FLOOD-HIT railway passengers on the East Coast Mainline are facing misery until at least Sunday as divers check the safety of submerged bridge supports. Although the line is to re-open today at Hatfield - scene of the crash which killed four people last
ON FRIDAY, November 29, 1991, the cage at Murton Colliery hauled miners back to the surface for the last time. Threatened by reduced redundancy payments and subjected to tough management tactics, the demoralised nearly 1,000-strong workforce had ditched
A girls' independent school faces closure because of dwindling classroom numbers. Trustees of the £1,115-a-term St Anne's High School, in Wolsingham, County Durham, warned parents of its 156 pupils last night that lessons will probably end next July.
ALTHOUGH the weather improved slightly yesterday, residents were still trying to keep water from their homes in a part of Teesside. Staff from Stockton Borough Council staff were out in force at the Clarences, on the outskirts of Billingham, in a bid
A BRAVE shopkeeper proved more than a match for a knife-wielding intruder. Sandra Dobson tackled the masked youth who was robbing the grocery store she has run for eight years on Bishop Auckland's Woodhouse Close Estate. She let go only after he put her
A COUNCILLOR who has lost his sight for a week has found his challenge tough going. Councillor David Newell, from Ferryhill, County Durham, was blindfolded by Prime Minister Tony Blair on Saturday. He is raising money for St Dunstan's, a charity which
RESEARCHERS have been awarded £180,000 to investigate the relationship between diet and cancer. Professor John Hesketh, of Newcastle University, and his team have been given £80,000 to look into the high incidence of colon cancer in North-East Scotland
A GROUP of North-East schoolchildren were visiting the Millennium Dome during the attempted robbery. As the gang struck at 9.30am on Tuesday, 20 pupils from Hawthorne Primary School, Elswick, Newcastle, were having a lesson in the Mind Zone. The children
A MAN went on trial yesterday accused of indecently assaulting a girl. Richard Patterson, 34, of Conyers Crescent, Horden, near Peterlee, appeared before Teesside Crown Court charged with indecent assault. He has denied the charge. Mr Patterson told the
HUNDREDS of jobs at a power station have been secured after the decision was taken to keep it open for an extra five years. The Tees Road power station, Hartlepool's second biggest employer with 456 staff, has been told it can continue to operate until
A DETECTIVE was well over the drink-drive limit when he tried to give a chasing police patrol van the slip, a court heard yesterday. When DC Stephen Peninington crashed and stalled his VW Golf, he asked officers to take him home and forget about it. Teesside
AN inquest was opened yesterday into the deaths of a couple involved in a road accident in County Durham. Helen Ruth Burrows, 39, and Thomas Herriott, 51, both of West Terrace, Coxhoe, died when their Peugeot 309 collided with a Renault Megane last Saturday
IN its time, the Blue Cross animal adoption centre has seen thousands of sick and injured pets come and go - but never anything quite like this. Treating cats and dogs is second nature to staff at the centre in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, but staff were
THE final chapter of one of Europe's biggest annual children's book festivals is held next week. More than 5,000 children and families are expected to visit the finale of the Northern Children's Book Festival, at an annual gala day, from 10am to 4.30pm
A VOLUNTEER group hoping to run a Chester-le-Street community centre for the next 25 years need another £100,000 before refurbishment work can begin. Functions at Bullion Hall, in Chester West, were brought to a halt a couple of months ago, when it closed
PLANNERS have admitted that they are going to have to revise a scheme for the regeneration of a dales town market place following protests from residents and traders. The move follows a lengthy consultation exercise carried out into the proposed £250,000
TEESSIDE International Airport has appointed its new managing director. He is 44-year-old Hugh Lang, who joins from Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland. Mr Lang joined Glasgow Prestwick as business development manager in 1993, before becoming commercial
ENTERPRISING students will be running their own business to raise money for charity. Four pupils at Sunnydale School, Shildon, are taking part in a Business Incentive Scheme, a competition run by Barnardo's and Friends Provident, with their newly-formed
WORK to improve council homes will be discussed by Sedgefield Borough Council today. The executive committee of the council will consider a report on proposals to improve 52 homes in Trimdon Village by installing central heating. The project involves
AMATEUR pool player Peter Allison showed the professionals how to do it when he competed in a national competition. The 26-year-old, from Darlington, was runner-up in the competition, which attracted players from across the country. Despite being an amateur
TRACTOR driver Bill Sinderson faces getting his kitchen refitted for the third time after his bungalow was flooded from a damaged drain. Mr Sinderson, of Coxhoe, near Durham City, has been fighting for ten years to get the drain on a nearby playing field
AN exhibition marking Chester-le-Street's war memorials will be launched in the town on Remembrance Day. The Our War Memorials in 2000 exhibition was funded by Lottery Awards for All and is the work of local people, who researched and photographed scores
A WOMAN accused of conning a pensioner into handing over £156,000 of his money to set up businesses and to buy her home was cleared yesterday Vivianne Windley burst into tears in the dock at the end of the week-long trial, as the jury at Teesside Crown
The haulage boss FOR Andrew Turnbull, the Chancellor managed to tread the fine line between giving away too much and not enough. Large reductions in fuel duty could have tempted more firms into the market, increasing competition and driving down costs
THE former wife of Rodney Dale told yesterday how she feared one day he would kill someone, even her. Georgina Waters, 21, of Darlington, said that she had been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of Dale throughout their four-year relationship
A TAPESTRY depicting some of a dale's most treasured landmarks went on display at a craft fair yesterday. The 9ft-square tapestry was unveiled at Whorlton Village Hall, Teesdale, County Durham, by local artist Aidan Shingler. It features some of the areas
AN evening of music with an international flavour is on offer at the weekend. Music from Columbia, Chile and Argentina will feature in a concert at Saltburn Community Theatre, Albion Terrace, Saltburn, on Saturday. The event will raise money for next
YOUNG people are to be given their say on decisions affecting their Wearside community, under a flagship project. The Youth Participation Project also allows those aged 11 to 21 to voice their views on regional and national decisions affecting their lives
A DROP-IN service, for people who may be feeling worried or lonely, is relocating one of its meetings to Crook, near Bishop Auckland. Stonham Outreach Services initially held a "drop-in" at the community centre in Stanhope, every Monday, but the service
PLANS have been submitted for the first phase of a housing estate in Leyburn, which would expand the population of the Dales market town by a third. Persimmon Homes, of York, has submitted a proposal for 98 houses and 18 bungalows at Maythorne Farm, already
PUDSEY Bear took time out to meet a group of special needs students as part of the Children in Need appeal. The popular mascot for the appeal got a free lunch, thanks to a group of catering students from Darlington College of Technology, who baked some
WORK at a pond in Billingham has been awarded a trophy for the best conservation project in a regional competition. A group of local people, who helped Charlton's Pond scoop the Year 2000 Northumbria in Bloom IPRA President's Trophy for Best Conservation
MEMBERS of Service Challenge have launched their own charter to stamp out the perception of business people that chartered accountants are "a necessary evil". An audience of business people and regional decision makers attended the launch at the Riverside
BISHOP Auckland Constituency Labour Party holds its centenary dinner in Auckland Castle tomorrow night. Since there are those who have long regarded these columns as a thorn in the red rose side, it is a particular pleasure - if something of a surprise
THEY have upset the establishment but delighted millions of consumers and now no one knows quite what to do with them. But the music website is definitely here to stay despite some high-profile heavy-arm legal cases and dire threats about musicians' livelihoods
We were extremely disappointed with the result on Sunday against Sheffield. We played very well as a team for 56 minutes but the last four minutes let us down. We made mental mistakes and Sheffield punished us. Our luck in overtime hasn't been great this
TWO villages near Bishop Auckland are making a bid for independence with the formation of a new parish council. The people of Eldon and Old Eldon are striving for the right to have a bigger say in issues which affect their community. Residents who attended
A NEW marketing agency has been launched with the aim of bringing millions of pounds of new business into the region. The Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, formed from the partnership between the two councils, has announced its plans to promote the area
ONE image to have come out of the Middle East has changed the West's view of the current crisis more than any other. It is the one that shows a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, Rami Aldur, huddling with his father Jamal for safety behind a large tin drum
BT has unveiled its most dramatic reshaping since privatisation, with a partial break-up the business into four separately listed companies. The restructuring will see 5,000 people leave the company this year, and similar numbers each year after that.
Republican George W Bush held a tiny and rapidly diminishing lead over Al Gore last night in the Florida recount to find the next US president. With 62 of the state's 67 counties completing their recounts, the Texas governor's lead slumped to 341 votes
David Beckham will take the role of father figure when England face Italy in a friendly in Turin on Wednesday. In his first match as caretaker manager of the national side, Peter Taylor named the 25-year-old Manchester United as skipper and his leader
In embracing the future with almost unprecedented gusto, England's caretaker coach Peter Taylor has ensured Sven-Goran Eriksson can view the brightest young talent the country has to offer without even leaving Italy. Taylor's England squad bears as much
IT usually pays to quit while you're ahead. The activists in fuel protest lobby were way ahead in terms of public support when they called off their blockades in September. In the space of a few days they brought a stubborn Government to its senses; highlighted
A CONVOY of hard-line fuel protestors will this morning leave for London - despite police warnings that they face arrest and signs of waning support. Police will adopt a tough stance with the protestors who have vowed to go ahead with the convoy, dubbed
The post-master of the Post Office in Richmond, North Yorkshire, was grabbed in the rear yard of the shop after closing time last night and handcuffed to a radiator with his wife by four or five thieves. The balaclava-clad attackers then made off with
RESIDENTS in the flood-hit east Cleveland village of Skinningrove have been urged to help stamp out an outbreak of vandalism that is threatening flood defences. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has delivered a letter to all the occupied homes in the
STRIKE action by some of the region's refuse collectors moved a step closer last night. Collectors in Redcar have been served with dismissal notices by the borough council, which wants to re-employ them under new contracts, which could see them working
A HOMELESS man claims he has been left on the street after spending three days in hospital. John Johnston, 52, fell and broke his shoulder on Sunday night. He was admitted to Darlington Memorial Hospital yesterday morning and advised to go to Darlington
TWO engineering firms are to be prosecuted following the deaths of four workmen who fell from a motorway bridge, the Health and Safety Executive said yesterday. The men died after falling 80ft from the M5 Avonmouth Bridge at Portway, near Bristol, when
A FORMER Darlington man who began his career as a stagehand at the Civic Theatre 25 years ago is back in the town this week, as producer of a major stage play. Ian Stephenson is the producer of The Diary of Anne Frank, which is playing at the theatre
Darlington manager Gary Bennett yesterday secured midfielder Thomas Butler for another month - and also got permission for him and Kevin Kyle to play in the FA Cup. Bennett met Sunderland boss Peter Reid yesterday afternoon, and both of them agreed that
A COMMUNITY centre has been given a make over, thanks to the work of offenders on community service. Offenders on community service with Teesside Probation service, repainted the hall, including the ceiling and beams at Hardwick Community Centre, Stockton
A CHEF claims that he went into hospital for a routine operation - and came out blind and paralysed. Just ten weeks ago, things could not have been going better for 37-year-old chef Graham Lockhart, who recently married his Lithuanian girlfriend Vita,
AN investigation has been launched after a man's hand became trapped in an industrial shredder at a teabag factory. The 30-year-old worker, at the Tetley factory in Eaglescliffe, Teesside, was stuck in the machinery for an hour while a medical team and
THOUSANDS of stamps detailing the history of films are on display. Film buff Tony Hillman is showing most of his extensive collection of stamps from around the world, at Darlington Art Gallery. The exhibition, which runs until the end of the month, features
A POLICE officer is passing on his hobby to other officers in the interests of improving race relations. Inspector Harry Simpson likes nothing better than a challenge and so, five years ago, he decided to teach himself Hindi and Urdu with the help of
A UNIQUE piece of glass artwork will shed new light on the life of Christ. Derwentside artist Sylvia Hurst has completed nearly three years of research into Christ's life and includes new theories in her piece. The glass work features 12 large panels,
A FORGOTTEN relic of Loftus's past has been unearthed during the refurbishment of the town hall. The dispensation charter for the town's Court Dundas 747, part of the Ancient Order of Foresters, dates back to 1843, and was recovered in the clock tower
NEWCASTLE City Council has recouped more than £85,000 in unpaid parking fines following court hearings this week. The amount has been collected the council decided two months ago to clamp down on overdue parking fines, with the magistrates' courts setting
DRIVERS of untaxed vehicles found the offence cost them dearly during a crackdown in two east Durham communities. In a joint police and DVLA operation in Seaham and Murton, 27 untaxed vehicles were clamped, with 26 later removed. The owner of the 27th
STRIKE action by some of the region's refuse collectors moved a step closer last night. Collectors in Redcar have been served with dismissal notices by the borough council, which wants to re-employ them under new contracts, which could see them working
A RESTORATION project costing £40,000 is under way on one of the region's landmarks. Grey Friars Tower, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, is all that remains of a church built by Franciscan monks in the late 15th Century. There was concern that the crumbling
A JOINT effort between junior and infant pupils and an artist-in-residence has seen the installation of four sculpted benches. The benches have been put in place on the path between Abbey Infant and Abbey Junior Schools in Darlington. They were made by
THE family of a steel worker crushed to death at work is looking for answers as to how he died. Three weeks ago, Bob Powlay, 54, of Coatham Road, Redcar, was crushed by a 20ft by 10ft steel plate at the Corus plant at Portrack, Stockton. Health and safety
A ROBBER gave police investigators a close-up mugshot when he attempted to move an off-licence security camera. Anthony Coyles, 25, was part of a three-man gang which struck at Boozebusters, in Newcastle Road, Sunderland, locking one assistant in a store
A one-stop finance shop opened in Catterick Garrison. The Finance Centre offers a range of services, including a building society and a surveyors. An official opening ceremony was carried out by Brigadier Hamish Rollo, formerly of the Royal Engineers,
A SEARCH has begun, to find the star of Sunderland city centre's Christmas parade. Organisers are looking for a pop star sound-alike. To help in the hunt, a Stars In Your Eyes competition will be held at Sunderland's Royalty Theatre, 10am to noon, on
A YOUNG people's centre in Redcar has celebrated a new home with a housewarming party. The OK4 Young People's Centre has moved from Milbank Terrace to Coatham Memorial Hall and held a party last Friday, attended by the Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Councillor
WORK to create Redcar's Garden of Remembrance is continuing with help from young people from Redcar and Cleveland College. College lecturer Bruce Elliott is supervising the construction of the surrounding wall with help from New Deal students Barry White
THE changing face of Hartlepool has received a ringing endorsement from local residents in a survey. Most members of Viewpoint 1000, a 1,000-strong citizens' panel set up by Hartlepool Borough Council to consult with local people on a range of issues,
FEARS for the safety of playing children have prompted councillors to take action to curb traffic dangers. Hartlepool Borough Council's North Neighbourhood Forum has agreed to spend more than £900 to install a speed hump and roadside railings in Morison
PLANNERS in Teesside and East Cleveland are being urged to encourage more people to live in the centre of towns, to save greenfield sites from development. The Tees Valley Joint Strategy Committee has called on local authorities to develop new policies
