THE first patients have been admitted to the region's newest hospital. The £97m University Hospital of North West Durham opened its doors to the public for the first time this morning. Patients were transferred the short distance from Dryburn Hospital
A DRIVER who crashed into a police car during a city centre chase has been jailed. John King, 34, drove on the wrong side of the road and refused to stop even after the bonnet of his car flew up, blocking his view. Officers had to use CS spray to get
THE past will be brought to life on Saturday when Durham County Council stages its biggest local history fair. Yesterday Belongs To You, at County Hall, Aykley Heads, Durham City, is aimed at enthusiasts of local and family history. The event will feature
With the bad weather, the foot-and-mouth crisis and a possible election on the way, perhaps it's time to leave the country. Why not click on a holiday? There are plenty of bargains on the World Wide Web and just about all the major travel companies offer
A FLEET of canoes set sail on a spring cleaning voyage yesterday. The boats, manned by staff from Middlesbrough Borough Council, New Deal and youngsters from the Hemlington Lynx youth scheme, went out on Hemlington Lake, near Middlesbrough, as part of
A FORMER double glazing salesman conned his way into the homes of elderly people using his old doorstep sales technique, a court heard. Barry John Smith sounded convincing discussing his victims' glazing needs, but after distracting them, usually by asking
A LITTLE girl was today hailed a heroine after she calmly called an ambulance as her father fought for breath. Five-year-old Alexandria Hodgson kept a cool head when father Malcolm suffered a panic attack at their home at Marshall Drive, in Brotton, east
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Technical assistant, Northallerton. Up to £13,044pa, 37hrs pw. Must be educated to GNVQ level 3 and be computer literate. Driving licence needed. Ref
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Moulders, Billingham. £7.87ph, plus shift allowance, Mon-Fri 8hr shifts on 3-day shift system. Must be time-served moulder/core maker with experience
THE North-East entered a new phase in post-16 education yesterday, with the launch of the Learning and Skills Council. The council is a public body set up to increase the number of people in education and training outside higher education in England,
YOUNGSTERS from a community project showed driving ambition to complete a karting course. Five youngsters from The Links project took part in the ten-week off-road mechanics and driving course at Teesside Karting and Quads, at the Redcar and Cleveland
EIGHT council staff, whose jobs are under threat because of the proposed closure of a cash payments office, have been invited to give evidence to a committee. The workers will press their case for the council tax and rents payment office at Darlington
FIREFIGHTERS hope to get their safety message over to shoppers through a city centre shop window. The Milburngate Shopping Centre in Durham has given the county brigade community fire safety department use of an empty shop. It will use the former Fosters
PLANS to build the world's largest urban wind farm on land owned by beleaguered steelmaker Corus came a step closer yesterday. An agreement has been reached by Corus, Northern Electric and Gas and Amec Border Wind, to investigate the feasibility of building
MAXIMISING earnings for shareholders is a necessary function of businesses in the private sector. It is a task which helps companies attract funds for investment and, in turn, enhances profitability and creates even better returns for shareholders. It
POLICE have praised two men who took the law into their hands after witnessing a gang of teenagers firing a gun on a housing estate. But they are warning other public-spirited people to think carefully before becoming involved in similar situations. The
A SUPER slimmer hopes to be named the biggest loser. After losing three stones in eight months, Paul Tyrrell, of Stockton, has qualified for Slimming World's search for the country's Greatest Loser. If he convinces the judges he has lost the most weight
TEESSIDE businessman Gordon Styles is launching a venture bringing together 1,000 of the UK's brightest entrepreneurs. Management Styles Executive Forums will bring together groups of 15 highly motivated successful and open minded chief executives, for
TWENTY Three new members have joined the select Cleveland Potash 25-year club. Twenty per cent of the total workforce at Cleveland Potash are now members of the club, equivalent to 170 staff, amassing a massive 4,250 years service in total. The new members
A LONG-RUNNING dispute between neighbours ended in murder, a court heard yesterday. Roy Campbell, 61, of Oakerside Park, Peterlee, County Durham, appeared before Teesside Crown Court accused of killing his neighbour, Ronald Hanley. The court heard how
THE stories of 18 remarkable men who served their country with honour are included in a book launched this week. Major Roger Chapman has spent the past eight months embroiled in meticulous research - and the result is the first comprehensive guide to
YOUNG people in Tyne and Wear will be encouraged to take up the exciting challenges of engineering in a new project. Setpoint Tyne and Wear acts as a single point of contact, supporting the development of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics
A FORMER public relations executive has set up her own company, and has already won six diverse contracts. Jan Hilary Public Relations has been established in Shotley Bridge, County Durham, by Jan Hilary, former head of the public relations department
TIME is no longer standing still while justice is dispensed in a North-East court building. The clock at Durham Crown Court has remained inactive in recent years, able to neither tick nor chime. But after a visit by a team of expert clocksmiths, the time
The Baydale Beck pub, on the A67 between Darlington and Barnard Castle, has been put up for sale for £50,000. Wessex Taverns, which owns the popular pub, is selling it as part of a rationalisation programme. The sale is being handled by property agents
SIMPSON Print has continued its progressive expansion plan by opening a 17,000sq ft distribution and storage facility. The Washington, Tyne and Wear, printing firm, has experienced a substantial period of growth after securing contracts from national
A PROJECT to regenerate derelict land in and around the Port of Sunderland is to be spearheaded by Halcrow. The £850,000 second phase scheme has been commissioned by the City of Sunderland and regional development agency, One NorthEast. Halcrow will deliver
A BURGLAR has been promised by a judge that he will not go to prison if he stays out of trouble for the next six months. Sidney Palmer, 24, admitted stealing £2,300 worth of property from a house he burgled in Rotherfield Road, Sunderland on July 12 last
Visitors to a North Yorkshire castle will be able to see Normans and Saxons do battle later this month. English Heritage brings history to life in Richmond over the Easter weekend as Saxons and Vikings take on William the Conqueror's troops. The event
DETECTIVES are calling for vigilance among villagers after three burglaries which took place while people were away from home. Two houses in Middleton St George and one in Hurworth were broken into last week. There had previously been only five burglaries
SUNDERLAND are drawing up a comprehensive shortlist of strikers they plan to pursue over the summer months. And Slovakian front man Szilard Nemeth remains Peter Reid's top target, despite the intervention of neighbours Middlesbrough and top Italian outfits
THE Ministry of Agriculture last night apologised to villagers forced to live with piles of rotting carcasses near their homes for five days. Maff officials moved quickly to bring about an end to the misery of frustrated residents in Danby Wiske, near
Darlington manager Gary Bennett has appealed for plenty of backing from the fans as Quakers strive for three vital points at home to play-off chasing Southend tonight. If Quakers win this re-arranged game and improve their run of one defeat in nine games
SIXTY children from a Darlington primary school are cleaning up their area as part of a project organised by the borough council. Youngsters from Skerne Park Primary School have been working on the Personal Awareness of Social Skills project (Pass) since
A WORKER stole fridges and washing machines worth £14,000, a court heard yesterday. Robert Gunn, 57, worked in the customer complaints and exchanges department at Electrolux UK, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and sold items that had been returned.
A NORTH-EAST business woman has come up with a novel way to help local artists and crafts people secure more work in the region. Eurocrafts (Northumbria) has set up a regional cluster of more than 300 artists and craftsmen, specialising in gold, silver
PLANS for homes between two villages have won approval despite objections that the development will eat up a greenfield site. Durham City Council's development control committee has given permission for 19 homes to be built on grazing land in Waterhouses
TIME is to be called on under-age drinking, using new legal powers. Police swoops can be expected on trouble spots across Teesside, with the spotlight on adults who buy, or attempt to buy, alcohol for juniors. Police already have the power to confiscate
POLICE chiefs throughout the North-East have banded together in a concerted bid to tackle hate crime. The initiative between the Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland forces is aimed at encouraging hundreds of gay, lesbian and bisexual people, who may be
TOURISM chiefs are working to ensure that summer events go ahead despite the foot-and-mouth crisis. A special committee of Durham City Council is meeting weekly to keep a close watch on affected areas. It will immediately advise event organisers of any
HIGH-street menswear retailer Moss Bros has forecast a return to profit this year, despite falling almost £18m into the red. The company announced in May it would close three of its chains in a bid to target the more fashion-conscious male through a new
We are not amused A NORTHALLERTON restaurateur has failed in a bid to open an amusement arcade in the town. Councillors considering a licence application from Mr John Bassett, who wanted to install eight machines in an empty shop in East Road, were told
PALM Sunday is normally associated with wicker crosses and pilgrimages by donkey, but a North Yorkshire church will be rolling back the carpet this weekend for a more unusual celebration. The rafters at St Andrew's Church, in Grinton, will not be echoing
FOOT-AND-MOUTH I AM sure I am not the only person to be horrified by the stories of pregnant ewes being left to lamb, unaided and without shelter or protection of the elements for them and their new-born lambs. It is impossible to imagine their suffering
projects facing uncertainty following the collapse of South Bank Community Forum have been saved. After the forum folded in January due to financial problems, the future of its Government-funded projects looked bleak. Regeneration bosses from Redcar and
A HOTLINE to take calls from North-East farmers on foot-and-mouth disease opened yesterday. The inquiry line in the Newcastle Emergency Disease Control Centre will handle calls from farmers who suspect their livestock may have contracted the disease.
ANYONE interested in taking part in a live radio debate is being urged to apply for a ticket. More than 500 free tickets have already been snapped up for the BBC Radio 4 programme Any Questions?, at the Borough Hall, on Hartlepool's Headland, on Friday
MOTHER'S Day won't go by unnoticed on the Internet this Sunday. Whether you're a mum looking for some fun or a son or daughter looking for a gift, the Internet can help you out for Mother's Day. If you are a mum looking for the chance to chat to other
STAFF from The Body Shop, Darlington, are to help youngsters clean up their environment. They will join children from Sunnybrow, and members of Sunnybrow Residents' Action Group for a clean-up on April 10. All this month, workers from the shop will be
DETERMINATION and drive has won LYNN PERRY a role in the bus division of transport services group Arriva. She is the new human resources manager for Arriva Northumbria and Arriva North-East, based in Sunderland. She will be responsible for meeting the
JUMPING fans still in mourning over the cancellation of Cheltenham at least have Aintree to look forward to this week, plus a well above average card at Musselburgh today. Many of the big hitters in the betting ring tend to concentrate exclusively on
A centre has been launched to offer help and advice to hearing-impaired people. Run by Hearing Concern, the drop-in centre will be held on the first Tuesday of every month, from 1pm to 4pm, at the Abbey Day Centre in Pity Me, Durham. It will offer a wide
A TEENAGER was accused of arson at a North-East school, at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. The youngster, who cannot be named, is alleged to have set fire to West Park Primary School, Hartlepool, on October 26 last year. Another teenager, who also cannot
Moulders, Billingham. £7.87ph, plus shift allowance, Mon-Fri 8hr shifts on 3-day shift system. Must be time-served moulder/core maker with experience of steel foundry environment. Ref: BIG 11137. Control room operator, Thornaby. £8,886 to £11,418 pro
THREE police officers are to take part in a 24-hour badminton match - to help build an orphanage in Ghana. PCs Steve Norman and Phil Bird, together with Inspector Mark Rhodes, are all members of the Northallerton New Life Baptist Church, which is trying
FEARS that the remains of contaminated animals would have been exhumed and burned after a burial blunder have been quashed. Confusion reigned in Tow Law, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, after it was revealed animals from a foot-and-mouth infected
ONE-fifth of the workforce at Cleveland Potash have worked for the company for more than 25 years. Cleveland Potash's 25-year club received 20 new members at a ceremony held in Rushpool Hall, Saltburn, bringing the total membership to 170. Keith Jackson
Wolsingham School Productions performs The Fantastical Galactical Comic Cruise tonight, Wednesday and Friday, at 7.30pm. Tickets are still available and can be bought at the door. The cost is £4.25, £3.50 for concessions.
A FORMER RAF man took mail from the sergeants' mess and used the personal details of officers serving abroad to carry out credit card swindles. Ex-sergeant Peter Jones, 52, who had been a member of the mess at RAF Leeming, was caught on a hidden camera
Home Secretary Jack Straw has brought a former top cop out of retirement to investigate the controversial sidelining of Britain's most successful crimefighter. Mr Straw wants a full review of the management of the controversial Operation Lancet inquiry
EAST is meeting West at a manufacturing plant in Newton Aycliffe where 70 shopfloor staff are learning the secrets of Japanese working practices. Press setter operators at Tallent Engineering have embarked on an innovative training drive that incorporates
QUICK-witted bystanders have been praised for saving a man's life. The 50-year-old, who has not been named, was found by a lifeboat crew floating semi-conscious under the surface, 400 yards out to sea. Crew members of Redcar's inshore lifeboat thought
A CHARITY is hoping that spring will rejuvenate people's enthusiasm for volunteering. Staff at the Children's Society shop, in North Ormesby, hope others will be persuaded to help them out. Area retail manager Sarah Sharpe said: "You don't have to be
A COURSE to tempt former nurses back into the profession has proved so successful that it is being repeated. The success of its first nursing refresher course has prompted South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust to embark on another. Lasting four days, the scheme
Durham County Youth Choir is performing a spring concert on Thursday in Durham Town Hall to raise money for the Mayor's Appeal. The programme will feature sacred and secular music. Tickets cost £4 (concessions £2, family £10) and are available from Durham
A TEENAGER had £5,500 worth of crack cocaine for sale when police raided a house, a court heard yesterday. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was in a house in Middlesbrough with several others when officers raided the building last
A MAN from North Yorkshire complained to the Press Complaints Commission that an article published in The Northern Echo on October 24, last year, headlined "BSE may have hit youngest victim", revealed that his son had contracted new variant CJD (vCJD)
THE world's first indoor jungle adventure game, the brainchild of a County Durham man, has proved a phenomenal success in Europe. SAS Jungle, poised to become one of Sweden's biggest attractions, was devised by Garry Taylor, of Trimdon Village. The game
AN empty sheltered housing complex may be sold off. Winton House, off North Road, Darlington, has been left vacant since its last residents were transferred to alternative accommodation. Darlington Borough Council is to market the property to see if there
A businessman took up one of the oldest posts in North-East public life yesterday. Tom Swan was sworn in as the 1,007th High Sheriff of County Durham in a ceremony presided over by resident Judge Denis Orde, at Durham Crown Court. Mr Swan is the 58-year-old
AN inquest will open in Darlington youth court this morning into the death of a father-of-two who suffered a fractured skull as he walked home. Paul Simpson, 34, of Eldon Street, Darlington, died in Middlesbrough General Hospital on Monday, March 12,
A READY, steady cook-style event took place in aid of a children's hospice yesterday. A total of 130 tickets were sold for the event, which was held in Headlam Hall Hotel, Darlington. Organisers hope the "cook off" will raise about £900 for the Butterwick
A SUPER slimmer hopes to be named the biggest loser. After losing three stones in eight months, Paul Tyrrell, of Stockton, has qualified for Slimming World's search for the country's Greatest Loser. If he convinces the judges he has lost the most weight
BRAVE Liam Lyons can look forward to a normal childhood after undergoing the third major operation of his young life. Two-year-old Liam is recovering from an operation to close a hole in his heart which his parents hope will be the last surgery he has
ACROBATIC tots can now tire themselves out in the safety of their own baby gym. Babies aged from four months to two years can tumble down foam ramps, climb rope ladders above a foam pit, or wobble around in baby bouncers at Spennymoor Leisure Centre,
RAYMOND Calvert looks into the valley, palls of smoke rising from animal pyres. The dark clouds which hang above the burning carcasses of slaughtered beasts are an even darker omen for him and his family. An invisible county boundary separates his Yorkshire
IT may be rather early in the year to be discussing bats, but a correspondent from Snape near Bedale has written to tell me that, a few weeks ago, he and some friends noticed a pipistrelle above an allotment, flying around aimlessly, as if lost. The date
The Army today blasted William Hague after the Tory leader called for the military to be put in charge of the foot-and-mouth crisis. Mr Hague said "decisive action" was needed because the epidemic had left the Ministry of Agriculture "hopelessly overstretched
'HI. Now look, y'know, because I'm a regular kinda guy, I just wanna level with you and tell you why The Sun decided - sorry, I mean why I decided - to postpone the date of the General Election. But it's not true - it's really not true - that this has
HOLME House prison is alongside the Portrack Lane Retail Park in Stockton. Last time we were inside, the inmates shouted very rude things through the windows. "They shout very rude things at everybody," said a prison officer, by way of feeble reassurance
Off to Peterlee v West Auckland, swell the paltry new town numbers, and bump straight into the ever-loyal Jimmy Anderson. He's there to watch Dale, his lad, though Dale wears the number 14 shirt and spends much of the match out of sight in the West Auckland
A university has denied its future is under threat due to falling student numbers. According to Natfhe, the lecturers' union, Sunderland University is one of five across the county to be put under emergency supervision by the Higher Education Funding
A MAN suffered a fractured wrist, broken nose and multiple cuts and bruises when he was assaulted outside a pub. The attack happened at about 1.45am last Tuesday, outside Flares, on Albert Road, Middlesbrough. The victim, in his forties, suffered serious
IT firm Perfect Image, of Newcastle, has been awarded Investors in People status as a reward for a nine-year training programme to ensure its staff are the best in the business. The company has undergone a period of dramatic growth and development over
ANTI-cruelty campaigners hope to give punters a run for their money when they demonstrate against horse racing outside a betting shop today. Protestors from the Newcastle Animal Rights Coalition will be dressed as a pantomime horse to try to persuade
A DUSTBIN derby and a giant snakes and ladders game are some of the fun in store for youngsters this week. Children from eight primary schools are to attend Hartlepool's Environment Roundabout event. More than 350 pupils are expected to attend the event
A GULF War veteran who defied a driving ban four times in three days was jailed yesterday. Adrian Stewart walked from court on bail on March 8 having admitted a string of offences, including driving while disqualified. He collected his car from Harrogate
WOODHAM Community Technology College, Newton Aycliffe, will run a beginners' course on the Internet on Tuesday evenings from May 1. Other adult courses it is launching include word processing, spread sheets and data bases, and an introduction to computing
A POPULAR county councillor is stepping aside after 26 years representing the people of two Derwentside communities. Len James has been a Durham county councillor representing Craghead and South Moor since the mid-70s. At a recent meeting of the two wards
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. PSV driver, Spennymoor. Both full and part-time hours available. Must be experienced with current PSC licence and flexible regarding hours worked. Ref
ON the day that a new £97m hospital opened for business, health bosses have admitted they do not have enough doctors to run a clinic for patients with diabetics. Dr Eric Sanders, a diabetes specialist at Durham's Dryburn Hospital - which is moving "next-door
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. PCV fitter, Peterlee. £6.94ph, 39hrs pw, plus overtime. Must be time-served diesel fitter and hold current driving licence. PCV licence an advantage
ELSIE Widgery reckons hard work is the secret of a long life - and she should know. She celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her friends at the Oaklands Country Rest Home at Green Hammerton, near York. Birthday wishes poured in from friends elsewhere
THE long-awaited decision on who will run the East Coast Main Line was delayed yet again yesterday. Franchise bidders GNER and Virgin were due to learn last July who had won the right to run services on the line, which links the North-East with London
GOVERNMENT officials were fighting a desperate battle last night to dispose of thousands of animals killed because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. As another case was confirmed in County Durham yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture (Maff) admitted one
A campaign to reduce the numbers of road accidents and property thefts is to be launched in an initiative in Hartlepool next week. Hartlepool Borough Council's road safety unit has joined forces with Cleveland Police to promote a Cycle Safe Cycle Secure
RESIDENTS and business across Hartlepool are being urged to do their bit to make the town a cleaner and more attractive place. Council officials are asking them to set aside half-an-hour each week to clear up the area around their homes and premises.
Teesside Hospice is hosting a Las Vegas night. The event takes place next Wednesday, from 7.30pm, at The Ladle Hotel, Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough. It includes a cabaret featuring "Elvis Presley" and dancing to the group 18-30, which covers hits from the
A COMMUNITY association is appealing for help after its centre suffered the latest in a series of vandal attacks. Panes of glass were smashed at the centre in Front Street, Sherburn Hill, at the weekend, and Sherburn Hill Community Association officials
FED-UP doctors in the region have begun to talk about leaving the NHS because of excessive workloads, according to a senior GP. More than 300 GPs around the country have signed undated resignation letters to demonstrate their anger at what they say are
PETER Reid will tomorrow get the opportunity to cast an eye over striking target Thorstein Helstad after the Norwegian striker sat out last night's friendly draw at Hartlepool. Sunderland boss Reid had a £1.5m offer rejected for the 18-goal front man
A MAN jailed for an attack in which three students were bundled into a van and forced to disclose their bank pin numbers, has failed to have his conviction overturned. Michael Carty, 28, of Enderby Road, Sunderland was jailed for five years at Newcastle
THE driver of a coach which plunged down a ravine in South Africa killing 27 British tourists, including a North-East woman, has been jailed for six years. Titus Dube, 42, was also banned from driving for six years at Lydenburg Regional Court after pleading
STUDIOUSLY avoiding anywhere where farm animals might roam, due to the current crisis, it was perhaps ironic that I chose the Horsemarket in Darlington for my latest outing. This delightful square in the centre of Darlington - although home to a regular
A LIST of walks in the area that are still open has been issued by Darlington Borough Council. Parts of or the whole of the following are open: Cemetery Lane and Nunnery Lane, the east side of Baydale Beck, the Black Path at Faverdale, Rear Branksome,
CIVIL engineering company Lumsden and Carroll has moved into £1m office accommodation, a stone's throw away from its former headquarters in County Durham. The Esh Winning firm, which has a turnover of £23m, hosts local authorities, One NorthEast and national
A MAN is facing community service and a life ban from keeping animals after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to his pet dog. George Graver, of Central Avenue, St Helen Auckland, pleaded guilty to keeping the bull mastiff-type dog in dirty and
GEORGE REYNOLDS, DARLINGTON FOOTBALL CLUB CHAIRMAN MULTI-millionaire George Reynolds submitted his favourite Parker pen for a psychic reading by Jessie Byers and Lena Dickeson, both members of Sunderland's Spiritualist Church. They were not told whose
