LAST November, the Government announced the "best ever" Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) for local authorities on which to base the coming year's council tax figures. The overall national funding rise of 6.7 per cent was part of a system under which
SUNDERLAND 0, CRYSTAL PALACE 0 Two players were sent off and seven booked as First Division Crystal Palace held their Premiership opponents to a draw in an ill-tempered FA Cup Third Round tie at the Stadium of Light. It was the second time in a month
A TOWN'S mayor is hoping to solve the mystery of what happened to a war memorial. Until about 1949, a wooden plaque bearing the names of those who perished in the First World War adorned Loftus Town Hall, in east Cleveland. But the onset of rot prompted
A COUPLE are needed to fill spaces on a trip to London to raise money for charity. The Teesdale branch of the Cancer Research Campaign has booked the trip, which leaves on January 19 and returns on January 21. A cost of £95 per head covers coach travel
HARTLEPOOL General Hospital's physiotherapy department has become one of the first in the country to gain a national charter mark award. The award, which recognises excellence in public service, is the first charter mark won by North Tees and Hartlepool
MORE shops are likely to join supermarket chain Tesco in the new Newton Aycliffe town centre. Tesco is to build a 68,000 ft sq store as the centrepiece of a £25m scheme on the site of the former Avenue Comprehensive School. John Litherland, director of
A FREE on-line service is helping workers on Tyneside develop their skills by alerting them to courses they can take. The Alerting Service website, which was created by Tyneside Training and Enterprise Council and Northumbria University with European
A FORMER councillor has spoken of his distress after a company inundated him with letters addressed to his late wife, inviting her to enter a cash prize draw. Jim Smith, of Sunnybrow, near Crook, has been plagued by offers for him and his late wife, Jan
BUILDING firm Leech Homes, of Newcastle, answered a request from Westgarth Primary School, Redcar, for hedgerows and shrubs to put around its new security fence. Alan Jemmerson, the site manager at the company's Redcar development, received a letter from
A NEW concessionary travel scheme for elderly and disabled people in Darlington is to be discussed by councillors next week. At present, local authorities are free to implement whatever type of scheme they wish, within statutory limits. In Darlington,
A ROBBER who elbowed a 78-year-old woman in the face as he snatched her purse was jailed for almost four years yesterday. Anthony Evans, 30, of Arnold Road, Darlington, was caught on a supermarket's security cameras earlier as he followed frail Margaret
PLANS to build a new school helped by a land-swap deal with a developer should move forward next week. On Tuesday, Durham County Council's executive committee will be recommended to approve the scheme to rebuild North Blunts Primary School in Peterlee
A NEW group has been formed to encourage local people to live healthier lives. The Walkie Talkie Group is a new development within the Lifestyle Health Link project, at Loftus. Aimed at providing informal, community-based health information and opportunities
THE Creative Nomad Jukebox - a portable MP3 player capable of holding your entire record collection - is a fantastic way of taking your favourite tunes on holiday without the need for a second suitcase. But I have found something even more amazing. The
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a new housing development have been deferred amid concerns about flooding. Wimpey Homes wants to build 13 houses at White House Farm, in West Rounton, near Northallerton. Although there are objections from the parish council and
A retail park in Gateshead could take trade away from Consett and Stanley town centres, fear planning officers. J J Gallagher is seeking outline planning approval from Gateshead Borough Council to build at Hannington Works, Derwenthaugh, near the MetroCentre
RESIDENTS spent nearly 12 hours without electricity after an underground explosion tore through power cables yesterday. People living in Warwick Avenue, Moorside, near Consett, were woken by the sound of an underground blast. A shower of sparks and thick
AS if a remembrance of the rich man, the camel and the eye of a needle, the gateway to the Poor Clare convent is a narrow one. Unable to pass through it, a small bus halts outside. Fourteen smiling women emerge quietly - for such is their way of life
THE closure of three residential special schools, to be replaced by two, has been proposed by education officials on Teesside. Following a public consultation on the future of Bishopsmills School, Saltergill School and Westlands School, Stockton Borough
LIZARD lovers should slither down to a reptile weekend at a pet superstore next weekend. Pets at Home, on the Hylton Riverside Retail Park, in Sunderland, will have a variety provided by the UK's leading reptile sanctuary Proteus. For Sarah Beales and
A RANGE of artwork will go on display at the Bishop Auckland Discovery Centre from today. Exhibition Number One is the first show by the Discovery Centre Art Group, which meets once a month to share ideas and offer support and advice. On display will
An 8ft-long coble called My Pal did not live up to its name yesterday when it broke down off the Hendon Rocks, Sunderland, leaving its two-man crew stranded. The fishermen radioed for help after the boat developed problems with the starter motor. The
THE largest shop in Guisborough is to close with all the staff being made redundant. Twenty three members of staff at Sunwin House, Guisborough, were told on Thursday of the store's impending closure, and the loss of their jobs. Yesterday, Peter Marks
CRIMINALS smuggling foreign nationals and bootleg goods into the North-East have been targeted in a police crackdown. Forty-six foreign nationals were arrested under the Immigration Act during Operation Tag and are being questioned. Northumbria Police
FUEL tax protestors say they are planning a guerrilla-style campaign in the run-up to the General Election. The campaigners returned to direct action with a demonstration at a North-East fuel terminal, although tanker movements were unaffected. About
A MAN who claimed that he was falsely imprisoned and assaulted yesterday won his case against Cleveland Police, and was awarded £15,000 in compensation. The award came after a court case in which Craig Vincent claimed that he was trying to help an unconscious
A school in Chester-le-Street has been praised in a report by Ofsted inspectors. Among the positives at West Pelton Primary School were the provision of a sound education for pupils and good intellectual and personal development. It was also praised for
ORGANISERS of a free fireworks spectacular are sure the event will go off with a bang today. The fireworks show for children will be held at the MetroCentre, Gateshead, in honour of resident children's fictional character, Millie from Outer Space. Millie
HEALTH Secretary Alan Milburn's conclusion on the report which said that Harold Shipman may have killed up to 297 patients is: "It beggars belief that he got away with it for so long." How right he is. It is incredible that so many people could die in
QUADRUPLE gold medal-winning Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson will provide the inspiration to sporting stars of tomorrow at a ceremony on Tuesday. The Darlington Young Sportswinner of the Year award will be presented belatedly after the ceremony was postponed
A LEADING car industry expert has criticised "doom and gloom merchants" predicting mass redundancies if Nissan's, factory at Sunderland fails to get the new Micra model. With fears growing that bosses at the car firm's Tokyo headquarters will announce
A NORTH-EAST mayor is on the crest of a wave after being invited to host a big civic function aboard one of the Royal Navy's biggest vessels. In a break with tradition, Durham's annual civic ball is being held beyond the city boundaries next month. Durham
A MAN who suffered a fractured skull in a New Year's Day attack is making good progress in hospital. The 26-year-old has been in Newcastle General Hospital since the assault at a terrace house in Frederick Street, Seaham, County Durham. Last night, a
THE cost of keeping traffic moving through the Yorkshire region during the recent snows cost more than £130,000 in salt alone. Some 5,250 tonnes of salt were used across the region by the Highways Agency over the festive period, at a cost of £25 a tonne
THE North-East's ever increasing call centre division has rung up more good news with plans by AXA Insurance to create around 100 new jobs. The firm will be dialling up the additions to the numbers at its Darlington centre during the first half of the
Darlington manager Gary Bennett is hoping his players will overcome both adversity and Rochdale at Feethams today. Bennett will leave it as late as possible before he and assistant Jim Montgomery pick the starting line up for the game against the fifth-placed
Darlington manager Gary Bennett is hoping his players will overcome both adversity and Rochdale at Feethams today. Bennett will leave it as late as possible before he and assistant Jim Montgomery pick the starting line up for the game against the fifth-placed
THE man accused of the "limbs in the loch killing" of a Scottish teenager is being sent back to Britain to stand trial for murder. The Court of Justice in The Hague has refused an application for an injunction to block the extradition of former Teesside
COUNCIL bosses under fire for their strict no smoking policy say health is their top priority. Plans by Chester-le-Street District Council to force workers to ask permission every time they wanted a cigarette had provoked outrage and ridicule among objectors
SWEDISH skipper Stefan Schwarz has a burning ambition to win an FA Cup winners' medal with Sunderland - and bring his international collection to five. The much-travelled midfielder, hailed yesterday by Wearside boss Peter Reid as a "model professional
BOBBY ROBSON last night admitted he will have to play nursemaid to his Newcastle United squad if they are to embark on another FA Cup run. The Magpies' manager, who led Ipswich to glory in the competition in 1978, labelled last year's Wembley semi-final
BOBBY ROBSON last night admitted he will have to play nursemaid to his Newcastle United squad if they are to embark on another FA Cup run. The Magpies' manager, who led Ipswich to glory in the competition in 1978, labelled last year's Wembley semi-final
ONCE you have an exercise regime you're comfortable with and that's easy to follow, it may be hard to try something new. But have you noticed that once you reach a certain fitness level or your body becomes toned to the shape you want, you don't seem
HELPLINES were set up for distraught relatives last night after it was revealed that serial killer Dr Harold Shipman may have murdered up to 297 patients. The Greater Manchester GP, convicted last year of killing 15 women patients, had death rates way
A MALE estate agent is claiming he was forced out of his job by girl power. Ray Staples, 62, says he was subjected to sustained abuse as the only man in the all-female office he worked in for two months. Mr Staples says the women made his life hell and
David O'Leary yesterday warned Leeds fans not to expect the best of Harry Kewell this season as the Australian star again faces another agonising spell on the sidelines. Kewell is out ''for the next few weeks at least'' with a calf strain but, more significantly
A STORE chain fined £18,000 after it was found to be selling potentially harmful children's coats in the North-East, has had its fine considerably reduced. Trading standards officers found 18 Bukla fleece coats with drawstring hoods, available for £7.99
MIDDLESBROUGH coach Terry Venables last night hailed the player he once wrote off as a crock. Australian international Paul Okon has been a revelation in Boro's midfield since former Socceroos' boss Venables took charge at the Riverside last month. Okon
HARD LUCK stories are two-a-penny in the world of horse racing. Some have more than a ring of truth, while others hail straight from the realms of fantasy. But in the case of Haydock-bound Just Lizzie (2.00), there's no denying she's not had the rub of
SUNDERLAND go into today's FA Cup third round tie against Crystal Palace looking to avenge their worst performance of the season - losing to the First Division outfit in the quarter-finals of the Worthington Cup just over two weeks ago. Scottish B international
CAR crime may have been significantly reduced by the introduction of safer parking in North Yorkshire. Five of the county's car parks have been given special security status by the Association of Chief Police Officers under a scheme supported by the Home
THE Belgian Government has criticised the UK's decision to block Interbrew's £2.3bn takeover of Bass's brewing business. Belgian's economic minister Charles Picque said in a statement the decision was "prejudicial" and favoured British competitor Scottish
A TOWN'S mayor is hoping to solve the mystery of what happened to a war memorial. Until about 1949, a wooden plaque bearing the names of those who perished in the First World War adorned Loftus Town Hall, in east Cleveland. But the onset of rot prompted
RESIDENTS are being invited to sign up for new courses at local learning centres in Coatham and Dormanstown, both in Redcar. Organiser Jacqui Callaghan said: "We're aiming to provide an enjoyable, informal atmosphere for local residents to learn new talents
TWO second-half strikes from midfielder Tommy Miller secured a fourth League win on the trot for Hartlepool United. Pool beat Exeter 2-0 at Victoria Park without ever being troubled by the visitors who lie second bottom of the table. Just 13 seconds after
WOULD-be stars are needed to tread the boards in a colourful variety show that will be raising funds for a local hospital. Bryant Homes is sponsoring the event at Northallerton Community Centre on March 3, which is being produced by Kath Wilson. She is
RESIDENTS have won the first round of a battle to have a pathway closed, 30 years after it began posing problems. The residents of Trimdon Avenue and Keswick Grove, in Acklam, Middlesbrough, asked Middlesbrough Borough Council to close the footpath running
A NORTH Yorkshire school was yesterday basking in the praise of a team of Government education inspectors. Staff at Bullamoor Junior School, at Northallerton, were lauded for their strong leadership, effective teaching and good assessment procedures.
THE man accused of the "limbs in the loch killing" of a Scottish teenager is being sent back to Britain to stand trial for murder. The Court of Justice in The Hague has refused an application for an injunction to block the extradition of former Teesside
QUADRUPLE gold medal-winning Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson will provide the inspiration to sporting stars of tomorrow at a ceremony on Tuesday. The Darlington Young Sportswinner of the Year award will be presented belatedly after the ceremony was postponed
THE Creative Nomad Jukebox - a portable MP3 player capable of holding your entire record collection - is a fantastic way of taking your favourite tunes on holiday without the need for a second suitcase. But I have found something even more amazing. The
THE North-East's greatest art treasures have proved a huge draw on the return to the region. Yesterday, art student Rachel Boyd became the 175,000th person to see the masterpiece produced by Northumbrian monks. The 21-year-old, from Monkseaton, North
TEENAGER William Palmer has landed a training provider's student of the year award. William, 17, of Cruddas Park, Newcastle, was given the award by Key Training after his success in NVQ Level 2 business administration. He is working as a trainee accounts
BIG-HEARTED workers at a North-East brewery presented a severely ill three-year-old girl with a Winnie the Pooh teddy bear and a £1,000 cheque for her specialist treatment. More than £4,000 is needed to treat Chloe Smith, of South Shields, who has hereditary
A LEADING car industry expert has criticised "doom and gloom merchants" predicting mass redundancies if Nissan's, factory at Sunderland fails to get the new Micra model. With fears growing that bosses at the car firm's Tokyo headquarters will announce
PLANS have been unveiled which could create 50 jobs in an unemployment blackspot in north Durham. Derwentside District Council will decide whether to set up a second £1m e-business centre, in Consett, in the next three months. The first centre, which
A NEW library that will give users access to the Internet is due to be completed in May. Durham County Council hopes to start work on the £180,000 facility at Wingate in the middle of next month. The library, which will be part of the new community centre
MOTORISTS and car dealers have been put on a renewed alert after another spate of air bag thefts in the region. The culprits are putting their lives at risk, prising the ultra-sensitive equipment out of its housing inside steering wheels and dashboards
A day of teaching will outline the horror of the Holocaust to teenagers at Easington Community School, in County Durham. More than 200 year nine pupils, aged 13 and 14, will be given an insight into the extermination of Jews, gipsies and other minorities
THE North-East's ever increasing call centre division has rung up more good news with plans by AXA Insurance to create around 100 new jobs. The firm will be dialling up the additions to the numbers at its Darlington centre during the first half of the
THE new man in charge at a school where the previous head teacher left to work as a lorry driver is already offering to be open all hours. Breakfast and after-school clubs could soon be on the timetable at Wolsingham Primary School, in Weardale, where
A COIN marking a milestone in a town's history has returned home after a global adventure. The commemorative coin, which was minted to mark the separation of Thornaby from Stockton in 1892, once took pride of place in the town. But as the years went by
A Mother is keeping her daughter out of school rather than give in to an earrings ban. Helen Ramsey, 14, was one of several pupils sent home from Sunderland's Monkwearmouth School in a uniform crackdown. All returned without their jewellery except Helen
PARISHIONERS from a north Durham church raised £4,000 last year for a school for abused and poverty-stricken children in Sri Lanka. But £750 of it had to be spent on wrought iron gates at St Andrew's Methodist Church, in Brandon, near Durham City, after
BEARDED and bespectacled, Harold Shipman sits in a cell at a high security prison in the North-East, every bit the picture of the genial GP. Known as Fred to his 3,100 patients, he was renowned for his caring bedside manner, which made him popular with
POLICE fear a serial bomber is at large, with farmers and businesses connected with agriculture the main targets. A 58-year-old farmer in Ripon, North Yorkshire, and a 43-year-old assistant from an estate agents in East Yorkshire needed hospital treatment
A NUMBER of personal duels will add spice to today's Tetley's Bitter Cup semi-final between Newcastle Falcons and Sale Sharks at Kingston Park. At scrum half Gary Armstrong is up against another former Scotland captain in Bryan Redpath, in the centre
HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner is no fan of a winter break - despite his side being forced out of action for a fortnight. The Pool boss leads his side into action this afternoon for the first time since December 23 after seeing a trio of games frozen
HARTLEPOOL United boss Chris Turner is no fan of a winter break - despite his side being forced out of action for a fortnight. The Pool boss leads his side into action this afternoon for the first time since December 23 after seeing a trio of games frozen
ICI has moved to bolster its thriving catalyst business on Teesside with the acquisition of another German business. ICI Synetix has acquired the CelActive business of Celanese Chemicals Europe. The deal is the second to be done with the German operation
former England international Chris Waddle has joined Tow Law for the second time. Waddle signed his first Northern League form for the Lawyers as a teenager before he went on to a glittering career at Newcastle, Tottenham and Marseilles, and he readily
WAREHOUSE staff were threatened with guns, including a sawn-off shotgun, during a robbery this week. Three men wearing stockings on their heads raided the unit on the Sands Industrial Estate, Swalwell, at 2.35pm on Thursday. They demanded cash and threatened
FOR many people, the name of the artist Turner brings to mind the unmade beds and the cows in formaldehyde that have become associated with the annual prize which bears his name. But for art lovers, the painter has a far greater place in the history of
The TTE Schools Programme, launched as a pilot scheme in 1997, has become so popular in just three years that currently year 10 and 11 pupils from six Teesside schools are involved. The schools taking part are: Billingham Campus, Grangefield, Laurence
AH, those marvellous memories of camping holidays: rain drumming on a canvas roof; damp clothes; lumpy ground; beans with everything; plastic plates; mud in the scrambled eggs; matches that won't strike; artesian wells beneath the groundsheet; swarms
THE recovery of the euro continued unabated yesterday with the European currency hitting a six-month high against the US dollar. In early trading, the euro was 95.95 cents, although by lunchtime it had fallen back to around 95.41 cents. Economists said
COUNCIL bosses under fire for their strict no smoking policy say health is their top priority. Plans by Chester-le-Street District Council to force workers to ask permission every time they wanted a cigarette had provoked outrage and ridicule among objectors
SWEDISH skipper Stefan Schwarz has a burning ambition to win an FA Cup winners' medal with Sunderland - and bring his international collection to five. The much-travelled midfielder, hailed yesterday by Wearside boss Peter Reid as a "model professional
A WOMAN says she will not let council workmen into her home until she finds out what is wrong with the property. Doreen Crowe, who lives in Mellanby Crescent, Newton Aycliffe, thinks there is something seriously structurally wrong with the house. She
AN adventure-loving man is rediscovering his favourite hobbies after a freak accident left him paralysed from the chest down. Sean Rose, 29, of Redcar, Teesside, was working as a ski instructor at the RAF's winter survival school, in Bavaria, Germany,
THE North-East has attracted a big national sporting event - the All England Whippet Derby. The whippet equivalent of horse racing's Grand National will be held on fields in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, over the Easter weekend, on April 14 and 15.
TWO youths, aged 15, five men and two women appeared in court yesterday on drugs charges. The appearances before magistrates in Middlesbrough followed a series of arrests in Stockton by Cleveland Police during Operation Achilles, a drugs crackdown. Carl
SUNDERLAND go into today's FA Cup third round tie against Crystal Palace looking to avenge their worst performance of the season - losing to the First Division outfit in the quarter-finals of the Worthington Cup just over two weeks ago. Scottish B international
CHEWY the alligator has finally found a new home. Charity workers at the Reptile Trust in Burnopfield, County Durham, have been looking for a home for the broad snouted cayman since she was seized at a pet shop in West Yorkshire last September. She had
A SECOND shopping centre has banned trendy micro-scooters. As reported in The Northern Echo earlier in the week, the Cornmill Centre, Darlington, has banned scooters being ridden inside, because of safety fears. Now executives at Hartlepool's Middleton
