LOVESTRUCK North-Easterners are being urged to find their perfect match by taking part in a television show. As part of the latest round of auditions for Cilla Black's Blind Date, interviews are being held at the Thistle Hotel, in Fry Street, Middlesbrough
CLIVE Woodward last night predicted a "huge challenge" for England when they launch the defence of their Six Nations Championship crown against Wales next month. England boss Woodward will go into the tournament with a 30-man squad that contains just
MEN in white coats, backroom boys, faceless boffins, the scientists behind every fighting army, have been inventing killing machines for generations with devastating effect. Clinically, scientifically, brutally churning out their wares, divorced from
Hamilton Ricard yesterday paid tribute to the work Terry Venables has done to keep Middlesbrough undefeated for six games since he took charge of coaching and team selection. The Colombian has been one of the principal beneficiaries under the new regime
Darlington manager Gary Bennett will have to wait until next week before he can sign defender Dean Walling. The 31-year-old centre half played for Quakers in their 2-1 defeat at Lincoln City on Wednesday, and he did enough to persuade Bennett to push
PREMIERSHIP giants Chelsea and high-flying Ipswich are the latest to check on the talents of free-scoring Hartlepool United midfielder Tommy Miller. The 22-year-old netted 16 times last season and took his tally for the current campaign to 13 with a penalty
Stokesley Leisure Centre has a series of health and fitness courses for the new year. Among those on offer are salsa dancing, tai chi, circuit training, khai bo and karate. Centre deputy manager David Earl said: "We hope people will find one, if not two
A FIREFIGHTER underwent emergency plastic surgery yesterday after part of his ear was bitten off when he answered a 999 call. Chris Williams, 27, had a lump of flesh about an inch in size torn from his right ear. The piece was not found. Chris was a member
Princess Margaret was last night in the care of specialists at a private London hospital where she was being fed through a tube. Doctors were carrying out a thorough assessment of the Queen's 70-year-old sister who was admitted to the King Edward VII
SHANYA the Shitzu has been nominated for a top canine award for being a faithful companion to her North-East owner. Jackie Ogle put the one-year-old bitch forward for the Friskies Golden Bonio Awards after Shanya helped her cope with her elderly mother's
ONLINE business-to-business site, Just2Clicks.com has revealed it is on an even-keel after embarking on a major cost-cutting exercise. The Newcastle-based company has adopted a prudent approach after recognising in the summer that the dot.com bubble was
MEAN thieves have stolen a baby's christening gifts from the back of a car, parked at a pub where the family were celebrating. The incident happened at The Pied Piper, in Orchard Way, Ormesby, on Sunday afternoon. Family and friends had gathered at the
A DISABLED man says he had to fit his own kitchen after workmen repairing his flood-damaged home left him living in squalor. Alfie Sanderson, from Brookside Villas, South Church, is registered disabled after breaking his back in 13 places, and wears callipers
A CONTROVERSIAL arts centre once branded a 'white elephant' celebrates its second birthday today as one of the region's top entertainment venues. The Arc, in Dovecot Street, Stockton, has fought back from crippling debts and part-time closure to entertain
HOW welcome is the news that East Coast Main Line rail service will next week approach something like normality. The journey between the North-East and London will still take about 30 minutes longer than it did before the Hatfield disaster and there will
A TEENAGER was fighting for his life in hospital last night after a road accident left him with serious head injuries. Sixteen-year-old Jamie Colin Sanders was struck by a car as he attempted to cross the A64 dual carriageway, near York, during the evening
A WOMAN had to be released from machinery when her hand became trapped. The factory worker's finger became caught in the mechanisms of a machine at Calsonic Climate Control on the Dabble Duck Industrial Estate, Shildon, County Durham. Ambulance crews
CONSUMER watchdogs are warning people to beware of Bodge the Builder, who is bringing misery to people's lives. Hartlepool trading standards officers are reminding householders that not all builders are as reliable as cartoon hero Bob the Builder, and
A CLOCK which has stood still for years will soon be chiming the hour above a city centre. Work to restore St Nicholas's Church clock, in Durham City's Market Place, began yesterday when specialist contractors William Potts and Son removed the 130-year-old
A GOVERNMENT inspector has given the go-ahead to plans for one of Northallerton's oldest buildings to be transformed into a funeral parlour. The decision has brought the long-running saga over the future of 265-year-old Register House, on Zetland Street
RESIDENTS are being urged to put councillors to the test at a meeting of Stockton Borough Council's cabinet today. Householders across Stockton recently voted in favour of a new decision-making structure for the council, consisting of a cabinet with a
POLICE are warning elderly Richmond residents to be on their guard after two men managed to con their way into a pensioner's home. The culprits asked to use the toilet but, once they were in, one appeared to try to confuse the 80-year-old homeowner by
THE owner of a chain of hair salons yesterday accused a hairdresser of poaching his customers when she left to set up her own business. But an industrial tribunal hearing yesterday ruled in her favour and ordered Peter Moss to pay her £559 in lieu of
STARTLED worshippers at a Teesside church looked on in amazement as their priest sprang into action. The Reverend Alan Farish, demonstrated his athleticism during evening worship at All Saints' Parish Church, Preston-on-Tees. The 42-year-old priest sprinted
FORMER railway workers may have been exposed to asbestos while working at a North-East station, a legal firm claims. The firm of solicitors represents a Darlington woman suffering from asbestosis, which it believes may have been caused as a result of
A charity is appealing for help as it attempts to replace its ageing and well-used vehicle. Chopsticks, in Springwell Lane, Northallerton, provides jobs for people with learning disabilities. The charity also provides a gardening service for people over
POLICE are warning youths someone could be killed if a spate of brick-throwing attacks on cars and buses continue. In the latest incident, at 2.30pm on Tuesday, a brick was thrown from a bridge over the A688 in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, at a moving
MERCHANT Retail Group, owners of the Perfume Shop and Joplings stores, has come up smelling of roses in the run up to Christmas. The group revealed that overall sales at the Perfume Shop and Joplings, were up six per cent in the six weeks to December
A NORTH-EAST theatre has disproved the saying that you should never work with children and animals. This year's Cinderella pantomime has under two weeks left out of its seven week run at Darlington Civic Theatre. Despite containing both animals and children
A TOWN is slamming the door on crime - literally. Twenty four gates with locks are being installed across a network of alleyways and back lanes running behind a grid pattern of terraced streets in central Middlesbrough. Gates have already been erected
POLICE last night renewed appeals for the owner of about £5,000 found in the street by a bus driver to claim the cash. Phil Rayner, of Gateshead, Tyneside, was on a lunch break when he saw the money lying in a plastic packet on the road. The 39-year-old
A COUNCIL has reassured people in a Teesside town that its Christmas decorations will soon be taken down. Although Stockton's festive lights were turned off on Saturday, the decorations have stayed up after twelfth night. Superstition states that it is
ONE of blues' hottest young properties is cutting the final few tracks on his debut album. Pete Shoulder, 17, of Chester-le-Street, has already opened for the former Rolling Stones guitarist, Mick Taylor, at the annual Stanley Blues Festival, but is expected
A YOUNG boxer recently selected for the English national squad has been belatedly named Darlington Young Sportswinner for 2000. Martin Stead, 17, scooped the award, sponsored by the Orange telecommunications company, at a rearranged ceremony, after a
Middlesbrough have ruled out any major signings to back Terry Venables as he leads the battle to beat the drop. There is only a limited amount of cash available for the former England coach and manager Bryan Robson confirmed they will look to the current
A doctor accused of using excessive force and forceps like "salad servers" to deliver babies, told a General Medical Council hearing yesterday that his actions had been necessary. It has been alleged that associated specialist Janusz Wszeborowski, 67,
A POLICE officer denied waging a 30-year vendetta against multi-millionaire businessman George Reynolds, a court was told yesterday. Superintendent John Blake had been accused by the multi-millionaire chairman of Darlington Football Club of orchestrating
A COUNCILLOR branded a sexist after publishing a light-hearted article paying tribute to the physical attributes of a number of female town hall workers, has been ordered to apologise by his council colleagues. Tony Pelton edits The Clarion - a free newsheet
LITTLE Keiran Hall will soon be able to walk, thanks to the fundraising efforts of schoolchildren. Keiran, four, from Springfield Road, Fishburn, County Durham, has a form of cerebral palsy. His family found out last year that the only thing that could
Police were called when a fight broke out among asylum seekers at a Tyneside refuge early yesterday. The brawl at The Rooms Inn, West Parade, Newcastle, left one man with cuts and bruises. Two people were arrested during the incident, involving about
PASSENGER services could be restored to a scenic North-East railway early next year after the way was cleared yesterday for a small private company to take over a disused rural branch line. Durham County Council removed one of the obstacles blocking the
A MAN who lost his leg after a coach crash which killed three people has lost his battle for compensation. Clifford Fulcher was a passenger on a coach which had just left Dalaman Airport, in Turkey, when it was involved in a head-on collision. The impact
Newcastle manager Bobby Robson yesterday cleared the way for Des Hamilton to move to Tranmere Rovers. Robson gave Tranmere permission to play the midfielder in their reserves against Stockport County last night. And Rovers manager John Aldridge is poised
IMAGINE a man with a history of violent behaviour pinning you to the floor and punching you in the face. What would you do? Ask him nicely to stop... please? Mother-of-two Denise Carr bit her attacker. But unfortunately the spot she sank her teeth into
WILLIAM Hague used a village post office in his constituency yesterday to launch an attack on the Government's record on rural crime. The Tory leader visited the shop at Skeeby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire - which was targeted for an armed raid and
A NEW car park in Stockton will close on Sunday to allow builders to continue their work. Part of the £43m Wellington Square car park opened in November to provide extra spaces for Christmas shoppers, but it will close again on Sunday to give workers
Planners are closer to implementing new parking schemes in a congested part of Durham City. A number of streets in the Gilesgate part of the city are in line for the introduction of permit holder-only restrictions. Following a consultation exercise, some
PARENTS are being warned of the dangers of cheap temporary tattoos after a second North-East child was found to have been scarred while on holiday. Last week, it was revealed that seven-year-old Jessica Jones had been poisoned by a four-inch tattoo of
INSTEAD of cloth there is cast iron, and instead of a hand there are strings, but even without Matthew Corbett there is still no mistaking Sooty. The variation on the puppet theme dates from the late 1950s and was part of a collection built up by a Middlesbrough
A CAR dealer has stepped in to keep a crime prevention scheme on the road. Professional basketball players from Teesside Mohawks visit schools across Teesside to introduce children to the sport. The Reach for Success project, which they run, uses basketball
FIVE suspected heroin dealers were being questioned by detectives last night following a series of dawn raids on North-East homes. More than 70 police officers swooped on homes in the Washington area of Wearside yesterday, as part of Operation Dublin.
A MASKED raider threatened two shop assistants with a knife, the day after a similar attack just a few streets away. The man escaped with a money box from Booze Buster in Wynyard Road, Owton Manor, Hartlepool on Tuesday night. The attack followed a similar
A COUNCIL team is in the running for new awards success. Stockton Borough Council's award-winning finance department is celebrating once again after being short-listed for the finance team of the tear category in the Local Government Chronicle Awards
A VERY special delivery took place at the weekend when some of the first lambs of the year were born. The twins, whose mother is a Jacob ewe, were born at about 6am on Sunday at Rosehouse Farm, Redmarshall, near Stockton, Teesside. Jean Fawell, who lives
ONE of the region's oldest and best-loved businesses yesterday announced it is to close both its stores. The directors of Dressers (Stationers) Ltd revealed that they have accepted a conditional offer from a property developer for the company. It means
A WATERSPORTS centre planned for a Teesside seaside town could be completed by September. The centre, at Saltburn, has been hit by problems, but is now finally getting off the ground. The building will incorporate a caf, two retail units, changing facilities
ALLOTMENT rents in Darlington are being increased by five per cent to £31.16 a year. Darlington Borough Council's cabinet committee agreed to the increase for its 780 allotment plots on 14 sites. The council's Leisuresaver scheme allows a 50 per cent
Injuries to Alex Corretja and Thomas Enqvist have presented Tim Henman with a gilt-edged chance to have his best Australian Open championship. Henman, who has never gone beyond the fourth round in five previous visits to Melbourne, moves up to become
STEFAN Schwarz believes Kevin Phillips has got what it takes to make Sven Goran Eriksson sit up and take notice at West Ham tomorrow. Eriksson's decision to pick the match at Upton Park for his first taste of domestic football gives goal ace Phillips
VEHICLE rental business Northgate plc, is going from strength-to-strength, recording a 13 per cent rise in pre-tax profits. The Darlington-based commercial vehicle hire business saw its pre-tax figures rise to £13.9m in the six months to October 31, compared
FRUSTRATED rail passengers could finally see an end to their misery last night after months of chaos following the Hatfield crash. East Coast main line journey times are to be substantially reduced with the introduction of a new timetable from Monday,
THE owners of two reprieved rottweilers wept in court yesterday as magistrates spared the lives of the dogs after they were accused of savaging a postman. Magistrates found that rottweilers, Shadow and Storm, had not attacked Ivan Pye after owner Dawn
TONY Blair said this week that you can't please all the people all the time, which became only too clear when he was pelted with tomatoes by a protestor. No Prime Minister deserves that. It can be worse than an assault because it is so demeaning. But
BILLY Elliot, the film starring young North-East actor Jamie Bell, is set to gain another international accolade. The film, which is tipped for Oscar success, has been announced as a contender for the film of the year award presented by the Producers'
FIVE Yorkshire soldiers have handed over the results of a charm offensive in shopping centres all over the North-East. The squad from the 5th Regiment, Royal Artillery, based at Catterick Garrison, visited the Piecehall in Halifax, Huddersfield town centre
ST BRANDON'S CHURCH THE loss by fire of St Brandon's Church at Brancepeth, with its magnificent interior, was a huge tragedy. We lost one of the greatest treasures in County Durham, of which there are too few. A recent visit to the stained glass exhibition
THE Demon Drink is an edifying new booklet from Middlesbrough Temperance Society - "established 1836, born again 1993." For reasons unimaginable, and with a cryptic note that simply says "Cheers", Phil Chinnery from Eston has rushed a copy here. Though
HOUSING chiefs in Richmondshire have called in the experts to help whittle down the options for the future of the area's council housing. The district authority is considering whether to remain as landlord to nearly 2,000 households in the region. Other
STUDENTS were last night mourning the death of a trainee Anglican priest who collapsed while exercising in her college gym. Friends rushed for help as Claire Burton-Page lay unconscious in the fitness room at St John's College, in Durham University. Efforts
THE trustees of a 110-year-old independent girls school have confirmed that it will close in July. The £1,115-a-term, St Anne's High, in Wolsingham, County Durham, has issued notices to parents of the 156 pupils saying the closure is due to a lack of
A CHARITY match held in memory of former Newcastle United footballer Gary Walton has raised more than £600. The remembrance game took place between the two Sunday teams he used to play for before his three-year spell with Newcastle. Gary's friends and
POLICE are warning residents to beware of cowboy security firms after a pensioner agreed to hand over more than £4,000. The 65-year-old woman, who lives near Albert Park, Middlesbrough, received a telephone call from a local firm asking her if she wanted
TWO football fans are planning a 30-hour charity journey to raise money for two schools in the region. Paul Hodgson, who has been in a wheelchair since a childhood attack of meningitis, will be pushed from Darlington FC's Feethams ground to York City's
PROTESTORS have failed in a bid to close a sex shop near a tourist attraction. Councillors have agreed to renew the licence for Sven Adult Books, in Scotswood Road, Newcastle, which has been trading for nearly 20 years and is near the International Centre
Recent high-profile sackings and suspensions from major companies over lewd e-mails have once again highlighted the issue of non-work related mail. More than 70 workers at Royal Sun and Alliance were suspended and ten dismissed last week in the biggest
AN after-school club is offering youngsters the chance to learn about local history and art with workshops and field trips. A £200 grant from the Newcastle-based Greggs Trust will enable South Moor After School Homework Club, in Stanley, to take children
A POLICE chief is appealing to a council to call time on fresh pub and nightclub applications. Superintendent Graham Strange, of Cleveland Police, is calling on Middlesbrough Borough Council to draw a line on the issue of new licences because of fears
PATIENTS will benefit from the creation of two new primary care trusts, according to North-East health officials. Yesterday, the Department of Health announced that the North Tees primary care group, in Thornaby, and the Hartlepool primary care group
A NORTH-EAST organic graffiti cleaner is proving so popular with local authorities in the UK that its fame has spread across the North Sea. Interest in the environmentally-friendly cleaner, whose main ingredients are milk and oranges, has resulted in
ONE of the region's councils has denied having the dirtiest streets in the country. Despite reports yesterday, Stockton Borough Council said it did not top the list of worst councils for street cleaning in an Audit Commission report. The report said just
A WOMAN who tore a budgie apart "like a piece of paper" in front of her 16 year-old son has been banned from keeping another pet. Teesside magistrates heard how Christine Lawson, 45, vented her anger on the bird following a family dispute. Police officers
BRASS band conductor Nicholas Childs passed on his expertise to 50 people at a workshop in Bishop Auckland. The County Durham musicians, aged between 11 and 25, spent a day working with the conductor of the Black Dyke Mills Band and three of his colleagues
Sunderland's Kevin Phillips can grab a crucial advantage over his rivals in the desperate battle for England places. New coach Sven Goran Eriksson will be at Sunderland's clash with West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday. And that offers Phillips the perfect
Darlington last night gave central defender Dean Walling a trial outing for ther reserves at Lincoln. Walling, 31, is a former Carlisle teammate of manager Gary Bennett, who is looking for cover in the middle of a defence which is walking a disciplinary
A DEFUNCT disco is to be revived in Piercebridge, near Darlington. Alan Scott, who was disc jockey for the weekly disco at the George Hotel in the 1980s, has teamed up with former regular Stuart Bird to revive the event. The duo decided to relaunch the
FLY-TIPPERS who illegally dumped rubbish outside the tip in Stockton over Christmas, have been branded irresponsible by councillors. The fly-tippers struck when the tip, off the Newport Bridge Road, was closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's
PARENTS have reacted angrily to a call for their children's nursery school to close. They say they are very happy with the education their children are receiving at Borough Road Nursery School, Darlington. They have dismissed one mother's claim that the
TONY Blair said this week that you can't please all the people all the time, which became only too clear when he was pelted with tomatoes by a protestor. No Prime Minister deserves that. It can be worse than an assault because it is so demeaning. But
A DANGEROUS stretch of road in Chester-le-Street is to become a no-parking area to help reduce accidents. Motorists often struggled to negotiate Drum Road because parked cars narrowed the road, so members of Durham County Council's highways committee
Twelfth Night may have been and gone but those bedraggled Christmas trees can still be put to good use. Gateshead residents can do their bit for the environment by having their trees pulped by the borough council. Trees are being turned into mulch to
POLICE are hoping to forge closer links with the community under a scheme to identify core problems affecting local people. Five officers have been appointed to become beat managers in Sunderland, with a brief to target crime and disorder. Working from
