A GROUP of people with learning disabilities from Teesdale have received national certificates to mark the successful completion of a music course. The 14, who go to County Durham Care's day centres for adults with learning disabilities, have been attending
TRANSPORT group Arriva has announced it is looking to increase its sector of the rail network by bidding for the new Northern rail franchise The Sunderland-based company has confirmed it is following its bid last month for the Transpennine route, by tabling
ONLY yesterday we warned the Government that it had to start delivering on its promises. One of those promises, largely in response to The Northern Echo's A Chance To Live campaign, was one from Health Secretary Alan Milburn to launch a 'crusade' to reduce
AMBULANCE worker Robert Bell has earned the thanks of a grateful patient and with it a top national award. Mr Bell, who works from Bishop Auckland Ambulance Station and lives at Ferryhill, was presented with the Ambulance Service Institute's Care Assistant
RAMBLERS paid tribute yesterday to a walking group leader who was killed a mile from his home as he pursued the pastime he loved. Arthur Firth, who was also known by his middle name, Terry, was returning from a moors walk when he was involved in an accident
PEOPLE in East Durham are being urged to have their say on council services and issues affecting their communities. Easington District Council, as part of a shake-up of its committee structure, has set up four area forums so it can gauge local opinion
PARENTS are being warned of the dangers of airguns after two children were hurt in separate incidents. A 12-year-old boy was due to undergo an operation at Hartlepool General Hospital last night after being shot by an airgun. A pellet was lodged in his
BUSINESSes seriously affected by the closure of a flood-damaged bridge are appealing for financial support from local authorities and the Government. The appeal is the latest stage in the Richmond Business and Tourism Association's campaign to raise awareness
AN MP is urging English Heritage to release cash to fund the upkeep of an ageing North-East landmark, to prevent "vandalism by inaction". Durham Castle needs up to £4m for much needed restoration work, but suffers in seeking grant aid as it is a university-owned
A NEWLY-RESTORED station is being given a final spit and polish before taking part in an annual beauty parade. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway's Pickering station reopened in April after a £400,000 refit to return it to its 1930s' heyday, in the volunteer-run
PEOPLE in twin south Durham communities are being offered a say in how regeneration funding can improve their lives. The Coundon and Leeholme Community project is basing its revitalisation plans on views collected in a questionnaire going out to all homes
OBJECTIONS have been raised to a proposed one-way system for supermarket traffic amid fears it could create a hazard for pedestrians. Plans for the new Quality Fare store in Bedale were approved earlier this year on condition that suitable traffic arrangements
NORTHUMBRIAN Water has announced details of the contractors chosen to work on the biggest environmental improvement programme the region has ever seen. The contractors will work over the next five years to deliver the company's £730m worth of investment
JUNIOR legal eagles have come up with a user-friendly guide on legal issues affecting teenagers. Members of Shildon Centre Youth Club have produced a pamphlet, the Millennium Low Down, which covers the law regarding bullying, drugs, smoking, alcohol and
GEOFFREY Hughes is about to inject his Scouse humour into Heartbeat. He will help plug the gap left by the sick Bill "Greengrass" Maynard, in hospital partially paralysed by a stroke three weeks ago. His signing is aimed at keeping the country cop series
THE latest addition to a council's refuse collection service is proving a hit in rural areas - because it is tiny enough to reach the most remote locations. Richmondshire District Council's new 3-tonne vehicle is both lower and shorter than the rest of
TWO County Durham women are celebrating bingo wins of more than £125,000 at the same club. Both winners have asked not to be named, but last night spoke of their delight at landing the big prizes in the National Bingo Game at the Gala Bingo Club in Skinnergate
A POSSIBLE ambulance service shake-up is to be discussed at a public meeting tomorrow. South Durham and Weardale Community Health Council is holding a forum to discuss the possible merger or resiting of ambulance stations in the area, in order to meet
A BUSINESSMAN stole a driving licence from a customer's home to flout a driving ban in a bid to keep his company afloat. Kevin Hodgson seized his opportunity after he was banned from driving for three years in 1998. He continued to flout the law by driving
PARENTS are being warned of the dangers of airguns after two children were hurt in separate incidents. A 12-year-old boy was due to undergo an operation at Hartlepool General Hospital last night after being shot by an airgun. A pellet was lodged in his
A NEWLY-RESTORED station is being given a final spit and polish before taking part in an annual beauty parade. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway's Pickering station reopened in April after a £400,000 refit to return it to its 1930s' heyday, in the volunteer-run
THE North-East's newest Cub pack has invested 36 youngsters in six weeks. The 1st Waldridge Fell Cubs and Beavers, at Chester-le-Street, one of the few County Durham groups to enrol girls, invested the 22 Beavers and 14 Cubs at a ceremony at the weekend
DARLINGTON chairman George Reynolds has promised more to come after the club secured the services of 22-year-old Stuart Elliott. The defender, captured from Newcastle United, has signed a one-year deal with a further option at the end of 12 months. He
HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner last night welcomed his side's 0-0 draw in Norway and joked: "We're unbeaten in Europe!" Pool had three games this week on their mind and although they failed to find a breakthrough against the top flight Norwegian
AFTER a hectic working life as a key member of a hospital intensive care unit team, Alan Brunskill is packing in just as much energy into his retirement years. At weekends, the 53-year-old former charge nurse at Bishop Auckland General Hospital, uses
MIDDLESBROUGH are ready to call Liverpool's bluff over Christian Ziege - by demanding Robbie Fowler in part exchange. Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier is preparing to test Boro's resolve to hold on to Ziege by lodging a £5m bid for the German international
FOLK fans are preparing for a weekend of song and dance in Durham City. The 11th Durham Folk Party will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at venues in the city. These will include Durham Rugby Club where, on Saturday, there will be an Irish dancing
MEMBERS of Parliament will today be told that North-East universities are not elitist. Sir Kenneth Calman, vice-chancellor of Durham University, is due to speak to the select committee on education. Earlier this year the university became embroiled in
A TEAM of burglars crashed through a window as they tried to escape police and had to be taken to hospital, a court was told. The pair landed on top of each other as they tried to make their getaway from the Conservative Club, in Baltic Road, Stockton
STEELWORKERS rocked by redundancies on Teesside last week are bracing themselves for a fresh round of job losses. Speculation is mounting that Corus, the country's biggest steel producer, is to axe 1,600 jobs in South Wales within the next few days. Corus
A COMMUNITY'S 20-year campaign for a first-class recreational area officially came to an end with the unveiling of a new Millennium green. Two schoolgirls took centre stage as residents of East Thirsk saw the town's new green area opened. Chloe Smith
POLICE and firefighters have pledged to work more closely to curb the growing menace of arson in County Durham. Last year, firefighters dealt with 1,300 arson attacks, from rubbish fires and torched cars to houses set on fire. The number of fires investigated
DURHAM look set to play two brothers in a first-class match for the first time against Lancashire at Old Trafford today. Andrew and Gary Pratt, from Crook, are both in the squad of 12, and the only possibility of one not playing is if Michael Gough is
NEWCASTLE United boss Bobby Robson is understood to be lining up a £2.5m swoop for Turkey midfielder Sergen Yalcin. Turkish sources insist United have agreed a fee for the 27-year-old schemer, who plays for Galatasaray and starred for his country at Euro
A HAULAGE company which flouted tachograph maintenance regulations has been ordered off the road. North-East Traffic Commissioner Tom Macartney yesterday revoked the operator's licence of M-Line, of Darlington, accusing bosses of "wilful and culpable
Whatever the relief map topography before the varicose vein operation, things went decidedly pear-shaped thereafter. The case notes two weeks later recorded DVT and PE. DVT's a deep vein thrombosis; PE's not exactly physical exercise, either. (A single
BUS and rail giants Go-Ahead yesterday saw its shares jump by around 20 per cent after revealing it had rejected a possible takeover approach from a French consortium. The Newcastle-based transport group said it had received a proposed 650p-a-share approach
ROWS of machines stood silent at Susie Radin, in Crook, last week as their operators filed in for the last time to collect their slim pay packets. There were photographs, kisses and hugs - but this was no party. Tears of anger and sadness were flowing
A PARISH council has been accused of using a church-funded magazine to publish its opposititon a multi-million pound development in a depressed Weardale village. A resident believes Wolsingham parish council is using the Town Crier magazine to stir up
ELECTRONICS giant Joyce Loebl has answered an army SOS for better communications by tabling a £40m bid to supply the forces with radio equipment. The Gateshead-based defence and transport company, which has recently been in the news for using its military
CABINET Minister Mo Mowlam yesterday gave a keynote speech emphasising the Government's bid to help people who have had their lives damaged by drugs and homelessness. The Redcar MP addressed delegates at the Rebuilding Lives conference, which was organised
A GOAT survived against all odds to clinch the championship title at the Great Yorkshire Show for the third year running. Mr Peter Copeland revealed he and his wife Gillian, from South Church, near Bishop Auckland, were lucky to still have the five-year-old
FRENZIED knife murderer David Hamilton is planning to marry a prison art teacher 11 years his senior. Hamilton was 17 when he murdered 39-year-old mother-of-three Sharon Metcalfe by stabbing her 65 times at her home in Coundon, County Durham. High on
Exit Pete Sampras and Venus Williams. Enter Tiger Woods. The focus of the British sporting summer switches from Wimbledon to St Andrews this coming week. From tennis to golf. And with no Anna Kournikova to divert attention, most eyes will be on one of
outdoor leisure business, Robsons of Wolsingham, has announced major expansion plans for the 2000 season. These include the addition of a new range of caravans to the company's portfolio and an expansion of its mail order division. The Herald caravan,
A CHARITY worker is planning to paint the town red - and green, blue, cream, yellow and white. Rod Jones has been donated 3,000 tins of paint of every hue, texture and finish to bring a little colour into the lives of sick children in impoverished Romania
WORK to expand an industrial park by almost 50 per cent to meet demand for new business space got under way recently. The £1.4m project - the third phase of development at Thirsk's industrial estate - has already attracted attention from 30 firms interested
Colin Montgomerie denies he has seen a blinding light, insists there has been no Road to Damascus-style conversion. But when he tees off this afternoon in the 129th Open Championship he maintains his mood will be as calm as the weather which has turned
CAR part suppliers, Tallent Engineering, has been boosted by the addition of a number of staff at its North-East base. The firm, which employs 900 people, has seen an upturn in its fortunes after an uncertain six months in the car supplies market. The
A POSTMAN pleaded guilty to delaying and stealing mail after hundreds of letters and parcels were found at his home. Michael Barlow, 24, from Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, appeared before the town's magistrates on Monday. The court heard how Barlow
THE car park made famous by cult gangster film Get Carter is being consigned to cinematic history. Gateshead Borough Council's planning committee yesterday voted to accept outline proposals to knock down the dilapidated building and regenerate the town
MOBILE phone giant Orange has announced a three-year reciprocal agreement with Telecoms group Energis. The agreement is the first of its kind entered into by Orange and will enable Energis to offer their own branded mobile services over the Orange network
Darlington fielded a youthful side and earned a deserved 3-0 win at Albany League Whitley Bay last night, with youth team coach Stuart Gibson praising half-time substitute Gary Williamson for his two-goal performance. "The game is all about scoring goals
ONE man was killed and four friends left injured last night after a crashed car turned into a fireball. The dead driver, 20-year-old Darren Caswell, of Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, was identified by his jewellery. People living near the Marton Burn Road
DEFENDING champions Bishop Auckland crashed to a nine-wicket defeat at Guisborough in the Darlington Building Society North Yorkshire and South Durham premier division on Saturday. It was their first league defeat under new skipper Keith Stones, and only
HERE'S a tip for Tony Blair - little girls are born to talk. Well, we all knew that, didn't we? Right from the moment they go to toddler groups, little girls bustle round the Wendy House chatting, while the boys' only communication is to beat each other
CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown yesterday set out the agenda on which Labour intends to fight the next General Election. On the face of it, he came up with a winning formula. Extra resources for education, transport, and the police - on top of additional money
A MAN found dead near a North-East pub was once Newcastle United's top junior striker, collecting awards as a promising teenager, it emerged yesterday. Gary Walton won the club's Golden Boot for scoring 39 goals for the reserves in 1980-81, in the middle
A FLEDGLING farmers' market could become a permanent event - despite opposition from regular stall-holders who fear it could affect their business. The Cledale Farmers Group has now held four markets at Sam Turner's on the outskirts of Northallerton,
ELEVEN people, including six women, were arrested in a series of early morning drugs raids on Tuesday. At 6am a team of 40 uniformed and plain clothed officers supported by specialist drugs dogs swooped simultaneously on five private and council owned
A CHESTER-le-Street man subjected to a number of attacks on his house and car has called on police to give him added protection. Thugs have twice slashed all four tyres on David Shouksmith's car and have thrown rocks through his living room window, leaving
THE name might not mean much to you. On the other hand it might mean a lot. Edward Mirzoeff. To those who keep an eye on the credits wrapping up TV programmes, Mirzoeff's name has been a seal on television of the highest quality for more than 30 years
DEBENHAMS has unveiled plans to open two new department stores in the region creating 700 jobs. The stores will be at the Gateshead MetroCentre and in Sunderland, with the firm also revealing it will be re-siting its York store, with the potential for
RADICAL proposals to confiscate vehicles found tearing up the countryside have been given a mixed reception by national park chiefs. Labour peer Lord Hardy of Wath is aiming to put forward plans to punish the owners of four-wheel drives and motorbikes
POLLY Pear and Molly Milk joined youngsters at Darlington's Abbey Infant School to promote healthy eating. The cartoon characters, part of the Good Food Gang, have been developed by the town's school meals service. Six schools in Darlington have received
A LASTING legacy to a North-East football hero is taking shape in a run-down area of his home city. The foundation stone was laid yesterday for what will become the Raich Carter Sports Centre, in Hendon, Sunderland. Born Horatio Stratton Carter, in Sunderland
MIDWIFE Janice Knights took delivery of a special award after a vote of thanks from a mum. The Thirsk-based community midwife was named regional winner for the North of England in a search to find the Midwife of the Millennium by baby gear manufacturers
PARENTS are being urged to ensure their children 'belt up in the back' in a new road safety drive in County Durham. A month-long campaign is underway across the county to reduce the number of child passengers killed or seriously injured while travelling
PRINCE WILLIAM The dashing young prince can lay claim to the title of Britain's Most Fanciable Teenager. At 18, his good looks have ensured him pin-up status and when he was recently asked how he copes with the attention of girls he was savvy enough to
FOXHUNTING PERHAPS it might be as well for folks to consider during this current debate on foxhunting whether the concern of Labour Party supporters is the product of envy, or desire for money to fight the next election. In the last election the International
AN EX-Luftwaffe pilot has come to the North-East with a message of reconciliation. Former German bomber pilot Heinz Mollenbrok, 80, told young air cadets at Redcar that the key to the future was friendship and cooperation with other countries. The pensioner
A PART-TIME soldier shot his girlfriend's ex-husband with an air rifle after a gun was pointed at him during a love triangle street battle. The shoot-out took place when Ian Turnbull took on Paul Snaith over stealing his partner. Newcastle Crown Court
A LASTING legacy to a North-East football hero is taking shape in a run-down area of his home city. The foundation stone was laid yesterday for what will become the Raich Carter Sports Centre, in Hendon, Sunderland. Born Horatio Stratton Carter, in Sunderland
DARLINGTON chairman George Reynolds has promised more to come after the club secured the services of 22-year-old Stuart Elliott. The defender, captured from Newcastle United, has signed a one-year deal with a further option at the end of 12 months. He
HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner last night welcomed his side's 0-0 draw in Norway and joked: "We're unbeaten in Europe!" Pool had three games this week on their mind and although they failed to find a breakthrough against the top flight Norwegian
POLICE and firefighters have pledged to work more closely to curb the growing menace of arson in County Durham. The county's constabulary and fire and rescue service have signalled their determination to tackle the problem by agreeing greater cooperation
MIDDLESBROUGH are ready to call Liverpool's bluff over Christian Ziege - by demanding Robbie Fowler in part exchange. Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier is preparing to test Boro's resolve to hold on to Ziege by lodging a £5m bid for the German international
A tourist attraction, which drew more than 70,000 visitors last year, should have a closure order lifted, a public inquiry heard yesterday. The final battle over the Forbidden Corner, in Coverdale, North Yorkshire, got under way yesterday with the hearing
THE family of a North-East CJD victim have spoken of their heartbreak as Government experts warned that deaths from the disease are likely to rise. Fanatical Newcastle United supporter Ian Thompson, 25, who worked as a postman, died less than a year after
AN award-winning County Durham museum has been asked to join a European partnership of mining attractions. Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum in Weardale, is only the second attraction in England to be asked to join Minet. The museum, managed
A FATHER whose son clocked up 136 abscences from school between January and April was fined £750 yesterday. The teenage boy's absences from school were all unauthorised, magistrates in Guisborough were told. The magistrates fined the man, from east Cleveland
Sports classes and activities are being held during the summer break to help youngsters shed extra weight. Darlington Borough Council leisure services department is running the programme following the publication of a report on youth obesity by the Institute
A GRANTS scheme is aiming to improve resources and facilities in upper Teesdale by helping to fund projects run by community groups. The Middleton Plus scheme, which is funded by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Bishop Auckland College
A CAMPAIGN to save the future of abattoirs is calling on people in the region to show their support. The Abattoir Campaign, run by the National Association of Farmers' Markets and the Soil Association, aims to put pressure on the Government to help thousands
THE North's largest agricultural show is celebrating another massive public show of support for the industry. Crowds of more than 120,000 flocked to the Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate last week. Show organisers said that the overall turnout was expected
MOVES to improve links between a local authority and older people are to be developed through new investment. The better government for older people project aims to encourage more participation in decision-making and to ensure the views of older people
A woman who died after suffering 95 per cent burns in a gas explosion has been named. Norma Anne Sinclair, 53, died in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Newcastle, on Monday night, after being transferred from North Tees General Hospital under police escort
A FOOTBALLERS' union last night criticised Darlington chairman George Reynolds for lifting the lid on the club's wage bill. The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) said it was saddened that the Quakers supremo had chosen to make public details
LONG serving Labour party workers Rena Holliday and Clara Carr have lost count of the number of prime ministers they have seen come and go. But now they have received a special vote of thanks from the present premier Tony Blair. His local government minister
EXCAVATIONS at one of the oldest Christian sites in England are shedding new light on life in the Dark Ages. Archaeologists have unearthed about 100 graves so far, thought to date back to the founding of the first Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire, in the
AFTER a hectic working life in a hospital intensive care unit team, Alan Brunskill is packing just as much energy into his retirement years. At the weekends the 53-year-old former charge nurse at Bishop Auckland General Hospital, uses his medical skills
A VINTAGE motorbike, bought for £5 in a deal for a new tyre 50 years ago, has sold for £5,000 at an auction. The 1926 AJS 800 was the pride of a collection of old bikes that was put together by Fred Peadon, of Wearhead in Weardale, who died last year
NEW College Durham has won an award for the quality of its management tuition and student assessment. The college is one of only three of the Institute of Management's 263 accredited centres nationwide to receive the institute's Centre of Excellence award
Just two months after clinching a Queen's Award for Enterprise, staff at TNT's Durham depot are celebrating the company's most recent success - winning the 2000 Motor Transport Award for Customer Care. At a recent gala presentation evening held at the
VILLAGERS were faced with their second gruesome killing in three years this week when the body of a father-of-two was found lying in a pool of blood in a pub garden. Police believe former Newcastle footballer Gary Walton, 37, was attacked in the early
A MAN who attacked his wife with a knife after she told him their marriage was over escaped a jail sentence yesterday. Salih Calis and his wife, Michelle, have been reunited since the attack, in December last year, and yesterday a judge at Teesside Crown
COMMUNITIES in the vicinity of two off-licence stores which lost their liquor permits will continue to be able to buy alcohol from the shops. The General Dealers Store in Low Willington and Spar shop in Wolsingham have changed proprietors since police
TONY Blair's desire for less spin and more delivery clearly hasn't reached Old Trafford, where a trio of twirlers were superbly resisted by Simon Katich yesterday. The Australian's third championship century was backed up by Paul Collingwood's 60 in a
A RARE insight into the lives of soldiers in one of the world's most feared fighting forces can be seen this week. Hopeful Warrior', an exhibition of photographs detailing the recruitment and training of Gurkha soldiers, is on display at the town hall
The presence of Tony McCoy and Richard Johnson at Sedgefield this evening should ensure there will be a much bigger crowd than normal for a low-key jumps meeting at this time of year. But it could be top Northern jockey Tony Dobbin who steals the limelight
YOUNG scientists are taking a leaf out of nature's book in a bid to save their environment from man-made pollution. The humble caddis fly is the key to a pioneering project linking teenage students at King James I Community College, in Bishop Auckland
