RAFAEL BENITEZ has admitted that he is very close to completing his summer recruitment after Newcastle United successfully pulled off deals for two more signings.Former Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy has signed a two-year deal and claimed it was a "
CHRIS HUGHTON knows a thing or two about the Championship and what is required to climb out of it, but he is convinced Rafael Benitez does too. A lot has been made of how Benitez has never managed at that level until now, but former Newcastle United
NEWCASTLE UNITED have completed the signing of defender Achraf Lazaar from Palermo for an undisclosed fee. The 24-year-old Morocco international left-back has put pen to paper on a five-year deal at St James' Park. Lazaar came through the youth
AN ELDERLY woman had to be cut free from a car after a vehicle collided with the passenger side.The smash happened today (August 28) on Front Street, in Quebec, near Durham.County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service were called out at 10.36am
ROAD safety campaigners have stepped up their campaign for a bus station in a busy town centre almost two months after the death of a pensioner. A Facebook page called Darlington Needs a Bus Station and petition have been set up this weekend urging
THE strength of the human body was put to the test at a national contest in County Durham.Some of the strongest men and women went head to head for top titles at the UK Truck Pulling Championships held at Streatlam Farm, at Barnard Castle, today (August
RUNNERS braved the elements to take on a challenging trail through beautiful surrounds. A bumper 256 people pulled on their trainers today (August 27) for the second annual Auckland Castle Trail Race, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Organised
THERE were tears from staff today (Sunday, August 28) as the doors finally closed at the region's last BHS stores.The shops in the Metrocentre in Gateshead and on Coney Street in York were among 22 which served their customers for the final time today.More
TRADITION lived on in Upper Weardale as people and livestock from home and further afield converged for an annual celebration of agriculture. The Weardale Show was held at St John’s Chapel for the 147th time yesterday (August 27) and attracted
A NORTH-EAST magician emulated his hero Houdini when he performed a death-defying escape act dangling 80ft above the street today (Sunday). Chris Cross was put into a straight-jacket and winched into the air by his ankles, where he remained suspended
FOUR arrests have been made in North Yorkshire after police tracked down suspected burglars just 30 minutes after the crime had been reported. North Yorkshire Police road policing group said a car reported stolen was spotted on the A1 last night
A MEMBER of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet called for the party to unite behind the leader during a campaign visit to Darlington. Easington MP Grahame Morris, who is on Mr Corbyn's front bench team, addressed a meeting of 70 people in the town
AN OCTOGENARIAN runner who has pounded pavements all over the world is set to miss out on his home town race.Jim Conaghan, 80, has to undergo an eye operation and won’t be joining the thousands of other runners and walkers on the start line of the Middlesbrough
MIDDLESBROUGH will make a final push for Hull City defender Harry Maguire within the next 24 hours, but are set to lose both Albert Adomah and Jordan Rhodes before the transfer window closes on Wednesday night. Boro’s strong start to the Premier
Goals: 1-0: Lascelles (15, rose just inside the area to power Ritchie’s free-kick inside Stockdale’s right hand post) 2-0: Shelvey (64, curled a free-kick over the wall and into the keeper’s top left corner) Bookings: Shelvey (23, foul)
Andy Day heads Newcastle Christmas showTHE festive extravaganza list of shows in the region is getting longer thanks to Newcastle's MetroRadio Arena announcing the Best Ever Christmas Show staging two performances on Wednesday, December 21. Bringing
Buddy's back for Sunderland and YorkDUE to phenomenal demand for tickets and with more dates still to be added Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story has announced it will play at least an additional 23 theatres next year, including the Sunderland Empire and
Sage Gateshead has taken to Tusk FestivalTUSK Festival returns for the sixth time this October, bringing its ambitious and uniquely diverse three-day programme of genre-defying out-there and experimental international music.Now as part of a new partnership
WEST BROM (4-5-1): Foster 6; Dawson 7, McAuley 7, EVANS 8, Galloway 7; Phillips 6, Yacob 5, Fletcher 5, Field 5 (Gardner 76), McClean 6 (Leko 64, 5 (Berahino 71)); Rondon 5. Subs (not used): Rose (gk), Olsson, Wilson, Lambert. MIDDLESBROUGH
A GRANDMOTHER has heroically rescued her granddaughter from York's River Ouse after the baby's pram rolled into the water.Witness Stuart Yates, manager of cruise vessel YorkBoat, said the woman had been feeding the ducks with the 14-month-old
THREE games into the Premier League season, and Middlesbrough remain unbeaten. So much for Aitor Karanka’s side having to feel their way back into the top-flight after a seven-year absence. This was hardly the most inspiring of matches, in fact
A MOTHER is gearing up to give a nursery school’s fundraising efforts a big push – by single-handedly shifting her three-tonne vehicle 100m down a track. Sarah Metcalfe, 33, of Blackhill, Consett, is in training for the sponsored Big Push of a Land Rover
A GALLERY is welcoming a touring exhibition of 150 fine art mini-prints as part of its new seasonal line-up – one of only six cities in the UK to host the collection.The Biscuit Factory, in Stoddart Street, Newcastle, the UK’s largest arts, craft and
READY to rock? Then Stanley could be your destination of choice.The town is hosting its first Burning Rock Festival, offering a full day of live music and entertainment, on Saturday, September 10.Stanley is set to rock out to the sounds of some of the
A TOURING show promises a hilarious and heartfelt look at the perils of modern life as the 21st Century need for speed hits the old ways head-on.Badapple Theatre Company’s new comedy starts touring next month, and it is down to the audience to play its
MOTHERS-to-be are being warned about the incurable condition that strikes one baby born each day in the North-East.More than 300 babies born in the region every year suffering from Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).The condition is more common than
THE sad sight of old televisions and computers lining the skips at local tips has sparked cries for a repair revolution.Adrian Bulmer is determined to save landfill sites from being filled with unwanted electrical goods by setting up a Restart Party in
SUNDERLAND’S Under-23s cruised to a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Southampton.Two goals from Josh Maja and one from George Honeyman did the damage at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground where the Saints lost for the first time this season.Sunderland
A STUDENT group campaigning to improve the affordability of education has launched a project to highlight the relationship between financial difficulties students face and their ability to integrate fully into university and college life.Durham for Accessible
HUNDREDS of felines went whisker to whisker in a bid to be crowned top cat at one of the North-East’s four-legged championships. Teesside Cat Club Shared Championships made its debut in Barnard Castle, in County Durham, on yesterday (August 27)
ASAMOAH GYAN has hinted he would consider a return to Sunderland – but he does have plenty other options from the Championship. Shanghai SIPG have given the striker permission to find a new club on a season-long loan and he has flown to England
BLUE skies brought a boost for a traditional Dales show which saw an increase in entries – and some of its youngest ever competitors getting involved.The 102nd Wensleydale Show saw more than 6,000 visitors flock to the showfield near Leyburn, which boasted
A TOWN centre will be transported back through time as vehicles from yesteryear gather in a market square.Dozens of vintage vehicles will descend on Darlington next weekend for the town’s first classic car show.Highlights will include a 1930s Austin 10
Goals: 1-0: Featherstone (2, took a chipped pass from Woods and volleyed in after getting behind the defence) 1-1: Rigg (4, low free-kick drilled under the defensive wall) 1-2: Parkin (28, chested the ball down, turned and fired a volley
A MAN has been charged after dozens of homes were evacuated following a bomb scare in a North-East street. Wayne Allen, 38, of Lake Avenue, Marsden, South Tyneside, has been charged with a number of assaults and possessing a prohibited weapon - believed
PARENTS shouting at residents, parking dangerously and the safety of children having to cross between parked cars will be discussed by councillors this week.Problems around parking outside schools have reached crisis point in some areas, leading councillors
JUST 22 staff at Thornaby’s Asda store have clocked up 630 years of combined service between them.The store at Allensway has one of the largest numbers of long-serving staff in the country, with the 22 staff members celebrating more than 25 years of service.Among
STARS from Channel 5’s reality show Police Interceptors were at Preston Park Museum and grounds on Friday and Saturday as part of a Policing, Past and Present, event.As well as meeting the officers from the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit
FIVE employees of one of the UK’s leading independent farm feeds firms have been presented with long service awards.I’Anson Brothers Ltd, based in Masham, North Yorkshire, honoured its employees who have worked at the company for a combined total of 145
AN addict who has made lengthy efforts to overcome his heroin habit, was caught with a large amount of the class A drug for supplying to others, a court heard.Michael Bulmer, who admitted selling heroin among a small number of users in the Chester-le-Street
VOLUNTEERS are fighting off an alien invader at a local beauty spot.Durham Wildlife Trust and Northumbrian Water have joined forces to keep at bay the Himalayan balsam spreading around the banks of the Derwent Reservoir and suffocating native plants.Volunteers
A SMALL village is preparing for its annual Big Weekend. Shadforth, near Durham, is to hold its three-day annual family festival which starts on Friday, September 2. More than 40 scarecrows, which this year will be on an Olympics theme, will
WEST BROM 0 MIDDLESBROUGH 0 MIDDLESBROUGH’S unbeaten start to the Premier League season continued as they played out a goalless draw with West Brom. In a game of very few chances, the Teessiders defended resolutely to ensure they have now taken
Goals either side of half-time from skipper Jamaal Lascelles and midfielder Jonjo Shelvey saw Newcastle beat promotion rivals Brighton 2-0 at St James’ Park and BetVictor make Rafa Benitez’s side the new 1 / 2 favourites to achieve promotion and 6/4 from
ALBERT ADOMAH and Jordan Rhodes have both been left out of Middlesbrough's starting line-up for today's game at West Brom, amid mounting speculation linking the pair with a move away from the Riverside ahead of Wednesday's transfer deadline. Adomah
Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson reports live from The Hawthorns as Middlesbrough take on West Bromwich Albion. Tweets by @Scottwilsonecho Kick-off: 1.30pm
A SERIAL criminal is facing a lengthy prison sentence after a judge called for reports to examine whether he is a danger to the public.William Abel, from Darlington, admitted trying to snatch a handbag from a woman in April when he appeared at Teesside
AROUND 1,000 runners turned up to take part in the annual "Race The Train" event in Wales. The race has been taking place in Tywyn in mid-Wales since 1984, with runners having to try to beat a steam train over a 14-mile course. This year's race
FORMER Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy has completed his move to Newcastle United. The Irishman has become the Magpies' tenth signing of the summer after arriving from Ipswich Town for A fee believed to be around £3m. The 33-year-old has penned
THE WARM and humid condition have continued again at Witton Castle Lakes making the going hard for visiting anglers. The patience of the most dedicated has certainly been tested of late with the sheets showing a rod average of just over one. No double
League leaders Shildon dropped points at home for the second time in a week when they were held to a 3-3 draw at home by Ryhope CW on Saturday. Shildon won their first three league matches of the season in convincing fashion and conceded only one
Barwell 1 Spennymoor 1. Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley was unhappy about his side’s missed chances, a disallowed goal and a penalty decision in a 1-1 draw at Barwell on Saturday. Moors had more of the chances against the Leicestershire side
TOTO NSIALA won’t be suspended for Hartlepool United’s Checkatrade Trophy game at Notts County on Wednesday – because new rules mean the competition isn’t recognised as a first-team game. The centre-half was red-carded three minutes into Saturday
A COUPLE have described their terrifying ordeal after their son was born seriousiously ill - and of their appreciation for a charity which provided them with a home from home while he underwent life-saving treatment. Jenni Taylor of Esh Winning
A TEENAGER banned from driving could have killed his friends when he flipped his car as he tried to outrun police on the A19, a court heard. Christopher Taylor fled from the wreckage of the Vauxhall, which had landed on its roof in a hedge, and
WITH his vision of a perfect world, a Darlington man has made the shortlist for a ‘beyond reality’ TV show.Jordan Lozman is one of fifty people battling nationwide for the final ten places on The Perfect World Project.Described as a “beyond reality challenge-based
