The firm says it will continue to cut food prices to ease losses.However, Mike Coupe, chief executive, said its third quarter performance
RISING buyer confidence and a stronger market have helped a housebuilder deliver solid results.Persimmon, which has offices in Bowburn, near Durham City, and Newcastle, says sales increased 17 per cent to 13,509 for the period to December 31 2014.Average
PRIME Minister David Cameron will have a "full intelligence briefing" on the Paris attack from security agencies later today, and stands ready to offer any assistance needed by France, Downing Street said. Twelve people were shot dead in a terror
TWO children may have witnessed a burglary at a house in Stockton in which a man was threatened with a knife. The children were in the address on Outram Street when the incident took place, at around 7pm on Saturday, January 3. Two men made
A MAN has appeared at court for allegedly stabbing his neighbour on New Year’s Day.James Ronson, 37, was charged with wounding with intent after the victim suffered injuries to his neck and arm.Mr Ronson, of The Garth, Wolsingham, appeared at Peterlee
NEW car sales in 2014 reached more than 2.47 million - the highest annual figure since 2004 and the fourth-highest ever. Last year's total new registrations, at 2,476,435, were 9.3 per cent up on the 2013 figure, the Society of Motor Manufacturers
NORTH-EAST housebuilder Barratt Developments has announced that it will create 600 jobs in 2015 with the construction of 628 new homes in the region. This is a 40 per cent increase in new jobs, reflecting both the upswing in the regional economy
SIX people are being held in connection with armed robberies across the North-East. Northumbria Police have arrested five men and one woman in connection with a number of 'cash in transit' robberies in Newcastle and Gateshead. The incidents
Animal lover Brian Bowes, of Shotley Bridge, County Durham, claims he can trace lost cats - using a sat nav, a photograph of the missing pussy, and a crystal pendulum. Read more:
World champion rower Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell, from Durham, writes exclusively for The Northern Echo charting his build up to the Rio Olympics in 2016 HAPPY New Year! Like everyone, it’s been a busy few weeks. It was great to be able to come
THERE are often things at the start of a new year that seem designed to make me feel old, writes Ross Smith, NECC director of policy. Counting off the eighth annual NECC Manifesto I have been involved in launching yesterday was one of them.
The Northern Echo round up the latest transfer window news involving Newcastle United, Sunderland and Middlesbrough NEWCASTLE Forget the search for a new manager, if it’s January and it’s Newcastle United, one of the main topics for conversation
REMI GARDE is keen to join Newcastle United as the club’s new head coach – and is hoping to speak to managing director Lee Charnley this week to confirm his interest in the position. With Derby County manager Steve McClaren having firmly ruled
THE 2016 Olympics in Rio are now just a year-and-a-half away, and with the countdown clock to the Games ticking, some of the region’s leading hopefuls have outlined their hopes and targets for 2015 KAT COPELAND (Stokesley, Rowing) The Rio Olympics
A NEW deal for the region’s embattled colleges will be Labour’s “first act” in education, the party has pledged – but it warned there may be no extra cash. Labour’s education spokesman vowed to turn further education colleges into Singapore-style
GUS POYET faces strong competition from a growing list of Premier League clubs if the Sunderland boss decides to move for Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk.The Black Cats have kept an eye on the Holland Under-21 international since last season but have
YOU are likely to be a few days into a new lifestyle of healthy eating, regular exercise, and a new can do attitude - sound familiar? asks Gary Welford, assistant investment manager at Brewin Dolphin. As we all refresh our view on life, and get
A FORMER health authority chairman says she has been left “angry and totally helpless” after it took more than seven hours for her 88-year-old mother to be seen by hospital doctors after a fall. Gloria Wills, a former chairman of the now disbanded
THIS is set to be a momentous year for North-East business with a series of landmark events, factory openings and anniversaries showcasing the region's spirit of innovation and enterprise. Kicking things off this week is the North East Chamber
RONNIE MOORE is finding out how tough it is to attract players to Hartlepool United.Bottom of the Football League by ten points, Moore’s search for new recruits to boost his squad and try and lift the club’s fortunes is proving difficult.He missed out
A COUNCIL has agreed to release almost £1m of extra funding to ensure work on a multi-storey car park in a can go ahead.An urgent decision was made last month by the leader of Darlington Borough Council, Bill Dixon, to increase the budget allocated to
NEW car sales for 2014 reached a ten-year high, official figures out today (Wednesday, January 7) are likely to reveal.Last year is expected to have seen UK new registrations total around 2.46 million, the best annual figure since 2004.The 2014 figure
THE region's oldest family-owned construction and joinery firm is starting 2015 on the front foot after creating jobs and securing industry accolades.T Manners and Sons, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, says it has carried out a raft of major projects
THE Big Apple can offer a passport to more international services in the region, a senior airport boss has claimed.David Laws, Newcastle International Airport’s chief executive, said its flights to New York could help bring millions of pounds into the
THE oil industry crisis will recover from its pricing crisis to continue supporting thousands of North-East jobs, a sector leader has said. George Rafferty, NOF Energy chief executive, said while prices have fallen to a near six-year low, transferable
A TRAINING and recruitment organisation says it is offering a unique opportunity to help youngsters find work. HTES Northern, in Hartlepool, says it is can guarantee apprenticeships with a job interview. The firm is now seeking a new intake
