GENERAL ELECTION WILL Tony Blair, during the General Election campaign, visit his great legacy, that testament to and symbol of New Labour, the Millennium Dome? "The Dome will be the first paragraph of Labour's next Election manifesto." These were the
A NEW crime-fighting initiative will tackle teenage tearaways responsible for hundreds of crimes in County Durham. In March, Durham Youth Offending Service was allocated £900,000 as part of a Government scheme to tackle youth crime. The service has developed
VILLAGERS campaigning for the closure of a mass foot-and-mouth burial pit have united with protest groups across the nation. The campaign to close the mass grave of animal carcasses in Tow Law, County Durham, has been gathering pace ever since villagers
health and safety officers have told of the results of their preliminary investigations into an explosion which destroyed a home. The semi-detached home of Nicola Dunning, 39, at Eaton Court, Foxwood, York was ripped apart on Tuesday. She was still being
PET owners have caused a stink in their village after the organisers of an annual sports event were forced to cancel it due to the amount of dog dirt on the playing field. Residents of Cotherstone, in County Durham, are furious after it was revealed that
A CHART-TOPPING soul star has been in the region to encourage young people to turn their backs on drugs. Jazzie B, from Soul II Soul, was at the Arc, in Stockton, as part of a play called Two Dexx, which was presented by the Teesside Drug Education team
PUPILS and staff at a North-East school stepped out in the wrong trousers yesterday to promote the annual Wallace and Gromit's Wrong Trousers Day in aid of a local children's hospice. The pupils of English Martyrs School in Stockton, from left, Thabiso
IF the General Election is a boxing match, there is no way the Conservatives can win on points. They are already too far behind in the polls, so they need a knock-out blow. To be fair, on Tuesday night they probably landed a punch on Labour with their
IF the General Election is a boxing match, there is no way the Conservatives can win on points. They are already too far behind in the polls, so they need a knock-out blow. To be fair, on Tuesday night they probably landed a punch on Labour with their
SHOPPERS can now pick up information about cancer as well as their weekly shopping. The Cancer Research Campaign has joined forces with Asda to pilot its touch screen information service in two stores - one in Tyne and Wear and the other in the Midlands
STUNNING paintings of Whitby and Scarborough by leading Victorian artist John Atkinson Grimshaw are set to fetch up to £470,000 at a London auction next month. Top price, of up to £350,000, is expected for Grimshaw's spectacular image of Whitby, painted
Bishop Auckland sixth former Jill Drury won bronze in a Science Olympiad for the nation's most talented physicists. Her brother, Paul, who is in year 11 at St John's RC Comprehensive School, won a merit in the national competition. Sixth former John Lamb
WHEN The Northern Echo reported the deaths of Ray Lea and Julian Carroll, whose bodies were found suspended in a subterranean waterfall, the same thought ran through the heads of hundreds of cavers in the region: there but for the grace of God go I. All
A rapist who terrorised a red light area was put behind bars for 15 years yesterday. Paul Kennedy, 38, attacked four prostitutes at knife point and blindfolded two of them with tape. Police issued warnings to the 150 vice girls in Middlesbrough not to
AN election candidate left the campaign trail to spend a day as a voluntary worker. North Durham's Labour Party candidate Kevan Jones served breakfast, helped recycle furniture, worked for Marie Curie Cancer Care, and brewed tea for patients at Chester-le-Street
Matthew Hoggard was instructed to stay on with England at Lord's yesterday instead of joining Yorkshire at Chelmsford but the state of his own fitness remained unclear on a day of confusion. Yorkshire had been expecting Hoggard to check in at their team
A REUNION for anyone born or brought up in Crookhall, near Consett, in the 1940s and 1950s is being organised. There will also be a brief presentation of the 800-year history of the village, and a buffet. The history has been researched by villager John
WORK has started to remove floodwater which has left a school playing field submerged for a year. Parents and parish councillors expressed fears for the safety of pupils at Bishop Middleham Primary School because of the flooding. Drainage work on the
Liverpool were crowned the cup kings of Europe today after winning a fantastic UEFA Cup Final to complete an incredible treble. The Reds beat Alaves 5-4 with a golden goal three minutes from the end of extra time in a sensational match to wrap up a mind-blowing
THE Labour Party received a pre-election boost yesterday with figures showing a record number of people in work and unemployment continuing to fall. Despite speculation that the jobless total might start creeping back towards the politically sensitive
SMALL businesses and people across Teesside could be the target of an international scam, according to fraud squad officers from Cleveland Police. Officers are warning people to be on their guard after a spate of letter posted from West Africa, which
A DEVASTATED farmer has labelled ministry officials as "incompetent and insensitive" after telling him his sheep would have to be inspected - three weeks after they were slaughtered. Major Malise Graham, of Holme House Farm, Piercebridge, near Darlington
THE introduction of a new communications system for police in North Yorkshire could be delayed because of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The digital system is due to be introduced across the county in phases, starting from October. However, delays are now
THE introduction of a new communications system for police in North Yorkshire could be delayed because of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The digital system is due to be introduced across the county in phases, starting from October. However, delays are now
A MAN has admitted indecently assaulting a young mother who said she woke up in her home to find him attacking her. Terence Clark, 41, was accused of raping the woman after turning up at her house looking for a party in the early hours of October 11,
Nissan today revealed an annual net profit of £1.9 billion. The figures confirmed a dramatic improvement in fortunes for the Japanese car giant which has failed to make a profit in seven out of the last eight years. The turnaround follows a huge cost
A CHARITY concert has been organised in memory of a teenager who died in a road accident. Rebecca Gray, 18, died after being involved in an accident in Skegness, Lincolnshire, in December last year. It happened six years after she fought a successful
Letters from The Northern Echo STRAY HORSES AS a long time resident of Bishop Auckland I feel I can speak at first hand on the perpetual stray horse problem of the area. I have seen horses roaming all over - from picnic areas to busy by-passes to private
ART gallery visitors will be able to have their personal treasures valued by an expert. Guy Haskell, from Phillips Auctioneers, will be at Gateshead's Shipley Art Gallery on Saturday, from 11am to 2.30pm, not May 12 as stated in last week's Northern Echo
A MAN charged with possessing a wild common buzzard had his court case adjourned yesterday. Peter Andrew Hill, 24, was due to appear before Sunderland Magistrates to face four charges, including possessing a controlled wild bird under the Wildlife and
A MOTHER and three children fled from a blaze that wrecked their home. Carol Monaghan and her youngsters escaped unscathed from the flames which severely damaged the sitting room of their home in Southport Close, Portrack, Stockton. It took firefighters
ANOTHER bleak day for Durham brought news that coach Martyn Moxon has joined the casualty list and is to have a back operation in Leeds today. Middlesex won the toss and on a docile Riverside pitch they reached 182 for two before heavy rain ended play
CONSERVATIONISTS are making a dummy run at offering a home to a species of rare sea birds. A man-made decoy colony of little terns has been installed on an island of slag deposit off South Gare, near Redcar, east Cleveland, in a bid to attract the real
FINAL preparations are now being made for the city of Ripon's 2001 Spring Festival. Events to suit all ages have been lined up for the annual event, which begins on May 22 and continues until June 3. A major addition to this year's festival is the involvement
TESTING has started on the revolutionary lifting mechanism of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Engineers are starting a series of tests on the hydraulic rams and complex control equipment that will lift the world's first rotating bridge. It will take
RECEIVERS at shipyard operator Cammell Laird are close to completing the sale of its overseas operations. But they fear that the UK yards, including those on the Tyne and the Tees, could close unless new work or buyers are found in the next few months
PHOTOGRAPHS from a camera found with the bodies of two cavers near Ingleton have helped a coroner to piece together their final hours. They show how George Raymond Lea, 58, of Vancouver Street, Darlington, and Julian Carroll, 29, of Hotspur Street, Tynemouth
ENQUIRIES are being generated from the other side of the world by a specialist food company after branching into e-commerce with the help of Business Link North Yorkshire. First Choice Expedition Foods has received orders from Australia, Brazil, South
DARLINGTON manager Gary Bennett is interested in Sunderland winger Neil Wainwright. Wainwright, 23, was a big hit at Feethams in the failed promotion campaign two seasons ago, scoring four times in 16 appearances while on loan from Sunderland. Wainwright's
A FATHER-of-four appeared in court yesterday accused of causing the deaths of the ten people who died in the Selby rail disaster. Gary Hart, 36, of Church Lane, Strubby, Lincolnshire, appeared before Selby Magistrates Court in connection with the crash
Police officers got the silent treatment from a caller who had dialled 999. So they traced the number and rushed to an address in Sale Moor, south Manchester, where they peered through a window - only to see Sky the white cockatiel pressing buttons on
A group has received a £6,700 Local Heritage Initiative grant to improve its photographic history display. The newly-formed Consett Iron Company and Derwentside Local Heritage Association received the cash from the leader of Derwentside District Council
Cabinet bruiser John Prescott could be charged for punching an egg-throwing countryside protester. Police said they would be interviewing the Deputy Prime Minister about his street brawl with Craig Evans in Rhyl, North Wales. Mr Prescott, 62, lashed out
TONY Blair was publicly urged by high-profile supporters within his own party - Peter Mandelson and John Burton included - to adopt a more direct approach in his campaigning: ditch the stage-management and the spin; get in amongst real people. How ironic
TONY BLAIR was confronted yesterday by the partner of a cancer patient who said Labour had failed the NHS after years of trying to improve it. The incident marred what was supposed to be the smooth launch of the party's manifesto, with Mr Blair promising
THE victim of a savage sex attacker broke her silence last night in a bid to catch her assailant before he strikes again. The mother-of-two was subjected to a terrifying sex assault - described by one detective as the worst he had seen in 27 years - as
Terry Venables has decided on his future with Middlesbrough but will not make a decision until chairman Steve Gibson returns from a business trip in South Africa. Speculation is mounting that the Boro head coach is set to turn his back on a lucrative
FORMER track bookmaker Alan Hutton, who saved Brough Park from the bulldozer three years ago, has bought the flourishing Tyneside track. And now the boss at Team Greyhounds is planning a massive extension scheme on site. Hutton stepped in to take up the
DETAILS have been announced of a £1m package to prevent a repeat of the worst excesses of November's disastrous flooding. More than 60 flood prevention projects will be funded across North Yorkshire, to be paid for by an increase in council tax. Work
MOVES to provide free emergency contraception pills from chemist shops are under way in the region, it was confirmed last night. The so-called "morning-after pill" is already available free of charge from NHS outlets such as GP surgeries and family planning
A NUMBER of cars have been targeted by thieves in Darlington over the past three days, police have said. A compact disc player was stolen from a vehicle in St Paul's Place, and an X-registered Peugeot in St Andrew's Place had body panels and parts stolen
HARTLEPOOL United and the play-offs just don't go together. For the second season running Pool have suffered end-of-season agony. Last year it was Darlington, this time around it was Blackpool's turn to inflict play-off pain on Chris Turner's side and
AN ex-male stripper has been selling kisses for a good cause. Adrian Bouchet is appearing at Billingham Forum in an adult comedy, Naked Flame, about firemen who pose for a calendar. At the end of each performance a collection is taken for Cleveland Firefighters
PARENTS with multiple birth children in the Langbaurgh area are being invited to take part in a new monthly support group. The twins club will meet at Redcar Health Centre. Parents are invited to come along to share ideas, or just for a coffee and break
THE director of one of British cinema's best-known youth films will attend a double launch party in the region on Saturday night. Franc Roddam, a native of Stockton, will be in the town for the celebration at arts venue The Arc. The event will see the
THE biggest problem the Labour Government faces during the election is how it can overcome its image of being all spin and little substance. This image is one of the main reasons why turnout is likely to be low on June 7: the public are so suspicious
EUROPE's biggest free music festival will be taking place on Tyneside this month. Orange Wow (Window on the World) may attract more than 500,000 visitors to North Shields Fish Quay. The festival is now in its 15th year and will take place over the three
SHARON Irvine will dig deep for reserves of inner strength over the next few weeks as she takes on a tough challenge for charity. Marathons, sponsored walks, bike rides, coffee mornings and cake stalls are the more usual methods of raising cash for worthy
TWO of the UK's last remaining independent regional airlines have expressed disappointment at the Office of Fair Trading's rejection of their complaint over British Airways' takeover of British Regional Airlines group. The OFT has decided not to refer
A father-of-four today appeared in court charged with causing the deaths of 10 people in the Selby rail disaster. Gary Hart, 36, of Strubby, Lincs, was driving a Land Rover which left the M62 motorway and plunged on to the East Coast rail line in February
POWER generation group British Energy reported a £231m dive in full-year profits after facing problems in the UK energy market. The group, which is based in East Kilbride, near Glasgow saw lower than expected nuclear output, and a fall in the price of
THE body of a man shot in the head was so badly decomposed it could only be identified through dental records and DNA, an inquest heard. Mark Anthony Corley, 22, was killed and his body dumped in a field near Bolam, Darlington, before being discovered
A SECOND of nine men accused of soccer hooliganism at railway stations has been cleared. The jury at Teesside Crown Court was directed to acquit Hartlepool fan Neil Eglintine, 29, of a charge of affray with Darlington fans on a train. Judge Richard Lowden
THOUSANDS of North-East supermarket workers are to receive an unexpected cash windfall. Staff at supermarket chain Safeway were told last night that every one of them is to share in bonuses. The group celebrated a 33 per cent rise in profits by announcing
POLICE officers have linked up with housing officials in Wearside to fight crime. Officers from Washington area command attended a seminar with officials from the Sunderland Housing Group, covering Houghton, Hetton and Washington. They examined a range
NORTH-East folk legend Alex Glasgow has died in Australia at the age of 65. Born in Gateshead, the singer-songwriter became the voice of Tyneside during 1960s and 1970s with hard-hitting and wry folk songs. But he was most famous for his song Dance Ti
MUSIC fans are gearing up for one of the busiest weekends of the year at a leading North-East music festival. Middlesbrough Music Live features headliners Space, Shed Seven, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and 50 other acts during a day-long festival
GREG Lambert's bid to become the fastest sidecar racer in the world has moved up a gear thanks to sponsorship from North Yorkshire firm Dalepak Foods. Greg, an engineering buyer at the company, in Leeming Bar, holds a number of major titles including
A NORTH-East university has plunged into the red with debts of £5.8m. Sunderland University was one of a number of higher education institutions left with a budget deficit at the end of the financial year 1999-2000. Figures published by the Association
YOUNGSTERS had a taste of porridge when they were locked up in a police station for charity. Seven year ten pupils from Hylton Red House School spent yesterday in the cells at Southwick Police Station, in Sunderland, to raise money for the Barbara Priestman
HEARD the one about the £150 government grant to learn how to tell jokes? Laughing matter, maybe, but true for all that. The two day "masterclass" in stand-up comedy is planned for the Corner Caf in Scarborough, Darlington based Dave "Grizzly" Adams -
HEARD the one about the £150 government grant to learn how to tell jokes? Laughing matter, maybe, but true for all that. The two day "masterclass" in stand-up comedy is planned for the Corner Caf in Scarborough, Darlington based Dave "Grizzly" Adams -
A LEAKED council document has criticised Chester-le-Street District Council's housing department. A week after the authority trumpeted a survey showing that most residents were satisfied with their services, a best value review of housing services, seen
A COUNCIL has decided to extend consultation over plans to scrap free concessionary school bus travel in Darlington. Darlington Borough Council has taken the decision after widespread concern among parents who want their children to attend a Catholic
A MULTI-MILLION pound racecourse and leisure centre could be built in the North-East by 2005, a leading property developer revealed yesterday. Developer Lord Zetland said the new racecourse - which is expected to cost upwards of £100m - would be built
VENTURE capital group 3i has invested £215.8m in 37 North-East businesses in the past year. The investment ranged from start-ups and early stage businesses to larger transactions spread across traditional and technology industries. The news came as 3i
GOLDOPHIN and Frankie Dettori attempt to maintain their stranglehold on the Duke of York Stakes and the Yorkshire Cup via Bertolini (2.45) and Marienbard (3.20) on the Knavesmire this afternoon. Twelve months ago the boys in blue bagged the Group 3 and
POLICE in Chester-le-Street are warning people to beware of thieves entering their homes to steal car keys. Eight cars have been stolen from the town in this way. Inspector Dave Marshall said: "The stolen vehicles have been expensive models, such as BMWs
THE extraordinary courage shown by two lifeboatmen who put their own lives on the line to save a lone sailor are recognised today. Helmsman Stephen Iredale, 35, of North Yorkshire's Staithes and Runswick lifeboat, is to be presented with one of the RNLI's
A NATIONAL union leader has given his endorsement to a council's efforts to make a clean sweep. Jack Dromey, national organiser for the Transport and General Workers' Union, showed his backing for Stockton Borough Council's new trade union agreement,
AN initiative has been set up to tackle teenage tearaways responsible for hundreds of crimes in County Durham. In March, Durham Youth Offending Service was allocated £900,000 under a Government initiative to tackle youth crime. The service has developed
HIGH street sales rose last month despite a further increase in prices, official figures have shown. The volume of retail sales in April was 5.9 per cent higher than a year earlier, the biggest annual increase since January 2000. At the same time, the
