Shildon suffered their second home defeat inside four days when they lost 4-3 at home to Ashington last night. Ashington took the lead after just three minutes when they won possession and Glen Taylor scored with a mishit shot into the bottom corner
THE LEON CUPRA SC reminds me of the original Subaru Impreza Turbo. Of course, as a daily driver the Cupra better in every way than the old chewing-gum-and-string Subaru, but it reminds me of the classic Impreza in other ways. Like the Scooby, the
A CANCER charity hopes to turn a racecourse green when it hosts its own horseracing event this spring.The Macmillan Cancer Support Galloping Green Raceday takes place at Sedgefield Racecourse in County Durham on Tuesday, May 5, from 1.45pm and will feature
A COUPLE working their way through a bucket list of everyday adventures with their terminally ill son watched his eyes light up as he met his hero Mickey Mouse this afternoon (Wednesday, March 11).When Zach Parnaby was diagnosed with a rare and terminal
DODGING BULLETS fired a fatal shot in the betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival – as two former winners failed to land a telling blow.Trainer Paul Nicholls claimed his fifth victory in the contest after the 9-2 chance stubbornly
VAUTOUR will be a warm order for the opening JLT Novices’ Chase for Willie Mullins who took Cheltenham by storm on the opening day. Last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner has won two of his three chases so far this term but ran a stinker
Nathan Cartman returns to the Darlington team as one of two changes for this evening’s match with Lancaster City at Heritage Park. He is back in the line-up with Graeme Armstrong dropping to the bench, while Gary Brown is also considered fit enough
STUDENTS in Middlesbrough are using skills learnt from their studies to directly help the community where they live.The Teesside University students, part of the worldwide Enactive student enterprise movement, have chosen two schemes to support.The first
THE family of a North-East student who died from carbon monoxide poisoning has welcomed a Government announcement that landlords must fit alarms in all "high risk rooms" where a solid fuel heating system is installed. Anne Brennan, 19, from Houghton-le-Spring
PROTESTORS branded the Health Secretary's visit to East Cleveland Hospital in Brotton a “cheek” just weeks before its minor injuries unit shuts. Jeremy Hunt's visit to the primary care trust hospital was to take a closer look at the South Tees
A CATERING student is preparing to take the biscuit after challenging a global phenomenon to a trans-Atlantic bake-off.Darlington College student, Tomas Wood, from Barnard Castle, has challenged the New York based chef and Cake Boss reality TV star, Buddy
A WOMAN is facing a potential prison sentence after admitting biting off part of an ear in a late night fight at a village cricket club function. Kate Temple, 33, was told by a judge that custody is, “the most likely” outcome when she returns to
TWO families from the North-East have made medical history after becoming the first in the world to be diagnosed with a rare condition through pioneering research that is expected to transform health care. The announcement was made by Health Secretary
CAMPAIGN groups are calling for six former soldiers detained in India to be allowed to return home, more than seven months after weapons charges against them were dropped.The Mission to Seafarers and Human Rights at Sea said the anti-piracy guards, who
CAMPAIGNS do not always achieve swift results. Sometimes they require persistence and that has been the case with the campaign to make landlords legally responsible for installing carbon monoxide detectors. The Northern Echo launched "The Silent
TOMMY MILLER and Stuart Parnaby yesterday made their return from injury, appearing for Hartlepool United’s reserve side.The experienced duo have long been sidelined through injury. Parnaby has not played since the 5-1 defeat at Northampton in September
THE world’s first railway booking office is still offering local people independence and freedom by becoming a homeless refuge now has ambitious expansion plans to create self-contained studio flats to help residents rebuild their lives.Bridge House Mission
A COUNTY’S visitor profile is higher than ever before, but there is still some room for improvement, its outgoing tourism chief has said.Melanie Sensicle was the first chief executive when Country Durham got its own tourism agency back in 2006 and has
RARE early Barbie and Sasha dolls sparked a bidding frenzy when they came under the hammer at a North-East auction house.One of the initial versions of Barbie to be made was sold for £1,300 at Anderson & Garland in Newcastle, while an early Sasha doll
BOSSES of a care home described as inadequate by a health watchdog say it has made good progress since being inspected.Redworth House, on Byerley Road, in Shildon, was slated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following a recent inspection.The residential
A NORTH Yorkshire woman has risen to the challenge after being asked to help bake 5,000 pieces of fruitcake ahead of the Women's Institute's centenary celebrations.After a search to find the country’s best fruitcake recipe, Yorkshire Dales resident and
A METAL sculpture of a tree has been officially unveiled at a north Durham primary school.Sculptor James Anderson returned to St Pius X RC School in The Grove, Consett, for the event earlier today. (Wednesday, March 11)The tree is on display in the school
COUNCILLORS have granted permission for a new takeaway in a residential area, despite residents’ fears about traffic congestion and parking problems. The change of use application will see a residential property in Corporation Road, Darlington, opposite
A MAN has appeared in court accused of robbing a woman in Spennymoor, County Durham.John Robert Connolly appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court this morning (Wednesday, March 11) to face a charge of robbery relating to an early morning incident
RESIDENTS of a Weardale town looking to resurrecting its once-popular carnival will host a family fun day this summer.Organisers, led by newly-elected parish councillor Jane Henderson, 53, held a series of events to reignite community spirit and to raise
CANNOT allow the article, Oxygen Services (Echo, Feb 26) by Barry Nelson to go unchallenged. In May 2013, our GP referred my wife, who was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to the respiratory consultant at Darlington Memorial
GNORANCE is just a state of not knowing. Stupidity is knowing but still behaving ignorantly. When asked for a metal with the highest melting point that is used in light bulbs two quiz contestants answered "mercury." Even worse when two University
ONCE again three cheers for Darlington Borough Council. They have triumphed in the field of public opinion on a very serious matter concerning Darlington townsfolk. I refer to the matter of the cycling being allowed to continue, regardless
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former fireman who led one of the region’s brigades for more than a decade.Alf Thompson, who retired as Chief Fire Officer for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service in 2000, died in hospital after a short illness
SCHOOLGIRL footballers reached a major goal in their sporting careers after qualifying for the finals of a prestigious regional tournament.Year Seven students from the Allertonshire School, Northallerton, defeated a number of area champions to qualify
PROTESTORS barricaded a house in support of a woman facing eviction over mortgage arrears claims.Glynis Craggs, 59, of Bridge Street, in Sunnybrow, Willington, County Durham, is in dispute with Redstone Mortgages.Campaigners from across the country, many
DON’T be mean behind the screen – that’s the message a popular singer songwriter had for pupils at a Darlington school.Rich Cottell, who has supported acts such as The Wanted and Conor Maynard, paid a visit to Hummersknott Academy, in Darlington, to discuss
LIGHTING company Tridonic has handed 35 staff at its County Durham factory permanent contracts, following rising sales for LED products. The Spennymoor manufacturer now has a workforce of 220 in departments including production, research and development
PROTESTORS barricaded a house in support of a woman facing eviction over mortgage arrears claims. Glynis Craggs, 59, of Bridge Street, in Sunnybrow, Willington, County Durham, is in dispute with Redstone Mortgages. Campaigners from across the
AS MOTHER’S Day approaches, North-East mothers and daughters are being invited to spend quality time together by entering Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring women-only series of 5k, 10k, Pretty
ALMOST 2,000 volunteers have been recruited to welcome spectators to the first Tour de Yorkshire international cycle race in May.The Tour Makers, who were recruited from the 10,000 volunteers who helped at last year’s Tour de France Grand Départ, will
THOUSANDS of cars every day are diverting through a town to avoid roadworks on the region’s busiest road.Traffic experts at Gateshead Council say an extra 7,000 cars a day are using routes through the town during major roadworks on the A1 Western Bypass.Among
BRITISH Transport Police (BTP) are looking for this man after a holdall belonging to a member of rail staff was stolen from a train travelling between Durham and Newcastle.Officers today (Wednesday, March 11) released CCTV images of the man they would
WARM spring temperatures have seen puffins make an early return to their North-East breeding grounds for the second year running.The seabirds have been sighted at the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast three weeks earlier than their normal return
A SERIES of public debates on devolving powers to the North-East begins tomorrow (Thursday, March 12).The North East Combined Authority (Neca), a new body involving the seven councils between the Scottish border and the River Tees, wants extra powers
THREE County Durham school football teams are one step away from reaching a tournament's national finals.Murton St Josephs RC Primary School, Cotsford Junior School, from Peterlee, and Blue Coat Junior School, Durham, all have teams which have successfully
TEESSIDE University has appointed Paul Croney as its new vice-chancellor and chief executive.Taking up the post from May 1, Professor Croney is currently at Northumbria University in Newcastle where he has held leadership roles from Dean of the £26m Newcastle
TIME is running out to sign up for this year's Stockton Duathlon with hundreds of people already on course to take part.The event, which comes to Stockton Riverside on Sunday, April 26, is set to be the biggest yet following the strong success of previous
A FOUNDING member of an out-of-school club which launched nearly 20 years ago has returned to support an appeal for a much needed new building.Jordan Stockdale, 24, was one of the first children to attend Sedgefield Out of School Fun Club after it opened
YOUNGSTERS tested their superpowers on an adventurous school trip this month.The children from Wolsingham Primary School have been learning about comics and superheroes in class and were treated to an action pack day out as a reward.Dressed as their favourite
A TOWN centre cafe is hoping to target the evening trade with a new bar and restaurant.Penleys was launched in Richmond Market Place last year by business partners Matthew Colley and Amanda Penrose - eight years after they opened Penleys of Leyburn.Like
UNDERAGE drinkers in Darlington are at risk of exploitation, police have warned. Adults have been infiltrating groups of teenagers congregating in the town’s Green Park, according to Sergeant Mike Sammut of Darlington Police. He said older
THE region’s tourism capital has won another accolade – and been rated as having the best bus services in England.Passengers’ overall satisfaction with services in York was higher than in any other English authority surveyed.The independent study was
DURHAM Cathedral Choir is celebrating the launch of a new CD containing two specially-commissioned works.First the sun, then the shadow, was commissioned at the suggestion of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, during his time as Bishop of Durham
COMEDY stars Chris Ramsey and Milton Jones will both play Middlesbrough Town Hall this year. Ramsey, of TV show Hebburn, will appear on Saturday, October 24 with his brand new show All Growed Up. Tickets cost £17.50 and go on sale at Middlesbrough Town
A POWERFUL story of love during the Great War is playing at Darlington Civic Theatre this week. Peter Duncan, Edmund Wiseman and Emily Bowker head the cast of Rachel Wagstaff’s powerfully emotional stage adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’s popular
A CHARITY dedicated to providing creative opportunities which was launched in the back of a bus has landed a £131,190 grant to improve its base and operations.Thirsk-based Rural Arts is among 12 Northern venues to receive funding from Arts Council England
BUILDING society staff are getting into the Comic Relief spirit – by holding their own knit-a-thon.The Bedale branch of the Skipton Building Society is holding a Red Nose open day on Friday, March 13, for its fund-raising effort.From 9am to 5pm there
PICASSO’S Weeping Woman is proving a big draw at new exhibition which places the spotlight on the response of British artists to the Spanish Civil War. Conscience and Conflict: British Artists and the Spanish Civil War, a partnership exhibition with Pallant
ENERGY MINISTER Matthew Hancock has dropped a strong hint that next week’s Budget will include measures to support the region’s beleaguered offshore supply industry. Teesside trenching company Reef Subsea UK this week became the latest North-East
AN offshore valve maker aims to be a European pioneer after plans were approved for a £10m subsea engineering of excellence. BEL Valves says it hopes to become a market leader with its new Neptune Technology Centre. The site, on the banks of
THERE was high recognition for two of the region’s most high-profile golf clubs at a prestigious awards night.Close House and Rockliffe Hall have both been singled out at the fifth annual 59Club Service Excellence Awards – regarded by many as the ‘Oscars
VOLUNTEERS are urged to roll up their sleeves and join a large-scale clean-up of one of the region’s most popular stretches of beach.As part of the annual Beachwatch Big Weekend litter survey and removal, Roker Beach, in Sunderland, is being targeted
A WOMAN who was left devastated after thieves stole a mountain bike she intended to use for a charity cycle ride is now three quarters of the way towards her fundraising target.Mother-of-three Michelle Carr is to take part in a coast-to-coast cycle ride
BLACKBURN Rovers are keen to keep Jordan Rhodes at Ewood Park for the rest of the season – unless Middlesbrough agree to paying a substantial transfer fee in the summer. Boro are one of four Championship clubs to have had discussions with Rovers
THE new head of the Great Yorkshire Show has been announced.Charles Mills, who farms at Appleton Roebuck near York, is due to succeed Bill Cowling as honorary show director at the close of this year’s event, on Thursday, July 16.Mr Cowling is stepping
HUNDREDS of bikers from across the region are set to deliver some Easter joy to poorly children next month.Hartlepool biker Tony Hudspith is once again organising an annual Easter egg run to Darlington and Durham hospitals after saving the event from
A WOMAN ran 13 magical miles in a bid to raise money for charity.Alex Gaffney, from Sherburn Hill, near Durham, took on the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Florida at the end of February where she was raising money for neurological disease Progressive
COUNCILLORS are expected to back a £1m bridge upgrade that will cause major disruption for thousands of commuters next week (Wednesday, March 18).Durham County Council says the 48-year-old Milburngate Bridge, which carries the A690 over the River Wear
A PANEL of councillors has unanimously recommended that an officer previously in charge of looking after Hartlepool's vulnerable children and adult's becomes the authority's new chief executive.A seven-strong cross-party Appointments Panel, chaired by
ORGANISERS of one of the UK’s most successful music events have invited North-East musician Mitch Laddie to be the headline act when their show comes to Houghton-le-Spring on Sunday, March 22.Northern Guitar Shows are the most popular events of their
DARLINGTON Credit Union has been awarded a £50,000 grant in recognition of its achievements and rapid growth over the past five years.The Union was one of only 17 out of 91 who were successful in their application to the Lloyds Banking Group Credit Union
PAUL Gascoigne told the High Court today that phone-hacking was linked to his alcoholism. The 47-year-old former soccer star started his evidence at the hearing in London to determine what compensation should be paid by Mirror Group Newspapers
IT’S a strong claim, but it’s one matched by equally bold ambitions.Outside the Centre for Process Innovation’s (CPI) new £38m Darlington base stands a board proclaiming ‘ingenuity at work’.The phrase is actually used by construction firm Interserve,
THE number of black and ethnic minority youngsters out of work for longer than a year has increased by almost 50 per cent since the coalition came to power, according to new figures. Labour said the official statistics showed that 41,000 black
MEMORIES 215 looked at the first civilian flights out of Teesside Airport and, with the help of readers, established that an airline called BKS briefly, at the end of 1964, operated twice daily flights to London Heathrow. BKS was a pioneering airline
A DESIRE to use only natural products on her own children, Mia and Dominic, has led a Ripon herbalist to set up a company which specialises in hand-made herbal products for mothers and babies. “I have been making what my father dubbed ‘lotions
Birdsong: Darlington Civic TheatreRACHEL Wagstaff’s stunning stage adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ poignant First World War novel makes for a powerful and moving evening that has the audience totally absorbed. Set on the Western Front with flashbacks
SNOOKER   GIANT KILLING Cockton Hill Worthington C.I.U. Team Knock Out Cockton Hill B produced a miraculous recovery to beat First Division leaders, Hunwick A in the semi final of the Team Knock Out Cup at Crook
POOL   DERBY’S FIRST win Bishop Auckland League In the basement battle, the Derby recorded their first win by beating the Queen’s Head by three points. The home side had two points from Geoff Ryder and
EIGHTEEN people appeared in court today over what prosecutors say was a huge-scale evasion of duty on cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco. It is alleged some of the team of people ran the plot to bring the contraband goods into the region while
GAMES   WEAR VALLEY Games League Darts results (Captains in brackets): Binchester 1 King’s Head 6 (1); Bar None 3 Durham Ox 4 (1); Sports Bar 1 Top Hat 6 (1); Bay Horse 4 (1) Willington Club 3; Black Horse 5
DOMINOES   CROOK & District League Results: Fir Tree 4 White Swan 3; Australian 3 Willington Queen’s 4; Travellers A 3 King’s Head 4; Surtees 4 Mill B 3; Crown B 4 Crook Queen’s 3; Mill A 3 Crown A 4; New Market 4 Travellers
DARTS   21ST CELEBRATION for Royal Oak Royal Oak Hotel League Cornsay Royal Oak broke their duck for the season when they beat the visiting Frosterley Inn A after 20 consecutive league defeats.
A MAN is recovering in hospital suffering from facial and leg injuries after being attacked by masked burglars. North Yorkshire Police said the 44-year-old was being treated at Harrogate District Hospital following an aggravated burglary at an
CHESTER-le-Street people can vote funding for 22 local community groups.The groups are vying for a share of £28,000 for facility improvements or buying new equipment. The vote takes place the Its UP 2 U event at Park View School, Church Chare, Chester-le-Street
The poisoning scandal surrounding this year's Crufts has cast a shadow over the dog showing circuit but North-East breeders remain loyal. Lizzie Anderson reports Every year, Ann Marie Burns, of Tow Law, County Durham, takes her beloved West Highland
A MAJOR gas network upgrade is underway.Northern Gas Networks (NGN) is spending £17,000 upgrading metallic gas mains on Thinford Road, Coxhoe, near Durham, with new plastic pipes.The gas distributor says the project will ensure the safe and reliable supply
One Man, Two Guvnors, York Grand Opera HouseI COULD, if I wanted, rattle on about Goldoni, his play The Servant of Two Masters and the theatre form called commedia dell’Arte which provide the starting point for this National Theatre production. But I
THREE men appear to have escaped serious injury after the vehicle they were in crashed into a tree. A Subaru car was travelling along Middridge Road in Shildon, County Durham, just after 8am this morning when it left the road and hit a tree.
THE key to domestic bliss is four meals together a week, more than one tablet and a Netflix account, it has been claimed. Families living in the North-East spend just over ten hours together each week, below the national average of 12 hours.
MATCH REPORT Sunday 8 March 2015 Division One In Division One Roseworth Social may be bottom of the table as they entertained North Ormesby Cons at Tilery and frustrated them for 77 minutes until three goals two from Denis Alderson and one from
STEVE HARPER would like to see John Carver given the Newcastle United job beyond the end of the season and insisted the former number two is more than capable of stepping up to frontline management on a regular basis. Carver is the current head
Darlington can put their away form worries aside for the time being when they begin a spell of three successive matches at Heritage Park this evening and hope to return to the top of the table.Three points against Lancaster City would see Quakers leapfrog
I ASSUME that all the football managers are dreading the thought of TV cameras being used during the game. After all the recent controversy over football referees decisions during matches, I just can't see how TV camera coverage is going to improve
NEXT month, April the Government will announce the final rules about how you will be able to access your personal pension from the age of 55 onwards, writes Robert Little of Bob Little, Chartered Financial Planners, This is expected to signal the
IF I asked you to draw a picture of an apprentice what would it look like?When I put that question to colleagues in the Echo offices most people conjured up the traditional image of a teenage lad, wearing navy blue overalls, working on the shop floor
HITACHI is recruiting workers at the rate of about five every week as it gears up for the grand opening of its 700 jobs train factory later this year. The Newton Aycliffe company, which now has almost 60 staff on its books, said reaction to the
RYAN FREDERICKS has given Middlesbrough a fitness boost ahead of a crucial run of fixtures which could go a long way in determining what division they are playing in next season. The 22-year-old is a serious doubt for the first of three matches
A GANG of teenage vandals climbed into an enclosed area of a hospital and put themselves and staff in “very real danger” - by scattering the contents of used “sharps” bins around the ground. The abusive ten-strong group of 14 and 15-year-olds –
FASHIONS may have changed dramatically over the past 60 years but one independent boutique has remained in style. Owners past and present gathered in Jayne in Sedgefield, County Durham, yesterday (Monday, March 9) to mark the diamond anniversary
THE firm planning to bring fracking of shale gas to North Yorkshire says it has won the support and the trust of local people. Appearing before a parliamentary inquiry, Third Energy estimated that almost 80 per cent of residents who attended public
The People's Strictly for Comic Relief (BBC1, 9pm)TESS Daly and Claudia Winkleman present the final episode of the series from the famous Strictly Come Dancing ballroom, and Teesside fingers will be crossed that Middlesbrough-born Anna Kennedy will emerge
THE Government has been accused of cruelty and running a 'postcode lottery for benefits' after it emerged a rural district had by far the highest proportion nationally of Jobseekers Allowance claimants being sanctioned. A report by homelessness
COSTEL PANTILIMON wants Sunderland to show greater ambition once Premier League safety has been preserved for a further season ahead of a date with Aston Villa which has grown in importance.The Black Cats are just a point and a place above the Villains
A DOCTOR was told to expect to receive a prison sentence after he was found guilty of groping a teenage patient during a surgery examination. Locum GP Dr Unt Tun Maung was said to have cupped and squeezed the young woman’s breasts “for a significant
A FORMER Darlington shop owner convicted of common assault has had her conviction quashed after a judge questioned why the case ever came to court in the first place. Kate Saint was convicted of common assault on council worker, Sharon Gilligan
TWO former police forensics officers who investigated hundreds of serious crimes have successfully adapted their skills to create a successful business.Angela Davies and Dionne Wightman set up CSI Training and Events Ltd after being made redundant from
The UK music industry has undergone a huge transformation in recent years. After years of stability, the arrival of the internet spawned a generation of illegal music download sites, which threatened the very monopoly that had lined the pockets of industry
PROFITS at npower - Britain's most complained about energy supplier - have slumped by a quarter, but North-East jobs are safe, bosses told The Northern Echo. German-owned npower blamed fierce competition in both the domestic and business markets
I wish that, before writing to criticise my belief in a creator, Eric Gendle (HAS, Mar 8) had actually read my letter. It said "whether by evolution or not is irrelevant”. As Sir Peter Vardy said some years ago. "I believe in a God of creation
HOUSEHOLDERS in two North-East streets are receiving some of the slowest broadband speeds in the country, according to a survey by price comparison website uSwitch. It placed Tarr Steps, Thornaby, and Grange Terrace in Pelton Fell, near Chester-le-Street
JOHN YOUNG (HAS, March 6) seems to be implying that the Muslim community in the UK is somehow responsible for terrorist attacks abroad. We didn't hear this when Anders Breivik, who proclaimed himself 100 per cent Christian, murdered 77 people in
I EXPECTED more from President Barack Obama than what he has been able to deliver, but within the US political system his perception of the American dream is idealism on stony ground. This is exemplified by the reception of Congress to a speech
ALMOST a dozen bus services on Teesside are under threat after a small operator announced it was closing due to crippling insurance costs. Leven Valley Coaches, which operates services in Middlesbrough, Stockton on Tees, Billingham and Redcar and
A MOTHER was arrested after an 18-week-old baby was found in a pram wedged into the back of a van between boxes and plastic bags. Shocked police discovered the youngster when the van was stopped in South Church Road, Bishop Auckland, at about 8.50pm
A WOMEN’S prison is managing its challenging inmate population well, an inspection has found.HMP Low Newton, in Brasside, Durham City, has among the most complex populations inspectors have ever seen, the report from Nick Hardwick, the Chief Inspector
