MEMBERS of the armed forces are being offered a free day out this weekend as a North-East racecourse revives the spirit of the war years. Redcar Racecourse is staging its “1940s Revival Day” in aid of Help For Heroes and the Royal British Legion
SUNDERLAND will demand a definitive response to their bids for Mohamed Eisa, Charlie Wyke and George Evans in the next two days. The Black Cats have lodged bids for all three players, but are still waiting to learn whether their current employers
DARLINGTON'S Labour group has selected Cllr Stephen Harker as its new leader. He will replace Cllr Bill Dixon, who is retiring after seven years as the leader of the group and of Darlington council. The group selected Cllr Chris McEwan, who
DARLINGTON'S Labour group has selected Cllr Stephen Harker as its new leader.He will replace Cllr Bill Dixon, who is retiring after seven years as the leader of the group and of Darlington council.The group selected Cllr Chris McEwan, who was the
THE Office for Budget Responsibility has cast doubt on the government’s claim that a £20.5 billion annual increase in NHS funding will be partly paid for by a so-called “Brexit dividend”. It said Brexit “is more likely to weaken the public finances
SUNDERLAND were able to celebrate their first pre-season success as Lynden Gooch’s first-half header secured a 1-0 win at Grimsby Town. Gooch converted Chris Maguire’s cross to hand Jack Ross his first victory as Sunderland boss, with the Black
WAHBI KHAZRI'S Sunderland stay is over after moving to St Etienne in a deal that could eventually be worth £9m. The Tunisian has been the subject of interest from the French club and Rennes all summer but St-Étienne have pulled off the deal.
BRITT ASSOMBALONGA’S Middlesbrough future could be the key to Newcastle United’s pursuit of West Brom striker Salomon Rondon.Assombalonga is being targeted by a number of Championship sides, but sources close to Boro insist that there has not been any
ALMOST £2m of public money has been committed to stage two more editions of Durham’s Lumiere festival.Durham County Council’s cabinet agreed to spend £1.8m to fund the event, which will be held in 2019 and 2021.The council has insisted the investment
OUR story about Punch and Judy man Brian Lllewellyn who says the “PC brigade” and “snowflakes” are to blame for his bookings dwindling has led to a flood of comments from readers. Here are just a few: Stephen Stacey: "Omg what a joke... I've
IMAGES have been released as police appeal to trace fans following last season's Middlesbrough v Millwall match. Cleveland Police launched the appeal following disorder at the Riverside Stadium following the match on Saturday, April 28. A force
A WARNING has been issued of the dangers of drinking by rivers as two young men were seen jumping into the water from a bridge. The incident happened on Saturday at Durham Miners' Gala on the pedestrian bridge, crossing the River Wear, near the
LIZZIE Deignan has been named as the headline signing of Trek Factory Racing, a new team that will join the UCI's Women's WorldTour in 2019.The former world champion, who is sitting out the 2018 season after announcing her pregnancy earlier this
ANNEMIEK van Vleuten retained her La Course title as she overhauled Anna van der Breggen in a thrilling finish. The Dutch pair were separated by just one second at the end of the 112.5km race from Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand, using much of the same
THOUSANDS of families gathered together to enjoy a day in the sun as part of an summer community celebration.Entertainers and performers of all ages joined in to take part in Darlington’s Elim Pentecostal Church Summer Community Fun Day, held in the town
RAFA BENITEZ has admitted that Newcastle United’s transfer policy this summer is making things harder for him than he would like.The Newcastle boss, who also insisted he will do everything he can to keep unsettled midfielder Isaac Hayden on Tyneside despite
Mazda MX-5 2.0 Z-Sport (Price, as tested, £25,610) WHAT IS IT: IT'S Mazda's evergreen roadster and on this occasion we got our hands on a limited edition. ON THE ROAD: EVERYONE should be granted a period in their lifetime where
A TEENAGER left a trail of damage during a police chase in a stolen van. Lee Fucile tore around grassed areas on an industrial estate in Hartlepool before getting back on the road and going the wrong way around a roundabout. Eventually, he
I HAVE to agree with Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson that the Indian ex-jockey Carim ‘Frankie’ Mohideen should be allowed to stay in the UK (Echo, July 14). Like Frankie I would have struggled to answer the questions posed to him by the Home Office test and
HOW very appropriate the letter headed Odd Brexit is in the Echo (HAS, July 14) from Eric Gendle. Although Eric was referring to Tory Brexiteer MP Jacob Rees-Mogg’s business affairs. What was even odder was President Donald Trump’s comments about Theresa
THE recent visit of Donald Trump seems to have caused a bit of a stir for some. I wonder why there was no demonstrations of this magnitude when Assad and Mugabe visited?Chemical warfare, murder, dictatorship to name a few of their sins. Yet America is
I REFER to Jeremy Corbyn’s interview published in Friday’s paper (Echo, July 13) and his statement: “Areas such as Durham have been on the wrong end of a 30-year free market economic experiment which has placed the interests of big finance over the interests
WHAT cruel, insensitive morons could sink so low as to vandalise Redcar’s sand sculptures commemorating our heroes of the First World War (Echo, July 16)? The vandals should remember that these people suffered and died that we might enjoy life in a free
PARENTS should be wary that some children's slime products may contain higher than recommended levels of a chemical, a consumer watchdog has said. Which? said that parents should be able to buy toys without being fearful that they could cause their
EDDIE JONAS (HAS, July 13), makes a good point about the corrosion at the bottom of street lampposts and suggests a protective sheath. Unfortunately, protective covers to protect steel have been tried since the days of Brunel and Robert Stephenson and
SHARDS of broken glass were left strewn across the road after fly-tippers dumped rubbish as they drove. Police had to sweep the sharp objects from 100m stretch of road on Saturday morning (July 14) after a member of public reported rubbish - including
WELL done to the England football team for reaching the World Cup semi-final – but the real English heroes must be the seven divers from Great Britain who helped save the 12 schoolboys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand. This in
IT is that time of year again when the English golf fan wonder if one of their own can actually end the long wait for Open Championship success. This time around there are a number of contenders, but the field is strong and the conditions different
THE number of people in work and job vacancies have reached new record levels, while earnings remain "modestly" up on the year, new figures show.Employment increased by 137,000 in the quarter to May to 32.4 million, the highest figure since
THERE is an absence of North-East golfers preparing for the 147th Open Championship this week, yet there is one man from the region who will be making his second appearance on a working level. While the likes of Graeme Storm, Rob Dinwiddie and
STUDENTS rubbed shoulders with a lord when he visited their school in a bid to better engage them with political and parliamentary life.Lord Shipley, former leader of Newcastle City Council, met year eight and nine students from Wolsingham School’s More
NORTHUMBRIA Police will be 'Policing with Pride' again as Newcastle prepares to host the biggest Pride festival the region has ever had. The event will be the tenth to be held in the city and will take place at Nun's Moor Park this weekend.
PUPILS at a Darlington school have showcased their entrepreneurial talent by raising thousands of pounds of profit. Reid Street Primary School in Darlington has been named as the most enterprising school in the North-East, after winning the final
MPs are due to begin their summer break next week but, as Theresa May's Brexit headache continues, a vote is expected to take place allowing politicians to start their six-week holiday early. But the Prime Minister, whose Government has tabled
A BUSINESS has reduced energy costs and boosted its green credentials with help from a council-led project.The BEEP project, which is led by Durham County Council and supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aims to help small and medium
SEDGEFIELD, Ferryhill and District Flower Club will meet in Sedgefield Parish Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday, July 17. The event will include a members’ workshop on modern design presented by Val Guest. Entry is £15 per person and a faith supper will follow
A MAN is critically ill in hospital after being attacked outside his home. A Northumbria Police spokesman said the 45-year-old man was assaulted in Coquet Street, Chopwell, Gateshead, at around 4pm on Saturday. Emergency services attended and
CAR maker Nissan has passed a new milestone after the one millionth Juke rolled off the line at its Sunderland factory. On average, a brand new Juke is built at the plant every 105 seconds. The one millionth model built in Sunderland was a
A MAN has been arrested following a rooftop standoff with police. Officers were called to a property in Jude Place, Peterlee, shortly after 7.05am today following reports of a man on a garage roof. A police spokesman said: “The 32-year-old
DAN Martin is hoping the injuries sustained in a stage-eight crash will not slow him down now the Tour de France has reached his favoured terrain in the mountains.The Irishman celebrated victory on the Mur-de-Bretagne on stage six but was among the general
A MAN was taken to hospital after a suspected stabbing during a large brawl in the middle of a street. A Northumbria Police spokesman said officers responded to reports of around ten people fighting on Clavering Road, in Swalwell, Gateshead at
ENGLAND opener Jason Roy may miss Tuesday's series decider against India at Headingley, with James Vince in line for his first one-day international appearance in almost two years. Roy is struggling with a finger injury on his right hand that he
NEWCASTLE Newcastle’s interest in West Brom striker Salomon Rondon has been well known for a number of weeks now, but Mike Ashley has been reluctant to splash out more than £20m on a package for the striker. Rondon has a £16.5m release clause
BRITISH parents will let their children consume up to five times as much sugar during the summer holidays as they would any other time, according to research. A worrying poll of 1,000 parents with children aged two to 17 found sugar intake will
NORTH-EAST actress Viktoria Kay will give a talk on Friday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mary Lyons becoming the youngest ever England international and goal scorer when she made her debut against Scotland at St James' Park, Newcastle.
THE High Kings, the true heirs of Ireland’s Folk Heritage, have announced the first UK shows on their DECADE - The Best of The High Kings, 10th Anniversary Tour. The dates will feature new member George Murphy, who was drafted into the band late
POP-ROCK sensations The Vamps headlined the second of the summer shows at Bents Park in South Shields, bringing an incredible 20,000 strong crowd with them to watch.When asked about what kind of shows they preferred Brad told The Northern Echo “Playing
ANEW report insists that the North-East is still a manufacturing powerhouse. EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, and accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP shows that industry is increasing its importance to the North East economy with both
THE South Tyneside Festival’s Sunday concert series is set to end with a bang, with the news that top singer Rebecca Ferguson has been added to the final show line-up. And that means that the show on Sunday, July 29 will be jam-packed with superstar
THE opportunity to take part in volunteering while at university provided Hannah Barstow with the skills, confidence and experience to kick-start her career.The mother-of-one graduates from Teesside today with a BSc (Hons) Psychology.She now works as
COLLECTING his university degree will be a proud moment for James Dent – but he is also making a name for himself with an exciting space project at Teesside University which is gathering momentum.He graduates today with a MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
More than 3,000 Teesside University graduates are this week celebrating their success during the annual academic awards. A total of 13 ceremonies are being held on the university campus all this week, celebrating achievements at all levels, from Certificates
THE first wave of artists has been announced for a major music and comedy festival coming to Darlington this autumn.Last Train Home will see an eclectic mix of performers take to the stage at venues across the town on September 22.Headliners include Manchester
MISHA Blackett proudly holds up a box of chocolate cupcakes, the result of a morning’s work weighing, mixing, decorating – and learning. It might be the school holidays, but Misha, 11, and her friend Neve Mckidd were keen to head to Junior Kitchen in
THE hot weather finally gave way to thunder and lightning on Monday night, with heavy rain falling in parts of the region. On Teesside, roads and gardens were flooded during a torrential downpour which was accompanied by a large electrical storm
ORGANISERS of Durham Miners’ Gala have rejected claims a right-wing group was escorted away by police for simply flying a Union flag. A video circulating on Facebook shows members of group wearing For Britain rosettes being led along New Elvet
TRIBUTES have been paid to a 16-year-old boy who died after being struck by a van. James Wood of Coxhoe, near Durham, died in hospital following the accident on the A177 between High Shincliffe and Bowburn, at about 4.20am on Thursday, July 12.
HARTLEPOOL UNITED come up against a club legend this evening – and Micky Barron could even make an appearance against his old club. The club’s long-time centre-half, skipper, caretaker manager and first-team coach is part of the set-up at Northern
IT is with great disappointment that we are unable to bring you the visions for the future of Darlington of the two men who are vying to become council leader. They have, politely, declined our offer to write 500 words each outlining what they
A KARATE club is celebrating a trio of recent successes.Chief instructor of Shikkari Karate Kai, Shihan Brett Wilkinson, has been awarded his seventh dan in Shotokan karate after 32 years of training.Mr Wilkinson, who has taught the martial art for 25
SOME of the region’s most talented young musicians have joined forces with an internationally-acclaimed Baroque ensemble for a new double-billed production. The Hexham-based Samling Academy Opera and acclaimed Dunedin Consort, led by John Butt,
A MAN who offered to oversee his father’s online banking, regularly dipped into the account to fund his gambling addiction, a court heard. But by the time Graham Brown came clean and owned up to what he was doing he had frittered away £14,856 of
A ‘LIFESAVER’ school holiday club is trying to bolster its numbers over the summer holidays to ensure it can continue.Croft Out of School Club, which is based at Croft Church of England Primary School, near Darlington, offers 8am to 6pm wraparound care
A NEW social running initiative has been hailed a success after 45 runners enjoyed its first outing.The run, in Osmotherley, was the first in a series of six social trail runs organised by Hambleton District Council and supported by the Neon Nights Community
A BIG hitter has served up an impressive win at her chosen sport in her first area competition.It was game, set and match for Lucy Watts, 13, who secured a victory with a tie-break win in the Richmondshire Area Tennis tournament.The Northallerton School
OUR pick of the best of tonight's telly... Long Lost Family (ITV, 9.30pm) The World Cup may have been something of an emotional rollercoaster, but there's no let up for viewers even now it's over as one of the most moving shows on the box returns
FIREFIGHTERS are warning the heatwave has left areas of grassland like a “tinderbox” after two separate fires raged through County Durham on Sunday. The first fire started at Hurworth Burn, near Hartlepool, at 1.42pm, affecting around 7,000 sq m of woodland
A WOMAN has called on people to be more careful when discarding lit cigarettes after her mother had a lucky escape when her oxygen tank was seconds away from exploding. Nicola Doyle, who suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
A NUMBER of North-East photographers have beaten off competition from around the world to be successful in a coveted awards scheme.Tracy Kidd, from Darlington, was the winner in the Dogs at Work category in The Kennel Club Dog Photographer of the Year
THIS week, 15 years ago, a group of Durham teenagers were honoured with Prince’s Trust Awards for their work in the community. Students at Gilesgate Sports College received silver and bronze awards for being involved in a wide range of community activities
STUNT riders will be wowing spectators with jaw-dropping performances at an annual police event aimed at raising awareness about bikers.Durham Police’s annual BikeWise event is on Sunday, July 22, at its headquarters at Aykley Heads, in Durham.This year
A WIDE-ranging inquiry examining why North Yorkshire has the country’s worst bird of prey persecution record and efforts to crack down on the crime have failed is set to be launched. A move has been proposed to create a select group of the county
A PHOTOGRAPHIC society is holding its annual exhibition, featuring dozens of images from around the North-East.Around 65 prints will be on display at Durham Cathedral, which has hosted the exhibition for more than 20 years.This year, Durham Photographic
Q My periods are all over the place. I went on contraception when I was 16 for heavy bleeding and then I stopped it because I was trying to get pregnant. I’ve had my son nine months ago, and now my periods are a problem all over again.Janine, 28A It sounds
COLOURFUL hot air balloons took to the skies over North Yorkshire for a sunny afternoon floating over the countryside.The event, organised by the Pennine Region Balloon Association, saw seven balloons launch from Thirsk Racecourse at the weekend for a
WITHIN the last week the government has accepted the recommendations of an independent review, looking into the use of plastic mesh for the management of stress urinary incontinence in women, and as a result has ordered this treatment to be halted for
A SPA near Durham has been named among the best in the North-East after reaching the final in an industry awards scheme.The Spa at Ramside, located at Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa at Carville, has been named as a finalist in the North-East Spa of
A BUILDING which has been at the heart of a pit village for almost a century filled with residents on its milestone anniversary. Celebrations were held at Fishburn Youth and Community Centre (FYCC) from 8am until midnight on Saturday to mark 90
NO wonder Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is so desperate to go for the kill. But the prospects of an early general election, which Corbyn so eagerly desires, seem remote, unless the Government is defeated on a vote of confidence.Rarely has an official Opposition
GEORGE COURTNEY will be this month’s guest speaker at the Age UK County Durham Gents’ Breakfast on Wednesday, July 18 at 9.30am.The breakfast is held at café Cenno in Durham Indoor market, on the third Wednesday of every month. The Come Eat Together Gents
EVENTS are taking place across the region as part of a police campaign aimed at security and crime prevention.North Yorkshire Police are taking their "Keeping Safe" summer roadshows to a variety of events and shows throughout the summer to offer
Woodland fireA FIRE crew from Thirsk dealt with a blaze in woodland at Boltby. The crew was called at 9pm on Sunday night to extinguish the fire which covered a 15m x 3m area of woods off Paradise Road. It is believed to have been caused by a camp fire
A FORMER solicitor turned children’s nurse has picked up an award for excellence on the same day that he graduated.Peter Busby, from Spennymoor, County Durham, had a “massive change of heart” when in 2013 he decided to swap law courts for hospital wards.He
A CELEBRATION of the decade that gave the world rock and roll was held at the weekend. Beamish Museum’s Festival of 50s featured live music, costumes to try on and period-inspired food and drink.The open air visitor museum is building a 1950s town as
A VET who left the comforts of the North to help thousands of stray dogs Sri Lanka has urged students at her old school to be happy, kind and fulfilled.CEO and founder of the charity WECare Worldwide Dr Janey Lowes returned 11 years after leaving Barnard
PUTTING victims first remains the "golden thread" of a new plan unveiled to tackle crime. Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg yesterday set out his vision , the outcomes he wishes to achieve, and 12 key priorities which he will focus
TEN years ago, this week, the “betrayed” sons of canoe fraudsters John and Anne Darwin came face-to-face with their mother after the couple’s lies were exposed.Their eldest son, Mark Darwin, 32, relived the moment he was told his father was missing presumed
FIVE years ago this week, a North-East train factory secured hundreds of jobs when it won a £1.2bn Government contract. Hitachi Rail Europe announced it would build 270 carriages at its factory in Newton Aycliffe – starting production in 2016 with new
RIPON Canal has been honoured with a Green Flag Award in recognition of its importance to the local community and environment.Cared for by the Canal and River Trust, the 2.5- mile canal is a green corridor reaching from the heart of the city into the
STAFF at Darlington’s biggest employer and the firms it contracts work to are being urged to be the eyes and ears of a drive to tackle modern day slavery. Members of Darlington Borough Council, which employs more than 2,200 staff, will consider
BAKERS are being encouraged to cook up a historical treat to help Ripon celebrate Yorkshire Day next month.A call has gone out for people to bake a ‘Wilfra’ tart or cake to form part of Ripon’s Yorkshire Day celebrations on August 1.Wilfra cakes were
A WILDLIFE trust is running a camping weekend for families to find out more about nature.Camp Derwent, at Derwent Reservoir, near Consett, will offer families the chance to find out more about red squirrels, bats and birds and take part in woodland treasure
HEARTBROKEN campaigners insist that their fight will go on as a High Court judge ruled in the favour of Darlington’s council in the battle to save a historic library. Plans to close the town’s Crown Street Library could now progress unhindered
