MORE than 400 probation jobs are threatened with the axe under "drastic" cuts in a number of centres across the country, including the North-East, according to unions. Sodexo was said to be planning to lay off 436 staff at six community rehabilitation
A 16-YEAR-OLD girl whose older brother beat her with a table leg after she objected to him watching a World Cup football match must go into local authority care, a family court judge has ruled. The girl said she was attacked during the 2014 World
POLICE have issued an appeal for help in finding missing 68-year-old Peter Bond, who was last seen at around 4pm on Tuesday in the Acklam area of Middlesbrough. Like the Echo's new Middlesbrough news Facebook page His family are extremely concerned
A JURY has retired to decide whether a former soldier who survived an IRA bomb blast has dishonestly claimed £42,000 in benefits he was not entitled to. David Sutherland has already admitted falsely claiming more than £85,000 in benefits since
FOR far too long, the area now labelled the Tees Valley has hidden its light under a bushel. It changed the world by giving birth to the railways and yet it has failed to capitalise on that magnificent claim to fame. The Northern Echo has persistently
A COUNCILLOR has labelled the North-East Combined Authority (Neca) a "Labour Party quango". Outspoken Durham County Councillor John Shuttleworth has written a letter to Chancellor George Osborne to express outrage at what he sees as just another
RAIN AND mud failed to put off visitors to today’s Ryedale Show – as it demonstrated why the district is fast becoming a food-producing epicentre for the country. Tractors were poised to pull stricken motorists from Ryedale Show’s water-logged
A WOMAN who was found guilty of driving without due care and attention after causing serious abdominal injuries to another car passenger has been spared a disqualification.Margaret Nicholson, 64, from Gainford, County Durham, who said she had no recollection
CHILDREN are invited to find the Gruffalo in Barnard Castle on Sunday, August 9.The event, organised by the Heart of Teesdale Landscape Partnership, will feature a free family friendly walk in Flatts Wood, at 2pm. The walk will follow the story of the
THREE men will appear before a crown court judge next month after they were charged in connection with a riot at a young offenders institution. Cade Barker, Liam Browitt and Adam Rochelle are jointly charged with taking part in a prison mutiny
MORE than 120 people attended the first gig night at the newly refurbished Chantry Hall in Bedale, as part of their events programme to promote the newly refurbished hall for community use. Chair Catherine Megson said people had come from Teesside and
THREE electric cars are among the worst first year depreciators in a “Bottom 10” released by motor trade valuation market leaders Glass’s. The Renault Fluence, Citroen C-Zero and Nissan LEAF E have all lost more than three-quarters of their value
ORGANISERS are promising something for all the family at a nostalgia weekend dubbed the Goodwood of the North.Croft Circuit, near Darlington, will be the venue for the two-day festival on the weekend of August 8 and 9.A flyover by the legendary Vulcan
OLYMPIAN Kat Driscoll has given her backing to a new £500,000 trampolining and free running park.The 29-year-old from West Rainton, near Durham, who is Great Britain’s number one trampolinist, officially opened Infinite Air, Durham today (Tuesday, July
A COUPLE who went on a forest hike for their first date had to be airlifted to safety after getting lost. Shaunt Ghazeri and Tina Mirzakhaniann were in deep conversation when they took a wrong turn in Angeles National Forest, in California, and
A TEENAGER accused of plotting mass murder at his former college in Newcastle told a jury sourcing his Glock pistol on the internet was like "buying a bar of chocolate".Liam Lyburd, 19, said he would have used the weapon to defend himself if
RICHARD KILTY will double up in the individual 100m and 4x100m relay after the British squad for next month’s World Athletics Championships was announced. Kilty, who is a World and European Indoor champion at 60m, has struggled to translate his
Two popular Teesdale artists are to hold their summer exhibition in Barnard Castle. Ann Whitfield and Alan Dyson will be showing a selection of works at The Witham, from August 3rd to August 17th. The exhibition is open from 10:00am to 4:00pm
NEWCASTLE UNITED have announced details of an open day at St James' Park on Tuesday, August 4. The event, which is free, will feature access to a first-team training session inside the stadium, as well a Fanzone behind the Gallowgate End staging
LIFEGUARDS on the North Yorkshire coast had to race to the rescue as three members of a family on a body boarding expedition were swept out to sea. Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeguards were on patrol on Sandsend beach, near Whitby when
A WORLD Cup winner has paid tribute to the stars of the future at a special awards evening to celebrate sporting success.England Ladies rugby captain Katy Mclean presented elite young sportsmen and women at Carmel College, Darlington, with a host of trophies
JUST imagine you are driving your car on a favourite stretch of road. It's a perfect day, the sun is shining, the roads are quiet and you are driving well within yourself. Up ahead the ribbon of tarmac snakes left and right, but the visibility
A HAIRDRESSER is swapping Darlington for Vegas to see if he can cut it against some of the best in the industry.Nicholas Holmes, owner of the Hobson and Holmes salon on Tillage Green, West Park, scooped a Gold award at Goldwell’s annual Color Zoom Summer
DIEGO FABBRINI claims Middlesbrough’s narrow miss in last season’s play-off final persuaded him to turn down alternative offers in order to sign a season-long loan at the Riverside. Having taken part in the warm-up ahead of last weekend’s goalless
POOR Suzuki. It created the crossover category two decades ago, way before anyone had heard of a Qashqai, then watched helplessly as other manufacturers stole its thunder. The last Vitara was a niche player in the soft-roader market, despite having
AN MP has officially unveiled a new development of family homes.Shadow Housing and Planning Minister Roberta Blackman-Woods opened the nine-home Sleetburn Court development in New Brancepeth.The three and four-bedroom development has been built by Prince
A CHARITY which supports children with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities has been left reeling after fundraising buckets containing £150 were stolen from a parked car. Thieves smashed a window to gain access to the secure red Ford Ka sometime
HARTLEPOOL UNITED duo Rakish Bingham and Ebby Nelson-Addy will be in the club shop on Friday morning to meet fans as the new home kit goes on sale. Bingham and Nelson-Addy will be around from 9am on Friday to greet the first Pools supporters to
NEWCASTLE youngster Adam Armstrong has joined League One side Coventry City on a six-month loan. The 18-year-old striker has moved to the Ricoh Arena until January 16, with Steve McClaren keen to see him in regular competitive action following
A COURT heard last week how a police constable feared for his life when tackling an aggressive drunk, encouraged by two other men leaving a pub late at night. The officer was attempting to detain a man, who had threatened staff and damaged fittings
A FRIEND of a teenage boy who was killed in a motorcycle accident is raising vital funds for charity in his memory.Michael Sadler, 15 and from Yarm, died when he fell from his off-road motorbike near Redcar in June.Now Ellie Sleightholm, from Easingwold
THE TV classic that entranced a generation could be about to get a glossy, big budget new-look.All Creatures Great and Small won hearts all over the world with its cosy and affectionate stories of the life of a North Yorkshire country vet.Regularly attracting
HALF-year profits at ITV have risen by 25 per cent to £391m as it benefited from an improved television advertising market and earnings from production companies it has bought.The broadcaster said that net advertising revenue for the six months to 30
A GORDON Ramsay-trained chef has joined the team at a North-East hotel and restaurant. David Garlinge, a semi-finalist in MasterChef: The Professionals 2013, is the latest addition to Houndgate Townhouse in Darlington. The new chef has 10 years
SINGERS from all over Britain, brought together by a Northallerton company, have been holding concerts at some of the most iconic abbeys, churches and historic centres of NorthYorkshire.The 50-strong choir held concerts in 12 different locations across
A MAJOR scheme to refurbish the pavements in Stokesley town centre is now underway after a long campaign by residents, businesses and councillors.North Yorkshire County Council has commissioned the work following years of campaigning by local people who
WITH the announcement today that Tees Valley will campaign to be crowned UK City of Culture in 2025 here are the venues and iconic landmarks that will play a pivotal part in the bid. Darlington's Head of Steam Railway museum on the route of the
POLICE are appealing for information after youths smashed a bus window as it was being driven along Conyers Avenue, in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, July 22. The incident happened at about 7pm when an unknown object was thrown at the Go North East bus
A HISTORIC County Durham hay barn looks set to become a tourist hotspot thanks to a new television series.For around 300 years, the Old Barn, has overlooked the village of Westgate, near Stanhope.But now its owners have received requests from TV fans
FROM the front, it has to be said, not much has changed at York Art Gallery, which reopens on Saturday after an £8m development. Its grand Victorian façade stands proudly on Exhibition Square and a statue of the city’s most famous artist son, William
A JUSTIN Bieber lookalike who started life as a girl hopes his rap single will help end transphobic abuse. Singer-songwriter Jordan O’Gorman was born as a girl named Hannah but aged 14 announced he wanted to live as a boy. Over one life-changing
THE North-East showed the greatest monthly rise in property prices, according to latest statistics. House prices across England and Wales have surpassed their 2007 peak to reach a new high of £181,619 on average, Land Registry figures show.
AN ACCIDENT between two vehicles in Bishop Auckland has left one driver injured. The collision between a black Renault Clio and a Ford Fiesta on Aintree Drive at 9.50am today (July 28) also left some debris on the road. Durham Police sent three
A LANDMARK sign above a newspaper office is being dismantled this morning and auctioned off for charity. For years, the Sunderland Echo sign on the newspaper's headquarters at Pennywell was a familiar sight to thousands of drivers on the A19.
A RUNNING club’s 30th anniversary relay has raised more than £800 for charity. Members of the 300-strong Elvet Striders club, based in Durham City, ran a 300-mile relay in aid of St Cuthbert’s Hospice and 4Louis, a bereavement charity, between
BARNARD Castle was brought to life with music on Saturday (July 25) as the town held its third annual buskers’ day. Six acts entertained shoppers and residents alike with their musical talents throughout the day as they performed at Scar Top, on
NISSAN, Jaguar Land Rover and Komatsu will headline the region’s first automotive expo. Hosted by industry group North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), and supported by Sunderland City Council and Tees Valley Unlimited, the North East Automotive
TWO boozing passengers have been banned from an airline after their onboard behaviour disrupted a holiday flight. The pair were handed over to local police when their Jet2 flight from Newcastle touched down in Cyprus. Cabin crew acted after
Durham City have signed former West Ham youngster Conor Okus. The 23 year old Nigerian had a two year scholarship with West Ham before signing a two year professional deal with Football League club Dagenham and Redbridge. He has since played for
And Then There Were None, Newcastle Theatre RoyalYOU know that you’re in an audience of die-hard whodunnit fans when the relentless deaths in this Agatha Christie classic are accompanied by the sound of laughter. There was certainly a lot to enjoy about
JACK LAUGHER helped secure Britain’s first guaranteed diving spot at next year’s Olympics as he teamed up with Chris Mears to win a bronze medal in the 3m synchro at the World Diving Championships in Russia this afternoon. Laugher, who is from
A GROWING technology firm is continuing its expansion after agreeing a £6.5m deal to buy a power company.Stadium Group, which employs more than 130 staff in Hartlepool, is taking on Stontronics.Bosses say the move for Stontronics, which makes power supply
A CHARITY festival could become an annual fixture after the inaugural event proved a huge success.The first Shotley Bridge Eisteddfod, held at the village’s cricket club on Sunday (July 26), featured live music, dancing, theatre, comedy and more.Performers
A COUPLE who first met over a bag of chips during a walk along the seafront celebrated their golden wedding yesterday (July 28). Pensioners Jim and Doreen Heels of Lime Grove, Bishop Auckland, met in Redcar in 1961 when Jim was working at the town’s steelworks.Shop
I AM a long time supporter/season ticket holder of Darlington FC. I would like to thank Darlington MP Jenny Chapman for trying to bring some common sense to the issue of the apparent U-turn by the Darlington Rugby Club committee to oppose the agreement
WELL, the summer holidays are here once again and walking my dog on the field behind the leisure centre yesterday I discovered a neat pile of rubbish near the goal post consisting of several drink bottles, sweet papers and a dirty white sock. I put
IF surgeons can now give a patient a bionic eye to improve their vision, can someone suggest a similar procedure for our Chancellor to help him see more clearly the repercussions his spending cuts are going to have on the care of older and vulnerable
WITH reference to Iain Duncan-Smith’s latest wheeze of getting workers to save money to pay themselves when they’re ill or absent, such a scheme already exists. It’s called National Insurance. VJ Connor, Bishop Auckland
YET another crazy shooting spree in a US cinema has resulted in murder, followed by the gunman’s suicide. So get rid of the guns and stop the killings. Simple. Barack Obama thinks so and that’s why he has just said that his failure to introduce tighter
With Hitachi almost ready to start building trains again in the North-East, Tony Chapman explains why the region has to be ready to grasp every opportunity. WHEN Hitachi Rail Europe’s £82m investment in Newton Aycliffe was signed and sealed in
IT would appear that there wouldn’t be enough popcorn available in Britain as the people sit down to watch the spectacle of Jeremy Corbyn becoming leader of the Labour Party. Then in wades Rob Merrick, The Northern Echo’s independent voice in Westminster
AMONG the remarkable things about Bishop Auckland Methodist Church is that two of its most faithful members, Lez Rawe and Melvyn McConnell, taught me at the grammar school out the back. As will be appreciated, that makes them Very Old Indeed. The
MISSING Middlesbrough man Brendan Devlin found safe and well. Cleveland Police thanked the public for their help.
A RISE in mortgage lending helped North-East bank Virgin Money report post a sharp 37 per cent increase in underlying pre-tax profit in its latest results. The strong performance has also meant the group has declared an interim dividend of 1.4p
THE family of teenager Rebecca Whittle who suffered a massive allergic reaction believe an energy drink may have played a part in her death. However, an inquest on Monday concluded it was impossible to determine what triggered the fatal anaphylactic
THE sweeping Cleveland Hills, the River Tees and the industrial heritage of the region will play a pivotal part in the Tees Valley's bid to be crowned UK City of Culture in 2025. 27 reasons why Tees Valley should be named UK City of Culture 2025
DETECTIVES investigating the murder of a man in a York suburb say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the death. A 19-year-old man was arrested at the scene of the attack at Hamilton Drive West, after officers were called at
SAMLING Academy Opera returns this summer to present a new production of Ravel’s lyric fantasy, The Child and the Spells.L’enfant et les sortilèges is a cautionary tale where a naughty child’s actions rebound as inanimate objects and animals learn to
Sunderland RCA manager Marty Swales says that new signing Liam Hatch remained true to his word in talks with the club. Hatch, who became a Darlington hero when he scored one goal and set up another in their play off semi final with Spennymoor last
A MAN who suffered serious head injures during an unprovoked attack has undergone two emergency operations over the weekend as police say they are disappointed with the response to an appeal for information. Like the Echo's new Stockton news Facebook
DURHAM yesterday confirmed that John Hastings will be back next season following approval by the board.It is believed some of the directors, of whom little is heard, felt there was a greater need to sign an overseas batsman. But they could scarcely go
Taskmaster (Dave, 10pm)FILLING an egg cup with tears. Making a Swedish man blush. Painting a picture of a horse, while riding on one. These are just some of the bizarre and ridiculous tasks that feature in new Dave game show Taskmaster, in which comedians
This week sees the release of "Touching Distance", a book that charts the 1995-96 season that proved one of the most dramatic in Newcastle United's history. The book's author, Martin Hardy, explains why he wrote it and publishes an extract containing
A DISABLED schoolgirl’s life is about to change forever thanks to an anonymous donor. Last week The Northern Echo reported how the family of ten-year-old Jasmine Ather, whose four limb cerebral palsy (CP) means she is unable to walk, had launched
A FORMER agency worker says she was sacked ‘for her own safety’ after reporting alleged sexual harassment at the Student Loans Company (SLC). The Darlington woman is the second in recent weeks to claim she was sacked by agency giant Manpower after
TOM BEADLING is determined to ensure that his involvement on Sunderland’s recent tour of North America does not turn out to be his only taste of senior action this season. Like the Echo's new Sunderland AFC news Facebook page Beadling was one
ADAM FORSHAW claims Middlesbrough’s summer transfer business means the club is in a much stronger position now than it was at the end of last season. Diego Fabbrini became Boro’s fourth summer addition when he completed a season-long move from
NEWCASTLE UNITED remain hopeful of completing a deal for QPR striker Charlie Austin, but Steve McClaren is reluctant to oversee any more transfer business until he has had the opportunity to add Aleksandar Mitrovic and Chancel Mbemba to his squad.
POLICE are appealing for information after a 21-year-old man was seriously injured in a four-vehicle collision on the A66. The incident occurred near West Layton at 4.40pm on Monday. All four vehicles were travelling towards Scotch Corner.
THOUSANDS of motorists have been caught speeding through roadworks on the A1 - with one driver spotted travelling at an average of more than 90mph. Highways officials have urged motorists to slow down on the dual-carriageway between Leeming and
