WITH horrifying regularity, news comes in from the US of school shooting after school shooting. The narrative is the largely the same – a disaffected young man struggling with mental health issues gets access to a weapon and carries out the attack
THE proposed closures of the Darlington and Stockton branches of Marks & Spencer must be terrible news for the 120 people who work there, many of whom have become familiar faces behind their tills over the years. It is also worrying news for
A SERIES of guided walks take place during the Bank Holiday week celebrating the Durham Heritage Coast.It features six free walks, led by Heritage Coast officers, along stretches of the coastline, varying from one to nine miles, between Sunderland and
THE first television advert for Viagra to screen in Britain is to air tonight. The ad for Pfizer's Viagra Connect follows the pill for erectile dysfunction becoming available for sale over the counter at UK pharmacies in March. In November,
A SEVERELY disabled man with an extremely rare illness died suddenly as a result of an allergic reaction to an antibiotic, a coroner has ruled.But Liam Barker’s family say they have ‘never accepted’ that explanation and instead believe it was due to a
If you have a shady spot, allow some space for epimediums After a slow start to the year we are finally starting to see some consistently warmer weather. For many gardeners this is very much welcomed, as the garden bursts into life, seemingly growing
NORTH Yorkshire Police has accepted that its initial response to the boys who plotted a school attack "did not meet those standards that are expected" after the jury heard one confessed to officers a month before they were arrested. In the trial
Guilty of not prioritising your home security? You're not alone. Claire Spreadbury grills an expert for their top tips Most of us take pride in our homes. It's our haven - the place where we can relax, be ourselves and feel safe. But in order to
Stable Hearth is a pizzeria with a growing reputation for authentic Italian food – with their own twist NICHOLAS THEXTON knows his pizzas. The 41-year-old from Darlington is owner and chef at Stable Hearth, a small, independent family business
In the run-up to Wimbledon, the UK's most famous 'tennis mum' talks about being scrutinised in the players' box and why she's refused to change her competitive spirit. By Hannah Stephenson. As the mother of Britain's most famous tennis-playing
A FORMER boss who defrauded a charity of more than £700,000 has been given a seven year jail term.John Briers, 57, of Woodstock Road, Gateshead, was found guilty of three counts of fraud by abuse of position and was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court
Suncare should be simple and fuss-free, says Katie Wright WHETHER you're jetting off to the tropics or staycationing at home, sun protection is essential in summer, but doesn't it sometimes feel like a hassle? Slathering on a thick white cream
He’s become one of Coronation Street’s greatest villains, but when Pat Phelan returns to the cobbles next week, it will be his final showdown. Connor McIntyre tells Georgia Humphreys about bringing his character’s reign of terror to a fitting end,
A BANNED driver who tried to outrun police and then claimed it was somebody else behind the wheel has been jailed for 12 months.Lee Teasdale attempted to evade capture after being spotted at a roundabout in Stockton by a patrol officer who knew he was
MOTORISTS were locked out of their cars after a vandal super-glued the locks.Police received reports of criminal damage to two cars which were vandalised with super glue and a third car owner contacted The Northern Echo to report a similar incident.On
A COMMUNITY is staging its own World Cup in memory of a 21-year-old football fan who was tragically killed in a car crash.The Weardale World Cup will take place in Wolsingham on Sunday, June 10, shortly before what would have been Dean Iley’s 23rd birthday
MIDDLESBROUGH goalkeeper Darren Randolph has withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for forthcoming friendlies against France and the United States. Randolph, who was an ever-present for Boro in the Championship last season, will undergo
CROFT CIRCUIT'S early-season action continues this weekend as the Midlands-based 750 Motor Club hosts an 18-race programme, writes Larry Carter. More than 150 competitors will compete on Saturday and Sunday (May 26-27), with nine races scheduled
DARLINGTON MOWDEN PARK have announced their pre-season plans for this summer.Mowden will kick-off their preparations for the new National One campaign with a trip to Scottish Premiership side Hawick on Saturday, August 11.Danny Brown's side will welcome
THERE was nothing particularly remarkable about the two teenage boys who sat in the dock at Leeds Crown Court to hear all the evidence against them. There were moments during the trial which lulled you into thinking you were hearing details of
CYCLISTS are gearing up for a popular annual challenge taking entrants on trails of more than 100 miles.The challenge, organised by Darlington Borough Council’s Healthy Darlington team, sees cyclists take on four tough tracks, ranging from 50 miles and
DURHAM youngster Matthew Potts is confident he will emerge from his side’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign as a stronger player, despite enduring a difficult start to his limited-overs career. Durham return to action tomorrow morning as they
A MERCEDES was driven into a pizza shop, destroying its front window and wall. The car, driven by an 87-year-old woman, crashed into Presto Pizza, at Healaugh Park, Yarm, just after 10.30am on Thursday morning. A Cleveland Police spokeswoman
IN the months leading up to the arrest of two teenagers by the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, the older boy obsessively pursued his interest with the Columbine killers and both boys carried out dozens of internet searches for information on bomb-making
NEWCASTLE UNITED have held talks with Belgian side Anderlecht about a possible €8m double deal for Matz Sels and Chancel Mbemba.Anderlecht are extremely keen to sign Sels on a permanent basis this summer, with the goalkeeper having spent last season on
A SIGNIFICANT breakthrough has been made in attempts to bring 20,000 jobs to the Tees Valley. Banks in Thailand have today agreed to sell the former Redcar steelworks site to the Mayor of the Tees Valley. Mayor Ben Houchen is making an announcement
A KOREAN internet star known for his videos tackling dialects from across the UK has turned his attention to Geordie quirks and sayings. YouTuber Korean Billy has created the video to help students Newcastle settle in by giving them a guide to
AN Old Etonian might not be your first choice of populist rabble rouser, but as Charlie Methven spelled out his vision for Sunderland’s future direction at the Stadium of Light on Monday, he was effectively issuing a call to arms against the kind of
POLICE investigating a crash involving a car transporter and a lorry in which a driver was killed are appealing for witnesses. The crash happened just before 7am on Tuesday, May 22 on the A1 northbound between junctions 50 and 51 (Baldersby/Ripon
AT SLALEY HALL they have moved the hardest until last. Hole 18, stoke index 1.So when the legs are feeling a little weary and your mindset is slowing down after 17 competitive and challenging holes on a championship course of the highest order, along
BELGIAN club Zulte Waregem have turned down the chance to sign Julien de Sart, but the Middlesbrough midfielder still sees his future away from English football. De Sart spent last season on loan at Waregem, and made 23 league appearances as his
A SPONSORED walk this weekend will raise money to keep a school garden– created in memory of a pupil– looking lovely for years to come.St Andrew's Primary School, in South Church, Bishop Auckland, decided to create a garden to pay tribute to Indianna
THE building that has been destroyed on Skinnergate is still known locally as “Wildsmith’s” after the high class grocery shop that occupied it for more than 100 years. Fire at three-storey former St T's Home shop, Darlington It was
TUESDAY’S announcement that Marks & Spencer is proposing to close stores in Darlington and Stockton led to a flurry of comments on the Echo website. Here are a selection of views It's been on the horizon for years, 30 years ago it was the king
OXFORD University has been branded a ‘bastion of white, middle class, southern privilege’. That might not be the most surprising news you will have read all week, but it is depressing nevertheless to find that being posh or from the Home Counties can
AN open garden event will take place at Woodbine House, located at 22 South View in Hunwick, on Monday, May 28, from 1pm to 5pm. The garden is a quarter of an acre and features a vegetable garden, greenhouse, lawned area with herbaceous planting, small
POLICE have appealed for information following reports of several incidents where dogs have been allowed to attack cats in the Peterlee area. A police spokesman said: "This is an illegal act. Dogs must be kept on a lead in a public place. "For
A FIRE door has been reported stolen from outside a Darlington business while building work was being carried out. The white door made of wood was left outside Thomas Cook at 10am on Tuesday morning. At around 11am, workers noticed that the door
THE region’s manufacturing pedigree and its penchant for craft ales have persuaded a beer keg maker to move to the area. Lightweight Containers, a Netherlands-based manufacturer of lightweight kegs for the drinks industry, has chosen to locate
NUMBERS of puffins on the UK's remote Farne Islands may be down 12% in the last five years, the National Trust has warned as it takes its latest census of the seabirds. Initial numbers from the five-yearly count on the islands off the Northumberland
TWO teenage boys have been convicted of conspiracy to murder at Leeds Crown Court after plotting a Columbine-inspired shooting at their school. The teenagers, both 15, sat motionless alongside their tearful mothers as the verdicts were read to
SPECTACULAR military displays will celebrate the Freedom of Ripon being granted to the Corps of Royal Engineers next weekend.Soldiers from 21 Engineer Regiment, based at Claro Barracks in the city, will man the static displays in Ripon Square between
VISITORS to a charity open day next month will be able to try their hand at leather work, textiles and basket making – and may even spot some dancing sheep.Demonstrations in greenwood working, blacksmithing and spinning will also be on offer at Clervaux
A HOTEL company has been fined £11,000 after a five-year-old suffered severe burns at a wedding reception when he tripped over an electric cable, tipping over a pot of hot gravy Here For You Hospitality Middlesbrough Limited has been ordered to
A PLEDGE to protect community transport operations from a changes in the law which could threaten their existence has been welcomed by MP Rishi Sunak. The Richmond MP has received a letter from Transport Minister Jesse Norman which says the Government
FOUR holidaymakers have appeared in a Spanish court after fire broke out in a hotel causing £175,000 worth of a damage. James Brown and Brandon McCahill, both 21, from Consett, along with 19-year-olds Georgia James and Lauren Smith, were all held
NEWCASTLE A number of players could be heading towards the St James’ Park exit door this summer, and despite only joining the Magpies last summer, it is looking increasingly unlikely that Mikel Merino will still be a Newcastle United player by
THE world premiere of David Walliams’ Awful Auntie reaches the stage of Sunderland Empire next month and a hoot of show is promised. Awful Auntie, a production by the Birmingham Stage Company – the award-winning West End producers of Gangsta Granny
A FIRE chief has told how man escaped a fire in Darlington in the 'nick of time' as the building began to collapse. One person was rescued from the former St T's Home store after fire broke out around 4.30am on Thursday.
A CLASSICAL ballet is set to take centre stage at Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal later this month when the highly acclaimed Vienna Festival Ballet Company makes a return visit to the historic venue with its latest touring production of The Sleeping
A MOTHER sobbed as she described the final words of her severely disabled son who died suddenly from anaphylactic shock following an adverse reaction to an antibiotic. Michelle Barker said son Liam, who had been on a ventilator since birth after
STEPHEN TOMPKINSON will join the Laffalang Gang in South Shields in June when the comedy troupe stage a show to raise money for the Save South Tyneside Hospital Campaign. The television A-lister is best known for the award-winning ITV show DCI
A UNIQUE orchestra experience is coming to Newcastle this summer, with a special dance music twist. Events company, Geordie Moor, is throwing a night at The Proms on Thursday, July 19, with glamorous clubbing brand, Miss Moneypenny’s providing
ENGLISH Touring Opera will next month deliver a double bill of high-powered performance. On Friday, June 1, the company will present an energetic new production of one of the world’s most beloved operas, Mozart’s classic comedy The Marriage of
THE mortality rate in Albert Square (EastEnders, BBC One) is so high, it's a wonder the Grim Reaper isn't seen sipping a pint in the Queen Vic most nights. Sadly, it's Shakil who is the latest victim, and needless to say Carmel is devastated at the
DRAMATIC video has been released of firemen tackling a fire in Darlington. The fire broke out in the former St T's Home shop in Skinnergate around 4am on Thursday. Graham Pepper, managing director of Pepper Draughting Structural, was sat at
NEWS that up to 200 jobs are at risk at one of the region's largest employers has been described as a "devastating blow" to the community. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) confirmed it is reviewing roles at its Barnard Castle site as part of operational cuts
A MAN was rescued "in the nick of time" by firefighters after a major fire broke out in Darlington town centre. The fire broken out in the early hours of Thursday morning with the building "collapsing" around the rescuers. The fire was at the
THE majestic Raby Castle and its beautiful deer park was the setting for an annual athletics event at the weekend.Hundreds of runners took part in the annual Raby Castle Races 2018, hosted by Teesdale Athletics Club on Sunday.After tackling a hilly opening
The Railroad to Wembley once again reached its intended destination at the weekend, beginning with a couple of Saturday evening beers in the Holborn Whippet and a written injunction to all present. Anyone mentioning the royal wedding, it enjoined
Registered blind but still golfing, West Auckland lad and former England winger David Thomas was back among the Burnley boys last week.It was a reunion dinner – “sausage and mash about 600 times,” says one who was there – to mark the 50th anniversary
JACK ROSS will be confirmed as Sunderland’s new manager within the next 24 hours after turning down the chance to move to Ipswich Town in order to take over at the Stadium of Light.The St Mirren boss will sign a two-year contract on Wearside, with the
THE company behind a major regeneration scheme wants to build a new roundabout to access it. Integra 61 (Durham) Ltd has put forward a planning application to build the roundabout on the A688 at Tursdale, near Bowburn. The three-arm roundabout
A TOWN centre park will be transformed into a giant knitted art installation – if enough people can join in and help.Music, dance and food have always been central to the Middlesbrough Mela Festival and in recent years sports, workshops and crafts have
THE trustees of Scarlett Moffat’s charity have visited a young people's mental health service to see how they can support its work. The Angel Trust has already provided youngsters who attend SPACE in Spennymoor with smart new hoodies for a recent
A STUDENT who is mastering a form of Tibetan symbolic art will have a collection of his work put on exhibition.Adam Plumb, 17, has been studying Thangka for three years after he made a trip to the Netherlands on a George Logie grant.He took a short course
A POLICE and crime commissioner whose force has seen a 15 per cent decline in frontline officers over the last decade has urged residents to consider the quality rather than quantity of community policing.Launching a survey on neighbourhood policing,
TWO actors who are starring in a play set during the First World War have been finding out more about the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) to help them get into the part.Tom Kay and Martin Carroll are currently starring in an adaptation of Sebastian Faulks
A CAMPAIGN commemorating the centenary of WWI has raised £1.8m for armed forces charities through a nationwide art installation.There But Not There campaign features six-foot silhouettes of the ever-recognisable Tommy which have been erected around the
A LIBRARY volunteer who underwent a double lung transplant has praised the healing properties of a community-run library as it celebrates its first anniversary.Barbara Agar was 27 when she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease systemic sclerosis and
SPORTING legend Bob Champion will be helping Redcar Racecourse celebrate one of its most important meetings in style.Redcar’s highlight of the Spring racing season, The Racing UK Zetland Gold Cup, takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 28.And, as well
A HISTORIC market is hoping old photographs will help spark memories at its first dementia cafe.Durham Markets is holding the memory cafe today, as part of Dementia Action Week.It has gathered old pictures of Durham, as well as past editions of the Northern
A NOVICE powerlifter has bagged himself the chance to represent Britain on the world stage after winning a national competition. The self-titled Beast of Bishop Auckland (BOBA), Mitch Wright, will be jetting off to the United States later this
A CAMPAIGNER who wants to overturn a two-witness rule over child abuse within a major religious organisation has enlisted the support of his MP.Steve Rose, from Hartlepool, a former Jehovah’s Witness, has been protesting against the rule, which stops
A PROPOSED housing development on an agricultural field that conflicts with a council’s policy to protect rural land has been recommended for approval. Punch Taverns’ plan to build 12 houses off Yarm Road, in Middleton St George is set to be examined
VILLAGERS who benefit from theatre performances brought to their rural village hall are preparing to put their best foot forward for the scheme.This year, Highlights Rural Touring Scheme celebrates 21 years of bringing shows to small villages across County
ENGLAND’s biggest festival of heritage and culture will take place across two weekends for the first time.From September 6 to 9 and 13 to 16, there will be free Heritage Open Days events in towns, villages and countryside across the North-East, along
A CLASSIC car rally has raised around £400 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.The Festival of Transport at Durham County Hall took place on Saturday and was supported by the Sunderland and District Classic Vehicle Society.Councillor Paul Sexton
A MUSEUM director has bene flying the flag for the UK in China this week. Adrian Jenkins, director of The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, is one of only two English regional museum directors to present a paper to the International Forum of Museum Directors
A POLICE operation to take action against modern slavery and human trafficking took place last week.Operation Aidant is co-ordinated by the National Crime Agency (NCA), and the operation is run nationally every year involving local police forces working
A TEACHER who has been taking part in the Race for Life for the last 10 years –including during her own diagnosis of breast cancer –is urging other women to get involved. Katy Haggart, from Durham, first started taking part in the annual event
A MINING union is supporting campaigners opposed to the creation of an opencast coalmine in North-East countryside. Protestors gathered at County Hall in Durham on Wednesday morning to demonstrate against the start of extraction operations near
A RECOVERING drug addict has apologised for stealing a charity collection tin containing £14.Martin McKittan, 33, walked into the Cheapside Pharmacy in Shildon to collect his methadone script when he was caught on CCTV picking up the box belonging to
A GENERATION of music fans will be revelling in the sounds that shaped their youth this weekend as the Darlington Arena prepares to stage a pop concert two decades in the making. Children and teenagers of the ‘90s and noughties who sang Steps songs
DURHAM Wildlife Trust has thanked the many people who donated bird feeders after thieves targeted one of its nature reserves.Police were called to Low Barns Nature Reserve in Witton-le-Wear, near Bishop Auckland, on April 27, after more than 15 feeders
A NORTH-EAST actress will be coming back home over the festive period to appear in this year's pantomime, The Northern Echo can reveal. Zoe Birkett, who was born in Consett and brought up in Darlington, is joining the cast of Aladdin which will
A FORMER teacher and long-serving councillor has been appointed as the new chairman of Durham County Council.Bishop Auckland councillor John Lethbridge, who represents Woodhouse Close, is the new council chairman and mayor of Durham.The former Sedgefield
HE might not drive the fastest milk cart in the west, but one County Durham man’s traditional delivery service is off to a flying start. Businessman Russ Gibson has turned milkman in a bid to return the once common dairy delivered to the streets
A UNIVERSITY professor researching new anti-cancer drugs in the United States is taking on an epic fundraising trek after losing his own father to the disease. Steven Fletcher will walk from Baltimore to Washington DC today in memory of his much-loved
RECORDS, CDs and vinyls of all musical genres are up for grabs when a record fair returns to Stockton town centre at the weekend.This year’s event, held in association with Record Fairs Up North, looks to match the scale of last year – which saw the venue
A TRIBUTE in flowers will bloom this summer in an area of Darlington to mark those who lost their lives in the First World War.The colourful tribute to the 'Haughton Boys' will be in full flower as residents join forces to remember the local men
SHOWING a 'red light' to letting dogs off the lead near livestock has had a dramatic impact in cutting attacks on a farm where problems had been on the rise.Both farmer Rob Brown and local countryside access officer Chris Scaife believe the '
THE cast of a play set in 1930s Newcastle have been visiting Beamish Museum to soak up the atmosphere.The cast of My Uncle Freddie, which is being performed at The Customs House in South Shields, from July 17-21. The Radio 4 classic, which was originally
DISABLED and older people say a lack of seating at a city shopping centre is making it difficult to use. The outside seating at the Arnison Centre, in Pity Me, Durham, was removed as part of a major expansion in 2016 but has not been replaced.
DEMONSTRATIONS of sheep-shearing are being given at an agricultural visitor attraction this weekend. Hall Hill Farm, near Lanchester, has sessions at regular intervals between and Saturday and Monday, starting at 12noon. The sheep shearing
MORE than 1,000 runners will be pounding the streets of Northallerton this weekend as a popular 10k returns to town for its third year.This year’s Northallerton 10k, on Sunday, May 27, looks set to be one of the biggest yet with more than 1,000 runners
AN MP has seen for herself a hospital's new state-of-the-art MRI scanner which was installed thanks to ongoing fundraising by the public.Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman visited Bishop Auckland Hospital, where the scanner was installed in February
A FAMILY-RUN business used to working for builders across the UK has made itself a new home.Swift Timber Homes has moved from High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, to new premises in nearby St Helen Auckland.The site is seven times bigger than its previous
A WOMAN first banned from the roads as a juvenile in 2009 has apologised after being caught behind the wheel for a second time in her disqualification. Leanne Chilton, 23, was originally banned from driving after appearing in the youth courts nearly
A MAN who tried to conceal car keys from police by hiding them in his buttocks has been banned from driving. Andrew Simpson Hood was arrested after police officers found him sat in a Jeep in Coundon, County Durham, after a member of the public
CRAIG HARRISON yesterday started a new chapter in his managerial career, and wished his former club the best of luck.Appointed Hartlepool United boss 362 days ago, he was yesterday named boss of Bangor City on a two-year deal after being sacked by Pools
