TWO big housing developments are planned for Crook. Wear Valley district councillors will decide on Wednesday whether to approve Broseley Homes's scheme for 75 homes off Tennyson Terrace, Crook. Council planning officials have recommended approval of
HOUSING and local authority professionals are being urged to attend a national conference aimed at raising awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning, following the a family tragedy. Joan and Peter Stone, of Cumbria, and their 16-year-old daughter, Emma-Jane
LAVISHLY finished in satin wood and with a sumptuous silk-lined interior, the London and North Western Railway Carriage was undoubtedly Queen Victoria's favourite form of luxury transport. But 100 years after the death of Britain's longest-reigning monarch
NO one denies the menacing problems caused by the so-called yob culture. Decent law-abiding people are boycotting town and city centres at night because of the hooligan and drunken element within young people. And even at home, many decent law-abiding
visitors to a North-East castle are being invited to try some medieval-style courting. The age of romance is being resurrected at 12th Century Walworth Castle, near Darlington, County Durham. For £145 per person, couples can relive the Middle Ages in
AN entire rugby squad is to be questioned by police after an opposition player suffered serious head injuries during a match. Police are planning to quiz the Whitby Maroon rugby squad over the incident, which happened during a league match earlier this
Our Night Out Sunday nite at the bingo Eeeh my, what a treat. Seeing all ya friends, It really makes the nite. There's Cath and Ronnie Storey, Doreen and Eva too, Teresa and Ray Curry, And all the other crew. Then it's Eyes Down. Look in. Everybody quiet
WHEN I was at school I remember reading that the Nazi party won 90 per cent of the vote in a referendum held in Germany around 1933. Can you confirm this? - LD Wilson, Guisborough. THE Nazis received 38 per cent of the German votes in July 1932 (14 million
ARSONISTS may be responsible for a fire which swept through a North-East school causing massive damage. A police investigation is under way after the blaze at Hardwick Primary School, in Sedgefield, yesterday morning. Half the school was destroyed by
NEW laws to protect babies being adopted abroad and brought to Britain are to be pushed through Parliament, following the transatlantic battle for the Internet twins. The urgency to put more stringent controls in place was highlighted by the adoption
BOTTOM club Bradford City spoiled the party as Sunderland tried to celebrate their 100th Premiership game in front of a record 47,812 crowd at the Stadium of Light. New England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson watched as Peter Reid's men failed to extend their
IF Hartlepool United could stop throwing away points they wouldn't just be talking about being in the top three, they would be firmly entrenched in there. As Carlisle netted a last-gasp equaliser on Saturday, it took Pool's seasonal tally of dropped points
MIDDLESBROUGH footballer Christian Karembeu and his supermodel model wife are still looking for a home in the region - after being beaten to two properties. The French international told a national newspaper at the weekend that he and Adriana Sklenarikova
DISAPPOINTED Sunderland manager Peter Reid admitted after the goalless home draw against Bradford City: "We didn't have enough craft or guile." But the Wearside boss was full of praise for the battling Yorkshiremen, who denied Sunderland their first double
Tim Henman was left scratching his head for an answer yesterday after coming off a poor second to Pat Rafter in their Australian Open clash in Melbourne. Rafter, seeded 12th against Henman's eighth, kept the home flag flying at the first Grand Slam of
DARLINGTON FC chairman George Reynolds walked out of Saturday's game because he feared for his family's safety, it was revealed last night. The Quakers' owner left his seat in the director's box midway through the second half after being taunted by his
NEWCASTLE boss Bobby Robson showed his ruthless streak when he axed full-back Andy Griffin for Saturday's win at Leeds, writes CLIVE HETHERINGTON. Robson revealed that Griffin had been the unlucky victim of a selection policy aimed at maximising the Magpies
Darlington's season hit a new low as Chesterfield harshly reminded them of what life at the top used to be like. Fans have argued since the start of the season that this Darlington side isn't good enough, and the stark reality hit everybody. One Chesterfield
Darlington public relations director Luke Raine and newly titled 'director of football' revealed last night that chairman George Reynolds left the game early "because he was scared for his own safety". He also admitted that Quakers "are on the slide"
Defender Neil Aspin last night revealed he doesn't have a club lined up following his shock departure from Darlington. Aspin, who was signed in the summer of 1999, was released on Thursday by "mutual agreement" following a meeting with club officials.
Sir Alex Ferguson insists Dwight Yorke may not like his squad rotation policy, but he understands it. Yorke is expected to be on the Manchester United bench today against Aston Villa now that Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole are fully fit. The return of
HOUSEBUILDER Persimmon last night increased its proposed bid for Beazer Homes, in a move which once more throws doubt on Beazer's planned merger with Bryant. York-based Persimmon ended a dramatic week of corporate activity in the housebuilding sector
Gerard Houllier has given Terry Venables' Middlesbrough rescue act his seal of approval. The former French boss understands why the ex-England coach has adopted an ultra-defensive approach. Liverpool have lost only one League game since early December
CAUTIOUS Sunderland manager Peter Reid last night warned home fans in a full-house Stadium of Light crowd not to expect a slaughter against bottom-club Bradford City tomorrow. The struggling Yorkshire club was the last side to win a Premiership game on
GOAL-ACE Kevin Phillips, who comes under the scrutiny of new England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson for the second time in nine days at the Stadium of Light tomorrow, admitted last night: "Life can't get much better than it is at the moment." The little striker
CONFIDENT Hartlepool United chief Chris Turner last night insisted: "Promotion is within our grasp." Pool entertain Carlisle at Victoria Park this afternoon on the back of an unbeaten run stretching back to November 25 that includes a club record-equalling
OLD BROADS: She's got a fantastic figure, winning smile and an energetic personality and she's an amazing 67-years-old. Joan Collins may be a granny, edging towards her 70th birthday but she's still one of the hottest women around. In her latest film,
THE region's biggest provider of Internet connections believes it is set for a sparkling future after a management and employee buyout secured its future. Onyx Internet, based on the Riverside Park in Middlesbrough, appeared to be on the verge of folding
ONE hundred years on, Queen Victoria is regarded as a prude who was never amused. She coldly glowers out of grainy old photographs, a miserable matriach forever in mourning, sexually repressed and grimly passionless. Yet little of the popular image is
SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON PETER Mullen's reaction to the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson as coach of the England football team (Echo, Jan 16) missed the obvious candidate for parody. Himself. Has anyone noticed that Sven-Goran Eriksson is the product of
IF this column has had a recurring nightmare these past seven years on its knees, it's that we'll turn up and find the service long since started - or finished - or that no one else is there, or the bailiffs have been in or that there's a notice on the
IF EXERCISE is part of your life, then chances are it's part of your children's lives too. Active parents often produce active children for whom going for walks, swimming and playing football is the norm. With warnings that the computer age could be damaging
THE Northern TUC is launching a new forum next week designed to help trade unionists play a more effective role in the Government's lifelong learning agenda. The 'Education, Learning & Skills Forum', will bring together union Officers and representatives
AT the end of the presentation it didn't look like a huge plastic letter X as so many pundits had predicted. For all the ballyhoo surrounding the launch of Microsoft's first dedicated games console in over a decade, the Xbox looks remarkably staid. As
THE cracks have started to appear in George Reynolds' love affair with Darlington Football Club. The chants from the terraces have changed from the euphoric days following his rescue mission to bring the club back from the brink. Then it was "Georgie,
THE first multi-agency plan to create a better environment for elderly people has been produced by a local authority. Drafted by Middlesbrough Borough Council, the document followed a national pilot scheme entitled Better Government for Older People,
FIRST it was the floods, then the kind of permafrost which has turned much of the ground to iron, and to cap it all Parliament has just voted to ban foxhunting. In fact, which ever way you look at the situation it's been a pretty bleak couple of months
THE passion for wild flowers continues unabated. In recent years their presence has developed from a very minor one to something of enormous significance. There are now specialists who only supply wild flower seeds and plants to gardeners. It would be
A 140-year-old church which was forced to shut when its congregation fell to less than a dozen, could be demolished. The United Reformed Church, in South Church Road, Bishop Auckland, has been empty since closing a year ago. Andrew Toes, of estate agents
PROUD parents Andy and Karen Gascoigne could not believe their ears when midwives announced their third son Baily had entered the world at a healthy 9lb 14oz. That was exactly the same birth weight as their first two children. Midwives at Darlington Memorial
JUST over a month ago Boro fans would never have dreamt they could spend 45 minutes watching their team match a Liverpool side for passing and movement, and also create three or four scoring chances at Anfield. Then again six weeks ago many of the faithful
ROBERT LEE personified the never-say-die ethos which could yet carry Newcastle into Europe against all the odds. Midfield mainstay Lee made an amazing comeback after four weeks out with hamstring trouble as the enduring Magpies ensured Leeds were again
DARLINGTON Mowden Park staged the only North Division One match to go ahead on Saturday and went to the top with a 37-0 win at home to Driffield. They went above Blaydon on points difference and still have a game in hand, although it's the Tynesiders
With Pete Sampras having dropped four sets in three matches, it might seem harsh to dwell on the one and only lapse Tim Henman has had on his way to the last 16 in the Australian Open in Melbourne. But the word lapse does not quite convey what happened
THE possibility of a new rail link between London and the North, operated by some of the world's fastest trains, moved a step closer yesterday. The Shadow Strategic Rail Authority said it was inviting consultants to work on a detailed feasibility study
THE City has been awash with updates from retailers over the last couple of weeks, but one of the most eagerly-awaited - Marks & Sparks - has been kept almost to last. And with few companies set to report next week, its trading statement will provide
Margaret Thatcher had a word for it. "Frit" was her description of people of the spineless variety. So the Iron Lady wouldn't have hesitated to brand the current Prime Minister "Frit Tony" for his performance this week. Frit for backing out of the television
A YOUNG mother sold drugs on the way to pick up her daughter from school, a court heard yesterday. Juliet Mitchell, 25, was unaware that her customer was an undercover policeman, said prosecutor David Lamb. His attention was drawn to her odd behaviour
Back-to-form trainer Howard Johnson grabbed the limelight with a televised 54-1 double as Catterick took centre stage on Saturday. The North Yorkshire track provided the only afternoon action in the UK, with frost putting paid to the cards at Haydock,
SHARES in clothing supplier William Baird plunged more than 17 per cent today after plans for a £87.9m management buy-out were thrown into doubt. The buy-out vehicle, backed by venture capital group Alchemy Partners, said ''certain information'' had been
A MAN who suffered brain damage after a delay when he was a baby in diagnosing he had a chronic bowel condition was awarded £1.3m in an out-of-court settlement yesterday. Brian Conlon, 20, from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, was admitted to Sunderland General
Q: I get rebates on my rent and Council Tax and after paying my share I am left with £75.71. Yet the benefits section say I need £78.45 to live on. Why the gap? A: Your rent probably includes extras like water or heating charges, for which you cannot
COMMUNICATIONS giant BT has been accused of hiding the real cost of using the phone behind baffling blurb as new research suggested customers can pay anything between £83 and £287 for the same set of calls. The Plain English Campaign said it launched
