PLANS to reintroduce lynx into a Borders forest will not go ahead without "full consultation", Scotland's Environment Secretary has pledged. Roseanna Cunningham said farmers and crofters had "serious concerns" about the proposal by the Lynx UK
CHEICK TIOTE has almost certainly played his final game for Newcastle United, with Abu Dhabi champions Al-Jazira having offered the midfielder a three-year deal in the Middle East. Tiote was omitted from the Newcastle squad that claimed a 2-0 friendly
HARTLEPOOL UNITED tonight recorded a thumping 6-0 win over Guisborough Town, while only managing a 1-1 draw at Seaham. Pools split their squad and played two games against Northern League opposition, with the League One season starting at home
NEWCASTLE took another successful step towards the start of the new Championship season as they maintained their unbeaten pre-season record with a 2-0 win over League One Southend United. The Magpies were the dominant side throughout at Roots Hall
THE driver of this car made a rather full and surprising admission to police officers who pulled him up earlier today. For the man jumped out and handed over his keys and said: "You best have these, I've not got a licence or insurance!". The
Bethany Greathead who was reported missing from the Hawthorn area of east Durham has been found. A Durham Police spokesman said she had been found safe and well and thanked members of the public for their helpl.
A SOFTWARE firm says European and North American demand is driving its momentum. Sage Group says revenues have increased as greater numbers of customers subscribe to its products. According to the business’ results, for the nine months to June
MOST OF the action in the last seven days was centred on midweek for once, with both personal bests and club records being set by several runners. The week had started with Colin Smith once again heading up to Jarrow for the North East Masters League
A NEW book will celebrate Britain’s oldest long-distance footpath, The Pennine Way. Entitled The Pennine Way - The Path, The People, The Journey , it provides a personal account of the author Andrew McCloy’s 268-mile trek across the footpath, which
A PROPOSAL to build a wind turbine near a County Durham airfield has been rejected after it was branded "suicidal" for pilots.Durham County Council's planning committee today (Tuesday, July 26) voted unanimously to refuse the application
MEMBERS of a political party which campaigns for the establishment of a Yorkshire parliament have overwhelmingly voted to change its name. Leaders of Yorkshire First, which was set up to lobby for the region to be devolved, said the group would be known
A METAL detectorist has discovered the north of England’s largest ever Roman coin hoard.The 1,857 Roman coins from the age of Roman Emperor Constantine were found in east Yorkshire by a Hartlepool man and are worth £44,000.David Blakey, 57, of Hartlepool
A TEARFUL man told police how as a young churchgoer he was regularly abused by his parish vicar, a court heard.But the now middle-aged man told police that as a naïve youngster he believed he was being “comforted” by the “touchy-feely” churchman, and
A RACIALLY-aggravated incident involving a Darlington man and woman has seen police issue an appeal for witnesses of the alleged offence. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon (July 23) in a busy pedestrian area outside BHS, off Northgate
PROUD volunteers beamed as the Queen’s representative presented them with a prestigious award on her behalf.The group from Café JJ, in Darlington, could barely contain their excitement as local dignitaries, family and friends gathered at Clifton Community
THE Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight added to the fun when an RAF base held its annual families’ day festival.The iconic aircraft made flypasts of RAF Leeming while the famous Falcons parachute display team made a spectacular descent.The
A TORY MP faced a grilling from children when he took part in a school’s own version of Question Time.Youngsters from all year groups fired a series of questions at Richmond MP Rishi Sunak at a special assembly arranged for his visit to Aiskew, Leeming
A TEENAGER is urging other young people to find ways to stay connected with friends this summer to prevent isolation and loneliness.Research by the National Citizen Service (NCS) has revealed more than half of young people expect to feel isolated during
A NORTH-EAST charity which offers psychotherapy for veterans has been presented with an award as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours.Veteran’s at East, which is based in Durham City, provides support for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress
A FESTIVAL which is thought to be the oldest sea regatta in the North-East coast has overcome competition from events such as Notting Hill Carnival and Reading and Leeds Festivals to be named among the country's top summer events.Whitby Regatta, which
A LARGE-SCALE proposal for more than 350 homes, a care home and assisted living complex in Sedgefield has been rejected by councillors.Durham County Council’s planning committee today (July 26) unanimously voted against the major mixed-use development
POLICE are warning homeowners to keep their doors locked after a spate of break-ins by thieves simply trying door handles.Officers in Bishop Auckland say that, over the last three weeks, a number of properties and vehicles have been entered by criminals
A STRATEGY is being drawn up to improve oral health across County Durham.Members of the public are invited to have their say on the draft oral health strategy being drawn up by Durham County Council using guidelines from the National Institute for Health
A TV production company run by Miranda Hart and David Walliams is filming an adaptation of a book considered to be the first modern English detective novel at a Georgian country house in Wensleydale.Cold Feet and The Fast Show actor John Thomson and Miranda
ILLEGAL parkers are being targeted during a clampdown on inconsiderate motorists in a seaside town.Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is taking action to address problems along Redcar seafront as the warm weather has resulted in an increase in visitors
A NORTH-EAST museum has secured more than £2m to save an historic painting deemed “an important British cultural asset”. With funding from The Art Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and private donors, the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, raised £2,290,650
PAYOUTS from an EU fund set up to ease poverty in the North-East have been suspended following the Brexit vote, putting thousands of new jobs and the Northern Powerhouse scheme at risk, it has emerged.The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was
A CHARITABLE donation has resulted in a vital support unit for cancer patients and their families being able to reopen its doors.The Cancer Information Centre at the University Hospital of Hartlepool received the cash boost from Music v Cancer (MvC) and
PLANS to build 10,000 homes and create 6,500 jobs in Darlington stimulated a lively debate at a meeting of local property businesses. As part of a series of discussions with stakeholders which finish on August 15, Darlington Council planning services
BRITAIN’S second-ranked female weightlifter is appealing for public help to help her represent her country. Kelly-Jo Robson, 27, from Stockton, came second in the British female weight lifting championships recently by lifting 59 kilos in the quick
A NATIONAL park authority has condemned wildlife criminals who set an elevated trap to catch a young buzzard, which was put down after suffering horrifying injuries. The bird of prey, protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, was found
RESIDENTS are being urged to have their say on the future of policing across the Cleveland force area.Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger is looking to deliver his strategic plan for the coming four years – 2016 to 2020 – with the assistance
WORK to preserve a centuries-old farm for future generations by transporting it to a living history museum is underway.Spain’s Field Farm, in Weardale, County Durham, is now being taken down stone by stone and will be rebuilt at Beamish Museum near Stanley
A STREET party to celebrate the start of the summer holidays has raised more than £2,000 for charity.Hundreds of people attended the Clover Hill Court fun day in Craghead, near Stanley, on Saturday.The event with a theme of Cowboys and Indians included
WHEN Josef Craig takes to the starting blocks in Rio, the Paralympic champion will do so feeling he is back in the shape of his life.Four years ago the then-15-year-old smashed his own S7 world record to take gold on his Paralympic Games debut in London.The
PLANS for 35 apartments in Durham City have been resubmitted after being withdrawn earlier this month.The new plans are for land at Kepier House, at the Sands. A proposal for 35 apartments and car parking was due to be decided by a Durham County Council
A 75-YEAR-OLD is celebrating after completing a gruelling 14-hour workout for a community cause.Vince Crosby, chairman of Newton Aycliffe Youth and Community Centre (NAYCC), cross trained, ran and cycled from 6.30am to 8.30pm to raise funds for the charitable
We recently caught up with North-East Olympian and Benfield Nissan ambassador Laura Weightman to find out how the middle distance runner is faring on her Road to RioSaying the words ‘I am going to Rio, my second Olympic Games’ is an incredible feeling
A DURHAM pub could be taking its last orders following plans to convert it into housing for young people at risk of becoming homeless.Durham Action on Single Housing [DASH] has submitted proposals to concert the Last Orders, part of the Sunderland Road
A MILESTONE year for an agricultural show was marked with a special parade of historic machinery - and a Royal visit.The 150th Ryedale Show today (Tuesday, July 26) produced a souvenir programme mirroring the one from the first annual meeting of the Ryedale
A BREAST cancer survivor has praised the charity which helped her recover her confidence as she fought against the disease.Nurse Helen McIntyre, of Kiln Pit Hill, near Consett, was diagnosed with cancer in July 2013 and started a course of chemotherapy
STEPHEN MILLER and Jade Jones have been confirmed in the British athletics squad for this summer’s Paralympic Games in Rio. The North-East duo were among 41 athletes selected today, with 13 competitors having already been confirmed in the first
A POPULAR community radio station has announced it is ceasing its operations after 13 years of broadcasting due to lack of funding.Radio Teesdale, which provides community radio services to the population of Teesdale, in County Durham, broadcasted programmes
A FLOWER club born out of classes held in 1986 is celebrating after a successful three decades in operation. Ferryhill, Sedgefield and District Flower Club last week marked its 30th anniversary with a bash for members and its founders. More
THE Captain Cook Birthplace Museum (CCBM) is set to play host to a celebration of vibrant Polynesian culture at the weekend.The Pacific Islands Festival focuses on many of the indigenous cultures which would have been observed by Captain Cook himself
DAVID MOYES has rejected the chance to sign former England international Micah Richards, but the new Sunderland boss is confident of making a number of additions within the next seven days. Black Cats chief executive Martin Bain will return to
THE REMNANTS of an early sewage plant have been transformed into a wildlife haven for youngsters.The new wild park at Snipe Pond, in Darlington, was unveiled this weekend and it is hoped it will become a popular meeting place for young people from the
SOME of the most talented young golfers in the region are set to take each other on when they tee off in a leading amateur tournament next week.Middlesbrough Golf Club is playing host to the 42nd North of England Open Amateur Youth Championship, which
A CHARITY Bake Off-style event aims to raise cash for a Richmond youngster with a muscle wasting disease so he can get his own hydrotherapy pool.Little Joshua Jessop, who is just six years old, suffers from Duchene Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a disease
TWO men will appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Wednesday) charged with vehicle theft and driving offences. The men, from County Durham, were arrested on the A689 road between Westgate and Eastgate in Weardale at about 2pm yesterday
AN event to showcase the Sowerby Gateway 64 one and two-bedroom flats extra care housing scheme will be held at Meadowfields, Chapel Street, Thirsk on Monday, from 10am to 2pm. Staff will also be on hand to answer questions about Orchid House, on the
TOP scoring forward Jessica Johnson has achieved another major goal after being selected to play for one of the North’s top football teams.The 14-year-old student at the Wensleydale School and Sixth Form, Leyburn, has joined the U15 squad of Leeds Ladies.Jessica
NORTH Yorkshire County Council is to receive its government funding every four years as it plans how to steer its finances through the Brexit process.The council has written to the Government this week to accept the offer of a four year financial settlement
A SPECTACULAR run which sees people being showered with coloured paint is coming to North Yorkshire.Herriot Hospice Homecare is hosting its first ever “colour run” at Catterick Racecourse on August 13 – and hopes are high it will be their most successful
1916: No Turning Back: Durham Gala TheatreTHIS trip really is a leap into the unknown. The walk-through experience is not a typical theatre production but involves actors leading visitors through a series of tableaux based on the Battle of the Somme.
ALL things Yorkshire will be celebrated at a family fun day in Marske, near Redcar on Saturday.Fun-seekers are also being asked to get into the spirit of the day and dress up as either pirates or in Yorkshire-themed costumes.It’s all part of the fourth
VIGILANTE paedophile hunters Dark Justice have announced that a 50-year-old man has been arrested after believing he was meeting a 13-year-old girl. Police in Darlington confirmed this afternoon that one male had been arrested in connection with
A DARLINGTON school has celebrated successful students at its annual awards.Strawberries and cream and music from the school choir made for a fitting tribute to the youngsters from Marchbank Free School.Staff, pupils, governors and parents turned out
ONE of the region’s great seats of worship has been awarded £500,000 for critically-important conservation and repair work.The money for York Minster has come from the Government-sponsored First World War Centenary Repairs Fund.The Dean of York, the Very
AN 84-year-old holidaymaker has been rescued by a lifeboat crew after slipping and injuring himself on the rocks of Inner Farne island.The visitor to the National Trust island off the Northumberland coast is understood to have diverted from designated
THE final brick has been added of a three year project to rebuild Durham Cathedral in Lego.The last brick – a replica of the cathedral’s famous Sanctuary Knocker – was placed by seven-year-old Pearl Richardson, from Newcastle. Pearl, who won the honour
A FILMMAKER hopes to recruit football fans to feature in a new documentary about the North-East’s love of the beautiful game.Gateshead-based moviemaker Zahra Zomorrodian is making a film following Newcastle United fans through the upcoming season as the
THE CLUB held its annual relay event last Tuesday evening in memory of our dear running friend and colleague, Clive Golledge. Despite it being one of the hottest days of the year, the event attracted 52 teams from clubs all over the region who showed
ARRESTS have been made, after a woman was injured trying to prevent her sheep being stolen. Police say they have arrested five men on suspicion of attempted robbery following an incident at Picton near Crathorne, North Yorkshire yesterday afternoon
A YOUNG mother and her 20-month-old son have escaped serious injury after being hit by a car during a rush-hour incident. Emergency services were called to McMullen Road, in Darlington at 5.45pm last night after a 21-year-old mother and her baby
PAUL Collingwood has agreed to extend his playing career after signing a new deal for the 2017 season with Durham. However, Mark Stoneman is leaving the Riverside after agreeing a two-year deal with Surrey. Collingwood, the former England all-rounder
MICHAEL GOUGH, the former Durham batsman, takes charge of his first Test Match this week.The Hartlepool-based umpire is in Bulawayo for the opening Test of the two games series between Zimbabwe and New Zealand. After a meteoric rise up the ranks from
A CYCLIST has been taken to hospital after being injured in a crash in York city centre. The bike was in collision with a delivery lorry in Piccadilly at about 10am. The accident happened near the road's junction with Dixon Lane, a cycle track
SPECIALIST drugs officers raided a cannabis farm yesterday (Monday, July 25) following a tip-off from a member of the public. Cleveland Police's central drug enforcement team recovered cannabis plants with an estimated value of £113,000 after forcing
Hutton Magna is hosting a scarecrow festival this coming Saturday, 30 July from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Entry costs £1 per person, which includes a voting form, children's trail and map. There will also be a plant stall, and strawberry cream teas will
A MAN and a woman will appear in court later today charged in connection with a attempted robbery at a corner shop in Darlington at the weekend. The incident happened at Seema News and off-licence, on the corner of North Road and Cumberland Street
LAST week’s column told how Yvonne Ridley, former Echo reporter and Taliban captive – the events were not contemporaneous – had set up a peafowl sanctuary in the Borders. The neighbours, she admitted, mightn’t suppose it a feather in her cap, what
A PASSENGER in a van which crashed on the A1(M) in the early hours of Tuesday morning has suffered serious injuries. The van left the A1(M) near Hunsingore, in between Allerton Park and Wetherby, went up an embankment and came to rest on the A168
A CHALLENGER bank has hailed its untapped potential after homeowners’ ambitions to climb the property ladder and shoppers’ retail cravings remained undimmed by the Brexit vote. Virgin Money says there are no limits on what it can achieve after
WE had heard little snippets about the epic tale of Kynren from family and friends who are taking part in it and also seen the pictures published in The Northern Echo. None of that prepared us for the spectacular evening we had on Saturday, July 20
AFTER reading comments about the audience behaviour in theatres, I would point out that this behaviour is not confined to those venues. I recently sat behind a group of about 30 people, both men and women, at a 20 Over cricket match, who seemed
AS Jeremy Corbyn has said on many occasions, online threats, intimidation and abusive language have no place in political discourse. Mr Corbyn has been subjected to abuse, including death threats, but has chosen not to respond because he says he
THERE is nothing I like more than rooting about in the fridge to clear out the leftovers and transform a few scrappy bits and pieces into something delicious. But I have to work fast and surreptitiously. Because, no matter how many times I tell the
I WONDER what it is with some people and fashion. I am generally okay with what most people wear with one exception, one I thought had died out some years ago seems to have re-emerged and it appears to be everywhere and it is vile and horrible.
FOLLOWING the recent tragic bus accident in the town centre resulting in loss of life I offer a potential solution. Create a small centrally located bus station where users can walk a short distance to the centre of town. The deserted ex Allied
MY boys have always been so laid back they are practically horizontal. While I’m whipping myself up into a blind panic about a deadline they have to meet or trying to help ensure they get somewhere on time, they’re telling me to ‘relax’ and ‘stop making
THE official Opposition in the House of Commons is not giving the British taxpayer his money’s worth – not by a long chalk. Labour, as the second biggest party at Westminster, has a duty as the Opposition, to keep a close eye on the doings of the
WHEN I first met Kate and Oliver Webster-Jones, the music-loving parents of three young children spoke of their dream of holding a family friendly festival on their land. Back then, 1,000 people flocked to their first event. Seven years on, 10,000
JONJO SHELVEY claims there is a ‘feel-good factor’ around Newcastle United despite last season’s relegation, and is determined to repay the supporters’ continued faith by securing promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.Newcastle
SHOULD Sir Philip Green be stripped of his knighthood? The retail tycoon was the principal character in the collapse of BHS and “worse than Robert Maxwell” according to the MP leading the investigation into the retailer’s demise. Laying the
AITOR KARANKA hailed a successful week in Spain as his Middlesbrough side rounded off their training camp in Marbella with a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ahli. David Nugent and Julien de Sart were on target as Boro produced the most
FOUR members of a family - including a newlywed couple - have died after a head-on crash on a road dubbed the most dangerous in the North. Two men, aged 58 and 63, and two women, aged 57 and 60, were travelling towards the coast in a Suzuki car
Mrs Galaxy Beauty contest- will be a crown coming to Middlesbrough/Teeside? 5 different categories/ age are competing at the Galaxy beauty contests which is the fastest growing in the UK. The lucky winners travel to the USA to compete in the prestigious
WITH two games taking place this evening, Hartlepool United’s squad will be split in two.Craig Hignett will take a side to Guisborough, as Curtis Fleming is in charge for the game at Seaham. And, while the Pools boss has the option of adding to his coaching
DURHAM'S chances of having Mark Wood available for tomorrow's Royal London Cup tie against Warwickshire at South Northumberland were boosted when he was rested by England Lions yesterday.After impressing in the first four games of the tri-series
A COUPLE and their teenage son were forced to flee their home in the middle of the night after a smouldering cardboard tube was posted through their letterbox. David and Sirikanda Dunn had just gone to bed at 11.30pm on Friday night (July 22) when
A CARE WORKER had to cling on to the wrists of a man for dear life, after he fell out of his seat while upside down on a theme park ride. The man, who is in his fifties and has learning difficulties, had been at Lightwater Valley near Ripon and
FOOTBALL fans have given a cautious response to the announcement of a start date for long-awaited redevelopment work to bring a North-East club home.Darlington FC confirmed that construction to complete an agreed groundshare between Martin Gray’s squad
Inside the Factory: How Our Favourite Foods Are Made (BBC2, 8pm)GREGG Wallace and Cherry Healey step inside the factories that feed a nation, in a new three-part series revealing the wonders of the mass production process behind Britain’s favourite foods.Each
NORTH Sea workers will push ahead with a 24-hour strike after talks over plans to cut pay and allowances broke down. Wood Group staff in the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, as well as the Unite organisation, based on Shell platforms, are due
A MAN of 70 is facing a lengthy prison sentence after being found guilty of a campaign of sexual abuse and rape against a girl four decades ago. Reginald Styles, from Hartlepool, was yesterday convicted of 11 of the 13 serious charges he faced
EMERGENCY services were called to the scene of a second serious crash between a car and lorry on the A64 on Monday, just days after a head-on collision which took the lives of four people. It happened at around 4.25pm and involved a heavy goods
Britain’s network of food banks have never been busier. Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham says every food parcel represents a family in need I WELL remember the day I “officially” opened the Billingham Food Bank – praising local churches, volunteers
DETECTIVES have released images of apparent arson damage that led to the death of two pet dogs and 20 pigeons. As reported in today's (Monday, July 25) Northern Echo, the alleged arson attack took place at a smallholding site at South Bank, Middlesbrough
A CHARITY which provides hospice care to people in their own homes has opened its fourth charity shop in a North Yorkshire market town.The opening of the Herriot Hospice Homecare shop, in Bedale Market Place, was performed by the town’s Mayor Councillor
POLICE have named a teenager killed in an early morning crash as 17-year-old James Docherty. The teenager died after a BMW3 series car overturned and crashed on the roundabout at the end of Redheugh Bridge in Gateshead at 4am on Sunday morning.
A MAN who died following an incident at Loveshack nightclub in Durham at the weekend has been named as 54-year-old Stewart Anderson from Hetton-le-Hole. Mr Anderson, a freelance tiler by trade, leaves behind two brothers, two grown up daughters
