DESCRIBED as a one-boy crime wave, Homing Pigeon Boy was arrested 80 times in 1995 and 45 times during the 36 weeks he managed to stay out of prison in 1998. He hit the headlines in 1999 when exasperated police officers voiced their despair that
Newton Aycliffe’s hopes of reaching the Northern League Cup final were dashed when they were beaten 3-1 at Ashington tonight -- but they could be reinstated. The home side took the lead when Glen Taylor fired powerfully past Aycliffe keeper James
THE management of the National Health Service, with the ever increasing demands of a growing population, is arguably the biggest challenge facing our country. Anyone who thinks there are easy answers is deluded. The NHS is a hugely complicated
TWO pupils from Teesdale School have been recognised for their outstanding community work by the High Sheriff of Durham.Lizzie Francis, of Romaldkirk, and Abigail Kent, of Barnard Castle, were honoured at County Durham’s annual Shrievalty Awards, on March
DESPITE LOSING an hour’s sleep at the weekend, several Quakers were still up bright and early as they headed out all across the region. The largest contingent of black and white was to be found at Hartlepool for the latest championship race, the Marina
Nigel Farage has insisted Ukip is the most diverse political party and "quite reflective of what modern Britain is". The Ukip leader also claimed the British passport is effectively available to half a billion people due to the country's EU membership
Nick Clegg insisted his "plucky party" can defy the polls as he began his General Election campaign after declaring the era of single-party politics is over. The Liberal Democrat leader said that in the "50 or 60" seats where his party had an MP
REAL ale enthusiasts will be sampling some of their favourite local ales at a five-day Easter beer festival at one of their chosen watering holes.The Surtees Arms, at Ferryhill Station, County Durham, is staging the event in conjunction with its in-house
A CORONER has ruled out neglect into the death of a convicted drug lord who was handcuffed to a prison officer as he lay dying in a North-East hospital.Michael Tyrrell, 65, died at the University Hospital of North Durham on May 30, 2013.Sitting at Crook
GOOD Samaritan staff at a leisure centre who rushed to help a man suffering from a potentially fatal heart attack have been given special commendations by the ambulance service and a personal thank you from the man they saved. Keen swimmer Charles
A CHARITY concert to raise cash for young musicians is opening a special exhibition of vintage guitars in North Yorkshire. Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn will hold the concert tomorrow (Wednesday, April 1) at 7.30pm in its Garden Rooms, and will feature
A DARLINGTON man appeared at court today (Tuesday, March 31) for carrying a machete around with him in the middle of the night.Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court heard how Luke Swainston, 20, was seen in Neasham Road, Darlington, after midnight on Friday
SALTBURN beach enjoyed a spring clean when a team of volunteers spent the day picking up rubbish.A syringe, rubbish dumped over the side ships and general litter was amongst the detritus that was cleared throughout the day.The event was part of a nationwide
SCHOOLCHILDREN have been enlisted to help create a new flagship theatre for youngsters in the North-East.It was announced in July that Theatre Hullabaloo had been awarded £1.5m of Arts Council funding to build a specialist facility in Darlington aimed
A NEW therapy scheme in part of Teesside and North Yorkshire means stroke patients can receive care at home rather than in hospital.South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has introduced an early supported discharge (ESD) service which is expected to
THE region’s tourism capital is planning to broaden its appeal – and inspire people to stay longer in the early evenings.York has been awarded £100,000 from the Arts Council England to create “Vespertine” - a series of culturally-inspired art installations
A NORTH-East charity is calling on retailers to become deaf aware.Durham-based Signature has launched a Get Deaf Aware campaign, aimed at helping businesses with deaf staff and customers.Bosses are offering a free training course.Communications manager
A POLICE clampdown on anti-social behaviour in a tourist hot spot has led to the arrests of four people from the North-East.Dozens of officers from the British Transport Police and North Yorkshire Police, assisted by special constables, combined to improve
THE plight of the hungry and desperate was at the heart of an election campaign visit in the region today (Tuesday, March 31). Labour’s prospective candidate for Redcar, Anna Turley, was joined by Shadow International Development Secretary, Mary
A MAN who swindled local businesses out of advertising money has been ordered to pay almost £3,000 in compensation and costs.Stephen Lloyd, of Stanhope Road, Billingham, sold advertising in The Phone Box Directory to a number of local businesses, but
YORKSHIRE Cancer Research is to invest £5m in projects which address what it describes as a North-South divide in cancer outcomes.The Harrogate-based charity is investing the millions in nine projects which aim to improve the diagnosis, treatment and
A RURAL part of North Yorkshire has been named as being among Britain's most dangerous places for local road users.A report by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) – a registered charity – and insurer Direct Line found the Thirsk
ULTRA distance runner Sharon Gayter has started her world record treadmill attempt. With a target of setting a double record, she will spend two days and two nights running at Teesside University in an attempt to cover a distance in excess of 200
A HUGE landmark which kept thousands of Teesside folk supplied with gas for over 50 years is to be dismantled.The gas storage unit, just off Stockton's Portrack Lane on The Black Path, was built in 1954 and could store more than three million cubic feet
DUNCAN WATMORE will be pushing himself to the limit in the next three days in an attempt to secure a place in Sunderland’s squad for Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby with Newcastle. Having impressed in a number of development matches this season, 21-year-old
AN 83-year-old woman was left lying on the cold, wet pavement for more than half an hour after a fall in Darlington town centre.Bystanders rushed to help the stricken pensioner outside Eden Mobility shop on the corner of Tubwell Row and Prebend Row.Staff
A YOUNG mother who achieved worldwide fame when she stepped in to help a disabled pensioner has revealed ambitious plans for her biggest fund raising challenge to date. Katie Cutler has revealed she is launching her own charitable foundation and
POWER distributor Northern Powergrid says it has now delivered its safety message about the dangers of live electricity to more than 30,000 youngsters across the region.The company’s programme of free workshops and events has been rolled across schools
BY-ELECTIONS are to be held for four newly vacant county council seats.Polls will be held in the Durham County Council divisions of Barnard Castle West, Sherburn, Ferryhill and Willington and Hunwick.There is one vacancy in each division on the Labour-dominated
A MOTHER whose teenage son was killed in Iraq says the loss never gets easier, eight years on.Karen Lincoln’s 18-year-old son Aaron was shot dead in Basra while on patrol with 2nd Battalion The Rifles on April 2, 2007, at the start of a seven-month tour
A CONSULTANT whose baby son who died of a rare lung disorder is preparing to run a marathon with other medics to raise funding for research.Simon Ashwell, a consultant at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, will be running the Edinburgh
CRAFTSPEOPLE and food producers will be selling their goods at Croft Artisan Market from 9.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday (April 4).On sale will be artisan bread, cakes, preserves, jewellery, photographs and artwork, wood-turned products, soaps and beautiful
A KARATE champ is winning fresh plaudits for her first picture book, a humorous look at what not to do with a baby.Sunderland-born illustrator Holly Sterling, a design graduate from the University of Sunderland, drew on her own experiences as a child
MORE than £50,000 is on offer to businesses to help secure jobs for graduates in Hambleton district.The scheme has already helped 22 graduates get secure jobs in 17 businesses in the area, including solicitors, engineering and retail companies. The fund
A NIGHT-TIME prowler in a Halloween mask who left householders terrified was responsible for more than 60 crimes, it has emerged. Ian Walker was caught in December after an alarming spate of burglaries in his own community around Loftus, east Cleveland
NEW Sunderland signing Suzanne Mulvey says she cannot wait to make her FA Women’s Super League debut as Manchester City prepare to visit the Hetton Centre tomorrow. Scotland international Mulvey was the Lady Black Cats’ first signing in the off-season
WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz, flew into the North-East today (Tuesday, March 2).The cast has a four-week engagement at the Sunderland Empire, with almost 50,000 tickets sold for
A SOCIAL housing provider is looking to breathe new life into a community hub by offering a series of training courses.Dale and Valley Homes, of South Church Enterprise Park, Bishop Auckland, has taken on the running of Mickle Grove Community Hub.The
THE future of a community association that provides leisure and learning for more than 1,000 people a week is under threat, after a council confirmed it wanted to “dispose” of its base.Leaders of the Durham Gilesgate Youth and Community Association (GYCA
WATER company bosses have withdrawn an objection which could have proved a barrier to permission being granted for a ground share between a football club and a rugby club. Darlington FC and Darlington Rugby Club have agreed a deal to share the
THE photograph that appeared in From the Editor's Chair showing the new sign outside the Fleece Inn in Northallerton was certainly "eyecatching" (Echo, Mar 30). In its Olde English type script, it says: "The oldest put in Northallerton where Charles
ONCE again you report that if Air Passenger Duty is removed by Scotland, it will damage Newcastle airport. I fail to see why (Echo, Mar 13). As from April 1, the tax per passenger for economy passengers is £13-per-head for journeys of less than
I WONDER why people today think that the NHS is free when it has never been free. Sometimes under Labour, the prescription has been free but even then pensioners had to pay for dental treatment and specs. We are brought up to be easy-going, but
AN OUT-of-hours GP service has been criticised after moving 17 miles at the weekend when a leaking roof causing electrical problems. The out of hours service at Harewood Medical Practice in Catterick Garrison was a replacement for the service run
A STUDENT who collected more than 1,000 advent calendars for charity is hoping to repeat the trick with Easter Eggs. Teesside University student Lauri Cox, 27, is hoping to make a difference to the lives of needy children. She said: “I started doing this
THE recent proposal to expand A&E departments at Darlington and Durham is unbelievable when, after five years of public funding cuts and the NHS finances in a critical situation, health chiefs propose to spend £20m funding the improvements through
THERE were 180 A&Es in the country in 2012. Are we going to be left with just 40? Pop down to your local A&E. Check to see if signs have gone up calling it a "Major Emergency Department" or just an "Emergency Department". I was dismayed
I HAVE just spent a day on Ward 20 of Bishop Auckland Hospital. I cannot speak highly enough of all the staff who work on this ward. I was treated like a king. Nothing was any trouble. I wish this wonderful hospital was brought up to full capacity
I WAS disgusted to hear that £20m is to be spent on a new A&E department at the University of North Durham Hospital because its present one is overworked (Echo, Mar 27). We had an A&E at Bishop Auckland which was closed down. One of the
A PARALYMPIC hopeful denied all Lottery and Government funding is appealing for the public’s help to keep her on the road to Rio.Despite having represented her country at London 2012 and since claimed two world cup bronze medals, wheelchair fencer Gemma
A MONTH or two back, my wife and I had our worst experience ever walking the North York Moors. And since we’ve been wandering the moors for more than 60 years, I think that statement carries some weight.Over those six-plus decades we’ve encountered difficulties
AN autism charity has held its first appointments at a new outreach support service in Bedale. Action for Asperger's offers help and support to those adversely affected by Asperger Syndrome, including parents, carers, siblings and partners.It is believed
A BOX blown under car in last night’s (Monday, March 30) high winds turned out to be full of cannabis.The box was found near Coronation Terrace, Dragonville, Durham City.Police said it contained a “large quantity of cannabis” and added: “Feel free to
SECOND DIVISION Tudhoe United reached the final of the Tom Waggott cup with a 3-2 victory over Spennymoor Salvin Arms. Anthony Philipson (2) and Stuart Maughan were on target for Tudhoe with Connor Embleton and Adam Walton replying for Salvins. Cockfield
SOMEONE in the North-East could be a millionaire without knowing it.The National Lottery is hunting for a EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker winner who has yet to claim.The winner struck lucky in the Friday, March 13, draw with a ticket bought on North
I WOULD like to contradict Peter Jefferies' letter (HAS, Mar 30). There is not a need for an A&E extension at the University Hospital of North Durham. There already is an excellent A&E facility in Bishop Auckland, which was closed even
ANTHONY JOSHUA is determined to make up for lost time when he returns to the ring against Jason Gavern at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena on Saturday night. A stress fracture of the back forced Joshua to miss a planned January bout with Kevin Johnson
CHILDREN from Bedale Primary school teamed up with local estate agent George F White to celebrate Easter.The company challenged year eight and nine pupils to make Easter egg decorations in a competition at the firm's office in Bedale. Six winners were
HARTLEPOOL UNITED have once again slashed prices, this time for the Easter Monday game against Southend United at Victoria Park. Saturday’s 2-1 win over Cambridge United was played out in front of the biggest crowd of the season as over 5,000 cheered
NORTH Yorkshire Police are leading the hunt for a convicted murderer who has gone on the run. William Kerr is wanted for emergency recall to prison after he breached his release licence. The force said Kerr, 53, "needs to be arrested and returned
ON Good Friday, the racing community in Middleham opens its doors to the public, welcoming them to visit the local yards to see hundreds of racehorses up close and relaxed in their home environment. As well as being a great day out and an opportunity
THREE special markets will be held in Durham during May.The annual Youth Market will return on Sunday, May 10, with aspiring entrepreneurs aged under 24 invited to book a stall and pitch their creations. Stalls cost £25 each.A Love Your Local Market event
A FORMER Olympic swimmer is encouraging stroke survivors, their families and friends to take part in a sponsored walk in Darlington in May.Sharron Davies is championing the Step Out for Stroke series for the Stroke Association.A sponsored walk for the
A COMMUNITY garden and a cricket pavilion refurbishment are among the Chester-le-Street projects sharing £28,000.More than 1,000 Chester-le-Street residents attended Chester-le-Street and District Area Action Partnership’s (AAP) It’s Up 2 U event and
A POLICE officer who donated his stem cells to help others is urging more potential lifesavers to join the register.David Bowley, from Consett, twice donated stem cells to save the life of a patient in desperate need of a transplant.Now the 32-year-old
A NEW Flybe service from the North-East to London Stansted is among the flights set to boost the regional economy, said airport chiefs. Flybe has started operating its summer schedule from Newcastle Airport which features five routes including
A DEDICATED Darlington nurse has been shortlisted for a major national award.Chris Shield works tirelessly to help autistic people in his role as clinical nurse manager.Based at the Newbus Grange autism service in Neasham, Mr Shield has now been shortlisted
By Lauri Cox YOUNGSTERS at a North-East nursery are celebrating after it received full marks in a recent inspection. Kids 1st Darlington, situated in the West Park area of the town, has achieved its second ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report since
SPRING has sprung and with it comes the patter of tiny feet – or in this case some not so tiny ones. Giraffes George and Lizzy have welcomed a new arrival to their growing family at Flamingo Land Zoo near Pickering in North Yorkshire. The yet-to-be-named
WORK is to resume on a £1.8m project to build a new roundabout at an accident blackspot T-junction. The first phase of work on the scheme to build a roundabout at the junction of the A167 and B6300 at Sunderland Bridge, next to the Honest Lawyer
COUNCILLORS will next week debate plans to demolish outbuildings to make way for a non-commercial vehicle and boat storage facility. David MacKenzie wants to build a 5.5m high storage building in Beaumont Hill and has applied to Darlington Borough
A RECORD number of restaurants, pubs, cafes and other food and drink providers have won a county’s highest quality award this year.Thirty-four venues across County Durham were awarded the Highest Quality Assured status in the annual Taste Durham awards
TALENTED young dancers are sure to keep the professionals on their toes when they perform alongside them in an Easter pantomime.Six dancers, aged from 15 to 20, from Aycliffe Dance Academy in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, will share the stage with celebrities
NEW rail franchises in the region will expand the “great rail rip off”, the RMT union has claimed.In an open letter to MPs RMT general secretary Mick Cash said to date the existing Northern Rail and TransPennine Express franchises had between them paid
HARTLEPOOL is Ukip's number one target in the North-East. Should it win, it will create an earthquake in North-East politics – and this time it'd be a very serious earthquake.The last time a seismic shift in Hartlepool was registered on a national level
Hairspray, York Grand Opera HouseIS there a more feelgood musical than Hairspray? And is there a more polished, more entertaining presentation than this York Stage Musicals show that’s playing to full houses. This five-star production is Jessica Hardcastle
PAUL NICHOLLS expects to have a four-strong team for the Crabbie's Grand National at Aintree on April 11. Rocky Creek, fifth 12 months ago, and progressive young grey Unioniste will lead the champion trainer's assault on the world's greatest steeplechase
THE Liberal Democrats have urged the Conservatives to "come clean" about their plans to cut benefits by £12 billion. Lord Scriven, the party's General Election spokesman, claimed David Cameron either did not know where the axe will fall or "he
TWO FORMER prison officers have been arrested on suspicion of physical and sexual assaults at a County Durham young offenders’ centre, it has been revealed today. The men aged 69 and 58, were questioned as part of a major probe by Durham Constabulary
AERIAL ran very well for a long way at the Cheltenham Festival and should take a great deal of beating in the Totnes And Bridgetown Open Hunters' Chase at Exeter. Now with Jack Barber, having previously been in the care of Paul Nicholls, Aerial
IN most spheres of business, the accounts posted by Newcastle United this morning would have been met with universal praise. Newcastle's accounts reveal increased profits Post-tax profits almost doubled, rising from £9.9m to £18.7m,
The Belmont Moor End Terrace, Belmont, Durham City DH1 1BJ Tel: 0191-383-1103 Website: thebelmontcountydurham.co.uk Food quality: 4 Ambience: 3 Service: 3 Value for Money: 4 IT’S a tricky time for the pub, that Great British
HOME improvement chain B&Q is to close as many as 60 stores over the next two years as part of a restructuring of its UK and Ireland business. Parent company Kingfisher, which also owns Screwfix, plans to axe about 15 per cent of surplus space
MORE than a third of North-East 11 to 17-year-olds think watching pornography is normal for young people, a survey has found. According to a questionnaire by the NSPCC's ChildLine service, 27 per cent of young people in the region quizzed said
JORDAN Hugill was praised by Ronnie Moore for an impressive debut – but the Hartlepool United boss wants his new striker to be greedier.Hugill, Middlesbrough-born, arrived on loan from Preston last week and made his mark in Pools’ vital win over Cambridge
A MARRIED dad has told how a former friend's attack on him has changed his life forever after suffering a fractured skull and brain haemorrhage. The engineer was felled with a single blow from Richard Hutchinson following a long-running and bitter
A WOMAN described feeling as if she had been “savaged by a wild dog”, after suffering a prolonged bite to her lip, a court heard. Andrew Hawkey refused to release his grip as he lay over the screaming victim, pinning her down, ignoring her desperate
A TAXI driver was last night fighting for his life following a two car smash.The 36-year-old, from the Darlington area, was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, on Friday night in a critical condition after the collision on the
Newcastle United have finished in the black for the fourth successive year, with post-tax profits doubling from £9.9m to £18.7m. See comment If you are planning on having a play-fight with your brother, using a tea towels and a hot water bottle
A TEACHER who encouraged a teenager to send him explicit photographs and invited her to sign a slave contract has been banned from the classroom. Maths teacher Kelvin Loraine struck up a relationship with a 15-year-old girl after meeting her in
Ordinary Lies (BBC1, 9pm) ACTRESS Sally Lindsay was so keen to play the role of fibbing Kathy in Danny Brocklehurst's Ordinary Lies that she told a whopper of her own. Her character has a Newfoundland dog to work with and the 41-year-old told
MARTIN GRAY is not worried by Spennymoor’s rise in fortunes and has called on his Darlington players to focus on their own jobs tonight.Quakers travel to Northwich Victoria to play one of their two games in hand over EvoStik League Division One North
CONSERVATIVE candidate James Wharton has been named in a High Court challenge over plans to build 550 homes.The homes, at Little Maltby Farm, in Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, could go ahead if the court appeal later this year is successful.The Stockton
AN equestrian centre that sparked uproar by shooting a horse and dumping it in a garden is embroiled in legal action over three other horses dying there in similar circumstances. Dan Kelbie, of Darlington, said he had launched a civil suit against
GALE force winds have caused havoc on the region's roads. Police were called to the A1(M) near J60 at Sedgefield at about 4.15am this morning after a lorry overturned on the southbound carriageway. At about 4.30am another lorry blew over on
THE parents of two British medical students stabbed to death while in Malaysia on a placement have said they are "pleased" after a man was found guilty of murder, but added that the verdict will not bring their sons back. Newcastle University students
