THE Durham board are to meet next Thursday to consider nine contracts which are up for renewal. With a couple of players believed to be considering a move, the likelihood of relegation could complicate the issue. With two games left Durham are now 22
PUPILS at Polam Hall School in Darlington have achieved record results in this year's GCSEs. Rachel Turvy, 16, from Staddle Bridge, Northallerton, has been awarded A* grades in her 11 subjects. A further eight Polam Hall pupils have each achieved 11 A
CHILD killer Colin Bainbridge hopes to mount an appeal against his conviction for raping and murdering schoolgirl Laura Kane. The revelation comes a year to the day that nine-year-old Laura went missing from her home in Penshaw, near Sunderland, when
A TEENAGER has been given a big thank you for the voluntary work he has done for visually impaired users of Stockton Central Library. Phillip Ward, 15, who is blind, visited the Ann Kallagher Suite of Technology for the blind and visually impaired at
THE father of serial killer Steven Grieveson died in his blazing bedsit despite efforts to save him, an inquest heard. Terence Grieveson, whose gay son murdered three teenagers and burned their bodies, was found unconscious on the floor of his home in
POLICE have moved up a gear in the fight against crime in the south of Hartlepool. Officers who look after the Owton, Rossmere and Seaton areas of the town, have a new addition to their crimebusting armoury in the shape of two top-of-the-range cycles.
MIDDLESBROUGH will claim an illegal approach over Christian Ziege's defection to Liverpool - unless the Anfield club agree to pay a total of £8m for the German international. Ziege is due to complete his protracted £5.5m move to Merseyside and sign a
COLIN Cooper is hoping Middlesbrough can continue their unbeaten start to the season and bring high-flying Leeds crashing down to earth today. David O'Leary's side go to the Riverside Stadium bursting with confidence after booking their place in the lucrative
SUNDERLAND'S newest star player, Stanislav Varga, is in hospital recovering from an operation on a freak leg injury which could keep him out of action for six weeks. The giant skipper of the Slovakian national side was forced to limp off the field after
SUNDERLAND'S newest star player, Stanislav Varga, is in hospital recovering from an operation on a freak leg injury which could keep him out of action for six weeks. The giant skipper of the Slovakian national side was forced to limp off the field after
TAXI drivers in north Durham have spoken out against police-backed proposals to toughen council regulations. The secretary of Derwentside Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, Derek Hindson, opposed Derwentside District Council proposals to refuse licences
DARLINGTON Woodlands member Anne Anderson was the toast of Durham County after returning from the English Women's Bowling Association National Finals at Leamington Spa as the winner of the blue riband event, the four bowl singles. Anne, a past winner
George Graham reckons the key to Tottenham's chances of a top-six Premiership place could be avoiding the red and yellow card plague that has surfaced alarmingly with the Football Association's latest disciplinary clampdown and the injury blight which
NEWCASTLE United boss Bobby Robson today gets another close-up view of the striker he failed to snap up in a summer of cat-and-mouse games with Tottenham. Robson's limited transfer funds meant he missed out on £11m Sergei Rebrov - and Spurs boss George
WORK began yesterday on repairing a fire-damaged Durham City garage. A workshop and a B-registration Mercedes car were damaged in the blaze at Gilesgate Motor Company, Gilesgate Moor. Six firefighters wearing breathing equipment tackled the fire just
Red House School, Norton, one of the country's leading independent coeducational day schools, is celebrating impressive GCSE results. The school, in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, has seen 98 per cent of entrants achieve results at grade C and above, and 51
Spennymoor manager Peter Mulcaster is hoping to sign a new player in time for their home game with Barrow this afternoon. Moors have lost their first two games, and Mulcaster feels he needs to strengthen his squad to start climbing up the table. "I've
A RAIL maintenance company was fined a total of £500,000 for breaches of health and safety regulations following two freight train derailments. The cases, at York Crown Court, were brought against Jarvis Fastline by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE
A DEAF pensioner has been reunited with his best friend - Ben the mongrel - thanks to the sharp eyes of a social services worker. Robert Walton, 83, of the Hetton area of Sunderland, who is profoundly deaf and has a hearing dog called Ben, was at a loss
NEW Saltburn businesswoman Christine Spencer is celebrating after her shop won the award of best dressed shop window, during Saltburn Victorian week. A series of events were held last week to celebrate the town's Victorian heritage. Mrs Spencer, who owns
A FORMER mining community will be placed under the spotlight in a study geared at tackling its problems. Durham Rural Community Council has successfully put forward a case study for Craghead, near Stanley, for the Countryside Exchange Programme. The programme
RESULTS for schools in Gateshead showed an improvement in the number of children gaining five or more GCSE passes at grades A to C. The average was 41 per cent of pupils gaining five or more top grades, compared to 37.2 per cent last year. At Whickham
AN ancient banner of Robin Hood is to be restored by residents in his namesake village on the North Yorkshire coast. The 8ft tall banner is the only surviving relic of the Robin Hood and Little John Friendly Society at Robin Hood's Bay. Now hanging in
BAGGAGE handling agent Groundstar has unveiled a major programme of capital equipment investment. The investment will help to support the Newcastle-based company's rapidly growing ground handling operations for airline customers in Manchester, Newcastle
A COUNCIL has defended the job appointment of the daughter of two councillors - one of whom is the deputy leader. Graduate Sarah Connolly has been appointed as political assistant to Middlesbrough Borough Council's controlling Labour group, of which her
TAKEOVER target Go-Ahead, the bus and train operator, will be the centre of attention when it reports results to the City next week. The bus and train operator of Thames Trains - one of the companies involved in last year's Paddington rail crash - will
YOU all remember the Ten Commandments, of course. It was a Cecil B Demille production from 1956, featuring Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Vincent Price, Edward G Robinson and a cast of, well, Demillions. The reviews may most kindly be described as mixed
PROTESTORS against the site of a proposed football stadium were claiming a "victory" last night after a council announced it would be looking at the plans again. The plans for the 25,000-seater stadium, at Neasham Road, Darlington, will go back before
A FUN day at the seaside packed a serious message yesterday. As well as face painting, a magician and prize draws on Redcar seafront, officials from the Government's Employment Service, Inland Revenue, Benefits and Child Support Agencies gave advice on
A HORSE called Sunshine helped to launch a plan aimed at transforming a popular country park into a major centre of environmental activity. The shire horse was one of a large cast assembled to symbolise the many activities and visitor facilities that
A-LEVEL results at the region's independent schools have showed a marked improvement in the top grades compared to last year. Analysis of the results of 31,921 candidates showed that the average Universities and Colleges Admissions Service points score
IT IS still going to be a great weekend of steam in the North-East. Even though the Cavalcade of Steam, planned to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, collapsed in financial ruins, the region is awash with foreign visitors
IT IS still going to be a great weekend of steam in the North-East. Even though the Cavalcade of Steam, planned to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, collapsed in financial ruins, the region is awash with foreign visitors
DOZENS of councillors and council employees are to join a mayor and mayoress in a sponsored bike ride next month. The staff and elected members of Gateshead council are expected to raise more than £1,000 for good causes. The Mayor, Councillor Pitch Wilson
NINTENDO needed something special. With the N64 fading fast, the Dreamcast selling steadily and the PS2 almost here it couldn't afford to fall further behind. Project Dolphin, the name given to Nintendo's next generation console, has been in development
POLICE are issuing a warning to parents after a man tried to entice a young girl into his car. The incident happened in Hartlepool, at 5pm on Wednesday, when the four-year-old girl was playing in the front garden of a friend's house on the town's Rift
THE Durham board are to meet next Thursday to consider nine contracts which are up for renewal. With a couple of players believed to be considering a move, the likelihood of relegation could complicate the issue. With two games left Durham are now 22
WORK began yesterday on repairing a fire-damaged Durham City garage. A workshop and a B-registration Mercedes car were damaged in the blaze at Gilesgate Motor Company, Gilesgate Moor. Six firefighters wearing breathing equipment tackled the fire just
SUMMER is coming to an end and autumn is on the way. With it a new planting season is arriving. Spring flowering bulbs are already in garden centres and the sooner they can be planted the better. The quality of the flower display next spring is clearly
MORE money is on the way for an ageing seaside pier which is already in the throes of a £1m facelift. The Heritage Lottery and the European Regional Development Funds are together providing £300,000 - equivalent to 68 per cent of the cost of additional
CHILD killer Colin Bainbridge hopes to mount an appeal against his conviction for raping and murdering schoolgirl Laura Kane. The revelation comes a year to the day that nine-year-old Laura went missing from her home in Penshaw, near Sunderland, when
A MAJOR Japanese engineering company is establishing its first European operation in Stockton, creating 67 new jobs. Katmex is part of the worldwide Katushiro Matx company and produces steel components used in many different industries, including construction
EUROPEAN interest rates could be raised next week after the leader of Germany's Bundesbank warned that the weakness of the euro and strong European growth are stoking inflationary pressures on the Continent. Bundesbank president Ernst Welteke warned that
A PROHIBITION notice has been served on a Hartlepool firm after a chemical explosion at its works last week. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Environment Agency, acting jointly, have issued a prohibition notice forbidding Baker Petrolite, of
DARLINGTON Building Society's new Mortgage Shop is open for business. The deputy major of Darlington, Councillor Isobel Hartley, cut the ribbon to officially open the shop at a special event yesterday. The shop, in Duke Street, Darlington, is situated
THREE men gate-crashed a girl's party and caused havoc, a court heard yesterday. Judge Leslie Spittle told Michael Dickinson, 22, Timothy Kandel, 19, and Craig Ramage, 18, all from Guisborough, east Cleveland their behaviour was deplorable. Geoffrey Hunter
THREE men gate-crashed a girl's party and caused havoc, a court heard yesterday. Judge Leslie Spittle told Michael Dickinson, 22, Timothy Kandel, 19, and Craig Ramage, 18, all from Guisborough, east Cleveland their behaviour was deplorable. Geoffrey Hunter
YOUNGSTERS learned to shoot like Manchester United's David Beckham and dribble like Leeds United's Harry Kewell at a soccer skills day in Darlington. More than 50 children aged from five to 14 were at Queen Elizabeth playing fields in Abbey Road for a
LUCKY terrier Dan had an amazing escape after falling 120ft down a chemical pipe. The tiny terrier faced a lingering death after falling down the 20-inch-wide shaft in a toxic waste landfill site and becoming wedged at the bottom, But firefighters thought
VOLUNTEERS at a small north Durham amateur theatre group had a shock when they received an international phone call from a high-powered company asking them about their costumes. Staff in the Dubai offices of the delivery firm TNT were so impressed by
A BAND of community activists, who started out with nothing but a derelict building three years ago, hope to attract funding to their village. Committee members of Leadgate Community Tea Rooms have applied for £213,415 in grants from the European Community
George Graham reckons the key to Tottenham's chances of a top-six Premiership place could be avoiding the red and yellow card plague that has surfaced alarmingly with the Football Association's latest disciplinary clampdown and the injury blight which
NEWCASTLE United boss Bobby Robson today gets another close-up view of the striker he failed to snap up in a summer of cat-and-mouse games with Tottenham. Robson's limited transfer funds meant he missed out on £11m Sergei Rebrov - and Spurs boss George
A FITNESS consultant was cleared yesterday of indecently assaulting a teenage girl in a council sauna. Michael Hirst, 32, heaved a sigh of relief and mouthed his thanks to the jury of eight women and four men. The 14-year-old girl told police that he
OF all the phenomena threatening some of the North-East and North Yorkshire's famous landmarks, one stands out as particularly unsavoury. For the most famous landmark of all, the Tyne Bridge, which is being given a facelift, has been corroded by the build-up
Seaham Red Star manager Steve Smith believes his side can be strong title challengers again this season. Seaham, who finished runners up last season, have won both their opening matches, and travel to Easington today. "We know that it's going to be tougher
Red House School, Norton, one of the country's leading independent coeducational day schools, is celebrating impressive GCSE results. The school, in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, has seen 98 per cent of entrants achieve results at grade C and above, and 51
NORTHUMBRIAN Water has scored a double top in a national competition, with two entries selected as finalists for a major award. The Kelder Commercial team and the Customer Contact Centre at NWL's head office in Durham, have been shortlisted in the Daily
FORTUNE is always smiling on Jenny Thompson - the owner of the world's biggest collection of four-leafed clovers. Jenny, 63, has no less than 150 of them in a photo album at her home in Morpeth, Northumberland. She also has 17 seven-leaf clovers, 31 with
STAR STRIKER Kevin Phillips aims to celebrate his England call-up by scoring for Sunderland against Ipswich - the club which almost bought him from Watford three years ago. Ipswich agreed a transfer deal but could not come up with the money and Sunderland
STAR STRIKER Kevin Phillips aims to celebrate his England call-up by scoring for Sunderland against Ipswich - the club which almost bought him from Watford three years ago. Ipswich agreed a transfer deal but could not come up with the money and Sunderland
Normanby Hall are not exactly out of the woods yet but 54 points from their last three games has given them a sporting chance of avoiding relegation. Yet only a couple of weeks ago, they looked dead and buried before gaining a 14-points draw with Hartlepool
Normanby Hall are not exactly out of the woods yet but 54 points from their last three games has given them a sporting chance of avoiding relegation. Yet only a couple of weeks ago, they looked dead and buried before gaining a 14-points draw with Hartlepool
LEADGATE will be trying to maintain their slender lead at the top of the table today when they go to Sedgefield. Leadgate are just one point clear of Crook Town, and are wary of the weather causing more havoc over the weekend. Spokesman Brian Farley said
WILLIAM'S WELL, improving hand over fist in recent weeks, is fancied to complete a fabulous three-timer in the Ladbroke-sponsored £30,000 Showcase Handicap at Goodwood today. It's not often six-year-olds suddenly find another gear, but that's just what
A LANDLADY hopes punters won't be bitter when they discover their local has turned into an alcohol-free zone over the bank holiday weekend. Traffic jams and hangovers are the two things people try to avoid over bank holiday weekends. So Julia Welsh, landlady
FIVE people are being investigated for benefit fraud after police and Government officials targeted possible benefit cheats and bogus workers in the building trade. A 24-year-old man was arrested for driving while disqualified and for having no insurance
PUPILS at Sunderland High, the city's top independent school, are celebrating record achievements, after the release of their GCSE and A-Level exam results. A larger number of pupils than last year were entered for GCSE, taking more subjects per pupil
PROTESTORS against the site of a proposed football stadium were claiming a "victory" last night after a council announced it would be looking at the plans again. The plans for the 25,000-seater stadium, at Neasham Road, Darlington, will go back before
ARTIST Audrey Carr is joining the fight to save a threatened abbey from erosion - with a painting of the 1,000-year-old ruins. The Richmond-based artist is raffling the watercolour and pastels picture of Easby Abbey and its surroundings to help swell
A COMMUNITY is being presented with its greatest challenge to date - raising hundreds of thousands of pounds to improve their village hall. Ten years after villagers in Scorton, near Richmond, collected £80,000 for an extension to the War Memorial Institute
AN iron age settlement has been unearthed in the North-East after gas engineers stumbled across the site while constructing a gas pipeline. Archaeologists yesterday completed a two-week dig on the outskirts of the east Cleveland village of Brotton, where
A STRICKEN former miner had appointments for a medical cancelled three times, only to be told when it finally got under way, that the procedure would kill him. Thomas Price, 74, who suffers from emphysema caused by coal dust and is pursuing a compensation
A COUNCIL meeting descended into farce when members first refused, then deferred and finally passed a controversial planning application as councillors stormed out of the meeting. At first, councillors on Sedgefield Borough Council refused permission
YOU all remember the Ten Commandments, of course. It was a Cecil B Demille production from 1956, featuring Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Vincent Price, Edward G Robinson and a cast of, well, Demillions. The reviews may most kindly be described as mixed
A MAJOR survey is getting under way as part of efforts to improve services from rubbish collection to sports centres. Hambleton District Council has chosen almost 4,000 people at random to take part in the check. The results will be used to find out where
The ITV News At Ten is dead, long live the BBC News At Ten. The latest twist in the argy-bargy over the ten o'clock news slot threatens to turn the matter into a long-running serial to rival a TV soap. First, ITV axes News At Ten. Then, it gets into a
THE countdown has started to the privatisation of town hall services in Middlesbrough. Four private sector companies, all with an interest in taking over the running of some council departments, made their presentations to Labour- controlled Middlesbrough
THIEVES have stolen conifers from a prize-winning garden at a County Durham old people's home. Staff and residents at Wellfield House, Murton, are devastated by the theft on Wednesday night. Three dwarf conifers worth about £100 were taken from the garden
A NORTH-East police force is campaigning for Metropolitan status. Cleveland Police wants talks with Home Office Minister Charles Clarke aimed at immediate financial help in recruiting 74 more bobbies by March next year - and extra cash to meet the costs
Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels writer-director Guy Ritchie has brought his "minder" with him to the interview. The fact that he's accompanied by soccer hard man turned actor Vinnie Jones ensures that he won't be answering any questions he doesn't
CHILDREN from Stockton joined sailing courses at the Castlegate Quay, as part of the Stockton sports development summer coaching programme. Other activities have included canoeing, tennis, cricket, basketball, orienteering, lifesaving, badminton, athletics
