Bishop Auckland are still second from bottom of the ENL First Division after they were beaten 2-0 at home by Newton Aycliffe. Bishops were reduced to ten men after just 15 minutes when Arjun Purewal was red carded for a foul, and Aycliffe took
I CAN’T believe I have once more filled a charity bag only for it not to be collected. This one was for the children’s air ambulance charity but others not collected belonged to breast cancer, Asthma UK, Children In Need and the list goes on.
RECENTLY there have been further closures of steel production facilities across the UK. I am very concerned about the prospects for our own local steel facilities, especially when you see the energy policy of this and previous governments which
A MAN who threw a can of lager at his friend because he thought he was interfering in his relationship has been sentenced by magistrates.Alan Hutchinson showed up at the retired victim’s house in Bishop Auckland in the middle of the night on July 21 and
A CARELESS driver who hit a pedestrian while driving on the wrong side of the road has been fined by magistrates. Dennis Michael O’Brien hit the pedestrian as he overtook a line of static traffic in his Vauxhall Insignia on Northgate in Darlington on
CARIBBEAN grooves, clog dancing and theatre shows are coming to village halls across County Durham.The Highlights Rural Touring Scheme has 25 different shows, reflecting many art forms, which will be performed at rural venues from Stanhope, in Weardale
BUDDING young footballers from the North-East have been invited to showcase their skills in front of coaches from one of Europe’s biggest clubs.A dozen young ball wizards impressed visiting scouts from Italian giants AC Milan at three summer holiday football
A CLASSIC story of class divide and forbidden love in Edwardian times in the North-East will be brought to the stage next week.Catherine Cookson’s The Fifteen Streets is the latest production of the experienced local amateur drama group, Dryburn Theatrical
SEARCHES have continued after reports of a body in the River Tyne in Newcastle on Monday. Officers have continued to search the areas around Newcastle Quayside on Wednesday afternoon. "Specialist police divers have carried out extensive underwater
POLICE are appealing for information following an assault in the Champagne Bar at York Races. The incident happened at around 5.15pm on Thursday, August 20 when the victim, a 20-year-old man, was punched in the face and suffered bruising to his
SMOKERS in the region are being encouraged to sign up to ‘Stoptober’ next month and go 28 days smoke free. The initiative by Public Health England, which begins on October 1, is being backed by North-East based campaign group Fresh which has pointed
A DUO with an incredibly distinctive vocal style are set to bring their 'Wisdom, Laughter and Lines' to Middlesbrough Town Hall. Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott will be performing on Saturday, October 31 as part of a tour in support of their new
BOY golfer Cameron Gilray earned a bonus when he triumphed in the Under-10 section of the Srixon Durham County Junior Tour.Victory coincided with his club, South Moor, launching a Performance of the Month award - and PGA professional Shaun Cowell chose
A GROUP of Chileans are preparing to join the monastic community at Ampleforth Abbey in North Yorkshire. Committed lay embers of the Manquehue Apostolic Movement will arrive at the abbey in January where they will spend two years of service in
ZOO bosses have reacted with pride and delight to the surprise arrival of a tiny new addition to their collection.A baby red panda was born at Flamingo Land, near Pickering, earlier this summer and has just started exploring the wider world.The youngster
A MAN has been arrested after police say someone went into four pubs armed with a baseball bat and a chainsaw. The man went into the pubs in Sea Road, Harbour View, Fulwell Road, and Queen Alexandra Road in Sunderland and made threats, according
SUMMER is just about still here – but that doesn't mean it's too early to prepare for Christmas.The Wensleydale Railway is already getting steamed up for the festive season – and has already opened bookings for its popular Santa Specials.The trains will
AN historic market hall is to reveal its secrets during a series of open days. The Victorian Market Hall in Durham City is to hold daily tours as part of the national heritage Open Days programme. Free tours of the Market Hall will take place
MARK NOBLE will be available for West Ham's first fixture after the international break against Newcastle after the red card he received against Liverpool was rescinded. The Hammers captain, who scored the second goal of his side's 3-0 Premier
A NORTH-EAST school has opened its doors to its first non-paying pupils, after making the transition to a free school and sixth form. Polam Hall School and Sixth Form, in Darlington, was an independent school until a few days ago, but has reinvented
OPPONENTS celebrated in the council chamber as a planning application to build 120 houses on farmland were refused.Residents cheered as councillors voted by eight votes to five to reject an application for a new housing estate on the edge of Sherburn
COUNCIL officers are recommending a proposal to replace a derelict 19th century coaching inn with mixed leisure facilities is refused planning permission.They believe the scheme at the Thinford Inn, near Spennymoor, could impact upon the vitality and
AN MP says patients across the North-East will suffer as a result of the closure of a NHS blood processing site.The site in Newcastle, along with a corresponding site in Sheffield, is to shut in a move which will see such services centralised in Manchester
A GANG of rogue traders who preyed on vulnerable householders were branded "despicable" by a judge as he jailed two of them. One victim - an 81-year-old dementia sufferer - was abandoned at a bank after being driven there by the three crooks without
A FORMER police officer accused of fiddling benefits has been found guilty of nine of the 12 charges he faced. Vaughan Dodds, of Gardners Place, Langley Moor, Durham, could now face a prison sentence for his dishonesty. Dodds, 45, will learn
FOUR cars have collided at a junction which many nearby residents regard as an accident black spot.The emergency services were called to the Sedgefield junction of the A177 in County Durham at 9am this morning (Wednesday, September 2).A Toyota Yaris,
AN INNOVATIVE project has been launched to overcome one of the greatest threats facing a UN World Heritage Site. The National Trust, which runs the gardens at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon, said a £300,000 scheme to remove silt from the
A CHOIR is on the lookout for new members to continue the singing tradition in a Durham dale. Crook and Weardale Choir, which meets weekly, is hoping to attract new members as it prepares to put on a full performance of Handel’s Messiah.Though the choir
KAT COPELAND and Will Fletcher remain on course to claim automatic qualification spots for next year’s Olympics after coming through their respective quarter-finals at the World Rowing Championships. Copeland, who is the reigning Olympic champion
A WOMAN with real specs appeal is in the running for a cash prize and an exotic holiday.Jean Bird was chosen out of hundreds of people across the Tyne Tees region as a regional finalist for high street optician Specsavers’ Spectacle Wearer of the Year
Darlo Diary, by lifelong Darlington FC fan Trevor Oakley TWO wins during one Bank Holiday weekend and it seems like Darlo have finally found their feet in this league. After a solid August, here’s hoping that Darlo really kick on in September.
A TOWN centre footpath will be partially closed for at least two weeks.The Houndgate footway in Darlington will be temporarily closed to allow for the installation of cables.Work to install the Northern Powergrid cables will begin on Wednesday, September
A DAD caught with dozens of child abuse pictures and films had "a morbid fascination" in it rather than a sexual attraction to youngsters, a court heard.Matthew Peacock, 38, simply "stumbled across" the sickening images when he was
A BUSINESS administration worker from Darlington will take part in a 'white collar' boxing match for charity.Claire Wood, 43, is set to take part in the match to raise funds for Cancer Research.The idea to take part in the charity event was heavily influenced
A PERVERT who twice exposed himself to women walking dogs has dodged jail - so he can get the help he needs for his "impetuous expression of his sexuality".Thomas Bateman was given a suspend sentence and ordered to go on a sex offender treatment
FORMER Newcastle Falcons director of rugby, Rob Andrew, last week stated that the Championship season could be one of the most competitive yet, and Darlington Mowden Park will be hoping to be part of that league next year as they get their National
IN THE weeks following Elvet Striders’ epic charity relay along the Pennine and Weardale Way at the end of July, there have been no end of achievements for our club members. The final two sprint GP races took place this month, wrapping up the category
DARLINGTON Building Society has invested in new staff across its branch network. Four new managers have been appointed with Jayne Tomlinson, Nicki Armstrong, Carl Horsman and Dawn Moore taking the reins at the Cockerton, Guisborough, Barnard Castle and
A MANIAC motorist is behind bars for trying to outrun police in a drunken 145mph chase - while he had his dog on his lap. Alan Richardson had downed three bottles of cider before going to look for his missing pet and panicked when he saw the police
RESIDENTS and businesses in Shildon are invited to identify ways of improving walkways in the town.Local Motion, South Durham and Darlington's sustainable transport project, is hosting walks around Shildon to help support the development of such areas.The
COMEDIAN Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown will be returning to his home town to perform his latest live stand up show. Tickets are now on sale for the controversial local comic’s Don’t Get Fit! Get Fat! show which will be taking place at Middlesbrough Town Hall
?A SUMMER campaign to tackle underage drinking has been successful, according to police.A Stay Safe operation was ran throughout the school holidays in the Bishop Auckland area by officers from the neighbourhood police team, supported by County Durham
A NEW property-marking initiative enabled police to deliver a stolen bike back to its rightful owner – before they even had a chance to report it missing.Police in York responded to a report of a cycle left outside a property on Lord Mayor’s Walk in the
A WOMAN using a portable toilet was accidentally carried away by a forklift truck. The forklift driver didn't realise there was anyone inside the toilet at the Newlyn Fish Festival site in Cornwall. She was carried across to the other side of the
YORKSHIRE lost three further wickets but still made very good progress on the second afternoon of their LV= Division One match against Somerset at Headingley. Andrew Gale’s batsmen scored 126 runs to finish the session on 362-7, and Jonny Bairstow
HAMPSHIRE gained a useful first innings lead against Durham thanks partly to a confident display by debut boy Ryan Stevenson, batting at number ten. He made 30 and shared a last-wicket stand of 32 with Fidel Edwards before skying a catch to mid-on
A THREE year collaborative research project between Atom, the digital bank and Durham University, to develop a new model for retail banking, was announced today by Harriet Baldwin, Economic Secretary to the Treasury.The project begins this autumn and
A THEME park has boosted its green credentials by installing eco-friendly biomass heating systems, which will realise energy savings of about £130,000 a year.The carbon-neutral energy scheme at Lightwater Valley, in North Stainley near Ripon, will see
AN inaugural horse show proved a big success – and has raised £2,000 for the village school.The Pickhill Horse Show and Gymkhana, near Thirsk, attracted more than 100 entries and riders travelled to the event from as far afield as Durham City and York
An ANGLICAN vicar is having to sleep in his church at night to deter thieves trying to steal lead from the roof during a major repair project. The repairs are being carried out on Holy Trinity Church, in Darlington, after it raised £420,000 in
YOUNGSTERS and their families got a taste of different cultures at a special community day.Sunrise Children’s Centre, which is run by Stockton Borough Council, organised the event to bring local families and their children together to enjoy music and
I WRITE again re: Smart Parking and the letter by Mr. A. Hope (HAS, Sept 1). People who get a ticket should NOT appeal, an appeal is a tacit admission of guilt, but instead rebut their claim. I must have challenged Smart Parking via rebuttal
The Northern Echo continues its coverage of the Labour leadership campaign with Yvette Cooper claiming the Government’s recent promises to the North of England have already been broken IT'S been less than four months since David Cameron began his
IN the long hard struggle for democracy in these islands, nothing looms larger, or smells more rank, than the scandal of the so-called “rotten boroughs”.These were places long de-populated but still sending MPs to Parliament. Sometimes more than one.
A POPULAR charity music festival is returning to Darlington next month – and has secured a major sponsor to help it raise funds for a national charity.On October 25, the live music festival Oxjam Darlo will descend upon the town once again, taking over
PERFORMERS from across the world entertained crowds when the circus came to Darlington last week. The run up to the Bank Holiday weekend saw Circus Funtasia roll into town with a big top full of international entertainers. The UK’s youngest
WHAT a brilliant reply from John Cumberland (HAS, Sept 1) re shooting cats.Yes, we would be overrun with rodents but for cats.Also, cat haters love to blame them for the decline of wild life and birds, when in reality it's the ever-breeding selfish humans
If the North-East wants devolution, it will have to accept elected mayors. Jeremy Middleton argues that’s no bad thing I AM increasingly optimistic that our local political leaders here in the North-East will grasp the once in a lifetime opportunity
STOCKTON table tennis star Karina Le Fevre will spearhead a young England squad for the Commonwealth Championships in India. The 22-year-old Teessider, who was part of the England squad at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, features in an eight-strong
NEW analysis carried out on skeletons discovered in a centuries-old mass grave in Durham has led experts to conclude they are the remains of Scottish soldiers taken prisoner after the 1650 Battle of Dunbar. Researchers at Durham University said
PARALYMPIC champion Jonnie Peacock will line up against his arch American rival, Richard Browne, at this month’s Great North City Games on the banks of the River Tyne. The duo will clash in the T44 100m on the Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside on Saturday
As thousands of young people prepare for university, Lisa Salmon asks the experts for tips to help them - and their parents - cope with the road ahead AS the dust settles from the euphoria of A-level results day, more than 460,000 soon-to-be students
A £2m pot has been launched to support innovative engineers.The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME) new Stephenson LP fund is aimed at helping companies overcome the investment hurdle between research and development and bringing a product to market.The
AUGUST is the month of gravity defying teenagers.This annual phenomenon affects a growing number of our young people, usually pictured levitating in school grounds with huge smiles on their faces and clutching pieces of white paper.I am, of course, alluding
Kolkata with Sue Perkins (BBC1, 9pm)LIKE me, you might be a little confused by the name Kolkata until you're reminded that Calcutta was renamed in January 2001. So the idea of leading Sue Perkins away from the cake table to immerse herself in the complex
JON Mabbitt chuckles as he sits back in his chair.As chief executive of a company focused on developing supposed wonder material graphene, he’s heard all the clichés about the substance’s aptitude before.So when I invite him to respond to such truisms
THE streets and parks have been reclaimed by adults, the morning commute takes an extra 20 minutes and the nation’s parents breathe a collective sigh of relief.Yes, the schools are back in session and for hundreds of thousands of children, the learning
A SCHEME to increase opportunities for young people with learning disabilities to gain workplace experience is set to be further rolled out this autumn.It follows the success of a pilot programme last year run by Foundation for Jobs and Darlington College
WITH the impending vote on assisted suicide, supportive opinion abounds in the media, enhanced by genuinely emotive examples of personal trauma faced by some terminally ill people and their families. But surprisingly absent or downplayed are the
NEWCASTLE UNITED rejected an approach for Ayoze Perez in order to ensure they retained all of their leading assets on a quiet transfer deadline day at St James’ Park. However, while the Magpies opted not to make a last-minute push for Charlie Austin
THE most thrilling – and also one of the most stressful aspects of this job - is that you cannot predict what is going to happen next.One minute you are checking the final version of a front page story and the next you are throwing it in the bin because
AS Hitachi Rail Europe prepares to open its new Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility, Managing Director Karen Boswell speaks exclusively to Business Editor Andy Richardson. AT the end of an hour-long interview I’ve taken down reams of notes but you
NORTHALLERTON’S Laurence Whiteley proved that persistence pays off as he reached the final of the para-rowing mixed double scull at the Rowing World Championships yesterday. Whiteley, who was the runner-up in the Senior Remarkable Achievement award
JAMIE KIRKWOOD is determined to prove the British selectors wrong as he heads into the quarter-finals of the World Rowing Championships in France this morning. Kirkwood, who is from Ashington and a member of the Cambois Rowing Club in Northumberland
WINNERS Manchester City They were operating from a position of strength anyway, but the transfer window has closed with Manchester City boasting a squad that looks to be the best in the Premier League by a considerable distance. Raheem
AITOR KARANKA is confident Carlos de Pena’s experience at the highest level of South American football will enable him to slot straight in at the Riverside following his £1.8m move to Middlesbrough. De Pena was Boro’s sole addition on a deadline
SUNDERLAND successfully added to their defensive options on the final day of the transfer window as they completed a season-long loan deal for Tottenham defender DeAndre Yedlin. Yedlin, a United States international right-back who can also play
AN expensive 'goal cam' camera stolen from a football match on Bank Holiday Monday has now been returned - but not before fans raised hundreds of pounds to buy a replacement. One of two GoPro cameras used by Darlington FC to record goals at home
A ONE-PUNCH thug who left a victim with a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain was last night starting a prison sentence. Rory Soley's unprovoked attack in Darlington town centre was just three months after he dodged jail for an identical
ACCORDING to Ben Andriessen (HAS, Aug 25) fluoride is well known to be a neurotoxin and as dangerous as arsenic, lead or mercury. If that were really the case, is it likely that the authorities would even contemplate adding it to our drinking water
AS an avid reader of “Hear All Sides”, I have become concerned that letters from Mick Peacock are no longer appearing. Mick, in his younger days was one of the fastest, accurate bowlers in local cricket, playing many years for Steetley Company,
GUESTS and staff had to be evacuated from a pub in dramatic scenes over the weekend, when a fire burnt down a large section of the building. Eighteen guests and two staff members were evacuated from the Black Swan pub in Fearby near Masham in the
