WHEN I first met four-year-old Ben Collins last year, he ignored me. But back then, he ignored his little sister and barely acknowledged the presence of his loving parents. The only sounds he made were a high-pitched squeal and he had little understanding
CAMPAIGNERS hope to win places for more village children at their popular local primary school. A parents' action group, Coxhoe Kids in Coxhoe School, has already successfully fought for five extra places to be provided for five-year-olds at Coxhoe Primary
FOOT-AND-MOUTH THE foot-and-mouth crisis is just the latest turn in the downward spiral of British agriculture. It is a terrible tragedy for the farming community, but it has had an impact way beyond farming, resulting in losses to tourism of £200m per
NOW apparently is a good time to play Leicester. Terry Venables would agree with that, and it seemed fitting it was against the Foxes that Boro should go a long way towards guaranteeing Premiership safety. In November, manager Bryan Robson certainly didn't
CAMPAIGNERS have described planning decisions made by councillors in Darlington as a "sham". People affected by developments in the town during the past couple of years are demanding to know why their views have not been taken into account by Darlington
DURHAM cask beer fans have launched a campaign to promote wider sale of their favourite tipple. The local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) is backing a national campaign, Ask if it's Cask, to urge beer drinkers to ensure that landlords, pub
TENS of thousands of rail passengers began making the most of a cheap fairs offer aimed at getting the nation back on the rails today. GNER has been selling off tickets to travel anywhere on its routes for £5, or £10 return, following major disruption
Darlington put down the welcome mat for Brian Little on Saturday - and sent their former manager home with all three points. Just as there was a fairytale for Quakers under Little a decade ago when they won the Conference and old Fourth Division, the
AN initiative to cut burglary in Stockton has been praised by the Government. The initiative, which involved two separate schemes, received more than £100,000 of Government funding and was run by the Safer Stockton Partnership. It was one of a series
MEMBERS of a project are celebrating after receiving a huge grant, which will enable them to keep going for the next three years. Without the £127,815 grant from the Community Fund, Home-Start Teesside was facing financial difficulties and possible redundancies
A CENTRE which caters for children with disabilities and special needs alongside other youngsters is holding an open day. Thornaby Family Centre and After Schools Project, at Tedder Primary School, Thornaby, provides day, after-school and holiday care
WOMEN entrepreneurs are being invited to take part in a course designed to boost their confidence. The course, which is called Personal Best, will be piloted in the North-East, and will take place on May 3 and 4, at The George Hotel, Chollerford, near
A GLIMPSE of shopping habits in Stockton is on display in venues across the town centre. The exhibition, Proof of Purchase, forms part of Stockton's first Glimpse visual arts festival. It is a trail of artwork, made up of till receipts supplied to artist
THE property market in Darlington is at its most buoyant for a decade. Low interest rates are the main reason for the housing boom. On average, houses which are put on the market are being sold within three months and there is demand for every sort of
Ruud van Nistelrooy will finally complete his £18 million move to Manchester United this week. The 24-year-old Dutch striker has passed a medical on his knee injury and will join the Premiership champions once he's agreed personal terms. The medical showed
RESIDENTS on a Darlington estate are being reassured that action will be taken to stop youths causing trouble near their homes. There have been complaints made about youth activities and nuisance in the Lingfield area. The problem mainly involves youngsters
HOUSING associations in Darlington have been given almost £3m to spend on new developments. The Housing Corporation has allocated a sum of £2.7m for development in the town during 2001/02. This is an increase on last year's £1.9m. Darlington Borough Council's
BUSINESSES in Hartlepool are being warned to dispose of waste legally amid concerns they may be duped into paying unlicensed people to deal with it. Hartlepool Borough Council is warning town traders of their responsibilities when it comes to getting
THE work of North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast is to benefit from funding of £22,500. Yorventure's grant will enable countryside projects officer Liz Kelly to coordinate more than 12 conservation and environmental improvement projects along
PLANNED flood defences could double up as a new attractions for walkers and cyclists under a scheme now being discussed. Proposals are being submitted for defences at Malton and Norton, which will consist of embankments and flood walls. Leisure plans
A PLANE was forced to make a crash landing at a North-East airport after its wheels failed to lower. Teesside International Airport was put on full emergency at 2.30pm on Saturday after the pilot of the Cessna 441 twin propeller aircraft reported that
PARTS of a Local District Plan dealing with green belt land and housing are to be aired. Chester-le-Street District Council is holding a meeting of the executive committee today to discuss the plan. A report from the council's planning services manager
GIRLS who were pupils at Teesside High during the 1980s and 1990s are being invited to a school reunion. Caroline Turner, nee Laverick, is organising the event at the Eaglescliffe School, for Saturday, May 5. Tickets are £10 each and includes lunch and
DURHAM Jail plans to double the production of hand-crafted football goal nets made by inmates. About 40 prisoners in the high security jail make 750 nets a year for customers including Premiership clubs Sunderland and Leeds. The business is growing and
DETECTIVES are investigating claims that a man was subjected to an hour-long torture ordeal at the hands of a stranger. The victim told police how he was forced to mop up his own blood, before the beating continued. The 21-year-old, who has asked not
PARALYMPIC golden girl Tanni Grey-Thompson triumphed again when she finished first in the London Marathon wheelchair race yesterday. Tanni, from Redcar, Teesside, won the women's race after completing the 26 mile circuit in 2hrs 13mins 55 secs. It is
TORY leader William Hague found himself caught up in the foot-and-mouth crisis yesterday. The disease was confirmed by Ministry of Agriculture (Maff) officials at Home Farm, in Catterick, North Yorkshire. The farm, owned by John Watson, is only half a
TRIBUTES have been paid to a councillor and former publican who has died. Bob Wood was Conservative councillor for Stockton's Fairfield ward. The 74-year-old entered local government in 1995, as Stockton prepared to become a unitary authority. Before
THE crew of a warship have been given the chance of sinking their Premiership heroes on the football field. Sailors from HMS Newcastle are on the crest of a wave after their captain secured them a friendly match against Newcastle United. The sailors will
A teenager who is deaf and going blind has been honoured for leaping from a plane at 13,000ft. Once-healthy Nicola Henderson, 17, has been forced to cope with the devastating effects of Usher syndrome. Despite losing her hearing and almost all her vision
TORY leader William Hague found himself caught up in the foot-and-mouth crisis yesterday. The disease was confirmed by Ministry of Agriculture (Maff) officials at Home Farm, in Catterick, North Yorkshire. The farm, owned by John Watson, is only half a
ONE of east Cleveland's largest employers has a new personnel officer. Maxine Hamilton is the personnel officer for Cleveland Potash, at the Boulby Mine, and has a post-graduate certificate in human resource management. Ms Hamilton joins the company after
THE Government is poised to redraw the funding formula which has created a massive divide between the North-East and Scotland. Public spending is now more than £1bn higher in Scotland than the North-East as a result of the controversial Barnett funding
WOMEN entrepreneurs are being invited to take part in a course designed to boost their confidence. The course, which is called Personal Best, will be piloted in the North-East, and will take place on May 3 and 4, at The George Hotel, Chollerford, near
A TUTOR known to his pupils as Mr Music has been charged with a string of sex offences on girls. Clifford Barratt, 71, the former music coordinator with Gateshead Borough Council, was arrested in connection with abuse allegations dating back 20 years.
TWO books by the North-East's JFK assassination expert could explode myths surrounding the president's death. Stanley academic Mel Ayton is having two controversial books published this year. The first, Questions of Conspiracy, provides evidence that
TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular pensioner who died while visiting his daughter in South Africa. Widower John Kyle, from Pheonix Place, Shildon, County Durham, died from a stroke two weeks ago. The 71-year-old went to South Africa, in February, to
Morocco's Abdelkader El Mouaziz triumphed to take the men's title at the 21st London Marathon. And Ethiopia's Derartu Tulu completed an African double by claiming the women's crown. The brilliant El Mouaziz, the 1999 winner, cruised home in a personal
A VISUAL arts experience is being planned for Stockton next month. The work, called 12 hours, is being put on by artists Dave Allinson and Michelle Tripp. It will involve simultaneous light, video and slide projections and installations at three venues
GARDENING guru Simon Cross helped North-East students reopen their plant centre for the summer. The star of Tyne Tees' The Real DIY Show gave his support to the business, run by Durham college students. Gardening enthusiasts can buy shrubs, summer bedding
ONE of the leaders of North Yorkshire's long battle of the pylons is now standing for public office. Professor Mike O'Carroll is chairman of Revolt, the campaign group that has been fighting against the National Grid's plan to erect giant pylons through
POLICE have warned small businesses to be on the alert after cheats started to target firms with an advertising scam. The conmen are claiming to be offering cheap advertising space on items such as menus, desktop blotters and calendars. But when the offers
THE Sunderland-Newcastle Premiership derby passed without serious incident, police said yesterday, even though they made 160 arrests. Saturday's 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light kicked off at 5.15pm so it could be screened live on Sky TV, despite concerns
THOUSANDS of motorists are to be quizzed in an operation to decide on the future of one of the major routes through North Yorkshire. Their journeys along the busy A64 York to Scarborough road will be interrupted when they are stopped and quizzed by teams
PATIENTS were evacuated from smoke-filled wards as firefighters battled a mock hospital blaze yesterday. Fire engines from Bishop Auckland, Crook and Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, were on the scene minutes after the alarm sounded at Bishop Auckland
THROW the doubts away and look forward to a couple of extra games this season - Hartlepool United are surely in the play-offs now. A single-goal triumph over Scunthorpe on Saturday was just what the manager and fans ordered as Pool all but mathematically
A HEART charity is inviting people to pit their knowledge of antiques against that of an expert. The Durham branch of the British Heart Foundation is holding an antiques valuation quiz evening in Durham Town Hall on Wednesday, May 16. Sotheby's expert
A DANCE academy is celebrating trophy success while setting its sights on its next national competition. Dancers from Dianne White's Academy of Dance, in Shildon, have returned from a national competition in Blackpool with two third places. Bethany Rushby
SCOUTS from across Middlesbrough got together yesterday, to take part in a St George's Day parade. Fronted by District Parade Leaders, 800 Scouts marched along a route, which took in Albert Road, Corporation Road and Grange Road. They were led by the
SCOTTISH and Newcastle is reported to be on the verge of selling 650 of its pubs for up to £350m. The Tyneside brewer is understood to have chosen Enterprise Inns and Noble House as preferred bidders for the deal, which is expected to be completed in
YOUNGSTERS in Hartlepool are to be given help with their homework with the introduction of special clubs at the town's libraries. The clubs are being set up following a successful bid for National Lottery money from the New Opportunities Fund (NOF). The
A CONFERENCE being held in the region later this week will hear how the war on drugs is being fought in the North-East. Mo Mowlam MP will attend the Cleveland Police Authority meeting on Thursday to discuss what can be done to stop dealers. Along with
PUB staff are hoping to celebrate England's patron saint's day with a bang because they believe it has been overshadowed by less patriotic festivities. Every year, St Patrick's Day is seen in England as a chance to let your hair down and have a few drinks
STUART Nichols has only been on the footplate of the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum for less than a year, but already there have been a lot of changes. Most notably, paying visitors have increased 28 per cent and a major redevelopment scheme has
COUNCILLORS are being urged to approve a strategy aimed at tackling the problem of ageing trees in Darlington. Darlington owes the many trees which line its streets and grace its cemeteries and parks to the Victorians, who planted them as a sign of the
WHEN Sunderland supporters start asking ex-Magpie star Peter Beardsley for his autograph at half-time during a home derby game against arch-rivals Newcastle United there is certainly something odd going on. And it wasn't because the Wearsiders were so
ONE of classical music's most popular works will be performed by Durham Choral Society next month. The society will perform Haydn's The Creation on Saturday, May 19, in Durham Cathedral. The soloists will be Linda Gerrard, Kevin McLean-Mair and Simon
DARLINGTON'S newest health club is opening its doors ten days ahead of schedule. The Mayor of Darlington, Councillor Dorothy Long, has visited Bannatyne Fitness and unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of the £3m development. The Haughton Road club has
Newcastle's Jonny Wilkinson looks certain to be fit for this summer's British Lions tour of Australia. The inspirational England fly-half came off injured in the Falcons' 17-12 European shield defeat by Harlequins on Sunday. Rob Andrew, Newcastle director
AIRPORT chiefs will this week be urged to back a partnership aimed at strengthening the position of the North-East's biggest airport. The Public Private Partnership (PPP) will be between Newcastle International Airport and Copenhagen Airport. The deal
LONDON Electricity is to go head-to-head with rival Northern Electric in the battle for North-East customers. The gas and electricity provider, which employs more than 1,000 staff at its customer services centre at Doxford, near Sunderland, is targeting
MOTORCYCLE groups completed a bike ride yesterday in aid of an animal charity. The Hartlepool Misfits and other local motorcycle clubs rode from Hartlepool to the regional branch of the National Canine Defence League, in Sadberge, near Darlington. They
British film director Mark Herman, who wrote and directed Brassed Off, Little Voice and Purely Belter, will give a talk at the University Of Teesside on Wednesday. Anyone who would like to ask him questions is invited to the main lecture theatre, Constantine
MILLIONS of pounds has been promised to help businesses hit by the foot-and-mouth crisis - but so far not a penny has been handed over. Prime Minister Tony Blair announced earlier this month that tourism bosses would get £6m to promote their industry,
LAST night, the Government came close to admitting what The Northern Echo has been trumpetting for years: the Barnett formula is an unfair way of sharing out central government money and needs to be reformed. Even the man who drew it up in 1977, Joel
A DRAMA group is heading back to the rock 'n' roll era of 1950s' America for its latest production. The Cestrian Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society, based in Chester-le-Street, broke new ground last year when it staged Return to the Forbidden Planet
STUART Nichols has only been on the footplate of the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum for less than a year, but already there have been a lot of changes. Most notably, paying visitors have increased 28 per cent and a major redevelopment scheme has
ONE of the region's leading public schools has paid tribute to a former teacher for his tireless work and contribution. Anthony Rowell, who died on April 15, at the age of 81, taught at Barnard Castle School, in County Durham, for 37 years, and made a
ABANDONED greyhounds have caused a headache for an animal charity - and given Pat Smith a full house. Eight greyhounds are roaming Ms Smith's home, six of them permanent guests, and the other two waiting to go to foster homes. Ms Smith, of Newby, between
A CONFERENCE being held in the region later this week will hear how the war on drugs is being fought in the North-East. Mo Mowlam MP will attend the Cleveland Police Authority meeting on Thursday to discuss what can be done to stop dealers. Along with
A PHARMACIST who won damages of £400,000 when a colleague falsely accused him of rape is suing his bosses for sexual discrimination. Martin Garfoot, 48, said his reputation was left in tatters after the claims made by Lynn Walker, a fellow pharmacist
AN EXHIBITION recounting the First World War bombardment of Hartlepool has been extended just as a programme on the town's darkest hour is about to be shown across the country. The display at the Museum of Hartlepool, in the marina, began on November
BUSINESSES are being urged to make Durham a blaze of colour this summer and help its chances of competition success. The city has twice won awards in the Britain in Bloom competition and was chosen last year to host the first national finals ceremony
I WOULD like to know how the fields at the top of Hurworth, just off Blind Lane, got their name, the Ring Fields? Ray Robinson, Middleton St George. THE Ring Fields at Hurworth are described in a book published in 1808 by Edith Harper, entitled Hurworth-on-Tees
TWO books by the North-East's JFK assassination expert could explode myths surrounding the president's death. Stanley academic Mel Ayton is having two controversial books published this year. The first, Questions of Conspiracy, provides evidence that
