DARLINGTON’S general election candidates were quizzed about their views on the future of arts and culture in the town last night. Representatives of all political parties took part in the public event at Polam Hall School’s Liddiard building, kick-starting
MIDDLESBROUGH’S development side moved a giant step closer to the Barclays Under-21 Premier League Second Division title as they claimed a 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Riverside. Goals from Emmanuel Ledesma, Lewis Maloney and Yanic Wildschut sent
SIEM DE JONG continued his comeback from injury as Newcastle United’s development side claimed a 2-1 win at Aston Villa. Adam Armstrong scored both goals to push his claims for a first-team starting spot in Saturday’s home game with Swansea, but
HUNDREDS of handcrafted poppies will take centre stage during a remembrance service to honour those who fought in Gallipoli and the First World War.As part of the centenary commemorations, ten Middlesbrough’s schools have made nearly 2,000 artificial
FRIDAY 24 April: Div One Cup: Coundon Miners Arms v Witton Park Rose and Crown (Hall Lane, Willington 6.45pm) Sunday 26 April: Div Three Cup: Bishop Lacey's v DSRM (Hall Lane, Willington 10.30am) Submitted by Maurice Galley
A DOG charity says it is bracing itself for an influx of ‘wolf look alike’ breeds following the start of the new television series of Games of Thrones. Dogs Trust Darlington issued the warning after series five of the popular show got underway.
POLICE have arrested a second person following the death of a man on the A1 near the Angel of the North on Sunday. The 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the collision, say Northumbria Police, and has been released on police bail
ONE person was hurt after a two-vehicle collision in Tyne and Wear. The accident happened this evening (Monday) at the junction of Birkheads Lane and Birkland Lane, near Sunniside, Gateshead. Police were called at 5pm. It involved a Ford Fiesta
FAMILIES across the region put their best foot forward to raise awareness of autism last week.The North East Autism Society (NEAS), which has a school in Newton Aycliffe, staged a one-mile walk in Herrington Country Park to raise awareness of the condition
SCHOOL pupils got their chance to quiz Bishop Auckland’s election candidates today (April 20), after organising their own hustings event.More than 70 pupils from Teesdale School, in Barnard Castle, attended the event which was organised by Year 13 politics
WORK has begun on an £18m project that will see overhead power lines removed from the stunning views of the North York Moors as they are re-laid underground.Northern Powergrid has begun work on creating a new underground cable network between Whitby and
SPRING has officially arrived at RSPB Saltholme with the birth of 64 lambs. The lambs have been born throughout April and are now enjoying the sunshine at their home. Lydia Tague, visitor experience officer at RSPB Saltholme, said: “They are Shetland
A MAN attacked a “friend” in his own home after entering uninvited while the victim slept, a court was told.Mark Yarrow gouged the waking man’s eyes with his thumbs, bit his nose and then tried to unleash an ornamental samurai sword.But as he struggled
A PIONEERING new scheme to help get people back into work is celebrating its first successful year.More than a dozen local residents took part in the Job Club which was delivered by Willington Community Action (WCA), in Willington, near Crook.As part
PLANS to move a council service and a library into a leisure centre will cost over £2m and save around £62,000 a year, it has been revealed. Durham County Council has confirmed its budget for moving Stanley Library and its customer access point
WITH the SNP still surging in the polls, one man was on a mission to find the most, er, colourful description of the party’s all-conquering leader. We awoke to newspaper headlines screaming that Nicola Sturgeon is planning to “hold Britain to ransom
SIR BRADLEY WIGGINS has been confirmed as the star attraction at the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, which will take place at the start of next month. Having left Team Sky after this month’s Paris-Roubaix classic, Wiggins will make his first appearance
THE owner of a pub at the centre of an outbreak of food poisoning has appealed to customers to give it another chance.Michael Alan Flegg appeared in court last week to admit nine food hygiene breaches in relation to 25 customers who suffered gastoenteritis
HISTORY sleuths can learn to dig deeper with the help of experts tomorrow (Tuesday, April 21).A workshop is being held to encourage amateur historians to get involved with the creation of an online resource mapping the impact of WWI on the people of the
ORGANISERS of one of the region’s most popular food festivals have expressed their delight after more than 38,000 people attended the two day-event. Food lovers of all ages attended Bishop Auckland Food Festival over the weekend, sampling home-grown and
ONE of the largest rose gardens in the country is to open in the grounds of a North-East's country house in August as part of a larger £5.3 million development.The £1.6 million garden at Wynyard Hall, near Stockton, will contain more than 3,000 roses
DISABLED youngsters with a talent for football laced up their boots for a special event.Twelve youngsters from Darlington and further afield took part in the cerebral palsy football event, at Eastbourne Sports Complex, in the town this weekend.The event
POLICE investigating an alleged historic sexual assault want to trace wrestlers from the 1990s.The victim, who was a child at the time, was sexually assaulted at Sandy Bay Caravan Park, Ashington, Northumberland, in 1994. Police believe that wrestlers
A ROADSHOW to improve young people’s perception of how they look has been launched at a school in the North-East.Students from North Durham Academy in Stanley, County Durham, will spend the week working with the Friendly Development Charity on its Beautiful
A MAN unable to accept the end of a long-term relationship lay in wait to attack his ex-partner and her new boyfriend on their return from a day out, a court heard.Durham Crown Court heard it was the culmination of a course of behaviour by John Lawson
DOG walkers raised hundreds of pounds to tackle the Ebola crisis by staging a “church crawl”.Around 20 animal lovers took their pets on the circular three-mile walk around six churches in Durham City on Sunday.The effort raised more than £500 for international
LABOUR has vowed to ban fracking in National Parks if it wins power – after the Coalition paved the way for it to go ahead.The Opposition said outlawing any drilling for shale gas in beauty spots was key to ensuring the new technology did not “degrade
HUNDREDS of children will race to Durham Cathedral when the Durham Dash returns this summer.Organisers say more than 700 primary school children from Durham and Chester-le-Street will take part in the 550-metre race from Durham Market Place to the cathedral
YOUNGSTERS created a vision to transform a caravan and rundown area of land into an “amazing space” when they took part in a design challenge backed by Channel 4’s George Clarke.DurhamGate business park teamed up with architects FaulknerBrowns and Colour
A SHOP robber who threatened to shoot a worker before fleeing with a handful of bank notes was today jailed for three years.Kenny Graham told the terrified assistant he had a gun, and demanded: "Just give me the f*****g money, get me the f*****g
EMERGENCY services were called to a two-car collision close to a North-East college. A black Audi A3 and a dark-coloured Volkwagen Golf were involved in a collision close to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, just before 3pm on
BLUES, brass and bald heads sit side by side in the Gala Theatre’s newly announced summer programme.The Durham Blues Festival returns to the Durham City theatre on Saturday, June 20, with soul legend Geno Washington the headline act.The annual Brass festival
A GROUP of biking vicars have set off on the trip of a lifetime from North Yorkshire to the cradle of Christianity.The 725 mile pilgrimage will take the clergy from Leyburn to the Island of Iona, off the West Coast of Scotland, where St Columba landed
NORTH rail projects will be “cancelled” if Labour strikes a post-election deal with the SNP, George Osborne claimed today (Monday, April 20).The Chancellor opened a new front in criticising the Scottish Nationalists holding the balance of power, by pointing
THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway is holding a family volunteering weekend to help carry out work on the 18 mile long heritage network.Family groups, which can include fathers, sons, mothers, daughters and grandchildren, can wade in to help with repairs
THERE were delays in Darlington this afternoon after a lorry spilled a large amount of glass on the westbound carriageway of the A66. The road was closed for a short time between Bridge Road and the A1(M) while the glass was swept up.
THE funeral of murder victim Tipu Sultan will be held on Wednesday (April 22).Mr Sultan, 32, of Sunderland, was gunned down outside his family’s Herbs and Spice Kitchen takeaway on Lake Avenue, in Marsden, South Shields, on Tuesday, April 7.His funeral
ELITE cycle racing will return to Durham next month (May).For the sixth consecutive year, the city will host a stage of the thrilling Pearl Izumi Tour Series.Durham’s race will see nine teams of professional cyclists plus a guest team hurtling round the
POLICE have released an image of a man they would like to trace in connection with an assault on a woman.The victim suffered serious head injuries during the assault in the Acomb area of York during the early hours of Saturday, April 18.Now police have
NICOLA Sturgeon launched the SNP election manifesto with a pledge that her party would not only fight to "make Scotland stronger" but would also use its influence to bring about "real and positive change" for ordinary people across the UK. The
A POST Office which has been at the heart of its community for years is relocating after as its popular sub-postmistress retires.Andrea Patchett followed in her parent’s footsteps when she took on the Post Office in Tindale Crescent, near Bishop Auckland
FIRE crews were called to a small blaze - which was found to have been started by a Womble. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue were called to a property in Harrogate on Sunday evening, after receiving reports of the smell of burning in a loft of a
ONE of the county's biggest food festivals has gained the backing of a range of well-known businesses as it makes plans for its AGM.Northallerton’s Homegrown Food Festival has clinched sponsorship with the Kerfoot Group, department store Barkers, Wall
STUDENTS and teachers are celebrating after a new school and college collaboration has been launched.Northallerton School and Sixth Form College is promising a fresh approach for 11 to 18-year olds in the town and surrounding villages after a proposal
TWO evenings of food and entertainment, held by Darlington Rotary Club, raised more than £4,000 for good causes.The two main beneficiaries will be St Teresa's Hospice and Butterwick Hospice, with a small amount going to other charities supported by the
A SCHEME to help students develop their employability skills has proven to be a triumph once again, organisers said.Darlington Cares – a partnership of the town’s employers whose skills and expertise are matched to community projects – has worked with
A BUSY food bank project that supports hundreds of families every week is appealing for a plot of land to grow fresh fruit and vegetables for its users.Darlington Foodstore Network, which has five distribution points across the town, is looking for a
THE world banjo-throwing championships have taken place in New York. The annual contest was won by Tyler Frank with a throw of 85 feet. The prize for the winner was...a new banjo.
A SUBSEA company says it will create jobs and strengthen production after announcing a £1.5m finance deal.Ennsub is being supported by The Scottish Loan Fund.The cash investment comes as the firm seeks to build on lucrative contracts to supply the specialist
A WOMAN is standing as what is believed to be the North-East’s first openly transgender councillor.Ellie Lowther is standing for election in East Cleveland, hoping to represent residents of the Lockwood ward on Redcar and Cleveland’s council.The 48-year-old
A PETITION against privatising the NHS is to be handed to prospective parliamentary candidates.The petition will be handed to candidates in Easington, east Durham on Saturday April 25 when a national day of action organised by the group 38 Degrees is
UP to 100 artists are being offered the chance to secure gallery space in a seven week exhibition in North Yorkshire.‘A Spot on the Wall’ is the chance for dozens of artists to secure gallery space in The Station at Richmond. As well as promoting their
CHARITY fundraisers are to drive a battered Ford Focus 1,135miles from Blackpool to Benidorm to raise money for a cancer charity close to their hearts. Wayne Thexton, Ian McLean and Stephen Wragg, who form the Wear Valley Tanks team, will drive
RESIDENTS in Ryedale and the North Yorkshire coast are being warned to plan ahead of the area hosting the first stage of an international cycling race. North Yorkshire County Council said while some roads in the area would be closed for between
TWO men have been taken to hospital following a collision on a main road outside Stanley town centre this morning (Monday, April 20). Emergency services were called to the A693, near the Ox Inn, at 7.30am and the road was closed. A 30-year-old
TENANTS are getting training on making their money go further.Monkey, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, is working with social housing providers and voluntary sector organisations in County Durham to run budgeting skills training courses.More than 400 people
The Championship promotion race is hurtling towards its climax, with just two more weekends of action to go. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson assesses the prospects of the four sides involved in the battle for automatic promotion 1 WATFORD
ARMED police searched a field on the outskirts of Middlesbrough following reports of a man walking through a field with a gun. Officers traced the man in the area of Upsall Grange Farm, Nunthorpe, near Middlesbrough, and discovered he was carrying
FIRE crews were called to a small blaze - which was found to have been started by a Womble. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue were called to a property in Harrogate on Sunday evening, after receiving reports of the smell of burning in a loft of a
SATURDAY 11TH Apriul saw the club men's first and second teams play out the last games of the 2014/15 season. Coming in to this game Thirsk men’s 1st team knew they could finish no lower than 5th or higher than 4th, so with nothing on the line Thirsk
THE Corpse Way stretches, lugubriously, the 12 miles from Keld to Grinton, in Swaledale. Since Grinton was the nearest consecrated ground, 18th Century mourners would carry the body in a wicker basket, periodically stopping for liquid refreshment.
CONTROL of the Department for Education could be one of the key Liberal Democrat demands in any future coalition, Nick Clegg has indicated as he launched a fresh assault on Michael Gove's school reforms. The Liberal Democrat leader said he wanted
FIVE horses perished in stable fire this morning, while a policewoman helped save a further 15 more from certain death. Firefighters were alerted as the blaze ripped through Station House Stables in Coxgreen Road, Cox Green, Penshaw, on Wearside
It's rare to read the name Helen Mirren without seeing the word 'sexy' in the same sentence but, as Jeananne Craig finds out, the actress is so much more than thatFrom her note-perfect performances on the big screen to her stylish turns on the red carpet
CLAIMS by a national newspaper that a North-East hospital chief executive was given a pay package of £1.26m - the highest claimed by an NHS boss last year – have been strongly rejected by trust officials. As part of a wide-ranging article highlighting
Painter John Keane draws inspiration from troubles around the world and now paintings based on the 1930s Stalinist terror have won him a top art prize. STEVE PRATT reports For painter John Keane, the Falklands War in 1982 set him off along a path
Running a restaurant is not quite as easy as simply serving good foodTHERE are many reasons as to why restaurants are such risky businesses and so many fail but one of the biggest is that they’re not very good at telling people that they’re there. As
It's finally spring, which means it's time to start perfecting your lawn For many of us in the UK the first signs of spring bring out the great British obsession with obtaining the perfect lawn, whether formally striped flanked by bedding, left
As the founder of events company She's Gott It, Nickie Gott brings passion and creativity to all she does - yet this belies a struggle for self-esteem and the strain of having to cope with cancer. Sarah Foster meets her WHEN asked to describe her
This week’s recipe is a simple chocolate tart of few ingredients so you need to use very good cooking chocolate with a high level of cocoa solids. Use plain chocolate if you prefer the more bitter taste. INGREDIENTS Serves six to eight For
The craft beer revolution is in full flow as new generation of beer drinker forgoes Fosters for radical new flavours For the past couple of decades, news from the pub front has been grim. We’ve been drinking less beer, going out less, and as a
Six places in the region were named in the top 50 Best Places to Live in the Countryside by The Sunday Times. Barnard Castle was the only place in County Durham named, while Helmsley, Runswick Bay and Welburn, were recognised in North Yorkshire and
A waning sex drive is part of getting old, right men? Or it could be a symptom of a very treatable health condition, says Nel Staveley Nearly half of British men would rather tackle the mind-numbing hell of filling in a tax return form than talk
As they prepare their home for this year's open days, playwright Ian Curteis and his wife Lady Deirdre tell Chris Brayshay what it's like to live at historic Markenfield Hall LIVING far from the madding crowd suits Ian Curteis and his wife, Lady
More freedom could mean more confusion over pension choices Easter Monday saw the most radical changes to private pensions for a generation. The political spin is it’s ‘freedom and choice in pensions’. Yet more choice means it’s far easier to get
OVER the weekend, BBC News 24 inadvertently highlighted the underlying cause of many of the conflicts and suffering that exist in the world at the present time. In one of the bulletins about buying property in Dubai, the pictures showed magnificent
ANOTHER BUSY week at Catterick Golf Club with the Seniors, Ladies & Gents all playing a qualifying competition and the junior lessons beginning again (If you are interested in bringing your child to junior lessons then please E-mail: Catterickgolfclubmarketing
WHO will end up running this country and turn it back into the land of milk and honey? The answer is no one because ‘we ain't got no money, honey’. The best outcome we could expect is for the Conservatives to stay put in coalition with Ukip
COUNCILS in the region are paying out more than £1 million a year to staff who work full time on trade union business, The Northern Echo can reveal. Unions chiefs and council bosses have defended the roles, saying staff have the right to union
Lancaster City 0 Darlington 0 Darlington usually do things the hard way, it’s nothing new to their diehard fans. Only in the penultimate game of their Northern League season did they clinch promotion, the 2011 FA Trophy final winner came in
DARLINGTON striker Nathan Cartman was night named Evo-Stik League First Division North player of the year. He was one of two Darlington players to receive recognition at the league’s annual awards ceremony with team-mate Chris Hunter also honoured
I READ with interest your editorial comment on Saturday (Apr 18) "A miracle or a mirage" and, in particular, the quote: "Ed Miliband has been so unconvincing as a potential prime minister, until last night’s TV debate.” Having played a small role
I WOULD imagine that Heather Smith, County Councillor for Evenwood, has all the right credentials to speak about the NHS (HAS, Apr 18). She has spent many years working in the NHS as a paediatric doctor and consultant. I would imagine that
TOMAS KALAS wants to return to Middlesbrough next season – and the Chelsea full-back is confident he will be rejoining a side that is playing in the Premier League. Friday night’s 1-0 win over Norwich City marked the end of Kalas’ loan deal from
A REMARKABLE businesswoman who led a Dales dynasty by example has died at the age of 78. Greengrocer Joan Rutherford, who ran and lived at her shop in Stanhope, County Durham, for more than six decades, passed away on Thursday (April 16). At
A PAEDOPHILE'S Twitter account containing a picture of children has been suspended after the issue was raised by The Northern Echo.Robert Fothergill, from Richmond, is facing jail after pleading guilty at Teesside Crown Court of causing or inciting a
MAJOR proposals for a £1.5bn fertiliser mine could cause a regional skills shortage and halt an existing company’s multi-million pound expansion, it has been claimed. Sirius Minerals’ York Potash Project, planned for a site near Whitby, will move
AS he trudged away from Kenilworth Road following another defeat, the Hartlepool United supporter summed it up quite nicely: “If we don’t go down this season then we never will.’’Bottom of the table for two thirds of the campaign and despite taking two
JOHN CARVER refused to blame fans for protesting after Newcastle United suffered a sixth straight defeat which has left the head coach admitting: ‘We are in a relegation fight’. The Magpies, 14th in the Premier League, are just seven points above
London Bees 0 Durham Women 4By Tom Van KlaverenJess Havelock couldn’t hide her delight after her debut goal completed the scoring in Durham’s comprehensive FA WSL 2 victory over London Bees at The Hive.Beth Hepple’s two goals in two first-half minutes
Goals: 1-0: McGeehan (5, free header nodded across goal after losing the attention of Harewood)2-0: Cullen pen (foul by Tshibola, spot kick rolled low past Flinders)3-0: Griffiths (75, scrambled in from close range after another corner caused carnage)
Coronation Street (ITV, 7.30pm)SUNDERLAND'S Melanie Hill says she isn't one to worry about the past, but admits she's still kicking herself over one mistake."It was when my agent said, 'I've got an interview for a new series set in an office and
BLAYDON played their full part in what was described as an excellent advert for National One rugby in a 34-26 defeat away to Hartpury Students.As well as being very fast over the ground, the students recycled with great speed but despite running Blaydon
Sunderland 2 Bristol Academy 1Midfielder Rachel Furness says Sunderland are overjoyed by their start to the FA WSL 1 season after claiming their second win in three games.Last season’s FA WSL 2 champions fell behind when Furness gave away possession and
AIMEE WILLMOTT insists she left London a better swimmer after she brought the curtain down on her British Swimming Championships with a silver in the 400 individual medley final. It was never going to be an easy task for Willmott as she took to the London
AFTER celebrating a hat-trick of victories the previous weekend – including the National 12-Stage Road Relay Championships for the first time – Morpeth Harriers again struck gold when Ian Harding gave himself a belated birthday present by winning yesterday
Darlington Mowden Park 19 Old Albanians 51WITH one eye on giving young players more experience, Mowden Park failed to rise to the occasion when a crowd of 1,252 turned up for the final home game of the season.There was no shortage of entertainment but
RONNIE Moore admits David Mirfin was badly missed in his Hartlepool United defence at the weekend.Mirfin suffered a toe injury in the midweek draw with Accrington and was forced out of the defeat at Luton.And it was clear how important the Scunthorpe
SUNDERLAND have crashed to within a point of the Premier League relegation zone, and Leicester boss Nigel Pearson expects their worries to intensify as his own in-form team continue their remarkable rise up the table. Leicester’s 2-0 win over Swansea
A GROUP representing more than 200 countryside organisations has claimed Whitehall funding formulas are disadvantaging rural councils in the North-East and North Yorkshire - leaving them with more than £100 per head less to spend compared to urban
THE parents of two young boys sexually abused by a teenager have spoken of their anger after his sentence was cut on appeal. Mark Anthony Smith, of Park Lane, Darlington, groomed and befriended the young boys, before raping and abusing one and
