A STATUE of Sir Walter Raleigh is likely to make way for a monument marking the heroic efforts of the Aycliffe Angels and thousands of other women during the Second World War. A permanent memorial, due to be erected in Whitehall, London, will give further
AS pub cuisine goes, the pickled walnut could easily be considered the poor relation of the mighty roasted peanut or classic pork scratching. But one landlord has gone to great lengths to demonstrate his preference for the delicacy. While much of the
THE teaching profession is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as being opposed to any initiative inflicted on it by government. As a consequence, when there is genuine cause for complaint, grievances are often overlooked. The criticism by teachers and head
Saqlain Mushtaq stamped his influence on this winter's series by taking just 62 deliveries to shatter England's confident start to the opening Test against Pakistan. Until Saqlain was introduced for his third spell of the opening day, England had dominated
It was not exactly a spectacular brave new dawn but England's attempts to haul themselves out of mediocrity were always going to be a case of evolution rather than revolution. And although Peter Taylor's inexperienced young side lost a low-key friendly
David Beckham's first match as England captain ended in controversy as Italy beat caretaker boss Peter Taylor's young lions 1-0. It turned into a baptism of fire for the Manchester United midfielder, who was the innocent party in a bust-up with Italian
GEORGE REYNOLDS IT IS now time for the Darlington FC chairman, George Reynolds, to swallow his pride and admit that he is to blame for the team's current league position. He has appointed a total novice as manager and has given him no money to spend on
ONE of the oldest branches of the Salvation Army in the region is doing something new for New Hope Week. The branch in Consett, County Durham, which has the oldest commissioned Salvation Army band in the world - founded in 1878 - has opened a photograph
POLICE watchdogs will meet this week to decide whether yet another inquiry should be launched into the crisis-hit Cleveland force after a dramatic new twist. Lawyers representing suspended detective Ray Mallon have lodged an official complaint about the
ALTHOUGH Jack Flush could never claim to be an ace hurdler, he should still hold too many trumps for his rivals in the opening Sanyo Televisions Selling Handicap Hurdle at Sedgefield. Unfortunately, with yet more rain forecast, the meeting has to first
THE all-clear was yesterday given for a long-awaited college extension. A High Court judge dismissed an appeal by the residents' group Washington First Forum (WFF), blocking City of Sunderland College's proposed £7.5m development in Princess Anne Park
FLOOD-HIT potato farmers will tomorrow be asking Agriculture Minister Nick Brown for help as they face the biggest crisis in the industry for many years. Officials of the National Farmers Union will be presenting a dossier to Mr Brown, which shows that
The Queen endorsed the Church of England's controversial new form of worship at the opening of the General Synod, yesterday. After a service in Westminster Abbey, conducted with the new liturgy, called Common Worship, she said: "The form of this worship
Middlesbrough will make a check on £3m-rated Finland centre-back Hannu Tihinen in the friendly against the Republic of Ireland tonight. The 24-year-old is being tracked by several English clubs, including Blackburn, and Boro will have a representative
Bobby Robson has warned clubs chasing England midfielder Kieron Dyer not to waste his time. Italian giants AC Milan and Inter Milan are the latest to be linked with the 21-year-old Newcastle star, who wins his sixth cap in Turin tonight. Leeds have also
A North-East Labour MP will next week bid to scrap the honours system in a bid to give more "ordinary people" the rewards they deserve. Fraser Kemp, MP for Houghton and Washington East, is set to call for the ditching of the OBE, CBE and MBE system. He
A PIECE of public art much loved by ramblers has been stolen. Thieves have taken the 7ft carved wooden stile that marked a woodland path through Walters Wood at Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham. Money to pay for the stile, which was designed
ONE of the oldest branches of the Salvation Army in the region is doing something new for New Hope Week. The branch in Consett, County Durham, which has the oldest commissioned Salvation Army band in the world - founded in 1878 - has opened a photograph
NORTHUMBRIAN Water is pressing ahead with a development which will bring new work to a job-starved dale. An application to build a £15m water treatment works on the site of the Burnhope reservoir, in Upper Weardale, is due to go before Wear Valley District
ACTIVISTS have told how they destroyed a genetically modified crop of experimental oil seed rape in a field near Barnard Castle. The campaigners said they believed the crop could contaminate the soil, and affect other crops and wildlife, and claimed the
MUSEUM chiefs are hunting for previously unseen artefacts from a time when the region was under attack by German warships. Hartlepool Museum is hosting an exhibition recounting the town's darkest hour, when, in 1914, it was bombarded by three enemy vessels
A MAN who preyed on elderly people was jailed yesterday for four years and four months. Gary Young was the getaway driver when another man walked into an 86-year-old woman's home and stole her handbag. Then, a few days later, Young walked uninvited into
A GROUNDBREAKING education project in Darlington has been granted European Social Funding worth £398,000. The project, developed by Darlington Borough Council's education department, will be aimed at 15 to 16-year-old pupils, in Key Stage 4, and 13 to
WHITE van man has been driven off the road; logistics man leads the convoy now. Have you noticed? Where once a van might do deliveries and maybe even express deliveries, now the side of every other HGV offers "logistics", global logistics, integrated
HOSPITAL food is bad for you but can Loyd Grossman make it better? He's the figurehead for a £40m campaign to improve the food in British hospitals. And boy, does it need improving. An NHS report last year found that 40 per cent of patients in hospitals
A BANK manager is celebrating his graduation from the University of Durham's MA in Entrepreneurship programme after two years of hard work. Simon Smith, who is head of European Sales for Barclays, has just finished the programme and says that it has benefited
A SENIOR detective who has led a string of murder investigations is the new head of Durham Police's Criminal Investigation Department. Detective Superintendent Ian Scott took command of the 170-strong department this week, from David Grey who has retired
A HOSPICE is hoping to light up people's lives this Christmas, especially in Shildon. Butterwick Hospice, Bishop Auckland, is to display a tree in Shildon's town square. Shildon Town Council has provided the lights for the tree, which will be switched
NORTH-East fuel protestors rolled their convoy out of London last night, leaving a stark message for Tony Blair that they would be back if he did not meet their demands. Hundreds of lorry drivers, farmers and motorists disillusioned with the Government
PRODUCTION of lanterns for this year's Orange Darlington Festival lantern parade is being stepped up. The theme of this year's parade is the circus and lantern workshops are now being held to ensure the event is a success. They are being run in conjunction
A TEENAGER told a court yesterday that she handed over money she earned from working as a prostitute to a man 40 years older than her. The 17-year-old girl said she had nowhere to stay last year when she was introduced to 57-year-old Colin Craig, and
A TEESSIDE firm which has recently expanded into bigger premises has given a fresh start to two men who have been unable to find work. Tim Clarke, 43, from South Bank, was unemployed for more than 11 years, while Brian Thompson, 53, from Middlesbrough
A BOY seeking scrap for a go-kart was savaged by a guard dog while his brother and their friend could only look on in horror. Twelve-year-old Andrew Peacock, from St Helen Auckland, had visited a scrapyard near his home with older brother, Gareth, and
HEROES who confronted a dangerous gunman had their efforts recognised at an awards ceremony last night. Sergeant Andy Walton and PC Ray Taylor were among 30 officers and members of the public to receive accolades from Cleveland Police. The pair won their
THE bereaved parents of a heroin overdose victim have told a group of students of their anguish at losing their son, and begged them to not to take drugs. In one of the first anti-drugs schemes of its kind in the country, David and Beverley Dixon were
IF cod were any easier to catch it would emerge from the sea boxed and ready for the freezer. A more slothful fish is difficult to find. If it can be bothered, cod can grow up to 200lb in weight and live for 30 years. But with modern fishing methods,
THE Dunkirk spirit has paid off for Green Howards veterans who witnessed the British retreat from France in the Second World War. A visit to the regimental museum, in Richmond, was called off in September, as there was not enough fuel. However, 42 old
RURAL communities will be spelling out their visions for the future under a project to rejuvenate the area. An initiative to improve facilities and services for people in Weardale is being run by Durham Rural Community Council. During the next few months
RESIDENTS of a flood-ravaged village will be given their say on plans for £100,000 prevention measures. Families in the east Cleveland community of Skinningrove, where water levels rose to four feet at the height of the recent floods, will be asked their
A Doris Day impersonator's big moment on ITV's Stars In Their Eyes ended up with her appearing in court yesterday accused of assault. Caroline Bell, 34, featured on the show in May, singing the 1960s hit Move Over Darling. But since the show was screened
THE region's top grammar school has shocked parents by saying it will admit girls for the first time in its 450-year history. The headteacher of Newcastle Grammar School made the announcement to parents at a packed speech day event at the all-boy school
THE Government will today announce plans to pump millions of pounds of investment into blighted North-East towns and cities. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is to unveil proposals which could breathe new life into run-down urban areas across Teesside
AN armed siege which brought a normally quiet North-East village to a standstill ended last night when a man surrendered to police. Police firearms officers had surrounded the house in Blackhouse, near Stanley, County Durham, for almost 24 hours. A man
SCHOOLS and colleges in the North-East are being given the chance to attend a display on interactive learning solutions for the 21st Century. The event, which will be hosted by McMillan UK, will provide information on new technology and will concentrate
JOHN Stephenson should have harvested 40 acres of potatoes by early October. Today - mid-way through November - he has only managed to lift eight acres of his annual crop. Mr Stephenson, who has farmed at Bradley Burn, near Wolsingham, County Durham,
POP group S Club 7 have met their new songwriting team - a group of North-East schoolchildren, who beat off competition from around the country for the honour. Pupils from Greenfield Community and Arts College, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, won a
HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner last night told rejuvenated striker Craig Midgley: 'Keep it going.' Midgley is back in the Pool side after injury and suspension robbed Turner of a trio of strikers and he made the most of his chance in Saturday's win
Darlington manager Gary Bennett has been given the go-ahead by chairman George Reynolds to bring in new players - but it looks as if there's no change in the transfer fee policy. Bennett had two meetings with the chairman in 24 hours regarding team matters
SUNDERLAND'S showpiece Regal Puppy Derby Final on Saturday looks to be a two-dog race. Track record holder Harsu Super has carried all before him, winning his heat and semi-final after eclipsing New Level's long-standing all-comers best for the standard
FOOTBALL fans could face tough action if their cars cause match day parking problems in Newcastle city centre. Instead of being issued with £20 tickets, supporters parking in streets surrounding Newcastle United's St James's Park ground could have their
A RARE and important Medieval document has been saved for the region after a successful public appeal for funds. The 13th Century collection of religious texts has been in private collections in Yorkshire for most of the past 700 years. Now it has been
A LABOUR MP called on the Government last night to compensate flood-hit families even if they were not insured. The Government last week told Vale of York Tory MP Anne McIntosh that it was giving farmers across North Yorkshire and elsewhere another chance
Stefan Schwarz and Gavin McCann made their long awaited comebacks in Sunderland reserves' 3-2 win at Manchester City last night. Schwarz marked his return with a stunning 35-yard goal as the reserves extended their unbeaten run to six games since the
Two police officers who were forced to retire through injuries they suffered when a brick was thrown through the windscreen of their patrol car have won damages from their own force. Former Constables John Robinson and Michael Mohon were lured to the
A COUNTY Durham TEC Modern Apprentice, Emma Patterson, was all set to continue her career as a hairdresser until she began studying the Key Skills on her course. She became so interested and confident in the work that she left hairdressing and gained
THE owner of the North-East's only top flight ice hockey club has rejected plans to create a new purpose-built multi-million pound arena for the sport. The Eye Group, a media company headed by former Durham Wasps owner Paul Smith, took total control of
A FEW years ago people at Thornaby produced a local history booklet. Its elegaic title, Remember Thornaby, mirrored the sad fact that the town, on the south bank of the Tees opposite Stockton, had somehow lost its identity. The former "Stockton" Racecourse
TRADERS are facing the dole following a council's decision to sell its lease interests in an indoor market, it was claimed last night. Up to 30 small firms could go to the wall, with the loss of 100 jobs, as a consequence of Middlesbrough Borough Council's
A TEENAGER died when he was hit by a freight train on the East Coast Main Line viaduct at Durham City. An inquest jury heard that Oliver Marris, 18, of Nevilles Cross Bank, in the city, sustained massive injuries early one morning in May. Train driver
THE grief-stricken mother of a murdered prostitute has expressed her torment at having to organise her daughter's funeral instead of her wedding. Deborah Goodall, the mother of Vicky Glass, whose remains were found on the North York Moors on November
A TRADING system which can provide goods and services without spending money has been set up in Darlington. The LETS, Local Exchange Trading System, can help people in the town have the chance to develop new skills and meet people. It is a more versatile
NORTH-EAST students will travel to London today to call for the reintroduction of university grants. Members of Durham University's Student Union will join in a national protest march through the centre of the capital to a rally in Kennington Park. The
THE new boss of a North-East hospital rocked by scandal says he is feeling "positive" about the task ahead. Barry Skilbeck, former chief executive of the Western Isles Health Board, in Scotland, took over as acting chief executive of Northallerton's Friarage
TWO ice hockey fans decided to club together when they saw an opportunity to take their favourite player out for dinner. As part of a player auction organised by fans of the Newcastle Jesters to raise money for the club's community programme, people were
THE all-clear was yesterday given for a long-awaited college extension. A High Court judge dismissed an appeal by the residents' group Washington First Forum (WFF), blocking City of Sunderland College's proposed £7.5m development in Princess Anne Park
CHILDREN seeking sanctuary from a miserable Christmas will be given extra cheer this year, from the fundraising efforts of a town's police and business community. Licensees and traders in Bishop Auckland helped officers raise £1,102.50 for a refuge, which
HUNDREDS of council workers were evacuated from their offices for two hours yesterday morning, after fumes caused by a chemical reaction set off an alarm. Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Brigade was called to Darlington Town Hall just before 11am
PROVISIONAL plans have been drawn up to move Gateshead Millennium Bridge into place on Sunday. Fierce storms and adverse tides delayed the arrival of the bridge on the River Tyne earlier this month. Gateshead Borough Council said yesterday that the operation
AT the grand old age of 20, Welsh pony Millie's riding days are definitely over. Crippled and recovering from neglect, she needs someone to give her a comfortable home where she can see out the rest of her days Millie was taken in by Kate Wilson, who
