A BID to clean up the streets - has won the backing of communities in east Cleveland. A community warden scheme, which includes Normanby, near Redcar, from this week, has won positive feedback from residents. As wardens Peter Pears and Stephen Sanderson
MIDDLESBROUGH goalkeeper Marlon Beresford last night admitted his future is likely to be away from the Riverside. The former Burnley keeper has moved to Sheffield Wednesday on loan and is desperate to get his career back on track - by impressing Owls
DANISH goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen sounded a warning to his Sunderland teammates on the eve of tonight's FA Cup Third Round replay at Crystal Palace - "If we're not up for it we'll lose again." Sunderland fell victims to the buoyant First Division side
POSTMEN cannot suppress a titter when they deliver parcels of lingerie for ladies with a fuller figure - much to the annoyance of some of Sally Robinson's customers. Now farmer's wife Sally has been forced to change the packaging sent out by her Ample
Hartlepool moved into a play-off position with a tremendous performance against League leaders Chesterfield at Saltergate last night. After seven consecutive victories, Pool went into the game full of confidence and this was much in evidence in the first
CONTINUING gloom in the manufacturing sector will see job prospects in the North-East remain disappointing over the next few months. The news from workforce recruiter Manpower's quarterly survey of employment prospects (QESP), reaffirms the view that
For the simple reason that his body does not hurt any more, Greg Rusedski cannot wait to take on world number one and top seed Gustavo Kuerten at the Australian Open tomorrow. Sounding like a man who believes he has been given a second chance at life
MORE than 60 year five pupils took part in a one-day Aboriginal arts project at Greenfield Community and Arts College, Newton Aycliffe. The children, from Stephenson Way, Byerley Park, St Francis and Elmfield schools, were invited to take part in the
A police officer has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run road accident which left a teenager fighting for his life. The 36-year-old County Durham officer is based at the force's Chester-le-Street and Durham City division. Police chiefs have
THE Tory Party weighed in with the "metric martyr" yesterday - and nearly caused a further brush with the law after an order for quarter pounder burgers. Police were called to McDonald's in Sunderland when a media scrum descended on the fast food restaurant
Aston Villa midfielder Paul Merson is claiming that the FA Cup has lost some of its magic because the final is no longer being staged at Wembley. Merson, who will be gunning for Newcastle in tonight's replay at Villa Park, feels the poor attendances in
We have been talking these last two columns about those with a sneaking for Brechin. It is as naught, a mere breeze around the block, compared to the boys who take the high road to join the Ross County set. "I used to support Wimbledon but they got too
A TRAINEE doctor has opted to work in a North-East high security prison in a scheme that is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK. Flanked by prison officers, Dr Brian West, will hold regular surgeries within the walls of Durham's Frankland Prison
A BUS driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries after crashing his double-decker into a deserted bus stop yesterday. The driver was pinned against the steering wheel of the bus, and had to be cut free by firefighters, following the crash outside
ROBBERS terrorised a shop assistant and bundled her into a store room before escaping with cash and cigarettes in a North-East village, police revealed yesterday. The female victim was not seriously hurt, but police are appealing for information to the
A CONVICTED sex attacker who has preyed on young women for almost 50 years has been warned he faces a "substantial" prison term after admitting further assaults. John Cairns, 67, has already served a ten-year sentence after he attempted to rape one woman
A MOTHER-of-five who unexpectedly went into labour has given birth in the kitchen of her home - for the second time in three years. Lightning struck twice for Haidi Mellish at her home, in South Shields. Baby Anna was a day overdue when Haidi, without
A SPORTS club is looking to give people a taster of an Olympic event. Guisborough Fencing Club is hoping to set up a course for beginners in the sports club at Cleveland Potash, Boulby. However, the club says it needs volunteers who want to learn the
A DEDICATED group of young people want locals to dig in and help them clean up their school. The 15 and 16-year-olds need donations of gardening equipment such as tools, watering cans, and wheel barrows, along with plants, bird boxes and garden seats,
GATESHEAD'S Labour Party members have welcomed a fall in the number of unemployed people in the town. In October, unemployment was 4.5 per cent, compared with 5.2 per cent the previous year - the lowest jobless rate in Tyne and Wear. Felling ward councillor
RETAILERS at Harrison Developments prestigious Richmondshire Walk scheme are enjoying ever-increasing levels of trade. Clothing retailer, Select, is the latest to join Tesco, McDonalds, Boots and other leading retailers at the development, leaving just
POLICE are warning women not to walk home alone after a second sex attack within 18 months in the same North Yorkshire village. A man pounced on a 23-year-old woman as she walked home through Colburn, near Catterick, from the Staxx night club in September
A SCRAP metal company which admitted flouting waste control regulations, hopes to win official approval to dump at the site in coming months. Cornforth Metals Ltd pleaded guilty to four charges of breaching the regulations, between July 1998 and August
THE DOME SO the Millennium Dome has reached the end of its sad, costly existence and will make way for new developments. As a way of marking a significant occasion, it has been outright pathetic. To mark the final resting place of St Cuthbert over 900
A PHARMACIST given a second chance by his employers after they found him taking cash, stole more than £1,000 from them two years later, a disciplinary committee heard yesterday. One of the pharmacy's owners even gave the man an interest-free loan after
A LANDLORD and his daughter have been moved to a place of safety following three arson attacks on their pub. Publican David Fitzpatrick and 17-year-old daughter, Laura, had to be rescued by firefighters using a ladder after finding themselves trapped
A MAN who indecently assaulted a girl walked free yesterday. Raymond Mickle, 23, initially denied the attack but pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial at Newcastle Crown Court in December. He walked free from court after defence barrister Michael
DURHAM University's Oriental Museum has won funding to fit out a classroom for visiting schoolchildren. Parties of youngsters and adults will be able to get to grips with pieces from the museum's collection in the new room. It is being set up after the
Darlington manager Gary Bennett is looking for another improvement from his players when they take on Shrewsbury for a place in the last 16 of the LDV Vans Trophy tonight. After two below par games against Chesterfield and Rochdale, Quakers suddenly burst
THE family of a 24-year-old man who died in Greece have told of their horror after receiving another man's kidney three months after their son's body was flown home. Christopher Rochester's parents plan to take legal action after DNA tests revealed the
Newcastle are poised to finally get rid of Didier Domi after washing their hands of the mixed-up French rebel. The Geordies plan to sell Domi to his former club Paris St Germain for £3m this week and use half the cash to buy Wayne Quinn from Sheffield
WHEN a backbench MP proposed a ban on hunting, he probably realised he was opening a can of worms. He probably didn't know they would still be wriggling as furiously as ever four years later. Ever since Worcester Labour MP Michael Foster introduced his
BELEAGURED supermarket group Somerfield revealed it was managing to stabilise sales across its store estate, despite reporting half-year losses of £21.7m. The group, which runs the Somerfield and Kwik Save high street chains, said sales were continuing
GOALKEEPER Shay Given has been told he must stay with Newcastle United and knuckle down to win back the No 1 spot. The Republic of Ireland international yesterday received written confirmation of the board's decision to reject his shock transfer request
INTERVIEWED when Songs of Praise was broadcast from Wensleydale recently, William Hague, the Tory leader, confessed to not being a regular churchgoer. He said that he and Ffion found God by walking in that great open-air cathedral, the glorious Dales'
Students are staging a modern abridged version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The performance, at Darlington's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, takes place from February 1 to 3. Tickets are available on (01325) 461315
BRITISH Telecom is to spend £4.6 bn buying the remaining stake in German phone operator Viag Interkom, it revealed last night. BT, which already owns a 45 per cent stake in the fixed and mobile phone operator, is to buy a further 45 per cent stake held
Darlington striker Adam Marsh scored his first goal in senior football to secure a place for Quakers in the last 16 of the LDV Vans Trophy last night. Marsh, signed from Worksop in November, struck in the second half just as Shrewsbury threatened to equalise
A NOTORIOUS teenage criminal has had his sentence cut - on the same day police in the region said youngsters were largely to blame for a huge increase in robberies. Sean Andrew McKerry is currently serving four years in prison for robbing a County Durham
A jockey last night began a life sentence for beating and throttling a former promising Newcastle United footballer to death. Christopher Martin McGrath turned into "a monster" while high on Ecstasy and alcohol, smashing Gary Walton in the face with a
THE last curator of a popular North-East museum is stepping down after 22 years. A reception will be held at Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, to mark the retirement of Elizabeth Conran, who took up the post in 1979. Her farewell party will
NOTHING goes to waste in Louise and Denis Gregson's 'green' home, which has been singled out for an environment prize. The couple, from Tudhoe Moor,Spennymoor, are the first winners of a Green Household Award organised by Sedgefield Borough Council and
PLANS to increase the size of an East Durham shopping development are being opposed because of fears they will take trade from neighbouring town and city centres. The £36m development proposed for Dalton Flatts at Murton, which would create 1,100 permanent
WE do not doubt Alan and Judith Kilshaw's fervent wish to have children. Nor do we doubt that they will be loving and caring parents of twins Belinda and Kimberley. Their ability to give the girls a secure home and a suitable upbringing is not in question
A SACKED factory worker who shot an engineer at his former workplace was jailed yesterday. Duncan Quinn, 22, of Fountains Court, Skelton, east Cleveland, was jailed for 21 months at Teesside Crown Court, after admitting affray and possessing an offensive
MULTI-MILLIONAIRE George Reynolds' court battle with Cleveland Police ended in failure yesterday - and landed him with a £50,000 bill for costs. But afterwards the Darlington Football Club chairman remained defiant, and said he believed the fight had
SHOPPERS up and down the region are being urged to try a new virtual shopping experience in their hunt for local products. A new website has been launched specifically for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the North-East which is being marketed
POLICE in Newton Aycliffe have issued a photofit of a suspected conman. An 81-year old woman was in her bungalow on Sunday at 3pm when the man called and claimed to be carrying out fencing work. He said he needed access to next door. While the man kept
REPORTED incidents of domestic violence in the Darlington area have risen sharply. The increase was revealed in statistics for the Christmas period which were released last night. Last month there were 142 incidents of domestic violence reported, compared
VOLUNTARY groups in north County Durham are being encouraged to bid for National Lottery cash after several groups received money last year. About £4.2m was given to 1,355 projects in the North-East last year under the National Lottery charities board
A YOUNG heroin abuser carried out a spate of break-ins at homes in neighbouring streets while trying to kick the drug habit, a court heard. Scott Anderson, 21, was yesterday jailed for 18 months after Durham Crown Court was told of his burglary spree
EAST Durham school pupils have been rewarded for their effort and achievement under a scheme designed to raise standards. Sixty-four year ten pupils at Seaham Comprehensive School, who have made the most progress in their studies, have shared £7,500.
WATCH OUT, cancer's about! That's the message of a leukaemia research campaign launched by TV's Jeremy Beadle in Newcastle yesterday. The campaign hopes to target 32,000 schools in the UK to get behind the Mr Men and Little Miss Funds for Schools appeal
DAREDEVIL volunteers are needed for a sponsored abseil off one of the North-East's most famous landmarks. The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) is planning an abseil off the Tyne Bridge, Newcastle, on Sunday, March 4. Caroll Pattison, area
CARING pupils are to be treated to a full McDonald's breakfast instead of their early morning lesson one day this week. Youngsters from The Grove Primary school, in Consett, are to be given the treat this Friday, for completing the Junior Great North
AN ARTIST has made Irish eyes smile once again. County Durham glass artist Maralyn O'Keefe's sculpture depicting Northern Irish beauty spot, The Giant's Causeway, is to be awarded as a prize in a national music and drama celebration. Mrs O'Keefe, from
HOW might a selection of prominent people respond to the news of the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson as coach of the England football team? TONY BLAIR: Hi! I'm a sort of modern guy, y'know. Now look, uh? I mean the old days - they've gone. The bad
PEOPLE in Durham will have the chance to say what they think about local services when the city council holds its first area forum. It will be held in Belmont Community Centre on Thursday, at 7pm, for people in the Carrville, Belmont, Gilesgate Moor,
WHATEVER turns you on, and all that, the column has been continuing its hot and cold tour of brewery taps, firstly - on the night of the eclipse - to the Ship Inn at Middlestone, near Spennymoor. That it was dark, and not over-indulgence of any sort,
BANNER makers flew the flag for the area's business community yesterday by celebrating a major expansion which will create eight new jobs. AA Flags Ltd, of Consett, has opened new premises at Park Road North Industrial Estate in the town, doubling its
IT had got to the stage where Rebecca had begun to dread returning home from work, wondering if her husband would be in a bad mood, possibly waiting to beat her. The mother-of-two had, at the hands of her husband, suffered broken ribs and head injuries
