COMMUNITIES in Wear Valley can become familiar with computers at new learning centres. Local Government Minister Hilary Armstrong opened the latest centre in Crook Market Place. Bishop Auckland College has set up five other centres, in Bishop Auckland
THE UK travel industry saw more consolidation last week when Thomas Cook was snapped up by German giant C&N, but the City is widely expecting First Choice Holidays to continue on its own expansion trail over the coming year. The destination specialist
YOUNG basketball players secured a resounding victory against a police team. The Wear Valley Warriors youth basketball team challenged Crook police at a basketball festival at Parkside Comprehensive School, Willington. The lawmen proved no match for the
A wildlife oasis in the middle of an industrial area will be officially opened by Environment Minister Chris Mullin on Monday. The Sunderland South MP will focus binoculars on birds at a wetland, which is a green dividend of a construction project at
A SCHOOL has dropped its campaign to stay open after receiving assurances about the future. A special meeting of Middlesbrough Borough Council's cabinet next week will give the go-ahead for closure of Langbaurgh and Keldhome secondary schools - and their
POLICE in Stockton have launched their Christmas crackdown on thieves and fraudsters who take advantage of the busy spell. Both opportunist thieves and organised gangs see the busy shopping areas, with shoppers laden with bags, carrying credit cards and
A CHRISTMAS crackdown on crime in Darlington town centre has won praise from retailers. Police launched Operation Samba at the end of last month, targeting people committing crimes including shoplifting and handbag and purse snatches. Plain clothes officers
A TEESSIDE firm is set to complete a record year by launching another recruitment drive, after seeing its workforce triple in 11 months. Pearson-Harper will begin 2001 by moving to larger premises in Billingham to cater for the increasing numbers, with
UNDER-AGE drinkers on Tyneside could have a supply line cut as part of a Northumbria Police operation, in the run-up to Christmas. Off-licences in Tynemouth Area Command are being monitored by police in an effort to reduce the supply of alcohol to under
DARLINGTON police have issued a warning over a new kind of credit card theft. Neighbourhood Watch groups in the area have received reports of thieves cutting open dustbin bags to obtain credit details from credit card slips. They then use the credit account
A DURHAM school put a festive slant on a national drive to improve youngsters' numeracy. The 102 pupils at St Joseph's Roman Catholic School in Gilesgate, Durham City, put their number skills to the test during a two-day Christmaths Challenge. The four
A DALES market town has won back one of its most popular pubs - more than a year after the brewery called time. The White Bear has an enviable location, next door to Theakston's Brewery, in Masham. But owner Scottish and Newcastle, which bought the smaller
HUNDREDS of pupils from King James I Community College, Bishop Auckland, were honoured at the school's annual prize-giving. Current students were awarded for their attainments, effort and sporting talent on Thursday, while former students collected their
WHEN Coronation Street was created, it was scheduled to last just a few weeks. One critic memorably wrote after the first episode was screened: "It is doomed from the outset, with its dreary signature tune, grim terraced houses and smoking chimneys."
STADIUM Packing Services is setting the standard by introducing revolutionary new green technology to cut wastage. The Gateshead-based firm was the first company in the UK to use the Greenweld process, pioneered in the forests of New Zealand, to finger-joint
STADIUM Packing Services is setting the standard by introducing revolutionary new green technology to cut wastage. The Gateshead-based firm was the first company in the UK to use the Greenweld process, pioneered in the forests of New Zealand, to finger-joint
AN exhibition of artworks and writing by East Cleveland youngsters is being held today. More than 50 children have been working with professional artists and writers to create two presentations, being staged at Village Arts, in Loftus. The ten-week courses
IN the town where I was born - somewhere, shall we say, on the Darlington to Bishop Auckland railway line - Christmas wasn't so much traditional as cast in Elgin marble. Carols were forbidden in St John's church until late on Christmas Eve, transgressors
COUNCIL gardeners in Darlington are preparing to bid for gold at the country's biggest flower show. Staff at Darlington Borough Council's nurseries are already planning their display after The Royal Horticultural Society invited the authority to exhibit
A GROUP of Tibetan football fans is to receive an autographed photograph of their favourite player, Alan Shearer. Newcastle United have donated a signed picture of the Magpies captain after hearing he is a hit with the Tibetans. Jo Fletcher-Lee, who is
DO YOU remember Doctor Who's annoying pet dog K-9? Back in the 1970s, the concept of a robotic dog was the stuff of science fiction. Today it's science fact. Earlier this year Sony decided to flex its corporate muscle to produce the world's first fully
HOUSEHOLDERS in the Eastfield area of Scarborough are being canvassed for their views on the future of primary education, resulting from plans to build more than 800 homes. Cynthia Welbourn, North Yorkshire County Council's education officer, said: "The
POLICE in County Durham are giving extra support to people who suffer repeatedly from domestic violence or racist attacks. The force is extending a "traffic light" system that it runs for people whose homes are targeted by burglars. The move follows the
MOTORISTS in the region could be at serious risk from structurally unsafe car parks, the AA has revealed. The stark warning follows major concerns raised by the National Steering Group on Multi-Storey Car Parks, made up of structural experts, who claimed
CHRIS Turner is ready to send out his first choice side in Monday's re-arranged LDV Vans Trophy tie with Scunthorpe. The Pool boss was planning to give his squad players a chance to impress if the game had gone ahead as planned last Tuesday. But with
A MAN walking his dog had a knife held to his throat by a teenager demanding money, a court heard yesterday. John Pallett, 19, wanted money for drink, but when his victim, Melvyn Jepson, aged 60, told him he had nothing, he ran off, York Crown Court heard
PLANS to extend an east Cleveland farm have been given the go-ahead by councillors for compassionate reasons. Polio victim John King applied to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council for permission to extend his home at Hobdale House, Skelton Green, so
Q My friend aged 41, has lived with her partner for 18 years but he has recently died. She is too ill to get a job and has not paid National Insurance for 22 years. How does she go on? A She cannot get Incapacity Benefit because this is based upon recent
A MAN, who committed a string of sex attacks on a 14-year-old girl, was warned to expect a substantial prison sentence by a judge yesterday. James Thompson, 38, was found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court of raping and assaulting the girl for over a year
NEWCASTLE have put skipper Doddie Weir on the bench for tomorrow's Tetley's Bitter Cup quarter-final at home to London Irish. The 30-year-old former British Lions lock suddenly finds himself competing with fellow Scot Stuart Grimes to play alongside Hugh
NEWCASTLE Jesters are hoping heart and determination will help them beat their Sheffield voodoo and take home the Benson and Hedges Cup tonight. Extra seating has been installed at the House of Steel, Sheffield Arena, to meet the demand for tickets and
A poison pen letter writer, who brought terror to his neighbourhood, was freed following a plea by his wife. Andrew Bewley was jailed for two months by magistrates following a campaign of hate mail and vandalism against neighbours in Ingleby Barwick,
WARY Sunderland manager Peter Reid is tensing himself for a back-lash today. His close friend, Boro manager Bryan Robson, hopes to plot a derby upset with his new right-hand man, former England boss Terry Venables, at a packed Stadium of Light. Sixth-top
MOBILE phone giant Orange has pioneered a new system to turn its phones into navigation devices. The system will allow Orange users to find the nearest hospital, cash-machine, garage or even cinema. Orange will launch the UK's first multimedia location
TEESSIDER Darren Williams is licking his lips at the prospect of lining up against his home-town club this afternoon - but he stresses: "I don't want Middlesbrough to be relegated." The 23-year-old utility man took some verbal abuse three seasons ago
ARTIST Margaret Slater has captured the heart of Christian communities by painting pictures of all the churches in a northern dale on eight goose eggs. It took Margaret six months to complete her remarkable project, which involved the help of people in
Troubled Second Division club Murton could be looking for a new ground again soon. Murton were forced to look around for a new home during the summer after a huge hole appeared in their Welfare Park pitch, and they were eventually given permission to
Darlington manager Gary Bennett is looking for his players to repeat their Worthington Cup heroics as Second Division Luton visit Feethams in the second round of the FA Cup this afternoon. Quakers pulled off a magnificent win at Nottingham Forest in the
CHRISTMAS is a cruel time of year for anyone who wants to lose weight or cut down on calories. Even regular exercisers have to work extra hard to find the motivation, and the energy after all that food, to get to the gym. Mike Gallagher, leisure manager
FIREFIGHTERS served up a festive fire safety message with turkey and Christmas pudding yesterday. About 40 elderly residents from Consett and Leadgate were waited on by officers at Consett fire station as they enjoyed a Christmas dinner with a difference
A convicted bigamist who narrowly avoided a prison sentence last night vowed: "I'll never marry again." Robert Hutchings, 53, said after being given a 15-month suspended prison sentence: ''I will not be getting married again. No chance.'' The father-of-six
THE region was on flood alert again last night as the storms which caused havoc in Wales and the West Country moved north across Britain. Families were anxiously watching rising rivers, and there was more misery for rail passengers when the East Coast
PLANS for housing on the outskirts of Durham have run into opposition because a 300-year-old building will have to be demolished. Developer IDS wants to build 38 houses, flats and apartments on former allotments and grazing land between Potterhouse Terrace
A YOUNG man earned a reprieve yesterday after a brief taste of custody. Darren King, 22, was taken to the cells at Durham Crown Court after receiving a nine- month prison sentence for a wounding offence. But after discussion in chambers between legal
ANOTHER week, another classic example of the Prime Minister upstaging his humble Health Secretary. It's not that Tony doesn't trust Alan. It's just that Mr Blair can't resist hogging the limelight when it comes to announcing zillions of extra cash for
A Farmers' market and craft fair is being held in Stanhope, Weardale, next Friday, December 15, as part of a Christmas community event. From 5.30pm to 8pm, visitors will be entertained with carol singing by local school pupils and choral singing at St
SIX teenagers are in hospital following a head-on car crash near Chester-le-Street. A 19-year-old driver is fighting for his life with severe chest and internal injuries at Durham's Dryburn Hospital, after the crash between a Micra and a Sierra on the
SIX teenagers are in hospital following a head-on car crash near Chester-le-Street. A 19-year-old driver is fighting for his life with severe chest and internal injuries at Durham's Dryburn Hospital, after the crash between a Micra and a Sierra on the
DO YOU remember Doctor Who's annoying pet dog K-9? Back in the 1970s, the concept of a robotic dog was the stuff of science fiction. Today it's science fact. Earlier this year Sony decided to flex its corporate muscle to produce the world's first fully
NISSAN could be forced to decide where to build its new Micra before hearing the outcome of an investigation into a £40m package of state aid, the European Commission (EC) has revealed. The EC warned it was unlikely to rule on the proposed aid for the
SUNDERLAND 1, MIDDLESBROUGH 0 Sunderland skipper Michael Gray scored his first goal of the season in front of a record 47,742 Stadium of Light crowd to send Middlesbrough crashing to their eighth defeat in nine games. The Teessiders did not perform at
RESIDENTS in the Stokesley area are being invited to get into the Christmas spirit with a carol singing event in the town. The event is organised by Stokesley Churches Together and is supported by Stokesley company Marlow Foods Ltd, which produces Quorn
DISCO divas are being invited to get their skates on for a dance event with a difference. Evenings of Seventies music are being staged every Thursday, at the ice rink in Middlesbrough's Victoria Gardens. And those behind the event say it is the ideal
SPEEDING motorists have forced the cancellation of a Christmas show for children in a village on the outskirts of Darlington. The annual carol singing around Neasham, with Father Christmas on his sleigh, has been abandoned because of a series of near
SUNDERLAND residents are being urged not to miss out on their chance to shape key city services. Four thousand residents were sent questionnaires recently, asking their views on a range of council services, from street cleaning to local transport and
SUNDERLAND residents are being urged not to miss out on their chance to shape key city services. Four thousand residents were sent questionnaires recently, asking their views on a range of council services, from street cleaning to local transport and
CRIME experts are urging homeowners to be vigilant this Christmas because thieves could easily ruin the festive celebrations. Hambleton District Council's community safety officer, PC Simon Caukwell, said: "The only visitor we want in people's homes this
RESIDENTS in Hartlepool will be blowing their own trumpets thanks to a cash grant. Manor Residents' Association, which gives help and advice to people living in the Owton Manor area of the town, has scooped £2,500 to buy musical instruments. The association
WILD boar and kangaroo have helped Yorkshire Game pick up the top regional prize in this year's Parcelforce Worldwide Small Business Awards. The Newton Aycliffe-based business will now go forward to the national finals, to be held in January. The firm
A HEIGHINGTON councillor is calling on Darlington Borough Council's highways department to take more action to prevent flooding in the village. Parts of Heighington were closed during the recent floods, with blocked storm drains causing the most problems
IF THEY used the same method to add up television ratings as they do to count American Presidential votes we'd still be waiting to discover if more people watched the birth of the first TV millionaire or the death of Victor Meldrew. Happily for ratings-conscious
STANLEY the sturgeon is the luckiest fish alive after surviving being caught by a heron and dropped in a back garden. The flying fish is believed to have been lifted out of a pond by a hungry heron which flew high over trees before losing its grip and
STANLEY the sturgeon is the luckiest fish alive after surviving being caught by a heron and dropped in a back garden. The flying fish is believed to have been lifted out of a pond by a hungry heron which flew high over trees before losing its grip and
IN the town where I was born - somewhere, shall we say, on the Darlington to Bishop Auckland railway line - Christmas wasn't so much traditional as cast in Elgin marble. Carols were forbidden in St John's church until late on Christmas Eve, transgressors
AN author and broadcaster remembered her North-East roots when she received an accolade from her former university yesterday. Dr Miriam Stoppard, a leading healthcare authority, received an honorary degree from Durham University. She was conferred with
LES Stainthorp, custodian of Whitby Abbey for 27 years, has died at the age of 73. One of the town's best known residents, Mr Stainthorp was a locomotive fireman with the London and North-Eastern Railway before becoming the urban council policeman in
RESIDENTS have praised a council's housing department. Repair workers and officials working for Middlesbrough Borough Council have won a vote of confidence from tenants, who returned completed questionnaires. Survey forms were sent out to more than 3,000
TRAFFIC was brought to a standstill yesterday as hundreds of mourners paid their respects to a popular teenager killed in a car accident. About 300 people attended the funeral of 18-year-old Rebecca Gray, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The teenager
THE family of a County Durham barman, who died on a Greek holiday, have finally won a five-month battle to have his kidney returned. Chris Rochester, 24, died in a Rhodes hospital after plunging 40ft from a balcony. But a post-mortem examination carried
A woman worker at a North-East centre for child offenders told a court yesterday she was indecently assaulted by the youngsters as well as a manager. The assaults - by inmates of the secure unit at the Aycliffe Young People's Centre, County Durham - happened
TERRY VENABLES breezed into crisis club Middlesbrough yesterday and insisted: "My head is on the line as much as anyone.'' The former England coach, who has come to the rescue of Boro boss Bryan Robson, took charge of his first training session on the
A JAMAICAN faces deportation after being caught with a £100,000 haul of crack cocaine. A jury took just ten minutes to convict Alvin Clarke, 30, of possessing 4,000 deals of crack cocaine in Middlesbrough, with intent to supply. Stephen Ashurst, prosecuting
A MAN died in a freak accident in Brotton High Street last night. A Northumbria Water lorry and a Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council minibus collided, trapping one of the contractors between the two vehicles. The fire brigade was called to free the
The Prince of Wales yesterday praised the ''wonderful institution'' of Coronation Street as he laughed and joked his way round the set of the soap on the eve of its 40th anniversary. Members of the cast broke off last-minute rehearsals for a special hour-long
A YOUTH was cleared yesterday of starting a blaze which left a teacher engulfed in thick black smoke after she was trapped in her office. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named, was accused of setting fire to a chair outside the year head's office, trapping
A MAN walking his dog had a knife held to his throat by a teenager demanding money, a court heard yesterday. John Pallett, 19, wanted money for drink, but when his victim, Melvyn Jepson, aged 60, told him he had nothing, he ran off, York Crown Court heard
ROTARY club members are working together to relieve some of the misery for victims of this year's floods. Ripon's two rotary clubs are making donations of Christmas hampers to a special scheme set up by Yorkshire Rotary District. The bumper packs of cakes
It used to be tradition at this time of the year for Victorian garden boys to gather holly tips and evergreen foliage for wreath-making. In the run-up to Christmas, most estate gardeners were directed towards making decorations, especially holly wreaths
Lawrence Dallaglio has described England rugby union players' unprecedented strike action as ''the most traumatic decision'' of his career. Dallaglio and the England squad staged industrial action over performance-related pay following their 22-19 success
NEWCASTLE United boss Bobby Robson is lining up a shock New Year loan swoop for Brazilian superstar Ronaldo. United are understood to have failed this week in an attempt to land Inter Milan's Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane on temporary terms
A drunken burglar staged a roof-top stand-off after he was caught breaking into a Royal Mail sorting office. Alan MacLean, 21, threatened to shoot police and fire officers after he was caught by police, breaking into the sorting office, in Monkton Terrace
STRIKERS at a Tyneside offshore yard are due to return to work on Monday after action which lasted nearly two weeks. The strike, at Amec, Walls-end, started after workers said they were forced to accept pay cuts of up to 25 per cent. Management and unions
STRIKERS at a Tyneside offshore yard are due to return to work on Monday after action which lasted nearly two weeks. The strike, at Amec, Walls-end, started after workers said they were forced to accept pay cuts of up to 25 per cent. Management and unions
WARY Sunderland manager Peter Reid is tensing himself for a back-lash today. His close friend, Boro manager Bryan Robson, hopes to plot a derby upset with his new right-hand man, former England boss Terry Venables, at a packed Stadium of Light. Sixth-top
Sir Alex Ferguson will stay at Manchester United after he retires as manager. Ferguson has confirmed he will remain at Old Trafford in some capacity when he steps down as manager at the end of next season. He reiterated he will not continue as manager
Darlington striker Kevin Kyle is aiming to follow in the footsteps of his Stadium of Light hero Niall Quinn. Kyle, who is on loan to Quakers from Sunderland, looks upon the towering Irishman as a role model as he tries to work his way up the football
VILLAGERS who feared their plans for a new sports complex could be ruined by the threat of flooding are hoping the Environment Agency will drop its objections to the project. Council planners have deferred a decision on Brompton Parish Council's bid to
YOUNG people leaving care should receive better support thanks to a conference for those who look after them. Representatives of organisations from across Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough attended the day-long event focusing on how to help the young
CHARITIES are thousands of pounds better off thanks to a big shopping event. Durham Shopping Extravaganza 2000 was held at the Ramside Hall Hotel, Carville, in October, when more than 60 traders from across the county donated a percentage of their takings
ANOTHER week, another classic example of the Prime Minister upstaging his humble Health Secretary. It's not that Tony doesn't trust Alan. It's just that Mr Blair can't resist hogging the limelight when it comes to announcing zillions of extra cash for
