TWO mystery investors are poised to pour cash into beleaguered Darlington FC, club manager Martin Gray told supporters at a highly-charged fans' forum. The club is resigned to losing its place in this year’s play-offs, after the National League decreed
ONE in six (17%) motorists have been told the wrong speed limit by a sat nav, a survey has found. The introduction of harsher penalties for speeding motorists on Monday could particularly affect drivers who rely on navigation devices, according
A TEESDALE singer-songwriter is promising a step away from her acoustic folk roots as she releases her first single.Musician Toni Sidgwick, of Barnard Castle, yesterday celebrated her debut song Carry My Heart going live digitally on iTunes, Spotify and
A FAMILY of ducklings had a close shave after falling down a drain and getting stuck.But firefighters managed to rescue the five baby birds and reunite them with their mother.A crew from Durham attended the rescue near the former DLI Museum at Aykley
FOOTBALL fans in the region are being urged to plan their journey ahead of Middlesbrough and Sunderland’s clash at the Riverside next week.The match on Wednesday, April 26, kicks off at 7.45pm, however no Northern train services will be running from Middlesbrough
A BMW has been stolen in what police called a "two-in-one"burglary in Weardale. The keys to the BMW 320d convertible were snatched from a home in the Thistlewood Lane area of Wolsingham before the vehicle was driven off. Durham Police said
A LAWNMOWER maker has reached a significant production milestone as demand for its products continues to rise. Husqvarna has made its one millionth robotic lawnmower at its factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The 130,000sq meters site
PARENTS hoping to get their children interested in classical music have been invited to a concert by Royal Northern Sinfonia.The orchestra's latest Classics 4 Kids concert, aimed at children five and over, will be held Sage Gateshead at 2pm tomorrow
A YOUNG motorist who had taken cocaine panicked on seeing police while at the wheel of a car in the early hours, a court was told. Jordan Stoker was in his Vauxhall Astra with up to three passengers, when officers in a patrol vehicle spotted him passing
A TV presenter returned to his roots to cook a popular regional dish for a primetime BBC programme. Matt Baker and the Countryfile team visited Easington Colliery, in County Durham, earlier this month to film a celebration of the North-East staple,
A NORTH-EAST woman has scooped more than £12,000 playing bingo.Edith Coulson, from Brandon, near Durham, is planning to buy some new carpets after winning £12,181.72.The 79-year-old visits the Apollo Bingo Club in Durham most Saturdays with her sister.She
AN eventful Darlington season that once promised so much is drawing to a conclusion, two games to go before everyone can take a breather. They play their final home game today, the season finishing at Salford City in seven days’ time, but the players
A SPORT that merges snowboarding with mountain biking returns to the region this weekend for a competition organisers promise will be bigger and better than its inaugural event last year.The bike and skate track at the former Spectrum Leisure Centre,
DEVELOPERS finally hope to start one of York’s biggest housing schemes this summer – and have already begun roadworks which they say will help prevent flooding of a key route.Persimmon Homes Yorkshire’s £120m scheme for 655 homes at Germany Beck in Fulford
A SOLDIER accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s flat and cutting her throat from ear to ear has admitted he was obsessive, but denied stalking her.Lance Corporal Trimaan “Harry” Dhillon denies murdering Alice Ruggles and leaving her to bleed to
POLICE are investigating a spate of arson attacks which they believe could be linked.The first incident took place at around 7.20pm on Monday, April 10 at an unoccupied address on Station Road in Skelton. The first floor of the property was ablaze and
A COUNCIL has been left red-faced after sending out postal votes with the wrong return address.Durham County Council has apologised after residents in the Teesdale village of Ovington complained their votes would be sent to Northumberland and therefore
POLICE investigating a fatal crash near York have renewed their call for witnesses.Jordan Johnson, 23, died after a crash near an Army training centre in Towthorpe Moor Lane, Strensall, at about 9.20am on Monday, April 3.He was a passenger in a blue Peugeot
THE country’s first “jail within a jail” aimed at tackling the spread of extremist views is opening in the region in the coming weeks following the introduction of new prison rules. The Northern Echo revealed last month that Frankland Prison, in
A MANAGER who embezzled more than £10,000 from a charity which helps autism sufferers has been spared jail. Henna Hussain stole the cash from MAIN, a Middlesbrough based charity, in order to feed her mounting debts. Hussain, who
DEBATE about the future of an airport ensured the televised hustings for Tees Valley mayoral candidates really took off on Thursday evening.Conservative Ben Houchen repeated his pledge to buy Durham Tees Valley Airport from its owners, Peel Holdings,
A RUNNER is heading to London this weekend to take part in her first marathon, in a bid to help improve lives in Africa.Corin Heney, 26, will run in the London Marathon to raise money for York-based human rights charity International Service, for which
11:07pm Here's the full story from tonight's fans forum, and that rounds off our live coverage.
A MAN caught on CCTV dumping rubbish from his van at the side of a country lane was landed with a £1,500 bill and a criminal record.Adam Silliker, from Station Street, in Tow Law, was filmed dumping a large amount of waste from his Volkswagen van in the
EMERGENCY services were called to the scene of an accident involving a motorycle on the A68 in Darlington on Thursday. Paramedics treated a female motorcyclist at the scene and officers cordoned off an area around the crash. The accident happened
A BOWLING green that keeps people playing all year round has been officially opened.The green, which is the first synthetic bowling surface in the Tees Valley, will be open seven days a week in Billingham's John Whitehead Park.And the Mayor of Stockton
TEESDALE residents whose homes were damaged during heavy flooding will now have access to a new defence system thanks to their parish councils.During the severe winter weather in 2015, some properties in Middleton-in-Teesdale were flooded.Now a product
YOUNGSTERS suspected of causing trouble at new skate park are mostly having harmless fun, according to police and council officials.Concerns have been raised that the facility at Jubilee Park, in Spennymoor, has become a hotspot for antisocial behaviour
RESIDENTS who objected to plans for a new bar at a former workingmen’s club say their fears have been allayed after the owners made changes to their plans. Scott Walker is applying for a licence for The Distillery, in Red Rose Terrace, Chester-le-Street
A PURPOSE-BUILT pre-school is facing hefty legal fees after staff discovered they do not have a lease for the land it is built on.Thousands of pounds were raised as part of a campaign to open Bowes Pre-school in a specialised lodge next to the Bowes Hutchinson
TEACHERS are going back to school for lessons in keeping fit after winning a competition to treat tutors to exercise classes.Members of staff at Red Hall Primary School, in Darlington, will take part in special fitness classes over a six-week period in
BUDDING young musicians are tuning up to join the sixth annual Darlington Jazz Festival on its return to town next week.This year’s celebration of all things jazz is set to include diverse performances from a range of artists in the town centre to showcase
A CHARITY has put out an urgent call for volunteers in the Richmondshire and Catterick areas, to support local young people facing homelessness. The charity SASH helps vulnerable people between the ages of 16 and 25 who need a safe place to stay while
A FUN dog show, a Viking re-enactment and a host of summer attractions are set to mark the return of a popular festival after a 13-year absence. The organisers behind last year’s Tour de Yorkshire events in Thirsk have joined forces with
WHEN Joel Dommett - star of TV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! – announced that he was appearing at Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal next month, tickets sold out within just a few hours. The comedian has unexpectedly had to re-schedule the
HOW to make your website work for your business is the latest topic on the menu at Northallerton’s Lunch and Learn seminar next month.The session on May 4 at the Evolution Business Centre in Northallerton will cost £5 per delegate.For more information
SCOUT groups from across the Northallerton, Bedale and Leeming areas will come together to celebrate their patron saint, St George, on April 23.They will spend the morning on a hike together from Morton on Swale, finishing at County Hall in Northallerton
RAFAEL BENITEZ will stay focused on preparing for Monday’s visit of Preston North End rather than keep an eye on Newcastle United’s rivals for a promotion place tomorrow. Promotion back to the Premier League will effectively be confirmed if the
RESEARCH has suggested a planned extension of the Wensleydale Railway further into the Dales could boost the local economy by £3.1m.According to independent research by consultancy firm, Ove-Arup, extending the Wensleydale Railway by three miles from
PARKING charges have been introduced for drivers at a popular beauty spot.Visitors to the Derwent Reservoir, near Consett, are to be charged to use the main car parks, which have been free since the reservoir was opened in 1967.Pay-and-display meters
A BUSINESS owner is taking on a beast of a challenge in a bid to raise money for the region’s air ambulance. Ben Jolly, from Bowburn, is taking part in this year’s Hamsterley Beast event, happening on Sunday, May 14. The event, which takes place
THERE may be a chill in the air – but spring has definitely sprung at Thorp Perrow Arboretum. The 100-acre arboretum, near Bedale, is the biggest independent collection in the North, owned and run by the Ropner family who bought the hall and grounds
A SUPERMARKET has given its backing to a town’s historic church which is in need of modernising.St Edmund’s Church, in Sedgefield, has been chosen as one of three groups in the area to benefit from the Co-op’s latest Community Fund Project.For the next
DANIEL COPE admits the time for talking is over as he prepares to take on former stable-mate Billy Snaith for the Northern Area welterweight title at Hardwick Hall tomorrow. The pair have been involved in a war of words over recent weeks, with
A SERVICE that helps support young carers in Darlington is celebrating after securing funding to ensure it can continue to provide its services to the community.Darlington Borough Council has provided the cash to local charity DISC, Developing Initiatives
THE RSPCA has urged people to pack netting away after games after a young fox cub was trapped in an old discarded football net. The cub was injured after becoming trapped in the back of a garden on Rawcliffe Lane in York. RSPCA animal collection
Ugo Ehiogu died suddenly yesterday at the age of 44. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson looks back at the centre-half's life, and explains why he will be remembered as a Middlesbrough great SOMETIMES, off-field appearances can be deceptive. It
TODAY’S Page in History, on the centre pages, is a reproduction of the front page of our sister paper, the Darlington & Stockton Times, from exactly 100 years ago. It features an advertisement placed by Capt HM Drake, the recruiting officer for North
POLICE have found a man who went missing from Teesdale yesterday safe and well. Anthony Mason, 40, went missing from the Mickleton area yesterday evening. A police search was launched and a police spokesman confirmed this morning that he had
FORMER Middlesbrough defender Ugo Ehiogu has died at the age of 44. Ehiogu, who spent seven years as a Middlesbrough player, suffered a cardiac arrest at Tottenham's training centre on Thursday. MFC are deeply saddened to learn of the
FORMER England and Sunderland footballer Adam Johnson has been filmed laughing in prison while discussing his conviction for sexual activity with a 15-year-old fan. Johnson was found guilty last year of sexual activity with a child in relation to meeting
WANT to save taxpayers £800m a year? Then start taking your litter home. Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom has just announced a new crackdown on litter louts. So there’ll be more bins, more prosecutions, bigger fines. But there’s no logic
IT is clear that Theresa May has called a General Election out of opportunism and intolerance: opportunism in seeking to exploit the weakness of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour party; and intolerance in seeking a landslide majority to bring
IN response to Chris Gallacher’s letter about council officials here are some facts, as opposed to speculation and innuendos, relating to the appointment of a chief executive to a very large local authority a few years ago. The shortlisted candidates
CHRIS LLOYD (Echo, April 19) and some of your letter writers claim the imminent election is about ensuring Theresa May can achieve a “hard” rather than “soft” Brexit. But this is just a matter of degree and both approaches offer more of the same
FROM television dance programme contestants with two left feet to hapless Olympic ski jumpers, we Brits love an underdog. After apparent no hopers, such as Farage and Trump, have gone on to score shock victories, is it possible for Jeremy Corbyn
A CAT had to endure life-saving surgery after being shot by cruel thugs in Darlington recently. The devastated owner of Coco the cat is warning other pet owners following an ordeal that could have killed the much loved moggy. Darlington woman
THE only two survivors from the last time Durham met Gloucestershire in championship action in 2003 will be opposing captains at Bristol today.If Paul Collingwood opts for a toss of the coin on what is expected to be a good pitch the man doing the spinnings
THE new owner of Darlington’s Star Radio said more than £50,000 has already been invested in the station, and it was already making healthy profits. Jamie Branson, whose company View TV Group bought the station at the 11th hour as it faced closure
DAVE JONES is not for turning. The Hartlepool United manager may not be the most active character on the touchline, but he won’t be changing his ways for anyone.Pools take on Barnet at The Northern Gas and Power Stadium tomorrow in desperate need of three
Many of society’s jobs are already automated – and more and more are threatened by the march of machines. So what can we humans do to futureproof ourselves and stay relevant? FLASHBACK 20 (or so) years to 1996. Kodak, seen at the time as one of
A BREWERY in North Yorkshire is marking a significant milestone in its history by securing a deal with a major supermarket. Black Sheep Brewery has secured a six month deal with Morrisons for its Black Sheep Best Bitter, which was previously only available
A PORTABLE building firm is planning a further £1m investment months after announcing record results. Mobile Mini is looking to increase the size of its mobile welfare fleet by half by the summer. The Groundhog GP360 Fusion units, which are
LEE CATTERMOLE thinks Wahbi Khazri has provided Sunderland with something different in the fight to stay in the Premier League, with support from David Moyes.The Black Cats boss had not started Khazri in a Premier League game since the end of October
DEANDRE YEDLIN admits Newcastle United have taken a backward step at the wrong time in the promotion race - even if they still have a Premier League return in their own hands.A failure to win any of their last three matches has slightly opened the door
STEVE AGNEW thinks Stewart Downing is back in the groove and hopes the Middlesbrough winger can finish with a flourish to keep Premier League football on Teesside for a further year.Boro head into two massive games at Bournemouth on Saturday and against
THEY won’t be taking anything for granted after Monday’s meek capitulation at Ipswich, but at some stage over the next two-and-a-half weeks, Newcastle United will almost certainly be promoted back to the Premier League. Chances are they will go up
POLITICAL campaigning started in earnest on the national stage yesterday, but last night it emerged that the snap General Election has left parties facing a race against time to select candidates. The Northern Echo understands that because of the “
TUTORS dedicated to annually equipping 10,000 firefighters from across the world with skills to tackle blazes burning on runways have earned a royal honour. The Serco International Fire Training Centre (IFTC), based on Darlington’s doorstep at Durham
