NEWCASTLE are well and truly United again - and it's all thanks to Bobby Robson. The dispirited, disillusioned crew who threatened mutiny during Ruud Gullit's disastrous voyage to the bottom of the league, are happy now that old hand Robson is at the
NEWCASTLE United boss Bobby Robson has turned to former club Barcelona in a bid to shore up his depleted defence. Dutch international Winston Bogarde is a cut-price target and Robson is understood to be hoping to tie up a deal this week. Bogarde, who
POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a fatal hit and run road traffic accident in the region. Cleveland Police are appealing for witnesses and information following the incident outside Hardwick Social Club, Stockton, at 10.10pm on Sunday night
A FORMER international boxer who leapt into the sea to save a disabled boy from drowning yesterday said: "I wasn't scared and I would do it again". Mamoun Alkour spent 45 minutes in the cold North Sea battling strong currents and waves to reach the teenager
A GRANDFATHER has spoken of his shock after his young grandaughter found a hypodermic needle on a North-East beach. John Grant, of Brotton, east Cleveland, and his wife Patricia took their grandchildren Charley, ten, and two-year-old Georgia for a fun
FORMER Newcastle idol Rob Trumbley helped spoil a pre-season party at the Telewest Arena on Saturday night in a thrilling last-minute Storm fightback. Jesters led Manchester Storm in the second of two weekend exhibition matches with a goal by winger David
HARTLEPOOL United defender Darren Knowles is relishing today's visit of Cheltenham and admitted: "We owe them one.'' Steve Cotterill's side did the double over Pool last season in their first season in the Football League and after Saturday's point on
PEOPLE living and working in a busy city centre are being invited to help create a booklet on their neighbourhood. Newcastle's Grainger Town Partnership is producing the publication, called City Centre Living. The booklet will feature a wide variety of
Renegade spy David Shayler returned home at the weekend saying life as a Boro fan had been the perfect preparation for the emotional roller-coaster he has endured during the last three years. Mr Shayler, 34, has been in Paris for three years after he
Durham left out skipper Nick Speak yesterday but there was no improvement in their one-day batting. Everything revolved again around Simon Katich and Paul Collingwood, who both made half centuries before runs dried up in the Norwich Union National League
IMPERIAL Cancer Reaserch shops on Teesside are about to ditch the summer stock and prepare for the winter. The new collections will be launched in stores in York Road, Hartlepool, and High Street, Redcar, today, and the charity is inviting all regular
FOLK rock band The Levellers will be playing a North-East concert in their upcoming national tour. The band took a break after the release of their "best of" album One Way of Life. But they have now come back with a new single, Happy Birthday Revolution
A MAN is fighting for his life after being rescued from a North-East pier. It is believed the 30-year-old victim collapsed after taking the drug Ecstasy on Tynemouth Pier. Police and paramedics were called to the pier at 2am yesterday. They found a group
TWO elderly women were taken to hospital suffering from neck and back injuries after their car skidded in heavy rain and hit an oncoming vehicle on the A19 near Crathorne, North Yorkshire. The accident left four casualties suffering minor injuries and
Darlington hero Craig Liddle believes that Quakers are out of the starting blocks more impressively than last term, writes RAY SIMPSON Quakers won their first three games of last season, but Liddle feels they have played better this time round, even though
A TRADITIONAL pub has re-opened after a refurbishment to ensure it retained its old world feel. Former ambulance control room communications manager Mike Leonard and his wife Audrey are the new licensees at the Dunn Cow in Durham. Mike has put £20,000
A VILLAGE community came together in the local pub's beer garden yesterday to raise money for a local youngster who has autism. Connor Todd, nine, lives in the village of Carlton, near Stockton, on Teesside. Yesterday, an event was held at The Smiths
FIREFIGHTERS in North Yorkshire revealed yesterday that a car airbag saved a crash victim from potentially fatal injuries during a two-car crash. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service claimed that one of the victims of the car accident would have suffered
DESPITE thunder storms and torrential rain, which left parts of the showground a quagmire, the 131st Weardale Agricultural Society show went ahead at St John's Chapel at the weekend. The attendance was well down on previous years, and events such as the
VOLUNTEERS are required in Middlesbrough to help families exhausted with the stress of looking after young children. The volunteers would be part of Home-Start Teesside and would be required to help families with children under the age of five. A spokesman
HEAVY rain couldn't stop the gentle giants of the farming world at the first Beamish Ploughing Match. Seven competitors from across Britain brought their heavy horses to take part in the competition at the open air museum's 19th Century Pockerley Manor
PEOPLE in Hartlepool took a step back in time to sample 12th Century entertainment on Saturday. The event was organised by the Hartlepool Headland Historical and Cultural Trust and included mock hand-to-hand combat, falconry and archery displays, along
TELEVISION gardening presenters will be in Teesside next month to take part in a Homes, Garden and Leisure show at one of the area's hidden gems. The show will take place in the grounds and gardens of Ormesby Hall on Saturday and Sunday September 16 and
YOUNGSTERS from Redcar ended their summer activities scheme with a splash on board the Teesside Princess river cruiser. The children have all been taking part in the summer-long Splash scheme, based at West Redcar Youth Centre. The scheme is funded by
MIDDLESBROUGH look doomed to fail in their bid to land Steve McManaman. Boro boss Bryan Robson confirmed the club had agreed an £8m fee with Real Madrid for the England winger. But that was five weeks ago and McManaman has yet to make a decision regarding
TWO men who have experienced the horror of death on the roads from completely opposite ends of the spectrum have forged an unlikely alliance to help other victims overcome their grief. Steve Vasey, 40, and Andrew Smith, 32, of Durham City, have both suffered
A GOVERNMENT inspector has overturned Hambleton District Council's decision to refuse permission for a house and garage at Brafferton Manor Farm, Helperby. Mark Faulkner brought the appeal against the council's decision to refuse him permission for an
A ROCK band is giving itself the hard sell - literally. Desperate to raise funds to buy speakers, Billingham group Horizon is auctioning its services. The lads, 17-year-olds Danny Spooner and Andrew Rose, Ben Curry, 18, and Adam Hills, 22, concede they
Tow Law earned a home tie with Newcastle Blue Star in the FA Cup preliminary round this Saturday following a 2-0 home win over St Helens. Lawyers had to work hard for victory against the North West Counties League side, and nearly took a half time lead
Easington came from two goals down to stun Seaham Red Star by 3-2 on Saturday. Last year's runners up seemed to have the points wrapped up when they took a 2-0 lead just after half time. Maurice Hilton scored his first goal for the club with a left-foot
LOCAL ENVIRONMENT OVER the past few years the floral displays in Darlington have been a pleasure to see and a credit to the borough council's parks department. This year, many of the displays are even better than usual, including the display which gained
RESIDENTS are being asked to give their views on plans to develop a new Mental Health Trust. During the next several weeks, public meetings will take place across Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland. The new trust would provide mental health
GAINING nine GCSE passes is an achievement for anyone. But for Julia Smith the results are even more notable because she has Down's syndrome. Julia, 16, has gone to mainstream schools all of her life and is currently studying at St Leonard's in Durham
A CATALOGUE of emotional and physical abuse suffered by the North-East's wartime evacuees has been exposed 60 years on. Evacuees have carried their emotional scars into adult life, according to research carried out by an author. In contrast to the picture
The Weather Don't we have some funny weather, You don't know what it's going to do, You listen to the weather men, They haven't got a clue. You put the washing on the line, You think, well, it's nice and fine, You just get back inside, When the heavens
AN unlikely row has blown up on the Cleveland coast - over who has the dirtiest town. Residents from Marske, Redcar and Saltburn have all complained about the state of their streets and asked for more council cleaning to deal with the litter problem.
I DON'T usually try DIY place name study but the Gares - North Gare, South Gare, on the opposite banks of Teesmouth, are interesting. The place name expert, Ekwall, lists gara as an Anglo-Saxon word meaning a triangular piece of land. The Teesmouth gares
THE cost of living in the North-East is lower than anywhere else in the country, according to a survey. Billingham, on Teesside, has been identified as one of the cheapest places in Britain to live. The survey, carried out by the Reward Group, adds fuel
A POLICE officer who kept his job after a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of lewd conduct towards shop girls on his beat, has been suspended following a new allegation that he molested a woman in the back of a police van. Ten weeks ago, Chief Constable
AN engineering firm is planning a big development at its site in Newton Aycliffe. Sedgefield Borough Council has granted permission for the development at Tallent Engineering, on Newton Aycliffe Industrial Estate. The plans involve demolishing a building
Life with Sunderland has always been a roller coaster of emotions and our lacklustre performance against Ipswich brought many sighs. We were made to look second best and with the exception of Macho, the blame for this inept display can only be put down
A CHARITY in Sunderland is hoping to raise vital funds through a competition - by offering season tickets for deadly rivals Newcastle United as first prize. But callers to the Mental Health Matters winning hot-line have been let down by their knowledge
TEENAGE Argentinian Julio Arca is set to be thrown straight into the Premiership fray after training with his new Sunderland teammates this week. Wearside boss Peter Reid insisted there was "no panic" after a second defeat in the space of four days at
CAMPAIGNERS against a proposed rubbish tip have called a public meeting to step up their fight. Waste management company Yorwaste this month submitted plans for a new landfill site in a quarry near Scorton, Richmond, opposite an existing tip due to close
SCIENTISTS at a North-East university have designed an electronic nose to sniff out disease in humans. The scientists, based at the University of Teesside, in Middlesbrough, are now fine-tuning the device which they hope will diagnose illness by smelling
A BEER named after the former Consett Steelworks is proving a hit with drinkers in the town. Locals are enjoying their first taste of The Works at the second annual Grey Horse Beer Festival at the pub in Sherburn Terrace. Landlord Paul Conroy, 54, brewed
THE number of mini heart-start machines being implanted into patients at a North-East hospital needs to double to meet demand, according to experts. Only around 15 heart patients are fitted with the £25,000 mini-difibrillators every year. But experts
IT'S only a century ago when 14-year-old boys in east Cleveland didn't have to look very far for jobs - they followed their fathers down the mine. Now mining has gone, but the mine itself remains as a shrine to days of digging for ironstone. The Tom Leonard
A RESPITE home has been opened in Darlington at a cost of £500,000 Councillor Dorothy Long, Mayor of Darlington, performed the opening ceremony at the home in Newton Lane. She said: "This is an exciting and innovative project and Darlington Borough Council
New Marske are the leading scorers in the Wearside League following their 8-2 defeat of Annfield Plain. They have now scored 21 goals in six games and also have the best goals difference, writes Malcolm Pratt. The Plain, ravaged by injuries, were no match
MICHELLE Mone was at a dinner dance when she decided she'd had enough of under-wired, cleavage enhancing bras. "I was sick of feeling uncomfortable," she says. It led her to thinking about how she could find a bra that was natural and moved with her,
Hartlepool 0 Cheltenham 0 - read Nick Loughlin's report in Tuesday's Northern Echo
THE LOYALTY of North-East athletics enthusiasts will be put to the test this afternoon when Gateshead International Stadium hosts the star-studded Norwich Union Classic. For the organisers have been alarmed by the lack of interest in the top-notch pre-Olympic
COUNCIL chiefs are proposing to introduce a tougher policy on planning applications for mobile telephone masts because of public health fears. Sedgefield Borough Council is to impose stringent rules requiring operators to monitor radiation levels, after
A CENTRE dedicated to treating child cerebral palsy is attracting families from across the world to its North-East base. Disabled youngsters from France, Italy, Israel and Australia are receiving pioneering treatment at The Lee Sykes Centre for Conductive
ARTISTS from the North-East will showcase their talents in other regions in an exchange of ideas, art and people. Artists from Newcastle will display their sculptures, paintings and photographs in Liverpool and Manchester, with work from those two cities
Residents in Whinney Banks, Middlesbrough, are invited to think of a name for the New Deal for Communities newletter.The newsletter at the moment is simply referred to as the NDC newsletter and is delivered to residents in West Middlesbrough. The plan
A MOMENT of inspiration from Austin Healey proved crucial as Leicester Tigers continued their winning start to the season with a rousing victory over Newcastle at Kingston Park. The home side were 13 points up and in total control until Healey spotted
Newcastle coach Rob Andrew has accused Premiership referees of being 'too scared' to sin-bin Leicester's top stars. The former England fly-half was left fuming after his team were defeated 25-22 by the defending champions at Kingston Park. Though the
New-look Darlington turned pessimism into optimism to give Gary Bennett his first win as manager. When Quakers won at Roots Hall last season, the star of that particular performance was inevitably Marco Gabbiadini. But Darlington are more than just a
THOUSANDS of holidaymakers from across the country headed to the North-East yesterday to attend Newcastle's Asian Mela festival. And thousands more are expected to flock to the city's Exhibition Park today to enjoy the festival which celebrates Asian
DOCTORS in Sunderland are testing an out-of-hours service today. GPs in the south of the city will be available to help over the telephone or at designated surgeries. If the pilot scheme is successful, it could be expanded across Wearside. A spokeswoman
And they're off - Darlington left the stalls late but got their first win away from home. Naylor's crosses from corners seem to work as Liddle has now got two already. The dark clouds are disappearing from Feethams as the fans seem more optimistic than
RAF chaplain the Reverend Alan Coates left his posting on a wing and a prayer as he handed over to his successor. Squadron Leader Coates said goodbye to RAF Leeming in a Hawk training aircraft piloted by station commander Group Captain John Cliffe. The
TRADERS and shoppers celebrated the 690th anniversary of a market at the weekend. Stockton's old market is approaching 700 years in the business, and at the annual market fair on Saturday all 150 stalls took part in a fancy dress competition. There were
PUPPETEERS, fire-eaters and stilt-walkers are all part of today's bank holiday fun on Wearside. Sunderland's streets are due to come alive for a family day, which also features live music from local band Trema, jugglers, and the Sun FM roadshow with music
Baby Ryan Adam may not yet be a month old, but already he has won a competition. The baby was the first to be born at Bishop Auckland maternity unit on the Queen Mother's birthday, making him exactly 100 years younger than the nation's favourite grandmother
MERCURY the mountain pony cheated death when her foal led rescuers to her as she sank into a peat bog. Her distraught owners had searched miles of forest land after the 30-year-old Welsh Mountain Pony went missing. But it was only when Merlin, born to
A FORMER North-East airman was finally laid to rest after being entombed in a glacier for almost 60 years. Pilot officer Henry Talbot, originally from North Shields, was one of four Second World War airmen whose plane crashed into a snow-capped mountain
THE Conservatives are in danger of becoming a schizophrenic party. On Saturday, Steven Norris, the party vice-chairman, said they needed more candidates who were gay, women and from racial minorities if they wanted to be seen as a "national, inclusive
A THREATENED cull of more than 100 pigeons looks likely to be cancelled after an experiment in using non-lethal methods to control the problem proved a success. Councillors have now bowed to pressure from protestors across the country, and have brought
A WOMEN'S Aid worker in north Durham has appealed for women to come forward to help in the fight against domestic violence. The worker, who asked not to be named, said women were desperately needed to join Derwentside Women's Aid's management committee
A POLICE inspector convicted of drink driving will have his future decided at a disciplinary hearing next month. Philip Toulson, was coordinator of the Pubwatch Scheme, in South Shields, when he was arrested for drink-driving in East Boldon last November
POLICE in Hartlepool are appealing for witnesses following an attack on a bus driver by a passenger. And the attack victim has claimed the number of drink and drug-related attacks on drivers in the town is on the increase. Stagecoach bus driver John Cramm
A FARMER who had just finished harvesting his crops saw it all go up in smoke when a fire ripped through 1,000 bails of hay. Eric Bell, from Salter Burn House Farm, Butterknowle, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, saw his entire crop catch fire within
NOT even the fastest goal of the day could secure all three points as Pools failed to capitalise on a poor Exeter side that saw them miss a penalty and grab one back from a set piece. We need to kill off the weaker teams if we are to go one better than
OH BROTHER: You either love it or aren't bothered about it - but either way, everybody's talking it about. Channel Four's Big Brother is fantastic entertainment, but nobody's really sure why. Some of the more high-brow national newspapers have tried to
A FILM-MAKER has been recruited to produce a video history of Ferryhill. Ferryhill Past, Present and Future, is being filmed by Michael Bell, who has agreed to complete the video before starting a masters degree course in Leeds. He has already started
The weather once again played havoc with league cricket on Saturday. Not a ball was bowled in either the Foster's North East Premier League or the Durham Senior League and elsewhere only limited play was possible. Three teams battling for the championship
VISITORS from all over the world descended on the North-East this weekend for a festival of steam. Most had originally come to see the Cavalcade of Steam, which was to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, but collapsed
IT APPEARS the sky's the limit for two pupils at a Wear Valley School, who achieved stunning marks in their recent examinations. Gemma Smith and Paul Hindmarch, from King James First Community College, Bishop Auckland, both took 11 GCSEs. Despite the
Year 11 pupils at Durham High School for Girls have again achieved outstanding results in their GCSE examinations. A total of 35 per cent of entries were graded at A*, with a further 30 per cent at grade A. In all, 85 per cent of passes were grades A*
ONE of Britain's most notorious prisoners is reported to be planning to appeal against her conviction from her cell at Durham Jail. Rosemary West's case sent shockwaves around the world when she was convicted in 1995 for the murder of ten young women
A DISCOUNT scheme has boosted numbers at visitor attractions to record levels. The Passport initiative was introduced by the Herriot Country Attractions Group, which ranges from the World of James Herriot, in Thirsk, to Thorpe Perrow Arboretum, in Bedale
GARY Pallister admitted a "shocking" first-half display cost Middlesbrough defeat against Leeds United. Two early goals by Lee Bowyer and Alan Smith left Boro with an uphill struggle in Saturday's clash at the Riverside Stadium and despite a spirited
YOUNG people in Middlesbrough are being offered the chance to sample something of what their area has to offer. Middlesbrough Borough Council's arts development team is looking for 18 to 21 year-olds who are in employment, to take part in a project called
A THORNABY graduate is celebrating beating more than 400 other applicants to a top job with car company BMW. Claire Bruce, 21, from Whingroves, Thornaby, recently graduated with a first class honours degree in design marketing from the University of Teesside
THE traditional flurry of five-past three Victoria Park stragglers are advised to be in the ground for 3pm prompt this afternoon as sharp-shooter Kevin Henderson aims to go one better. Hartlepool United entertain Cheltenham at Victoria Park looking to
MEET Alice Bowles - the Pagan & McQuade Face of 2000. Alice was chosen from dozens of hopefuls who entered our competition to be the optician's model for a photo shoot and the face of the company's promotions for the next year. During the next 12
ARTIST Tanya Raabe is using her body for inspiration in a project combining traditional skills with computer technology. And the finished work will aim to challenge attitudes towards the body beautiful. Tanya, from Scruton, near Northallerton, will draw
NEW legislation could lead to a string of court cases from infertile couples who have been refused help by their health authority. And the rules might even lead to North-East authorities having to spend millions of pounds on free treatment. The law is
HOLLYWOOD star Michael Caine has been invited to celebrate the transformation of a stretch of Durham coastline made famous by his cult film Get Carter. The Turning The Tide partnership - which has spent £10m over five years regenerating the beaches of
PERMISSION to install a metal sculpture outside the Greenfield Community and Arts Centre, in Newton Aycliffe, has been granted by Sedgefield Borough Council. The three metre sculpture will consist of a series of geometric shapes made out of steel plate
A BRASS band has recorded a compact disc to raise money for the chance to compete at the Royal Albert Hall next month. Ferryhill Town Band are the Northern Area champions, which qualifies them to take part in the national finals in London. In order to
IF only . . . That is a phrase that will haunt Bryan Robson and his men as they assess Saturday's clash against Leeds. The game gave Middlesbrough the perfect chance to show that they were not all talk, no trousers when it came to demonstrating their
COURTS in the North-East face being bogged down by lengthy legal proceedings when controversial European human rights laws are introduced. Leading law experts are warning of a spate of challenges by lawyers to prosecutions and convictions when the European
BREWERY bosses have denied speculation that they plan to sell their site to a housing developer. Castle Eden Brewery, near Peterlee, formerly owned by brewing giant Whitbread, was saved by a management and business consortium buy-out in 1998. The man
A PARAMEDIC with almost 20 years' experience has been appointed as a resuscitation trainer - and is offering his services and knowledge for free. Michael Raw, who works for Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service, is also an active member of
ALARM bells are starting to sound at Sunderland after a second flop in four days against newly-promoted opponents. Peter Reid's men lost 4-2 at Manchester City last week and their performance at Ipswich on Saturday was equally uninspiring. Indeed the
NORTHUMBRIAN Water has achieved a double success in a national competition. The firm's Kielder commercial team and the Customer Contact Centre, in Durham, have been shortlisted in The Daily Telegraph/Energis Customer Service Awards 2000. The Kielder team
