TRANSPORT guru Susan Kramer, the Liberal Democrat candidate for London mayor, visits the region today. Mrs Kramer will look at the need for a light rapid transport system west of Newcastle. The firm she runs, Kramer Associates, is a consultant on major
AN inquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of a patient at a North-East mental hospital. Keven George Knowles, 29, of Sunderland, was found dead in his bedroom at Cherry Knowle Hospital, Ryhope, on October 8. Detectives are conducting an
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
DEFIANT fuel tax campaigners last night vowed to continue with their London-bound convoy - despite signs the protest was on the verge of collapse. A slow-moving procession of about 100 trucks, tractors, vans and cars brought Newcastle city centre to a
SOLOIST Helena Smart plays the Max Bruch Violin Concerto No 1 with Bishop Auckland Orchestra, in St Mary's Church, Woodhouse Lane, on November 21. A student at the Royal Northern College of Music, Helena, from Northallerton, has been a finalist in the
A SHOE shop worker will be heads above the rest in fundraising when she collects cash for a hospice. Anne Harland, who works at John Elliot Footwear, in Beverage Way, Newton Aycliffe, will sit outside the shop wearing a Postman Pat head. The fundraising
A FREE tree scheme is not only poised to make County Durham greener, but could also help win a place in the Guinness Book of Records. However, time is fast running out to apply for Durham County Council cash to fund the ambitious planting project. Council
STAFF and regulars at a North-East pub have raised £700 for the work of one of the region's hospices. The employees and regular customers of the Crown, at Brompton-on-Swale, took part in an 11-and-a-half mile sponsored walk to raise cash for St Teresa's
EVEN the most talented footballers can find a 90-minute match exhausting - so plans for a 24-hour game this weekend will be a feat of endurance. Ten students from Spennymoor School plan to start playing football at 11am today, and will not be throwing
FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - On Thursday afternoon a meeting of Darlington rate payers was held in the Lecture Hall of the Central Buildings for the purpose of protesting against the introduction of water gas. Mr J E Backhouse was called to the
Darlington 0 v Halifax 1 Leicester 1 v Newcastle 1 Manchester United 2 v Middlesbrough 1 Sunderland 2 v Southampton 2 Hartlepool 3 v Kidderminster 1
BRYAN ROBSON is today hoping a hint of disharmony between Manchester United and their fans can help Middlesbrough further repair relations with their own disgruntled followers. Ten-man Boro, who had goalkeeper Mark Crossley sent off, were given a rousing
A GROUND-BREAKING police bugging operation helped to trap one killer and implicate a second. Police covertly filmed a prison visit between Teresa Wilkinson and boyfriend Mark Graham, who was being held at Holme House Prison, Stockton, charged with his
IN THIS technological age in which we live it's sometimes easy to overlook the value of the good old fashioned book. Computer equipment and software manufacturers are increasingly moving towards the "electronic user's manual" - witness the slim Windows
A SUCCESSFUL first two years serving the businesses on its doorstep has seen a North-East firm announce plans for a major expansion which will see it double in size. Precision Toolroom Services and Machine Limited (PTSM) has built up an impressive client
Get the latest news on the convoy here as well as background information and an opportunity to tell us your views. A CONVOY of hard-line fuel protestors have this morning left for London - despite police warnings that they face arrest and signs of waning
A business centre that could create up to 200 jobs on South Tyneside has been opened. The £3.8m centre, on reclaimed land in the old St Hilda's railway sidings in South Shields and run by TEDCO, South Tyneside's enterprise agency, has space for 75 businesses
IRISH superstars The Corrs have announced they are to give a special charity performance in the North-East to raise money for the hospital which cared for their mother in her final days. The chart-topping quartet were so touched by the care Jean Corr
David O'Leary is set to pick the brains of his two biggest managerial rivals as the Leeds boss sets his sights on another Champions League miracle. After emerging from the 'Group of Death' in the first phase, sending Spanish giants Barcelona and Turkish
A MAN was critically ill in hospital last night after being struck by a Metro train. A police spokesman said the 48-year-old man, who has not been named, suffered chest injuries in the accident at Chillingham Road station in Heaton, Newcastle, on Thursday
HOUSEBOUND Derek Watson has been refused a wheelchair - because he is too heavy. Former joiner Derek, 60, who weighs 16 stones, has problems walking after he fell 18ft from a ladder three months ago. Unlucky Derek, of Lumley Terrace, Jarrow, broke his
ALLEGATIONS against police officers in the region are among the lowest in the country, figures reveal. The complaints made against officers in England and Wales have been released in the Police Complaint Authority's annual report. They show Cambridgeshire
A TRIBUNAL involving the boss of a failed historic steam train festival planned for the North-East has been postponed until next year. David Champion was due to face claims including sexual discrimination and harassment from two former members of staff
GETTING into the Blue Jewel was no mean feat. Even with the aid of a handle the steps to the cab were an awkward scramble with dignity left far behind. Getting into the convoy, dubbed the modern day Jarrow Crusade, proved easy by comparison, even with
Communities constantly facing floods will also face an inevitable rise in cases of disease, an expert has warned. Professor Graham Bentham says a predicted increase in flooding as a result of the greenhouse effect will lead to more waterborne illnesses
VANDALS who wrecked graves when they used a rural cemetery as a racetrack were condemned by a sickened community last night. They set fire to their stolen car after it smashed into a line of headstones at Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland. An elderly
RESIDENTS on a Newton Aycliffe estate say they are pleased that several houses have been demolished. A number of derelict properties in the West Ward area of town have been pulled down in recent weeks. Silverdale Place, Langdale Place, Linden Place, Whinlatter
SEVEN Sunderland College students are celebrating after winning Duke of Edinburgh gold awards. Claire Reah, Phil Chapman, Rebecca Allen, Gary Short, Richard Chappell, Vicky Watson and Nikky Allen completed five challenges to earn the award. These included
REDCAR Library's oldest borrower celebrated her 100th birthday with a party at her favourite haunt. Great-grandmother Doris Sleightholm is celebrating her centenary today, but yesterday she was given a special treat at Redcar Library. Mrs Sleightholm
CHILDREN from North Yorkshire went without some of their favourite things yesterday - and all in the name of charity. An Oxfam representative visited Richmond School recently to outline the plight of street children in Tanzania. And the talk inspired
A NEW scheme aims to put an end to the anti-social antics of rowdy revellers who are making residents' lives a misery. People in the Low Fell area of Gateshead are fed up with drinkers making noise, fighting and causing damage on their way home after
A REGIMENT based in North Yorkshire yesterday became the first in the British Army to be presented with the Wilkinson Sword of Peace for the second time. The honour is bestowed on units from each of the armed forces judged to have forged the most valuable
CHEMICALS group Ellis & Everard has been snapped up by Dutch logistics and distribution group Vopak in a £310m deal The recommended cash deal by Vopak values each Ellis & Everard share at 310p, a 130 per cent premium on the current price of 135p
A TEENAGER has lost his fight for compensation after his leg was broken in a tackle by his rugby teacher. Stephen Franklin, 18, claims he was injured in a tackle by his school rugby coach Gordon Dunn, in September 1996, when he was at Heaton Manor School
NORTH-EAST MEP Martin Callanan has sparked a row with Darlington MP Alan Milburn, amid fears over the future of the town's Rothmans tobacco factory. Workers fear a European Union directive to ban the manufacture and sale of cigarettes of more than 10mg
A TEENAGE offender who absconded from a working party just days before his release date faces a bleak Christmas behind bars. Lee Smith, from Rotherham, gave himself up last night just hours after he escaped from a working party with fellow inmate Terry
YOUNG vandals and arsonists have been causing mayhem near a Darlington nursing home. Five windows have been broken and a number of fires have been started by the youths, near to the Elderwood Nursing Home, between Appleton Close and Cross Street. The
Durham City manager Brian Honour is hoping his side can start another winning run when they go to Peterlee today. Durham's run of six straight wins came to an abrupt halt at Morpeth last Saturday, and now Honour wants his players to start again today.
HOME-GROWN striker Adam Boyd today gets his chance to stake a claim for a Hartlepool United striking role. Pool entertain Kidderminster at Victoria Park again without three strikers in seven-goal Kevin Henderson, four-goal Anth Lormor and the suspended
POLICE chiefs are joining forces with one of the region's biggest electricity companies in a bid to stamp out the dangers of bogus house callers. North Yorkshire Police have embarked on a partnership scheme with Yorkshire Electricity to help residents
FARMERS in the region are being offered new incentives to go organic by the Government. They are being invited to join the 23 farmers in the area who are already converting to organic production to meet the expanding demand from consumers. Farmers converting
A STUDENT has scooped a major award for her skills in website design. Emma Hayward, 23, of Ferryhill, County Durham, was part of the team which claimed a prestigious prize in the Guardian Student Media Awards. She was one of the editors of the Hull Wired
PAUL Heckingbottom is ready to upset one of his pals today and help Darlington revive their season. The left-back is set to return against Halifax Town at Feethams today after a six-week absence with a groin injury. That could mean a testing battle against
A STORMING second-half comeback gave Hartlepool United a 3-1 home victory over Kidderminster Harriers. Trailing to John Durnin's first-half effort, Pool came out for the second period fired up and a triple blast in 14 minutes earned the points against
FORCING rhubarb is perhaps not top of your agenda at the moment, however, if you want to produce those lovely succulent, crunchy pink sticks in the early spring, you must prepare the crowns now. Ideally any rhubarb plant that is forced into early cropping
A campaign to help the North-East's endangered red squirrels has been given a cash boost. The quarrying firm Hanson's environment fund has given £2,000 to Northumberland Wildlife Trust's Red Alert scheme. The money will be used to plant trees and put
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
SUNDERLAND 2 SOUTHAMPTON 2 A GOAL two minutes from time by Southampton central defender Dean Richards denied Sunderland a hat-trick of home victories. Peter Reid's men looked to to have clinched victory when Scottish international Don Hutchison scored
A SCHOOLBOY'S evocative poem about the horror experienced by soldiers in the First World War trenches has gone into print. Ross Collier's composition, The Trenches, reflects the harsh conditions and short life expectancy for soldiers serving on the front
A HUNDRED years to the day since its first services, Normanby Methodist Church on Teesside celebrated its centenary on Tuesday. On both occasions, as on many others in Christianity's long history, a great public tea ensued. The church prospers still -
YOU can't call them liars. I'm sure you can't question their parentage. And "second-rate Miss Marple" is also out when you're describing a fellow MP, presumably female, on the floor of the Commons. But as we learnt this week, you can apparently shout
AS Bruges is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe we expected to be confronted by hundreds of sightseers thronging the picturesque city. But unlike other busy continental cities, it's possible to enjoy a peaceful amble through its fascinating
A FLOOD-STRUCK community has reacted angrily to the Government's gesture for funding flood defences this year. Countryside Minister Elliot Morley announced yesterday that just £2m would be allocated for flood defences across the country this financial
Manchester United 2 Middlesbrough 1 Middlesbrough's hopes of repeating their famous victory at Old Trafford two seasons ago, and easing the pressure on manager Bryan Robson, were cruelly dashed. Christian Karembeu's first goal for Boro rocked the champions
LAWYERS representing a man jailed for murder said last night they would appeal against his life sentence because police had bugged a prison cell to gain the damning evidence against him. A microphone hidden in a ventilator shaft for three months recorded
DARLINGTON'S 19-year-old scrum half Robbie Stewart has earned a shock call-up for the England team to compete in the World Sevens Series. Stewart was selected to play in the North Two East match at home to Old Crossleyans today, but will be preparing
A PUBLICAN has blasted the "irresponsible" owner of ammunition found among the charred remains of a village bonfire. Barry Sims, licensee at the Black Horse, in Hamilton Row, Waterhouses, near Durham, said he was shocked when he came across a cartridge
PREMIERSHIP teams are now reluctant to take Sunderland on at the Stadium of Light and play an open game, Wearside boss Peter Reid claimed last night. After finalising preparations for the visit of Southampton, Reid admitted he is worried by a shortage
REFUSE collectors in Redcar and Cleveland yesterday formally announced their planned strike action. Starting on Monday, November 20, the collectors in Redcar and Cleveland plan a series of one-day strikes, and begin a ban on overtime, because they are
NEWCASTLE United boss Bobby Robson yesterday ruled out £7m striker Carl Cort until the New Year and confessed: "Thank God for Alan Shearer.'' The United skipper leads his side out at Leicester today, just as he has in every match since Robson took charge
A TEENAGER has lost his fight for compensation after his leg was broken in a tackle by his rugby teacher. Stephen Franklin, 18, claims he was injured in a tackle by his school rugby coach Gordon Dunn, in September 1996, when he was at Heaton Manor School
Flooded communities in Yorkshire were warned yesterday of more rain due to fall this weekend. A dry Thursday night gave respite to some of the worst-affected areas and most river levels in the region have begun to recede. But an Environment Agency spokesman
RAILTRACK is facing a massive compensation bill from train operators for disruptions caused since the Hatfield disaster. GNER, now also battling with problems caused by the floods, is thought to have lost millions of pounds in revenue. Like other operators
PEOPLE in Sunderland are being given the chance to help shape the future of services in the city. Four thousand residents are being sent a questionnaire by the city council asking them what they think of services such as street cleaning and leisure centres
BOSSES in Richmondshire are being urged to join a partnership with the University of York to block the brain drain which tempts the region's brightest and best away from the area. A pilot scheme, jointly coordinated by North Yorkshire Training and Enterprise
PLANS to convert a former building society into a caf bar have been rejected because of fears of late-night trouble. Thornfield Developments wanted to convert the old Cheltenham and Gloucester building in North Road, Durham. There are several nightspots
POLICE have issued a warning to families after bogus officials tried to con their way into homes. Callers, posing as gas or water company workers, have tried to talk their way into houses in Hartlepool twice this week. They were turned away by vigilant
A JEALOUS boyfriend who killed a man with a single punch for kissing his girlfriend was jailed for 15 months yesterday. Victim David Clare, 26, hit his head on the pavement in Middlesbrough and died in hospital nine days later. Neil Collier, 25, a trainee
MORE than 100 youngsters have had their hard work recognised at a school's annual awards ceremony. Hurworth School, near Darlington, presents prizes every year to youngsters who have achieved something during the school year. This can range from prizes
MURDER hunt detectives are appealing for prostitutes to come forward after receiving fresh evidence about the movements of vice girl Vicky Glass on the day she disappeared. Police have spoken to a man with whom Vicky was seen leaving a house in Princes
THE Prime Minister's father-in-law is planning to take a trip to Teesside to talk to a newly- formed pensioners' group. Last week saw the first meeting of a new branch of the National Pensioners' Convention, covering Redcar, Saltburn, Marske and east
A Halifax bank manager was jailed yesterday after he admitted swindling more than £140,000 from the company. Philip Kerr, 40, took the money while he was in charge of branches at Washington and Middlesbrough. Prosecutor Peter Johnson told Teesside Crown
HARTLEPOOL came up with the biggest upset in the second round of the Canada Life Denny Cup with a dramatic victory over Cumbria, winners of the national inter-club competition for the past two years. Cumbria, finalists in four of the last five years and
LONELY Margaret Dixon rang the police nearly 200 times because she wanted to phone a friend. Miss Dixon, 42, had no one to chat to after leaving sheltered housing to live on her own in the community, a court heard yesterday. She swamped the Cleveland
THE REGION'S cross country enthusiasts can test themselves tomorrow over the course which will be used to host the North-East Championships at Hartlepool on December 9. The North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League stage their second fixture at
CABINET minister Clare Short flew in from Brussels yesterday, to speak at the centenary dinner of a North-East Labour constituency. The Minister for International Development was guest speaker at the 100th anniversary of Bishop Auckland Constituency Labour
FIVE female generations of the same family shared an emotional moment when they came together for the first time in Ferryhill. May Katherine Hutchinson, 87, became a great-great-grandmother when little Shannon Louise Short was born at the end of last
A TEESSIDE MP has added his support to a campaign to stop a council building on the last greenfield site in Guisborough. Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has written to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to express his concern
CAMPAIGNERS for a regional assembly are to hear about the London experience of devolution. The North East Constitutional Convention will be addressed by broadcaster Trevor Phillips when its members meet at Gateshead Civic Centre, on Saturday next week
IT took our Viking ancestors four months to travel across the seas to conquer the North-East of England centuries ago. But with modern technology Norway is now closer to the North-East than our own capital city. It takes just 50 minutes to fly to Stavanger
