A MAN was slightly injured when a car ended up on its side at Byermoor, Gateshead, last night (Monday, March 30). A Northumbria Police said officers were called to the A692, at School House, Byermoor, at about 10.55pm. A police spokesman said
GARETH SOUTHGATE is hoping last night’s England Under-21s victory over Germany will set up his side for this summer’s European Championships, but is refusing to get too carried away despite another successful night at the Riverside. Goals from
Goals: 0-1: Hofmann (15, controlled Meyer’s ball infield adeptly before drilling a crisp finish into the bottom right-hand corner) 1-1: Lingard (35, swept home a crisp side-footed finish after Jenkinson moved the ball infield from the right-hand
ENGLAND UNDER-21s 3 GERMANY UNDER-21s 2 WHO needs Harry Kane? After a week that has been dominated by discussions over the Tottenham forward’s availability for this summer’s European Under-21 Championships, the players currently at Gareth Southgate
A FARMER is using a “flying sheepdog” to control his flock. Paul Brennan, who farms at Carlow, in Ireland, is using a remote-controlled drone – nicknamed Shep – to herd his sheep. Film of Shep in action has proved extremely popular on YouTube,
A CHARITY leader who has helped improved the health and well being of hundreds of people has stepped down.Carol Briggs has been involved with the Newton Aycliffe-based Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) from the beginning and served as chairwoman of the
AFTER weeks of unofficial campaigning, we are formally off and running in the most unpredictable race to Number 10 in living memory. And why is it so hard to call? Because there are fundamental questions hanging over all of the contenders.
TWO men are behind bars after police found a "commercial" cannabis set-up on an industrial estate. The unit in Crook, County Durham, contained tents rigged with lamps, heaters, ventilators and fertiliser. More than 50 plants were found, but
A PETITION calling for a councillor to step down has been launched just as she launches a formal appeal against her conviction for assaulting her neighbour.The e-petition calls for Richmondshire District Councillor Jane Parlour to quit, after she was
A VILLAGE museum is preparing to open for the summer as it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.The Weardale Museum and High House Chapel, in Ireshopeburn, was founded by Bill Proud, and opened in 1985.Thirty years on and the museum is still a volunteer
SEDGEFIELD Racecourse is hosting extra Easter activities at the track on Sunday, April 5. Added Easter extras include racing and the chance to meet their mascot, Archie, who has invited The Ice Princess and Friends to join him. All race goers
A PLAY fight between two brothers involving a hot water bottle and a tea towel spiralled into a violent row in which one of them armed himself with a meat cleaver, a court heard. Peter James Mitchell then chased his brother upstairs brandishing
ONE of the largest taxi firms in the North-East, has reported a growth in business with the number of weekly bookings increasing by several thousand.To meet the demand for its services, Boro Taxis is recruiting about 50 additional drivers, as it aims
A CITY centre park is to close for a year to allow for a £3m upgrade.Wharton Park, in Durham, is to get a new heritage centre and cafe and play and fitness areas, plus its amphitheatre, battlements, Alfred the Good statue, Way sculpture and miniature
A CELEBRATION of healthier and less stressful working lives has taken place in Middlesbrough.The event at Middlesbrough College was held to take a look at the achievements of the ExtraLife health improvement programme.The initiative brings together key
TWO major community organisations will provide £100,000 to groups based in the Teesside area during 2015.Tees Valley Community Foundation are teaming up with TFM's Cash for Kids to support local community groups working with children, and have committed
A PROPOSAL to build a solar farm on the outskirts of a market town will be the focus of an information session to gauge public support.Lightsource Renewable Energy is looking to build the 23 acre project on land at Woodhouse Farm, Middlesbrough Road,
A VILLAGE cricket club is looking to recruit new players after netting about £100,000 for improvements.Over the past ten years, Barton Cricket Club, in North Yorkshire, has undergone major improvements, including the installation of field drainage systems
TWO murderers have become the first gay prisoners to get married behind bars.Mikhail Gallatinov and Marc Goodwin were married at Full Sutton prison on Friday, in a 15-minute ceremony, but will not be allowed to share a cell under Prison Service rules.Gallatinov
LOVING couple Tom Douch and Jemma Holmes wanted a pictorial record of their engagement – and ended up with a piscatorial one.They travelled to the Sea Life Centre in Scarborough to have their pictures taken in their favourite environment.The couple, from
AN application for a judicial review by learning disabled residents of a North Yorkshire care village about a breach of their human rights has been refused.The Administrative Court in London refused to proceed with the case involving the dismantling of
A TEENAGER had his bike stolen after he was knocked off it in Middlesbrough. The 17-year-old was attacked at around 11.15pm on Wednesday, March 25, while cycling along St Barnabas Road, from Linthorpe Road towards Roman Road.He was approached by an unknown
BRITAIN'S number one trampolinist bounced into Durham today (Monday, March 30) to launch the UK’s biggest Jumping Pillow.Former Olympian and Guinness world-record holder Kat Driscoll of Houghton-le-Spring, on Wearside was at Adventure Valley, Brasside
THE campaign to secure the seat with the smallest Labour majority in the North-East was launched in Guisborough today (Monday, March 30). Hilary Benn, the shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, joined Tom Blenkinsop as
A PARALYMPIC athlete drew on his own life story to inspire underachieving boys today (Monday).Craig McCann visited St Hild's Church of England School in Hartlepool in his role as an "athlete mentor" in a sports scheme.A keen university rower
THE father of a baby who was hospitalised after a large birthmark left her with breathing difficulties is taking on 12 challenges for charity following her recovery.Steve Midgley is running more than 100 miles in races, triathlons and obstacle courses
FIREFIGHTERS spent three hours tackling a moors blaze at Ugthorpe, near Whitby, which measured some 10m by 200m. Appliances from Lythe and Whitby were alerted soon after 12.30pm today (March 30) and were later joined by supporting crews from other stations
In the first of a series of interviews with leading figures in the parties standing at the General Election, Rob Merrick talks to Labour’s most senior MP in the region, Nick Brown WITH the General Election starting pistol fired, Nick Brown – the
THE Bishop of Durham ordered that the name of a controversial former politician be passed to detectives investigating an alleged establishment paedophile ring. The Rt Rev Paul Butler, the Church’s lead Bishop for Safeguarding, instructed that police
A NOVEL photographic exhibition featuring some powerful and poignant images captured by men with prostate cancer is underway at a North-East hospital.In January, the Trinity Holistic Centre, in the grounds of Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital
LARKIN Poe's sister duo Rebecca and Megan Lovell - the descendants of tortured artist and creative genius Edgar Allen Poe – are bringing their unique brand of bluesy rock to Gateshead. The Atlanta-based sisters will be supported by the Gilden Thieves
A PAIR of students have impressed a creative agency from London as part of their further education course in 3D design.Both18-year-old Catherine Beckett and Louisa Heywood, 17, wowed exhibition designer Tom Doumasiou, owner of leading exhibition design
AN explosive collection of collages, prints and sculptures by the artist who created Darlington’s Brick Train go on display next month.Mach Goes Commando runs at the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery from Saturday, April 18 and features landscapes, seascapes
LABOUR vowed to go further and faster than the Conservatives in devolving power and money to the region, as it launched its ‘business manifesto’.The Opposition confirmed plans to transfer £30bn of Whitehall funding over five years to city and county regions
THE remains of a Roman Villa, discovered during construction of a bypass, will be reburied under the new road, but information about the finds is to be made public.Archaeologists discovered the villa, dating back to around the third or fourth century
A NEW manager has been appointed at an award-winning hotel and restaurant.Stephane Leyreloup is now in charge of the Cleveland Tontine near Stokesley in North Yorkshire.The Frenchman began his career as a sommelier at the celebrated Maxim’s in Paris where
WILDLIFE lovers in Northumberland may soon have one of the best views in the country of a rare bird.Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Northumbrian Water have installed a new nesting platform for ospreys at Bakethin Nature Reserve in Kielder Water & Forest
Tickets for Hartlepool United’s final day of the season at Carlisle are on sale from Tuesday to season ticket holders. Pools have an initial allocation of 1,530 tickets, but are expecting to get more when the initial allocation sells. Season ticket
A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER is begging for bollards after a car ploughed into her garden for the fourth time.Mavis Wallis is pleading with Darlington Borough Council to install bollards around her property on Wensleydale Road after having her wall knocked down
PLANS have been unveiled for the redevelopment of a waste transfer station in east Durham.Durham County Council’s planning committee is expected to approve an application by the authority to carry out the work at the Thornley Waste Transfer Station (WTS
A DRUG addict, desperate to pay off a debt to a dealer, carried out a knifepoint robbery at a local fashion store, a court heard.Despite pulling up his hood in a bid to conceal his identity, Robert William Elliott was still recognised by a woman he almost
DIGITAL marketing agency, Digitia, has announced a rebrand and plans to double staff numbers this year.The Seaham, County Durham-based company, which launched in 2011 relaunches this week as management consultancy IX7.The firm has plans to open an office
A WALKER rescued by the Great North Air Ambulance is urging people to join him in a fundraising challenge for the service Website developer Jonathon Ward, 28, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was airlifted from Scafell Pike last May after he slipped
MORE than 291,000 patients on Teesside should soon find it much easier to get GP appointments after £2.9m cash injection by the Government.The extra cash will be used to greatly expand evening and weekend opening hours at GP surgeries across the South
VILLAGERS in communities across the country’s biggest county are being urged to be good neighbours and offer their help to those who need it.North Yorkshire is launching “Good Neighbour Schemes” operated by volunteers and to be run by a village or a defined
COUNTY DURHAM gymnast Amy Tinkler has added the British all-around title to her English crown to cement her growing reputation as the most exciting young talent in the country. The 15-year-old, who is from Bishop Auckland and a member of South
A FLOWER club's annual celebration of the start of spring has been judged a success.Darlington Flower Club members gathered at Headlam Hall Hotel, near Gainford, last week.The event began with coffee and biscuits, together with various table sales, all
BIG-HEARTED Barnard Castle School pupils raised £481 for Brain Tumour Research on Friday (March 27) by wearing hats for the day.The event was part of several charitable activities of the day as the students also presented a cheque for £565 to the British
COUNCILLORS are being urged to approve controversial plans for a gas pipeline through North Yorkshire in the face of 150 objections, some fearing it will open the door to 'fracking'.Those opposed to the scheme warn the plan sets a precedent and claim
A FUNDRAISING evening held in memory of a popular councillor who died earlier this year has raised more than £1,000 for charity.Eggy Joe’s Big Night out was held at The Forum, in Borough Road, Darlington, last month in memory of Councillor Joe Lyonette
THE plethora of cooking programmes on TV would indicate that we are a nation of food lovers ever willing to explore new tastes. Unfortunately the British abroad soon dispel this image. In my experience we like what we like and we know how it should
IT was an honour to be involved with the organisation of the Spennymoor Afghanistan Commemorative Service that took place on Saturday at the town’s cenotaph. It was organised within a couple of weeks and was a real team effort that couldn’t have
WE have become accustomed to the public spirit of the people of |College Ward in Darlington over the years, but on Sunday they excelled themselves. Thirty local people met to collect litter, sweep and gather all kinds of rubbish in Stanhope Park
YOUR comment, "The dangers of DIY justice" (Echo, Mar 27) is correct to point out the dangers of what the Dark Justice group is all about, but can we go on ignoring an evil that the lawmakers of this country are failing to address? Potential paedophiles
RALPH MUSGRAVE (HAS, Mar 26) objects to the use of terms like "racist," "fascist" or "neo-Nazi" to describe far-right groups, and dismisses Philip Buckingham's article (Echo, Mar 24) as "a classic example of insult-strewn nonsense by lefties".
ONE of the more interesting aspects of the forthcoming election is the coverage we can expect from the BBC. It has a natural, well-documented, occasionally self-confessed prejudice towards the Left that ought to spark concerns about its coverage
I HAVE often wondered what other policies, if any, the present Prime Minister has to offer, other than the schoolboy satire that he seems to depend on, such as calling his opposite numbers silly names and trying to ridicule their personal image.
COUNCIL chiefs are set to approve the spending of a Government grant that will help a long-term hospital patient return home.Darlington Borough Council has received a £60,000 grant from the Department of Health's Transforming Care capital fund.The fund
MIDDLESBROUGH’S medical staff will assess Kenneth Omeruo on his return to the North-East after the defender sustained a groin injury while on international duty with Nigeria at the weekend. Omeruo was substituted after just 13 minutes of Nigeria
BISHOP HOGANS will meet Aycliffe Turbinia in the Colin Waites Cup final on Easter Monday at Hall Lane, Willington. Kick off 11am. Submitted by Maurice Galley
Richard Hannon has ambitious plans for Windshear after the St Leger fourth made a successful reappearance back at Doncaster.The Marlborough trainer is looking at the big staying races and maybe the Melbourne Cup for the talented colt, whose consistency
IT appears as though the future of the NHS will be pivotal in the election battle. Ed Miliband wants to “weaponise” it. David Cameron wants to turn it into a seven day a week service. How on earth did it come to this? Why have we allowed the pathetic
WITH the General Election just weeks away, editors are being hit by a snowstorm of press releases from eager candidates. Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, UKIP, Green - you name it - they're all falling over themselves for publicity. Anyway, there
AN argument has broken out regarding the £20m A&E extension at the University of North Durham Hospital (Echo, Mar 27). The health trust applying to build this extension wants to knock down Dryburn House, the ancestral home of the Wharton family
GERMANS are renowned – and sometimes heavily satirised –for their excessive efficiency and their capacity for obeying orders. So why was a man with a history of mental illness allowed to fly a passenger jet? Andreas Lubitz was suspended from the
POLICE investigating a serious sex attack at a nature reserve say there has been a significant response from members of the public. North Yorkshire Police also says it will attend Quarry Moor Nature Reserve in Ripon tomorrow (Tuesday) to gather
A MAN was killed when his car left the road, overturned and ended up on its roof in a ditch.The 27-year-old was at the wheel of a dark blue BMW when the incident happened on Towthorpe Moor Lane by Strensall, near York,He was travelling towards Strensall
A LANDSCAPING company, which counts Sunderland AFC and Newcastle United among its clients, is building a new headquarters and expects to recruit 25 staff as part of expansion plans. Sustain Landscapes Ltd supplies local authorities and major construction
A TAXI driver is in a critical condition in hospital after an accident on a road where streetlights where not working and are due to be switched off to save money. The proposal to switch off the lights on the stretch of the A167 in Newton Aycliffe
A CONCERT at Sage Gateshead involving choirs from across the North-East had to be suspended before the end on Saturday (March 28) after three performers were taken ill.The performers were given medical treatment at the venue by medical staff and have
POLICE are appealing for help after a man was the subject of an unprovoked attack as he walked home. The 48-year-old victim and his friend were walking along Cockton Hill Road, Bishop Auckland, around 1.15am on Thursday, March 19. A dark vehicle stopped
STEVEN FLETCHER insists he never lost faith in his goalscoring capabilities despite a run of almost six months without finding the back of the net. The Sunderland striker claimed a hat-trick as Scotland brushed aside Gibraltar on Sunday night,
A SPECTACULAR musical evening marking the 70th anniversary of the Durham Light Infantry liberating Bergen-Belsen concentration camp has been given a major cash boost – but still needs the public’s support.North-East based InterOpera’s plans to stage the
A POPULAR theatre company will present an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical when it returns to the stage this summer.Durham Musical Theatre Company (DMTC) will present Sunset Boulevard at the Gala Theatre, Durham, from June 23 to 27.The run offers a rare chance
A STRONG and sustainable economy and more transparency in local authority decision making are among the pledges being made by the Green Party in Darlington.It is the first time voters in Darlington will have the opportunity to vote Green in both the local
POLICE have arrested five people in the North-East on suspicion of human trafficking offences.A Northumbria Police spokesman a man and woman of Slovakian nationality attended a police station in Newcastle early yesterday (Sunday March 29) and informed
A PIZZA delivery man was threatened by three masked robbers who stole £150 from him. Police are appealing for information after the robbery in Newcastle. "At 1.05am on Monday, March 30, a pizza delivery driver was approached by three masked
A FIRE that damaged six houses was started accidentally, investigators have concluded. The blaze affected six houses in Sherburn Village, near Durham City, on Monday, March 9 – apparently having started in a roof space. Two workmen in their
PRIME Minister David Cameron kicked off what he has termed "the most important General Election in a generation" with a Conservative claim that Labour is planning a £3,000 tax hike for every working family. For daily updates on the General
Stockton South is one of the most marginal constituencies in the country and could define the General Election. Chris Webber found out more. SOME moments on some election nights sear themselves in the memory and seem to define the drama of the
FIFTY years ago this Thursday, the band Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames joined the first Tamla Motown tour of the UK at a one-night stand at the celebrated Globe Theatre in Stockton.Others on the bill included The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
NATIONALLY, 70 per cent of seats at a general election do not change hands. In the North-East and North Yorkshire, that figure is even higher: in 2015, of the 37 seats that The Northern Echo watches over, only two changed political hue. This is
THE latest unemployment figures for the region show a significant drop over the past year to a seven-year low, but who should take the credit? Job prospects in the region are improving, vacancies are being created at a faster rate than anywhere in Britain
THE economy and immigration are two of the battleground issues where the election will be won and lost.But immigration control and the future of Britain's ties to Europe are areas where North-East business leaders and the electorate stand poles apart.Business
WHEN potential voters are asked about their priorities in the forthcoming election the Health Service is usually near the top of the list.This means that health care in general and the NHS in particular is one of the key battlegrounds in the May General
When David Cameron sacked controversial Education Secretary Michael Gove last summer it looked as if the Prime Minister was reining in some of the Government’s more radical schools policies.But his recent announcement that another 500 free schools would
NEWCASTLE UNITED have confirmed increased profits in their accounts for the year ending June 2014. The accounts, which were released this morning, revealed an annual profit of £18.7m after tax, which was up from £9.9m in 2013. The results signal
EMERGENCY crews came to the aid of a woman who collapsed while out running with friends. The woman was running in Guisborough Forest on Sunday evening when she started to feel unwell and then collapsed. Members of Cleveland Mountain Rescue
Roy Hodgson wants his fringe players to prove a point to him in Turin as he prepares to field an "experimental" line-up against Italy.England's confidence is running high after they thumped Lithuania 4-0 on Friday to stretch their post-World
Saturday’s washout at Warrington saw Darlington fall further behind the leaders as Salford City took advantage of Quakers’ lack of activity.They won 3-1 at Scarborough Athletic, recovering from going a goal down early on, to create a six-point gap, although
STEVE GIBSON has admitted that he wants Aitor Karanka to extend his contract, even though he thinks there will be strong interest in Middlesbrough’s highly-rated head coach. Karanka has turned Boro into automatic promotion contenders in his first
SCOTT HARRISON feels keeping Hartlepool United in the Football League will be the biggest achievement of the season.Pools looked dead and buried a month ago, but four successive wins have taken them out of the bottom two and up to third bottom.Harrison
NEIL AUSTIN: “The club is a big part of the town, a bit old school with the smell of Bovril on the terraces.’’On Saturday there wasn’t just Bovril you could smell. There was a bit of fear, but later on you could taste the excitement. Four wins in a row
A FIRM that has helped to breath new life into docks on the Tees, Tyne and Wear has been recognised with a major industry award.Founded by Tynesider Harry Wilson in South Shields in 1995 and now headquartered in Sunderland, the dry dock specialists has
A FATHER whose disabled son struggled in mainstream football coaching has launched his own club for youngsters.Chris Thebe launched Middleton Rangers Disability Football Club, in Darlington, after his seven-year-old son, Joseph, struggled to keep up with
LEE CONGERTON has instructed Sunderland’s scouting network to scour Europe for potential summer signings despite the uncertainty surrounding the club’s Premier League position.The Black Cats have back-to-back home dates with Newcastle United and Crystal
Coronation Street (ITV, 7.30 and 8.30pm)EIGHT years after jetting off to Milan with young daughter Bethany, Corrie's Sarah-Louise Platt is back on the Weatherfield cobbles with the former gymslip mum is "a little older and wiser" according to
ROLANDO AARONS is ready to hand John Carver a fitness boost ahead of Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby, but Newcastle United face a fight to keep him. The 19-year-old’s breakthrough season has been severely hampered by injury and he has not figured since
BEN GIBSON will return to the starting line-up for this evening’s England Under-21 game with Germany – and the Middlesbrough defender could find himself playing in front of a record crowd at the Riverside. More than 30,000 fans are expected as
HARRY KANE will represent England at this summer’s European Under-21 Championships, despite the Tottenham striker being set to make his first senior start in tomorrow’s friendly with Italy. Gareth Southgate leads his Under-21 side into action against
