SEYDOU DOUMBIA’S first appearance at St James’ Park was not enough to ensure Newcastle United Under-21s would avoid defeat against Stoke City. The Ivorian played the first half before making way at the break following his move from Roma on loan
THE CLUB held its annual presentation evening on Saturday to recognise and reward performances of individual members for their efforts during the 2015 season. The shortlist was nominated by the club captains and vice-captains and all members placed their
JANUARY WAS a fairly quiet month in terms of the number of races ran by Club members, largely at the mercy of the weather. The races that were attended, however, were by no means insignificant. They provided a number of opportunities for Striders to set
IT may not be a great deal in the context of the big picture but there is finally an acknowledgement that local government funding cuts have gone too far in some areas. Local Government Secretary Greg Clark announced last night that he had listened
A MAN accused of sexually abusing boys at his home has denied his relationship with his former partner was “a lavender marriage”. Stanley Simpson was responding to questions by prosecuting barrister Sarah Mallett on the tenth day of his trial at
A HUSBAND and father whose wife has life-limiting cancer says he has been "absolutely amazed" by the response of public after who raised just over £2,400 in ten days so the family could go to Disneyland Paris. Former soldier Steve Timms, 30, originally
PARAMEDICS have issued a warning after another 20 people rang 999 over the weekend after taking legal highs.An ambulance was set to each of the incidents, including one cardiac arrest.The weekend incidents take the total recorded by the North East Ambulance
A £10m scheme to improve the sewage treatment serving a key tourist resort has been unveiled.The Yorkshire Water scheme in Whitby follows a £400,000 project by the firm last year to repair sewers damaged by sea water and incidents over the last decade
ONE of the most influential figures in British music will be sharing her experiences with an audience at Richmond's Georgian Theatre Royal.Dame Fanny Waterman, 95, will be in conversation with renowned composer and choral musician Dr Richard Shepherd
A FARMER has been ordered to pay more than £2,000 after he cut trees down in an ancient woodland and blocked a public footpath. Leslie Ford, 71, was fined £2,322.31 by Peterlee magistrates following a prosecution brought by Durham County Council
PEOPLE are being asked to play their part for a better internet as part of Safer Internet Day 2016.The internationally recognised event aims to educate children and young people about how to stay safe online.St Francis Church of England Aided Junior School
A MAJOR national medical conference on pre-hospital care is to take place in the region.About 100 delegates including paramedics, doctors, nurses, academics and healthcare administrators are expected to attend the conference in Newcastle.The annual 999
A FUNERAL director is helping to keep a roof over the heads of Darlington’s homeless population.Staff at Co-operative Funeralcare, based in Cockerton, donated more than £1,700 to the 700 Club recently.The charity helps people across Darlington cope with
MORE lives could be lost due to a council’s plans to cut financial support for two public health organisations.As part of a raft of potential savings announced last week, Darlington Borough Council said it would no longer contribute to Balance, the regional
A DOG re-homing charity has launched a tenth anniversary appeal to raise £250,000.Stray Aid, based in Coxhoe, County Durham, hopes to raise the money to develop and maintain its kennels and a range of events are planned throughout the year.H’Angus the
A MAN who was caught on camera dumping rubbish at a flytipping blackspot has been fined.Durham County Council installed cameras at Warren House Gill, in Horden after a spate of incidents at the site.In June, the cameras caught two men dumping a carpet
A YOUNG boy is set to star in an episode of a popular children's programme after he found an innovative way to communicate with people.Kenzie Hughes will be appearing on Something Special tomorrow morning (Tuesday, February 9) alongside Cbeebies star
A GREAT-GRANDFATHER has told of how he had to learn to walk again after being hospitalised for almost eight weeks when he contracted Legionnaires' Disease while on holiday in Bulgaria.Colin Cookson, 72, and his wife Iris, 66, booked a two-week stay at
CHRISTIAN students will stage their biggest mission week in recent years later this month (February 15-19). Durham Christian Union hopes to have contact with 4,000 students across their five-day Story initiative, from February 15 to 19. There
PREPARATIONS to hold a charitable 10k race are picking up pace in North Yorkshire.Race organisers of Northallerton’s first ever 10k run were given the go-ahead by North Yorkshire County Council after bidding to bring the race to the town’s streets in
DRAGONS and dancers descended on Darlington to celebrate the Chinese New Year.Shoppers gathered to watch as pupils from Carmel College, Hummersknott Academy and Polam Hall School took part in the celebrations at Joseph Pease Place today (Monday, February
A SECURE hospital order has been imposed on a man who stabbed his own father after becoming aggressive at his family’s home.Durham Crown Court heard that Craig Connor Ivey has been diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, following examination by psychiatrists
GOVERNMENT delays in telling council bosses what money they will have to spend has led to North Yorkshire County Council cancelling it’s budget meeting. The announcements were due to be made this (Monday, February 8) afternoon only left the council
PARENTS concerned that the proposed merger of two schools could leave them with no other choice of secondary school within 20 miles, have delivered a petition to education bosses. Members of the Fight to Save Eskdale School today (Monday, February 8)
MILITARY instructors have had their efforts with young people officially recognised.Armed Forces personnel were awarded Lord Lieutenant’s Certificates for Meritorious Services in a ceremony at Hollis VC Armoury on Ridgeway in Middlesbrough.Army Reservist
ONE of the most deadly battles of the First World War has inspired artists featuring in a festival which has been launched today. Two art exhibitions featuring work inspired by the Battle of the Somme are now open as part of Febfest, Bishop Auckland’s
A 'HAUNTED street' created by students from Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD) has gone on display.The street was opened by TV production designer Tina Sherifa Hicks and will be open to the public until Sunday, April 24.Titled, The Haunted Histories
FOR a historic flower club to flourish, membership must grow.A drop in membership means Darlington Flower Club could face an uncertain future.The club, established in the town for almost 60 years, hosts a varied programme of events.Members are now appealing
A FAMILY-friendly gig has been hailed a success by music lovers of all ages.The Big Little Gig welcomed every generation to the sold out show designed to inspire an interest in live music from a young age.The organisation, which has secured funding until
THOUSANDS of North-East men are paying for sex with transactions increasingly arranged on the internet, new research has found. A report out today by the Northern Rock Foundation concludes that an estimated 3,400 men are using prostitutes across
ONE of Britain’s best-known barbers Mucktaru Kargbo spent two days working with hairdressing students at a North-East college.The London-based stylist, known as MK, visited East Durham College and staged a demonstration for 300 people at the college’s
TWO green-fingered neighbours are opening up their gardens as part of a scheme to raise money for charity.Mary Smith and Eric Ayres, who live in neighbouring 19th Century cottages, are both gardening enthusiasts and have been chosen to take part in this
THE UK’s biggest tourism conference is set to be staged in Yorkshire next month, when people can hear about campaigns and projects planned for the county. Welcome to Yorkshire is to host the annual Y16 event at the York Barbican on Wednesday, March 23
WORK has begun to demolish a row of former shops in Middlesbrough town centre. Bulldozers have begun pulling down nine properties on Borough Road near to Union Street. The buildings have been acquired by Middlesbrough Council for redevelopment
A HAVEN for rescued seal pups is asking visitors and residents to throw in their towels - to help them treat the marine mammals.The animal care team at Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary has issued an appeal for unwanted towels, saying it gets through more
RELATIVES of Quaker pioneer Edward Pease last night made an impassioned plea for Darlington's historic central library which faces closure under controversial council cutbacks. Sign our petition calling on the Government to change its funding formula
STUDENTS hope to have raised more than £10,000 by staging a charity fashion show. Durham University’s 32nd annual Charity Fashion Show was held in a marquee on Palace Green on Friday and Saturday nights (February 6-7). - See all the photos
DANIEL AYALA will miss Middlesbrough’s trip to MK Dons tomorrow but Aitor Karanka hopes to have the key defender back for the next Championship game. Tomas Kalas is the favourite to slot in to the heart of the defence at the Stadium: MK after Karanka
THE driver of a van involved in a collision with a motorcycle is prepared to admit responsibility for the crash, due to his careless driving.But the prosecution intends to pursue the original charge against Rickie Lee Foster, that he caused the serious
A CHARITY which supports wounded, injured and sick veterans and service personnel is appealing to alternative therapists who can help improve the sleep patterns of those in its care.Kelly Bostock, rehabilitation support co-ordinator at Help for Heroes
MENTAL health services leaders have voiced fears the number of suicides in the North-East will continue to rise for the foreseeable future, as official figures showed the region had the highest rate in England. The Office for National Statistics
AN HISTORIC Darlington church is staging a year-long programme of events to celebrate major renovations which will open it up to the wider community.Holy Trinity Church on Woodland Road has undergone a £450,000 repair and improvement project to safeguard
A SPECIAL Snowdrop Walk will be held in Sedgefield this month to raise funds for charity.People will be able to plant a snowdrop in memory of a loved one at the Child Bereavement UK event at Hardwick Park on Sunday, February 28.The annual event marks
POLICE in Barnard Castle have issued a warning to residents to keep property secure following shed burglaries. Officers said there have been a number of shed burglaries in the past few days in Butterknowle, Wycliffe and Headlam. Various items have been
Ryan Winks has become known as "the singing jockey" after bursting into song to celebrate winning a race. Winks, a former professional singer, had just won the Scottish Champion Chase on Chestnut Ben at Musselburgh when he took the microphone and
TWO best friends kicked, flicked and tapped their way to victory at a Strictly Come Dancing-inspired charity event. Helen Corner and Victoria Mansell impressed the judges at the inaugural Strictly St Cuthbert’s event with their cheeky Charleston
LEAVING the EU would be "a huge step into the unknown" for the UK, with most of the possible outcomes likely to result in lower GDP growth, an economic thinktank has said.Even a run of opinion polls suggesting that voters may back Brexit in
ONE of the region’s leading theatres will re-open on April 22 after a £4.1million redevelopment project.York Theatre Royal will re-open with the world premiere of Bryony Lavery's newly commissioned stage adaptation of Brideshead Revisited.The new adaptation
A MAN appeared in court on Monday (February 8) on charges of causing more than £45,000 of damage to parked cars. Mohammed Qureshi, 62, faced nine counts of criminal damage, possession of a bladed article and driving with no insurance at Teesside
A COUPLE who wanted to built their own home on the same land as their family farm have had their plans thrown out by a district council.Frazer and Helen Toogood applied to Richmondshire District Council planning committee to build a family home on land
POEMS and artwork created by Darlington schoolchildren are to go on display at Durham Cathedral later this month.Primary school pupils from across the borough contributed poems on the theme of the futility of war, whilst secondary school students wrote
COMEDY fans showed they had a big heart when they dug deep to raise money for young cancer sufferer.Almost £1,000 was raised during a bucket collection during a Big Mouth Comedy Club show in Middlesbrough on Saturday night (Feb 6) to help three-year-old
A FAMILY-run store is set to unveil its £3 million expansion which owners hope will help boost the Northallerton economy.Barkers Furnishing Store, on Yafforth Road in Northallerton, is to stage an official opening on Saturday, March 19, after undergoing
A THEATRE art project, which brought together a diverse range of community groups, has been shortlisted for a community award in Hambleton.On Our Turf was a collaboration between York Theatre Royal and communities in nearby market towns. The project,
A REVIEW of sports funding is expected to see Tees Active Limited given the go ahead to continue developing services on behalf of a local council.The non-profit making company was worked alongside Stockton Borough Council for 12 years to deliver leisure
A MAN from the Hartlepool area is in a critical but stable condition in hospital following a car crash at Sappers Corner in Greatham, Hartlepool.The 21-year-old was driving a red Ford Ka when the collision took place, at about 9.05pm last night (Sunday
WORK has begun on a £5 million regeneration scheme to replace a rundown former care home with new housing.Durham County Council voted to close Cheveley House, in Belmont, Durham, along with four other residential homes in April 2014 in a cost-cutting
WORK has begun on a £5 million regeneration scheme to replace a rundown former care home with new housing.Durham County Council voted to close Cheveley House, in Belmont, Durham, along with four other residential homes in April 2014 in a cost-cutting
FRACKING industry leaders have agreed to outline where and when they hope to launch operations in the coming decades as part of a drive by an MP to address rising levels of community concern. Energy firms Cuadrilla, iGas, Ineos and Third Energy
STRIKING crane drivers got a boost on the picket line this morning (Monday, February 8) when comedy legend Roy 'Chubby' Brown stopped by to lend his support. About 16 drivers from the Stockton branch of Ainscough Crane Hire have walked out as part
A HOTEL aims to save thousands in energy bills thanks to a partnership with a cost-cutting operation.The Ramside Hall Hotel and Golf Club, near Durham City, has a three-year contract with Great Annual Savings Group (GASG) in a bid to pare back tariffs.The
WE probably did a disservice to Spennymoor Probus club last week when we accused them of identifying the mayor of Darlington’s first known car as a Daimler Pullman. Confused by cars, we probably forgot what they had told us, and we were, of course,
NPOWER has become the fourth major UK energy supplier to announce a cut in its gas price - with a 5.2 per cent cut taking effect on 28 March.The date of the change is likely to bring renewed criticism that prices are cut only towards the end of the coldest
A WATER company is spending £318m to improve services. Yorkshire Water says it is upgrading treatment works across the region, which will help reduce consumers’ bills. Bosses say the work features £10m changes at its Whitby works, which will
Two friends who launched a personalised iced biscuit business from home have been overwhelmed by the demand. Ruth Campbell watched them at work Little did Louise Fields and Zita Branton realise that a casual conversation on a short car journey
Under EU regulations member countries are under an obligation to look into restoring some of our lost beasts to the countryside. Darlington naturalist Ian Bond asks if it’s a good idea IF you had a time machine, what would you go back for? If it
As Dad's Army marches onto the big screen, Susan Griffin rallies the troops to sniff out some behind-the-scenes gossip on why they signed up for duty 1 We have The X Factor to thank for inspiring the idea of making a movie. Producer Damian Jones
When Millie Marotta quit her teaching job, little did she imagine she’d be dominating the colouring book trend. As her third book is published, she talks to Hannah Stephenson WHEN Millie Marotta takes a mug of tea into her studio, she is more careful
After almost two years, acclaimed drama Happy Valley is back. Sarah Lancashire tells Susan Griffin why life’s not set to get any easier for tortured sergeant Catherine Cawood WHEN the first series of Happy Valley aired, it wasn't only the general
Almost a decade-and-a-half since the last series, Mulder and Scully are reopening The X-Files on Channel 5. First, Keeley Bolger catches up with Nick Pope, a former ‘real-life’ Mulder, to discuss our endless fascination with the unexplained BACK
Drops of magic are on their way as the first bulbs of the year open SNOWDROPS are brilliant little perennial bulbs because they are one of the earliest bulbs to flower from January to March, depending on the variety. There are 20 species of
Ella Woodward overhauled her diet to solve her health problems, which left her bed-ridden five years ago. Her cooking has transformed her life, as the best-selling author tells Keeley Bolger. AFTER a whirlwind year, which saw her first book become
As Dad’s Army hits the big screen, one star is likely to shine above all others. Stephen White visits key filming location Bridlington, now destined for fame A SMALL fishing town in East Riding, Yorkshire, famous for its tasty fish and chips, is
A BUS driver called paramedics after a passenger suffered a fit in Darlington town centre. The woman became ill at 10.40am when the bus was about to stop on Prebend Row. The driver of the Springfield / Whinfield service into the town centre
AN elderly woman was hit by a farmer’s truck as she crossed Victoria Road in Darlington this morning. The woman was “clipped” by the truck when she walked on to the road without waiting for the pedestrian crossing signal. The truck was towing
EVEN now, 54 years on, Irene still needs to wipe away tears and take a deep breath as she remembers the day she gave birth to her son – January 2, 1962. Derek was a honeymoon baby, born at the outset of a devoted relationship which had first been
Beyoncé, one of the biggest female artists of all time, is set to light up the North East in the summer following the announcement of her hotly-anticipated world tour. Recognised as the most powerful woman in the music industry and Billboard’s
A NORTH-EAST health-and-safety firm has won a key contract to help install the world’s longest undersea electricity cable project. Stockton-based health and safety specialists Steel River Consultants (SRC) will oversee the £1.5bn UK-Norway interconnector
DARLINGTON Credit Union boss Tony Brockley is on a mission to bring ethics back to financial services. Restoring the shine to an industry tarnished by miss-selling scandals and rip-off pay day loans might be asking too much, but after a career
SAM ALLARDYCE wants six wins from Sunderland’s 13 remaining fixtures if he is to keep Premier League football on Wearside next season – and thinks he might just have the players capable of doing it. The Black Cats are still four points adrift of
APPARENTLY Jermain Defoe can’t play up front on his own. That was one of the reasons why he left Tottenham, it was also cited as a reason Dick Advocaat tended to overlook him for a central role during his six month spell in charge at Sunderland.Even Sam
AITOR KARANKA has warned some of his established Middlesbrough players to expect a raft of changes for tomorrow’s game at MK Dons. Karanka freely admits he felt a debt of loyalty to the core of the side that had taken the Teessiders into the automatic
WHEN Jordan Rhodes completed his deadline-day move to Middlesbrough, he was described in various quarters as “the final piece of the promotion jigsaw”. As any experienced puzzler will tell you however, having all the pieces is the easy part. It’s successfully
A BABY who was expected to live just weeks died peacefully in her mother's arms following what she called the "happiest 10 months" of her life. Brave young mother Rachel Hetherington lay at home with her terminally-ill little girl Briannah as she
TWO men received prison sentences for taking part in an unsuccessful bid to bludgeon their way into an office at a town’s railway station. But, it was a case of “one in and one out”, after the sentences were imposed on the Darlington duo, at Durham
