WHENEVER England face San Marino, it’s hard not think back to that night in November 1993 when the minnows capitalised on an under-hit Stuart Pearce backpass after just eight seconds to take a shock lead against a side led by Graham Taylor. The
A WOMAN was detained by prison staff on Friday after she was discovered "acting suspiciously" at Durham prison. She was held on suspicion of taking drugs into the prison, Durham Police tweeted.
POLICE are appealing for help to trace an 83-year-old man who has gone missing in North Yorkshire. Tommy Milligan is from Gilling West near Richmond. He possibly has his Alsation dog with him and was wearing a grey anorak, grey cap and jeans
FORMER Middlesbrough and Sunderland star Julio Arca is putting his boots back on - for South Shields. Argentine Arca, 34, is set to watch his new side play in the Northern League against Easington Colliery on Saturday, with a debut potentially
A FORMER long-serving councillor who lost her seat after being found guilty of a vicious attack on her neighbour has had the conviction quashed. Farmer Jane Parlour, of Dalton-on-Tees, near Darlington, held her head in her hands and wept as judge
A MAN admitted having drunk “a skinful” before setting light to a car parked outside the home of a woman with whom he had once had a brief relationship, a court heard.Gary Johnson is believed to have used some form of accelerant to start the fire in the
A CHARITY golf tournament that attracted almost two dozen teams from around the region is set to raise tens of thousands for charity. The 14th annual Heritage Healthcare golf event saw teams tee off at the Blackwell Grange Golf Club, in Darlington
HUNDREDS of cyclists will take to the streets this weekend for an annual ride.The ninth Durham Big Ride takes place on Sunday, setting off from County Hall at 9.30am.There will be three routes through the countryside around Durham, the 25-mile Big Ride
A UNIVERSITY lecturer from the North-East has raised almost £20,000 to take much-needed aid to refugees.In less than 24 hours, a fundraising page launched by Teesside University lecturer, Bethany Usher, raised more than £18,000 to take ‘childhood bags
COUNCILS in the Tees Valley have submitted their bid for devolution and said a partnership with the Government can unlock the area’s “great potential” and deliver a compelling future for its residents and businesses.The five councils’ bid, in conjunction
A BUTCHER and his wife who captured a community’s hearts with their popular mince pies and sausages are celebrating 50 years of marriage.Clive and Carol Bowman, of Spennymoor, County Durham, ran C Bowman’s butchers in the town for 30 years and provided
A WOMAN was forced to apologise to a judge today (Friday, September 4) after taking photographs on her mobile phone in court and posting them on social media. Laura Scott, the sister of a man accused of robbery, took one picture of a defendant
A CONVOY of aid collected by supporters from the North-East will be delivered to refugees in Calais later this month. Support group North East Solidarity With Calais Refugees has organised a mercy mission to bring tents, sleeping bags, food, clothing
A SCHOOLGIRL has sacrificed her waist-length locks to help make real-hair wigs for children suffering from cancer.Five-year-old Rosie Dent, from Darlington, has donated her long blonde hair to the Little Princess Trust, which provides wigs and hair pieces
LABOUR leadership contender Andy Burnham said today (Friday, September 4) that only he could beat frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn and unite the party in the process.Speaking to the party faithful at Durham County Hall, he said: “I can unite us and put us back
COUNCILS in the region are among the first in the country to offer refugees sanctuary in their authority areas. Darlington Council led the way, with its leader Bill Dixon announcing this morning (Friday, September 4) that it would welcome ten refugee
A COMMUNITY centre has been sold to a charity for adults with learning difficulties. Tees Walk Community Centre in Coundon, County Durham has been officially handed over to north-east charity, Daybreak. Residents in Coundon can now benefit from community
OPINIONS are passionately divided on how to tackle the escalating refugee crisis – so it will take courage to take a lead. It is our opinion that Britain has to act with compassion and we warmly welcome Darlington having the moral courage to show
CIRCUS lovers are in for a treat this weekend as The Netherlands National Circus comes to County Durham. Fifteen acts will be putting on the traditional show at the Demesnes, in Barnard Castle. And performers were eager to show off their skills
A TEENAGER who started a ferocious town centre fire which caused £500,000 of damage was jailed for two years and nine months on Friday. Teesside Crown Court was told Thomas Stephenson, 18, had been walking around Richmond, North Yorkshire, bored
STAINDROP children now have a new play area thanks to the determination of their parents. The £20,000 facility, located at the rear of Scarth Hall, was officially opened today (September 4) with the village children being the first to test out
FROM the headless Hobgoblin of Neasham to a mysterious phantom haunting the Covered Market, a newly published book shines a spotlight on the spooky happenings throughout Darlington’s history.Middlesbrough author and historian Bob Woodhouse spent many
BOSSES at Darlington's busy Dolphin Centre have insisted it is still open for business – despite the swimming pool being drained at the start of a £2.7m refurbishment programme .Refurbishment work will be carried out in and around the pool area over the
A CRIMINAL who ran an elaborate business grants scam online has been convicted – thanks to investigators based in North Yorkshire.The National Trading Standards Standard eCrime Team, which works from the county, led a long and detailed investigation into
A HOSPITAL specialising in end of life care will temporarily close later this month - despite concerns from residents and councillors. Health bosses said a shortage of nurses and problems with staff sickness were the main causes behind the closure
POLICE have appealed for information after vandals damaged railway cable beyond repair, bringing major disruption to passenger services on the East Coast Mainline. The problem was reported near Darlington at around 4.20pm on Friday evening and
AS MUCH as we love our daughter, there was a tangible sense of relief this Thursday when the summer holiday finally came to an end and she returned to school. It wasn’t just her parents who were glad it was all over, she was delighted too. She
Haydock Park’s feature the Betfred Sprint Cup over six furlongs is the pick of a fine day of racing. The last two winners of the corresponding Group 1 contest, Gordon Lord Bryom (2013) and G Force (2014) are in the line-up but I am going to take
ROAD policing crews from Cleveland and Durham will be keeping an eye on motorists to check if they are wearing seatbelts.The initiative will see officers stopping vehicles where drivers or passengers are not wearing their seatbelts from Monday, September
NORTH-East firms and organisations at the forefront of ingenious technology will help inspire young people to consider engineering and scientific careers next month.The annual Foundation for Jobs Low Carbon Engineering Event has been rebranded the Ingenious
MEMOIRS of a First World War soldier who took real-life war horses to the frontline have been published online.Corporal George Thompson, from Sunderland, was a transport driver with the Durham Light Infantry and used horses to deliver rations and supplies
A LARGE amount of jewellery was taken when thieves targeted a village home in North Yorkshire.The raid took place in Gilling West, near Richmond ten days ago when the thieves broke into a house on the High Street.They smashed a window of the back door
YOUNG filmmakers from the region are to battle it out with the world’s best after they were selected to feature at a prestigious American film festival.The eight strong group, all digital media graduates from Sunderland University, explore the dark side
NORTH-EAST Superstar TV finalist Jon Moses, who hails from Haswell, County Durham, will be hosting a luxury singing weekend retreat in January. The singer studied at the Shotton Hall Schools as a child and then Durham Sixth Form. He also had a lot of
AN UPLIFTING experience was shared between care home staff and elderly residents with dementia as they joined voices to record a CD.Willow Green Care Home staff from all levels including domestic, management and carers joined residents to record songs
A BODYSHOP technician is hanging up his tools after almost half a century of mending the region’s damaged vehicles.David Saunders was thrown a surprise retirement party by his friends and colleagues at Vauxhall dealership Sherwoods, in Darlington, as
A NEW Army HQ marked its first fully operational month in North Yorkshire with a service for its military and civilian staff in York Minster.The 1st (UK) Division raised its flag of a white rhino on a black background at Imphal Barracks, Fulford in June
A WATER supply maintenance company is celebrating a record year. Washington-based Fastflow Group has reported a 93 per cent rise in revenue to £48.8m while operating profit grew from £700,000 to £5m.Results from the year to March 31, in which Fastflow
In this column last week I picked out Dragon King as my ride of the weekend and thankfully I got it right as this progressive sprinter won fairly easily at Newmarket. He is clearly getting the hang of the sprinting game and now justifying our pretty high
WORK is underway on a housing development which should enable local people to remain in the area, where rents and house prices remain out of reach for many. The development of 16 new homes in Hutton Rudby near Stokesley is expected to be complete in Spring
BUSINESS owners and residents in a market town are to hold their first dedicated celebration of food producers, restaurants, cafe and pubs next month.Stokesley Food Week will run from Saturday, October 3 until Saturday, October 10 and will showcase the
A RUNNING club will mark the tenth anniversary of its first club run by staging a celebratory race next week.Sedgefield Harriers will host the 10k, 5k and 2.5k event in Hardwick Park, near Sedgefield, County Durham, on Monday, September 7 – the exact
ORCHIDS of all colours and varieties will go on show at the largest event showcasing the popular flowering plant in the North. The fifth Durham Orchid Show this Sunday (September 6) will feature spectacular blooms displayed by seven societies from
FOUR of the country’s most senior churchmen will attend a service celebrating Christian unity.The service at Durham Cathedral on Sunday will be attended by two Catholic and two Church of England bishops, inspired by the recent meeting between the Archbishop
A TOWN centre hotel has reopened its doors following a refit in tribute of its local football team.Supporters of Crook Town Football Club will be able to spot past players and remember former glories as they drink their pints at Crook Hotel.The pub in
AN actor from the original Star Wars trilogy and a working DeLorean car made famous in Back To The Future will be among the highlights as a self-proclaimed “Geek Convention” returns for a second year. Following the sell-out success of last year
THE Golden Jubilee tour of 2002 was a surprise. The fortunes of the royal family had reached a nadir in 1992, the "annus horribilis", with open warfare and rank stupidity breaking out among the junior members of the family. View more photos from
THE Queen is no stranger to our region having visited on numerous occasions during her 63 year reign. View more photos from Her Majesty's visits to the region Her first appearance as monarch was in October 1954 when she visited Newcastle, Sunderland
RESIDENTS in a market town hit by several devastating floods are celebrating after an innovative £2m project to cut the risk of deluges was completed.Householders and traders in Pickering said the Slow The Flow scheme, which has involved a decade-long
DARLINGTON Council says it will send an engineer to examine the lights at a so-called ‘ghost’ junction on the outskirts of the town. The junction at the intersection of the B6279 and an access road to the Lingfield Point business park is operated
Cookson's busy streets are backTHE Fifteen Streets, Catherine Cookson’s classic story of class division and forbidden love, returns to the stage thanks to the efforts of amateur theatre group, Dryburn Theatrical Workshop.Set in the harsh working class
A CONTROVERSIAL planning application on the site of a former pub is set to go ahead despite opposition from local residents.The proposal for the Layfield Arms, in Davenport Road, Yarm, will see flats and housing added to the site.Permission has already
T-Rex ready to roar at ScarboroughFOSSIL fans are gearing up for the fantastic second annual Yorkshire Fossil Festival in Scarborough next week. The seaside town's Museums Trust, in partnership with The Palaeontological Association, is hosting the event
A WEBSITE is being launched to try and get villagers involved in local decision making.It was launched by Wolsingham Parish Council to try and get more people involved with what it is doingThe website has been on the council’s agenda for about three years
A 19-YEAR-OLD artist has had two of her illustrations exhibited alongside female artists from across the world at a London gallery.Lucy Snowden, 19, from Hartlepool, has just completed her first her on an commercial illustration course at Cleveland College
It's Christmas party timeTHE 'C' word may prove difficult at the moment, but with the summer holidays over for most people, thoughts will soon be turning towards festive matters including the inevitable party night celebrations.Spennymoor Leisure Centre
A CELEBRATED artist is set to unveil a display of more than 100 of his favourite works from the world’s oldest open-submission exhibition.Yorkshire-born Norman Ackroyd has selected some of his favourite pieces from the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition,
BEAT the boss is the challenge facing hundreds of North-East staff in next Sunday’s Morrisons Great North Run.Stephen Kelly, the global chief executive of North-East based computer software firm Sage, has pledged to give £2 per minute to any Team Sage
SUNDERLAND and Inter Milan could still be set for a court battle over the Ricky Alvarez row, despite claims from the player’s agent that he has officially become a free agent. Alvarez will not be returning to Wearside after it emerged from Italy
A NOVICE driver who killed his best friend in a pile-up has today (Friday, September 4) been jailed for three-and-a-half years for his "gross dangerousness". Joshua Butters, 20, had passed his test just nine weeks before he caused a three-vehicle
PUPILS at Abbey School – in conjunction with rapper Rio Nelson and rock band Strickland – have produced a fun, rock-rap music video.The aim of the music video was to make the school run fun and encourages parents and carers to leave the car behind.Through
League champions Marske United are looking for a new manager following the sudden resignation of Carl Jarrett along with his assistant Nathan Haslam. Marske came from nowhere to win the league for the first time in their history last season, but
Spennymoor’s unbeaten record will be put to the test when Clitheroe visit the Brewery Field today in the EvoStik First Division North. Moors are unbeaten in their six league and FA Cup matches so far and are sixth in the table, but Clitheroe are
Four times winners Whitley Bay must start at the first qualifying round stage of the FA Vase when they go to Willington today. Whitley were the first club to win the competition in three successive years between 2009 and 2011, but since their last
DEVELOPERS have been granted planning permission to build nearly 30 new houses on a former nursery in the west end of Darlington. Despite a number of objections from nearby residents, Darlington Borough Council’s planning applications committee
ASK anyone whether they’ve had a good summer and, apart from the two weeks abroad, perhaps, they are likely to say no – because they’ll think you are talking about the weather.Ask me, go on I dare you. I’ve had a fantastic summer, stunning, unbelievable
AFTER auditioning more than a thousand young people, Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, the creators of the new British musical, The Girls, based on the true story, the film and award-winning play by Tim Firth, Calendar Girls, have finally found three stars-to-be
AFTER auditioning more than a thousand young people, Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, the creators of the new British musical, The Girls, based on the true story, the film and award-winning play by Tim Firth, Calendar Girls, have finally found three stars-to-be
CAMPAIGNERS have urged councillors to support their call for the demolition of a former primary school in the heart of their community– despite a recommendation by planning chiefs that the historic building be preserved.Up to 100 residents from Easington
OKAY then. So you see a girl of 17 or 18, wearing your average Saturday night outfit of not very much, clearly having had too much to drink. She’s tottering home alone in the early hours, maybe through the town centre or the road from Catterick
AT last the starting gun has been fired by Nigel Farage and Ukip in the EU referendum - and about time too.The phoney war continues with David Cameron retreating in his attempt to fix the vote and to use tax payer’s money to bankroll the staying in campaign
The discovery of a young migrant boy’s body on a Turkish beach has sparked an international outcry. Meanwhile, the UK is under increasing pressure to take in its fair share of migrants in order to ease the burden on other European countries. The Northern
With all the major cup silverware now dished out for the season following last weekend’s festival of cricket at the NYSD Fifteens finals day, the focus will now be on championship, promotion or relegation battles.In the Premier Division, the heat is on
Newly-crowned DCL champions Esh Winning still have plenty to play for in their two remaining games, not least the opportunity to go through a season undefeated.And that will be music to the ears of relegation-threatened Hylton who need Esh to be at their
DURHAM Road Policing Unit closed one lane on the southbound carriageway of the A19 this morning after a collision between the A690 Durham Road / B1286 City Way (Herrington Interchange) and the A1018. The accident has now been cleared and traffic
A man has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving following a crash on the A6072 in Shildon.
CLEVELAND Police Organised Crime Unit have charged seven men in connection with two armed robberies at Market Cross Jewellers in Yarm and Middlesbrough. The men aged between 19 and 31 are charged with conspiracy to commit robbery in connection
IN response to all the recent letters regarding cats, we are pensioners and we struggle to do the garden as my husband is crippled with arthritis sciatica and diabetes. But gardening is our hobby and what keeps us going. There are two cats
WHY can't the UK accept more refugees? We must all do more to help. Our Prime Minister is not speaking for the people of this once-great country. We all want to give these refugees a safe place to live. Jean Sturgeon, Darlington. ANY
DAVID Cameron will take his European Union reform bid to Spain and Portugal today his week as he seeks to build support for a new settlement. A renegotiated relationship will be put to British voters by the end of 2017 and formal talks have begun
I HAD to check the date of Wednesday’s edition of the Northern Echo in disbelief to make sure it wasn't April Fool's Day when I read the article about Polam Hall School opening as a 'free' school. Polam has been an independent school for innumerable
RONNIE MOORE is expecting a difficult month for his Hartlepool United players.Pools started the season with four wins, followed up with four defeats, although Tuesday’s loss was in a penalty shoot-out after a 90 minute draw with Sheffield United. And,
HIGH street stores have endured their worst month of falling sales since the financial crisis as August proved a washout for retailers.Sales fell 4.3 per cent compared to the same month a year ago according to the latest figures from accountancy and business
Piers Morgan's Life Stories (ITV, 9pm) I'VE always found it hard to warm to Piers Morgan, a journalist forced to apologise far too often for his editing style at The Sun, News of the World and the Daily Mirror, but he is who he is and returns to
Displaying the ruthless efficiency of sportsmen who know that a great prize is within their grasp, Yorkshire’s cricketers swept Somerset aside at Headingley yesterday morning and won their LV= Division One match by an innings and 126 runs just before
CARLOS DE PENA has been tipped to light up the Championship by the manager he will be playing for this season, Aitor Karanka. De Pena has flown back to Uruguay to say his goodbyes to his family and friends at Nacional, who finally agreed to sell
DURHAM skipper Paul Collingwood confirmed last night that he will continue playing past his 40th birthday next May and is desperate to arrest his team's slump. They suffered their fourth successive home defeat yesterday, losing by seven wickets
CAMPAIGNERS are confident they have succeeded in reducing a planned six week closure of a junction on the busy A66 trans-Pennine route. Richmondshire district councillor Jamie Cameron said a meeting with the Highways Agency had been positive and
IN the wake of Saturday’s 5,000m final at the World Athletics Championships, BBC commentator Brendan Foster hailed Mo Farah as the greatest British sportsman of all time. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson has compiled his own top ten. 10 PHIL TAYLOR
HEAD COACH Danny Brown is confident Darlington Mowden Park will hit the ground running when they kick off the new National One season with a trip to Cinderford tomorrow, writes Laura Wilson. Having finished their maiden campaign in National One
ALAN BARRASS is wrong to say that he can park more cheaply and easily in Stockton town centre when compared to Darlington (HAS, Sept 3). Shoppers can use the council-controlled East Street multi-storey car park in the heart of Darlington town centre
A LATE night shoplifting expedition resulted in an off-duty member of staff at a village store being injured as he tried to stop one of the thieves. Dean Mahan and Thomas Neville Langley were both jailed for their respective roles in the incident
THE relocation of a North-East auction mart will move a step closer next week when councillors are expected to approve the move.Members of Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet have been recommended to approve plans to move Darlington Farmers’ Auction
A SUCCESSFUL devolution bid for the Tees Valley could “kick start” investment in the area and transform its economy. That’s according to Sue Jeffrey, leader of Redcar Borough Council and chairwoman of the shadow Tees Valley Combined Authority.
THE North East Combined Authority, created by the seven local authorities of Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, Northumberland County Council, South Tyneside Council and Sunderland City Council
