BRIGHTON have made the path to sign Sunderland’s Paddy McNair a little clearer by deciding not to match Middlesbrough’s offer for the midfielder. Boro are in pole position to land the Northern Ireland international after having an offer accepted
A SEX doll company has been fined £10,000 for operating without a licence. Gateshead Council received a complaint that LD Europe Limited of Felling, was operating a ‘try before you buy’ service for its range of sex dolls. Officers from the
THERE is the slight risk of a shower at Ascot on Tuesday afternoon, which begins with the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes over the straight mile. I have been a big fan of Benbatl (2.30) since he won the Hampton Court Stakes at this meeting 12 months
LIFESAVERS, a children’s group and a heritage project were among those to receive financial support from a council this month.Ferryhill Town Council made donations to a number of groups that benefit residents including £150 to Little Treasures Autism
A QUIZ champion who finished "stone-dead last" in his first ever pub competition has completed a historic general knowledge double. Clive Dunning, who lives in Norton, near Stockton, won Radio 4’s Brain of Britain competition yesterday afternoon
I WOULD like to show my support to the people who manned the anti-fracking camp at Kirby Misperton and all those who protested at the gate. It was cold, it was wet, it was uncomfortable and it had no other reason than to try and prevent an industry that
AS our country totters on the edge of a precipice, with Brexit looming, I reflect on how we reached this catastrophic situation.I point to two key events, involving our two major political parties, namely the election of a new leader, with two more important
I WAS saddened, and somewhat surprised, to read that Poundworld may well go into administration.I was obviously wrong to think that pound shops, because of their competitiveness, would have no trouble riding out the current crisis on the high street.About
A MAN has been arrested after police chased a car on the A64, which allegedly reached speeds of up to 150mph. North Yorkshire Police's Roads Policing Group said the car was pursued after it failed to stop near Malton on Sunday night. A spokesman
NEWCASTLE UNITED are stepping up the search to improve their firepower as a Championship battle to lure Dwight Gayle away from St James’ Park hots up. Swansea City have expressed their interest in the former Crystal Palace striker within the last
TWO rare Scottish wildcats born at Edinburgh Zoo may help provide a lifeline for the species. The kittens will join a conservation breeding programme which experts hope will save the species from extinction in the wild through future re-introductions
MACABRE thieves crept into the site of an archaeological dig under the cover of night - to steal a skull that dated back centuries. The raiders struck at an excavation that was taking place in Malton and then escaped with the skull of someone who
THE rider of an off-road motorbike who hit and killed a pensioner as he crossed a road was today jailed for four years. John Truscott, 85, died in hospital ten days after he was struck by the Honda CR250 on Meadowgate in Eston, near Middlesbrough
MIDDLESBROUGH Tony Pulis has taken the lead in the race to sign Sunderland midfielder Paddy McNair. Boro have had an offer accepted for the 23-year-old and it is believed to be £5m-plus extras. But Middlesbrough have not got their man yet
DOZENS of golfers have teed off to help raise thousands of pounds for a charity which helps families affected by autism.Sixty keen golfers, who spend most of their time in business and industry, attended Daisy Chain’s charity golf day earlier this month
TICKETS are on sale for Thrislington Banner Group's annual Eve of Gala Concert by Ripon City Band. The concert, which precedes Durham Big Meeting, will be at West Cornforth Community Centre on Friday, July 13, from 7pm. Tickets are £4 from committee
PAUL REID has been appointed the new academy manager at Sunderland and he has described the aim is to help the club’s youth system thrive. The Black Cats are undergoing a series of changes on and off the pitch following Stewart Donald’s successful
CHILDREN and families are getting their hands dirty this summer by growing their own fruit and vegetables.The project, led by Growing Healthy County Durham’s Family Initiative Supporting Children’s Health (FISCH) team, aims to promote healthy eating and
NEW measures have been introduced to crackdown on rogue landlords.The legislation is aimed at stamping out bad practices, overcrowded homes and improve standards for people living in rented accommodation. The range of measures are being looked at by district
A COUNCIL was accused of "cultural vandalism" as a judicial review into its decision to close a historic library got underway. High Court Judge Mrs Justice Philippa Whipple is presiding over a two-day hearing that pits Darlington Borough Council
A VILLAGE hall is looking for new ways to generate funding after the closure of a pre-school will cost it almost half its income. The decision to close Heighington Village Pre-school came after it saw a dramatic fall in the number of children registered
A LAW firm has handed over a cheque for £20,500 in memory of a former colleague.Staff at Latimer Hinks Solicitors made the donation to the in-patient unit at St Teresa’s Hospice, which provides palliative and end-of-life care, in honour of Helen Thomas
MORE big names could be coming to Darlington following on from the success of concerts featuring Steps and a-ha. Norwegian trio a-ha were joined by fellow 80s stars OMD and Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey at The Northern Echo Arena, home of Darlington
CHIEF Sports Writer Scott Wilson is taking on local businesses in The Northern Echo World Cup 2018 Predictions game. Before each day's play Scott makes his predictions and we want businesses to try and beat him at his own game. For today's
STAFF at North-East based Virgin Money are waiting to hear if their jobs will survive a takeover by Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks. CYBG has reached a takeover deal with Newcastle-based Virgin Money that values the bank at £1.7 billion but is likely
KYNREN is back for a third year with new scenes and special effects which make it more spectacular than ever. There’s a horse galloping around with its rider on fire; there’s a Roman prisoner dragged at full pelt across the arena. There’s a pitch
KIND-HEARTED bikers and their cuddly sidekick enjoyed a heroes welcome when they returned from an epic charity challenge across Europe. They travelled through 30 countries in 13 days, enduring thunder storms, broken bones and treacherous road conditions
IN the check-out queue at the doomed Marks and Spencer store in Darlington, I couldn’t help overhear two elderly women complaining about the younger generation: “All they do is play on their phones and computer games – they never get off their backsides
A DALES guest house has been crowned the best in the country at the prestigious AA B&B Awards.The Old Town Hall in Redmire, near Leyburn won the title of AA Guest Accommodation of the Year for England 2018 after impressing an AA inspector posing as a
A MAJOR police investigation is underway to find the body of a missing Middlesbrough teenager who has not been seen for 20 years. A patch of wasteland in the Saltersgill area of the town has been cleared before specialist staff carry out an excavation
THE battle to secure a reduced speed limit on a dangerous stretch of the A66 has been won. Highways England has agreed to introduce a 50 mph limit on the road at Ravensworth in North Yorkshire - the location of many serious accidents in recent
CYBG has reached a takeover deal with Virgin Money that values the bank at £1.7 billion but is likely to lead to more than 1,500 job losses. The owner of the Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank and B brands said the terms of the agreement will see
A LITTLE dog found on the road in a town centre yesterday has been taken in by an animal charity where its owner can reclaim it.The Jack Russell type dog was rescued from Main Street, in Shildon, at 1.45pm on Sunday.Bishop Auckland police said she was
A MAN who was missing for more than two days has been found safe and well. Police say they have now located 86-year-old Russell Goldsmith, from Neville’s Cross, Durham, who went missing on Saturday morning after going out to get a newspaper.
A FIRE brigade has issued a warning after one man had a lucky escape when his chip pan caught fire.Crews attended a property in Seaham yesterday after a neighbour called 999 when they heard a smoke alarm going off inside.Firefighters discovered a chip
FIREFIGHTERS spent around an hour and a half trying to free a woman from her car after it overturned after coming off the road. The incident happened in Consett, in County Durham, at around 10.55am on Sunday. The elderly woman was driving on
AN angling club hopes to secure grants so it can improve the nature reserve where it is based, once it has secured the site long-term.Shildon Town Council last week agreed to offer a formal 50 year lease of Brusselton Nature Reserve to New Shildon Angling
A MAN involved in a drunken brawl with a friend outside a dales’ town pub was berated for his “loutish” behaviour by a judge. John Rowley and his drinking companion were asked to leave the Pack Horse, in Stanhope, due to their unruly behaviour,
A SEA life centre in the region has heard the pitter patter of tiny feet as staff welcomed the first new baby penguin of the year. The chick, which has hatched Sea Life Scarborough, has been hand reared by three of the aquarium’s aquarists.The three ‘
THIRSK actress Mhairi Calvey is no stranger to the limelight, having starred as a child in the epic Braveheart film, but she is now turning the spotlight onto the dark subject of domestic abuse with her first self-written film.Scottish-born Ms Calvey
Who or what inspired you to take up photography?I GOT my camera when I started to follow the rally cross at Croft. Your first camera?IT was a 35mm film Prakticka. I used it a lot, then after we moved I didn’t bother for years until I got a Nikon DSLR,
MORE than 25,000 jobs could be created across the North-East if plans to make post-Brexit tariff-free trade hubs go ahead, a new report has claimed. A study unveiled today has found that a free port at Teesport that was integrated with existing
FROM tiny tea rooms to high-end restaurants, the best of the region’s food businesses are to be celebrated in the annual Flavours of Herriot Country Awards. Now in their seventh year, the popular awards recognise and reward the array of outstanding
VINTAGE car enthusiasts spent the day showing off their prized vehicles during an annual test of endurance. Motorists from all over the country attended the Beamish Run, which takes place in County Durham and North Yorkshire every Father’s Day.
HUNDREDS of students from the region are suing their universities because of lost teaching time during strikes by lecturers.More than 400 students from Durham University, around 100 from Newcastle and 50 from York are among more than 5,000 to have signed
RECORD numbers of cyclists turned out for an annual bike ride aimed at getting people to be more active.Hundreds of cyclists took part in Sunderland’s Big Bike Ride this weekend.A family ride took place at Herrington County Park while more experienced
FOURTEEN bags were filled with rubbish during a litter pick at a Bishop Auckland cemetery targeted by anti-social behaviour and vandalism.Durham County Councillor Tanya Tucker was joined by five volunteers for the two-and-half hour clean-up operation
A SHOCK report has revealed an alarming rise in reports of online abuse of children by children with youngsters as young as eight targeted and teachers left without support and guidance on how to deal with it.It also found the last year of primary school
PLANS for this year's Saltburn Food Festival have been unveiled as preparations for the annual celebration of culinary delights.On Sunday, July 29, thousands of food and drink lovers will be able to sample goods from 150 different stalls as the seaside
A HISTORIC teapot which has been hanging above shops in a city centre for more than 160 years has been restored to its former glory. The three-foot high teapot has been a familiar sight in the streets of Durham since at lease the mid-19th century. It
HUNDREDS of people are preparing to take part in a gruelling 5k trail run through Peterlee’s Castle Eden Dene next week.The event starting at the Pavillion at 7pm on Wednesday, is part of the Run East Durham project, hosted by charity East Durham Trust
