A FUNDRAISING night in aid of a blood cancer charity has raised more than £4,000. The dinner dance at Solberge Hall, near Northallerton, raised £4,644 with donations still to come in for Bloodwise, a charity for leukaemia and lymphoma research
FIRE crews were called to a bedroom fire at a home in Newton Aycliffe on Friday evening. The incident happened around 7pm at the property in Booth Walk. Two appliances from Newton Aycliffe dealt with the fire. A spokeswoman for County Durham
WHEN communities pull together, powerful results can be achieved – and that’s what happened 30 years ago when a letter published in a local newspaper inspired the people of the Darlington area to establish their own hospice. Yvonne Rowe’s letter
UNION bosses have called on the Government to halt the tide of cuts to council budgets which, among a host of other services, could see libraries across Darlington close their doors for good. The potential closure of facilities in Crown Street
ON a bright June day in 1884 the townspeople of Darlington gathered on Crown Street to celebrate the construction of a new library bequeathed by the late Edward Pease.The wonderfully descriptive Northern Echo reports at the time detailed how the building
A MAN accused of a string of sex offences against children, mainly boys, told a court he is, “honest and soft-hearted”, and “likes to help people”.Stanley Simpson was speaking from the witness stand, answering questions put by prosecuting counsel Sarah
HEALTH trust bosses were branded "arrogant" for failing to turn up to a meeting focusing on their decision to close a top fertility clinic.North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust were summoned by councillors to a meeting at Hartlepool's Civic Centre
THE plight of the £12.5m cuts facing Darlington could be debated in the House of Commons as the town’s MP says she “will use all avenues” to raise the topic in Westminster. Darlington Borough Council announced budget measures this week that could
A HOLIDAYMAKER whose pancreas burst in a Cuban hospital has suffered complications, his wife has said. Sharon Rochester said husband, Keith, remains critically ill on the Caribbean island. He was put on a life support system after becoming
A SUSPECT wanted for more than three years in connection with a violent incident at a lobster and champagne event in has been arrested in Bulgaria.Officers from Durham Constabulary placed a European Arrest Warrant on John Charles Mullen after he was
A PENSIONER has been left badly shaken after a would-be robber threatened him with an imitation handgun.The 77-year-old was walking along Durham Street in Stockton between 10pm and 10.30pm on Wednesday (February 3) when he was approached by a young man
A LANDMARK hotel has new owners – and is about to be given a £1m makeover.The Kings Head in Richmond has been acquired by the independent Coaching Inn Group from Ashdale Hotels.The 26-bed hotel will continue to be run by the existing management team but
A MAN involved in a spate of break-ins at Gregg’s shops round the North-East was today (Friday, February 5) jailed for three years and nine months - after being caught out by his own electronic tag.John Thomas Campbell took part in burglaries on at least
“THEY will have to carry us out!”That is the defiant message from a Darlington trader who has praised the “fantastic” public support following the announcement that the town's covered market faces closure.Robin Blair, whose grocery business has been operating
PUPILS and staff at a Ripon school are celebrating after being rated outstanding Ofsted report.Outwood Academy Ripon has achieved the highest grades possible in all categories and the outstanding rating tops its previous rating of good in its 2012 inspection.Sir
CARERS of people with dementia in the North-East are being asked to take part in an online research trial, after a survey revealed the emotional toll of caring. Nine out of ten respondents to the Alzheimer's Society survey said they experience feelings
BUTTERWICK Hospice, at Bishop Auckland, are inviting ladies to attend their Afternoon Tea event entitled ‘Chocolate Temptation’ at Rockliffe Hall Hotel on Wednesday, March 2.This five star 18th century redbrick country mansion is set in over 375 acres
THIRTY years of unrivalled palliative care and dedication has been celebrated by a pioneering North-East hospice. Around 60 key figures linked to St Teresa’s Hospice, in Darlington, heard inspirational stories from staff who described their jobs
POLICE have confirmed the body found in the River Tyne on Wednesday was that of missing North-East woman Sally Allan.Northumbria Police said their thoughts continue to be with the family at this difficult time and a report has been prepared for the coroner
COMMUNITY groups and residents in North Yorkshire are being encouraged to apply for funding to set up their own “bike libraries” to get more children cycling.Since the first Yorkshire Bank Bike Library opened last June, more than 2,000 unwanted bikes
ACTOR Matt Corner owes his star turn on the West End to perspiration, determination and the sound advice of his Darlington drama teacher. Mr Corner, 25, recently landed the role of lead character Frankie Valli in the West End production of the acclaimed
THEY became one of the most famous - or perhaps infamous - bands in the world, but it's a little-known fact that one of the first gigs the Sex Pistols played outside London was in North Yorkshire. On May 19, 1976, the band performed at the Sayers
DARLINGTON residents will be able to have their say about NHS services in the town at an event this month.The NHS Better Health Programme is holding 12 engagement events with members of the public in February and March, to find out which services are
STORYTELLER Ben Haggerty will bring his show Fairy Tales for Grown Ups; the Grateful and the Dead, to Barningham Village Hall on Friday, February 12.The performance is an evening in two halves; the first will be a set of short stories and the second a
THE property development company behind the Feethams Darlington leisure complex has underlined its commitment to the region by becoming the latest organisation to join Darlington Cares.A corporate social responsibility and employee supported volunteering
THE FIRST outpatient clinics are to reopen at Bootham Park Hospital in York since the psychiatric facility was closed last year.It was shut down in September after a Care Quality Commission inspection concluded it was unsafe and under-staffed.Tees, Esk
WALKERS in Teesdale have been doing double-takes after seeing what look like droids from the film Star Wars appearing on the moors. However, the high-tech creations are in fact monitoring the quality of the area’s waterways. Funded by Northumbrian Water
THE man whose body found on Saltburn beach has been formally identified.Michael David Jones was discovered after a major search operation at the weekend.Cleveland Police, the Coastguard, the Redcar RNLI and the Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team had been
A GOLF club has donated £13,500 to the Great North Air Ambulance Service after a year’s fundraising.Brancepeth Castle Golf Club, near Durham, raised the money during a number of golf competitions held during the year.Club captain Steve Rose chose the
CHILDREN’S charity Action Medical Research is calling for riders to sign up now to this summer’s York 100 cycling challenge.The event on August 14 offers two options - a classic 65-mile route or a more challenging champion option, which covers 100 miles.The
A PENSIONER has been robbed of her handbag as she walked through Norton last night (Thursday, February 4).The 80-year-old was targeted at around 9.15pm in an alleyway close to the George and Dragon pub on Norton High Street. The woman was approached by
THE inquest into a County Durham father’s death has been opened.Darren Lawler’s body was found at a property in Bessemer Street in his hometown of Ferryhill, on August 19 last year, two months after he went missing.The discovery followed an extensive
WE’RE barely half way through our season and yet the margins couldn’t be any tighter. Win all of our games from here on in to the end of the season and we win the league. Sorted! Of course we’re not going to do that. Considering some of the difficult
BUSINESSES in Darlington are being encouraged to celebrate the national day of love by dressing their windows for Valentine’s Day competition.The scheme has been organised by business improvement district company Distinct Darlington, following on from
ELDERLY people suffering from “horrific” conditions inside freezing homes should speak up rather than shiver in silence, says the boss of Age UK Darlington.Age UK estimated the cold killed one elderly person every seven minutes and this week launched
THE last 75 tickets available to Darlington fans for the game at Salford City next weekend go on sale tomorrow Quakers have been allocated 250 tickets for the match, for which there will be no segregation at Moor Lane. Tickets will go on sale
A MOTORCYCLIST died after suffering severe head and neck injuries after clipping the back of a car at 106mph, an inquest has been told.Richard Bell broke his neck when he smashed into a crash barrier on the A174 near Middlesbrough last year.The 30-year-old
SO many people came into the world at Sedgefield’s Hardwick Hall – and many of them appear not to worry about having their age revealed in Memories. It is, though, all in the name of historic research because you will remember from last week that
FOR the next two months, Darlington library is hosting a truly splendid exhibition of old photographs of the town. They are from the collection of Owen Wicksteed, who died in 1999, leaving about 500 photos which he had taken since his arrival in
THESE two magnificent items will be stars of the show at next weekend's Durham Book Fair, which is held on Saturday, February 13, at Durham School, Quarryheads Lane, in the city. Above is a truly stunning, and quite enormous, framed etching of
STEVE McCLAREN has included four young Newcastle United players in the squad for tomorrow’s visit of West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. The Magpies boss, who is already looking at the trip to Stoke on March 2 in the hope that more players
A FREE course to help people brush up on their online skills takes place next week.The interactive session takes place at Horden Youth and Community Centre between 2pm and 4pm on Thursday (Feb 11) and will see people teamed up with a digital champion
DEVELOPERS have revealed that the last remaining part of a town’s landmark factory will be pulled down next month. The demolition of the Stanley Black & Decker building at Thinford, on the edge of Spennymoor, will make way for further development
YOUNGSTERS got an insight into how the world of Westminster works during a school trip to London.Eight pupils from the school council at Ox Close Primary School, in Spennymoor, travelled to the capital on Friday, January 29.After catching the 6.45am train
A NORTH-EAST author is honouring the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Dublin Easter Rising, with the release of the first of a trilogy of Irish historical fiction novels in March.Tracey Iceton, 38, is a former English teacher and current author from Stockton
A PROPOSAL to raise the police precept by 1.99 per cent in North Yorkshire has been formally approved. Julia Mulligan, Police and Crime Commissioner for the county, put her proposal to increase the amount residents pay for their police force to Police
CHILDREN at a Willington school have been learning first aid skills so they can help in an emergency.A first aider from St John’s Ambulance visited St Stephen’s School to teach children in years five and six lifesaving skills.About 60 pupils took part
A MAN has admitted breaching environmental permit regulations by allowing the dumping of waste for landfilling on a farm site, without authority.Stuart Christopher McCarroll is now in jeopardy of being jailed, when he returns to court to learn his fate
A MARRIED man with a "deep and unhealthy" interest in young girls is behind bars after being caught with hundreds of pictures of child abuse.Michael Patterson chatted with other paedophiles online about having sex with children and shared some
POLICE and The Gurkha Welfare Trust are appealing to the region's Nepalese community to come forward if they have been targeted by a £50m fraud.Since October 2014, City of London Police has been investigating Capital World Market (CWM’s) managed fund
THE Northern Echo has launched a petition to force a debate in Parliament on the crippling cuts that threaten the fabric of life in Darlington. Click here to show your support These cuts affect not only the most vulnerable but will impact
PERSONNEL at an RAF base are set to join a TV presenter who is walking ten marathons in ten days, from Hartlepool United to Wembley Stadium, to help beat prostate cancer. The team from RAF Leeming, near Bedale, led by Logistics Squadron, will also
CHILDREN at a North Yorkshire primary school are able to climb, run and play to their hearts’ content thanks to £10,000 of new playground equipment.Headteacher of South Otterington Church of England Primary School Kate Williamson said the Awards For All
A NEW report reveals that nearly £1 in every £5 of debt that people contact Citizens Advice about is owed to government departments.Citizens Advice is calling on government departments to address their debt collection practices after research revealed
At 82, veteran actor – and now debut novelist – David McCallum still has things he wants to achieve. He talks to Hannah Stephenson about grief, healthy eating and a happy marriage HE'S the Peter Pan of pathology as eccentric Dr Donald 'Ducky' Mallard
FALLING oil prices are good for the UK economy, a senior Bank of England figure has claimed.Ben Broadbent, the Bank’s deputy governor, said the offshore sector’s woes have provided a “net good” for the country’s finances, adding real wages have risen
A TRAILBLAZING snooker player had her biggest break yet when she collected an MBE for services to the sport.Vera Selby was made Member of the Order of the British Empire by the Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace.The 85
The Beehive Brand is the brainchild of former Barbour designer Andrea Freeman. She explains why she wanted to bring the wartime heritage knitwear brand back to life Born and raised in Darlington, County Durham, fashion designer and entrepreneur
A WOMAN has been injured by a syringe during a robbery. A man entered Teesdale Convenience Store on Teesdale Avenue, Billingham, at about 9.30pm last Saturday (January 31st) and threatened the shop worker with the syringe. He then made off
INSPIRATIONAL women will speak at an event next month for Teesside International Women's Day.Judges, vice presidents, local business people and community activists from the local area are among those who will be making presentations at the free event,
Chilihound Graham Ford is warming up the region with the sauces and chilli condiments he makes in his kitchen in Saltburn. Ruth Addicott is hot on his trail If your body is craving some heat this winter and your meals could do with a kick, keep
AN ANNUAL pancake dash across a village green is to mark its silver anniversary this Shrove Tuesday.Great Ayton’s pancake races have been taking place across High Green for the past 25 years.To mark the occasion the race’s original founders, Mike and
THE region’s largest council has delayed announcing its budget for the coming year.Durham County Council says it now expects to be told on Monday (Feb 8) the size of its Government grant for 2016-17.Figures from the Department of Communities and Local
A DOG walker was threatened with a baton on Middlesbrough farmland.The 51-year-old man was walking his dog between Springbank Lane in Ormesby and Cypress Road in Marton when he was approached by an unknown man and woman, who threatened him with a baton
ALMOST 120 vehicles were stopped during a major police operation aimed at clamping down on travelling criminals. The blitz took place on the same night that national attention was focussed on North Yorkshire road crime teams through the BBC show
A COMPANY which has grown its food business from the kitchen table to be one of the fastest growing companies in the UK has had plans for a new £3.5m sausage factory approved.Heck! Food, currently based at Leeming Bar Industrial Estate, near Bedale, creates
POPULAR Sunday night TV show Countryfile will put a North-East landmark in the spotlight this weekend.The BBC show paid a visit to Roker Pier in Sunderland, which is nearing the end of a £2.15m restoration.Presenter Ellie Harrison met some of the volunteers
GRAEME STORM is three shots off the lead at the lucrative Omega Dubai Desert Classic.The Rockliffe Hall Tour pro, who had led the tournament briefly after birdieing two of his first three holes on Friday, has carded two solid rounds in the Middle East.Storm
FOOD store bosses have apologised to a grandmother who went to cook a roast-in-the-bag chicken – only to find it stuffed with an excrement-like substance. Marjorie Pearson was appalled to discover unpleasant matter in the cavity of the bird as
A MAJOR project to improve the quality of water supplies to people and businesses in the Upper Swaledale area has now been completed.Consumers will enjoy the benefit of the new supply later this month when the new £4.8million pipeline comes on stream.The
THE Grand Old Lady has been restored to its prime following completion of essential roof and drainage repairs.St Mary Magdalene Church, in Belmont, near Durham, nicknamed the Grand Old Lady by parishioners, is one of the two latest beneficiaries in the
Spennymoor need a victory to boost morale when they go to Droylsden today. Moors slipped out of the play off positions last week when they were held at home by Trafford, and after the game, the club announced the departure of assistant manager Anth Smith
West Auckland manager Andy Campbell is hoping that West can secure their second boost in three days when they go to Bedlington this afternoon. West reached the semi finals of the Durham Challenge Cup on Thursday night when they won at Easington, and
Dunston UTS are hoping to clinch a quarter final place in the Vase quarter finals when they host Ashford United in their fifth round replay this afternoon. Dunston, who won the competition four seasons ago, have played their last three ties on artificial
THE family of shot PC David Rathband last night remained defiant after losing a High Court negligence case against Northumbria Police and being ordered to pay at least £100,000 costs. Mr Justice Males found the force was not negligent in failing
A SELF-confessed coffee fanatic who became unemployed last year has set up a new licensed coffee house in Yarm High Street.Steve Ashman opened Mint Hobo in December.It has late opening hours and a drinks licence - making it different to other coffee shops
INDEPENDENT schools Red House and Teesside High are in talks about a possible merger.Red House School, in Norton, Stockton, and Teesside High School, in Eaglescliffe, have informed parents about the potential link-up - but have stressed there are no formal
CLAIMS by a government minister that Cleveland Police is “rotten” were strongly refuted by its new temporary chief constable this morning. Northern Powerhouse Minister and Stockton South MP James Wharton has demanded an investigation into the force
EMERGENCY services carried out a river rescue in the early hours of Friday morning after reports that a man had plunged into waters from a Wearside Bridge. Police, ambulance and fire crews from Fulwell and Byker, along with coastguards and the
ON a blast-bitter day like last Saturday, it may be considered an English eccentricity – perversion, perhaps – to sit in a seafront ice cream parlour scoffing a sundae. It hadn’t been the plan.The plan, Railroad to Wembley, was to watch Newton Aycliffe
BARRIE Richardson, whose passing we noted last week, was a lovely guy, an all-round sportsman of much ability and a considerable quaffer, too.The man his friends called Barfy was one of that happy breed who didn’t just enjoy a pint after the match but
NORTHERN Echo Camera Club member Geoff Freeman submitted this winning image for last's month's photo competition. Please click here to see all other entries Geoff, who lives in Winston, near Barnard Castle, took the shot during a snow shower
MADE it! At last I’m going to the supermarket. I’m so excited. Today’s the day I’ll buy loo rolls, coffee, butter, yoghurt, out of season veg, crispy salads and other treats. Other people give up drinking for January. I give up shopping.Since I last staggered
OURS is supposedly the oldest parliamentary democracy in the world, and we talk often of our British belief in fair play. Yet with the Trade Union Bill, this Government is putting these values at risk. We’ve already seen them make it harder to
A NEW report has revealed that universities are responsible for just over half of all experiments conducted on animals in the UK. Drilling holes into the skulls of dogs, deliberately infecting mice with human diseases, electrocuting rats and implanting
I HAD to smile at recent letters regarding the TV licence. For the past 31 years we have paid our licence when it was due. Last May I paid the fee of £145.50p by debit card. In June we received a letter telling us this was overdue. We took
I WRITE in connection of your story in The Northern Echo (Feb 1) in which you report that the head teacher of Skerne Park Academy, in Darlington, has received hate mail after asking parents not to do the school run in pyjamas. Such abuse can only
THE Northern Echo has launched a petition to force a debate in Parliament on the crippling cuts that threaten the fabric of life in Darlington. Last night over 3,000 people had added their name to the campaign that aims to save our historic market
DURHAM Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg says he plans to sit down with council chiefs to discuss proposals which will see the authority’s contribution to community safety reduced to the statutory minimum. Two jobs will go with a budget saving
A YOUNG motorist has been jailed after he was found to have been driving at 20mph over the speed limit when he hit and fatally injured a woman who ran into the road. Although pedestrian Vikki Tinkler, who had earlier left home in a highly emotional
A MENTAL health hospital has been criticised after a paranoid schizophrenic drowned after being left alone in the bath. Roseberry Park Hospital has apologised for the death of 58-year-old Maureen Sigsworth, who had previously told staff she planned
In response to the news that Darlington is facing devastating cuts, Editor Peter Barron writes an open letter to George Osborne. It will be sent to the Chancellor, with a copy of today’s special pull-out in The Northern Echo on the crisis Dear
AS DAD’S Army goes on general release today, cinemagoers from the region may find something familiar about Walmington-on-Sea. The major new film version of the TV classic not only boasts an A-list cast, it also features some more locally recognisable
The Six Nations Championship begins tomorrow, with all of the participants looking to rebuild after failing to make the last four at last autumn’s World Cup. Who is best placed to progress, and how will the pecking order look come the final round of
SOME of Darlington’s best known charities could see their futures threatened by the withdrawal of council support. Darlington Borough Council is proposing to save £225,000 a year by withdrawing strategic grants to organisations including Age UK
WITH two new signings in the bag on transfer deadline day, Ronnie Moore is happy with his business.And the Hartlepool United manager admits his first January capture is one he has high hopes for.Luke James and Josh Laurent moved this week, from Peterborough
Sea Cities: Tyneside (BBC2, 7pm)THE BBC's latest documentary series is covering the working lives of five UK sea ports with the Port of Tyne second on the list as cameras follow the Port of Tyne’s engineering team as they work on plant and equipment,
A SON of a leading organiser of The Great Escape has hailed RAF reservists for honouring the memory of Allied prisoners of war by retracing their footsteps over a notorious Nazi death march.Tim Zillessen, whose father Marcel escaped from the Nazis during
IT BEGAN simply with a letter that posed the question: could Darlington have its own hospice? Inspired by what was happening elsewhere in the country following the work of Dame Cicely Saunders, credited as the pioneer of the modern day hospice
A CROSS-DRESSING lorry driver who tied up and abused a child is behind bars after a court heard how his victim's life is ruined. Lawrence Ireland, 64, was jailed for four years and 11 months at Teesside Crown Court for molesting the girl in the
SAM ALLARDYCE concedes Sunderland are in a “terrible position” close to the foot of the Premier League table, but claims to have seen enough from the club’s January signings to convince him they are capable of staging another ‘Great Escape’. Tuesday
ROB ELLIOT is hoping the positivity engendered by Newcastle United’s transfer dealings survives Wednesday’s Merseyside mauling, but admits his side will have to improve markedly if they are to secure a much-needed victory over relegation rivals West
AITOR KARANKA can understand why his Championship rivals are “jealous” of the squad he has assembled at Middlesbrough, and concedes he will be “the only person to blame” if the Teessiders fail to win promotion to the Premier League this season.
JUDGEMENT in the negligence claim by Pc David Rathband's family against the shot policeman's employer Northumbria Police will be handed down on Friday. Update: Rathband family left with huge legal bill after losing Northumbria Police negligence
PLANS to build a cinema, apartments, offices, bars and restaurants at the heart of Durham will go on show later this month (Wednesday, February 17). The consortium behind a £150m scheme to redevelop the Milburngate House site, for many years home
