LIFE insurer Friends Provident's shares will be priced at the low end of expectations - at 225p - when it floats on the London Stock Exchange on Monday. The pricing will mean members' windfalls will be worth between £450 and about £11,000, depending on
A LEADING clergyman whose life was saved by a liver transplant nearly ten years ago is making a plea for people to carry organ donor cards. Ripon Cathedral's Dean John Metheun is supporting a donor card bus touring the Ripon and Leeds Diocese shortly.
THE death of an elderly woman whose body was found in a stream is not believed to be suspicious, police have said. The body of Marjorie Hannah Lancaster, 74, of Benkhill Road, Bedale, North Yorkshire, was recovered from Bedale Beck on Thursday afternoon
A CATHOLIC priest was last night facing a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of a series of sex crimes against a young boy at a North-East church. Father William Jacks, 49, admitted having a relationship with the boy, but claimed that nothing
A DISTRAUGHT father has spoken of his shock and anger after discovering a hospital secretly kept his dead baby's organs. The father-of-two, who does not want to be named, said it was "scandalous" that Newcastle's Freeman Hospital could take 11 of his
BIKERS are putting people in danger by speeding around estates. Safety campaigners are growing increasingly concerned about motorcyclists at Wood Road, Skinningrove, and on the Westfield Estate, Loftus. Loftus Road Safety Committee is worried about the
A motorist who was four times over the alcohol limit when she killed her uncle after ploughing into a pedestrian in an early morning smash has been jailed for two years. John Flynn, 88, who died two weeks after receiving severe head injuries in the collision
THERE are plenty of other decent betting opportunities at Sandown apart from Grandera in the Coral Eclipse, notably Astonished (2.50), sent down from Lynda Ramsden's stable, situated just outside of Thirsk. The five-year-old powerhouse goes for the Porcelanosa
FUNDRAISERS for a fire ravaged school say they fear a great opportunity to provide extra nursery places in the village could be missed. Hardwick Primary School, in Sedgefield, was severely damaged in an arson attack in January. The school is to be rebuilt
FUNDRAISERS for a fire ravaged school say they fear a great opportunity to provide extra nursery places in the village could be missed. Hardwick Primary School, in Sedgefield, was severely damaged in an arson attack in January. The school is to be rebuilt
LONGBRIDGE has seen many a wake in its long and, not so glorious, history. But no one, not even the longest time-served spanner man, could remember anything quite like this. As the final car came off the antiquated production line, a deathly hush fell
A COLLEGE lecturer is visiting the Amazon basin to help poverty-stricken schools. Peter Mulligan, who works at the City of Sunderland College, the fifth biggest institution of its kind in the UK, is flying to Brazil to visit tiny schools in the southern
TODAY'S opening parade will mark the beginning of the Cookson Country Festival, on South Tyneside. The six-week festival gets under way this afternoon, as dozens of floats, costumed characters, marching bands and vintage vehicles meet for the start of
POLICE are targeting litter bugs in an attempt to clean up the streets. Northumbria Police are supporting Sunderland City's Just Bin It campaign, and those caught dumping their litter could face a fine of up to £2,500. Chief Inspector Michael Hartnack
REG VARDY, the Sunderland-based motor retailer, has picked up an award for the performance of its shares. The Pricewaterhouse-Coopers (PwC) award for the Highest Total Shareholder Return for European Automotive Retail Distributors over the last three
LENGTHY delays in compensation payments are hindering farmers' efforts to bounce back from the foot-and-mouth crisis. Government officials admitted last night they were failing to meet targets for paying farmers affected by the epidemic, with waiting
WHEN a Methodist talks of the plan, as Methodists do all the time, it must not be confused with the Grand Plan. The lesser plan appears every quarter, lists the churches in a district and those appointed week by week to lead services there and has more
WHEN a Methodist talks of the plan, as Methodists do all the time, it must not be confused with the Grand Plan. The lesser plan appears every quarter, lists the churches in a district and those appointed week by week to lead services there and has more
POLICE have issued an e-fit of one of the men believed to have been involved in a post office raid which netted thousands of pounds. A gang of six men, all of Asian appearance, struck at the post office in Aycliffe Village between 11.30am and midday on
OLDER people's memories are to be used in a video project aimed at turning back the clock to produce a record of how life used to be. The Darlington-based project will see 25 pensioners from all walks of life recount their memories in interviews and also
TWO thirds of residents oppose the building of a road as part of radical transport plans, according to a survey. Councillors Glyn and Irene Nightingale and Eric Empson sent out consultation forms on the proposals for an East Middlesbrough Transport Corridor
After a year and a day in hospital - but a year and two days since the car crash that broke his neck and shattered his life - Jon Robert Collingwood is finally back home. He'd kept goal for the school, the district, the county. He'd had England schools
THE Stewards at Doncaster on Sunday looked to have made a major mistake again when demoting Nashaab, winner of the Mail on Sunday Handicap by a head from Unshaken. The stewards were very slow to announce an enquiry and some bookmakers and the Tote had
A BABYSITTER squeezed an 18-month-old baby's throat so tight he burst his blood vessels, a court heard yesterday. John Cummings, 23, attacked the child at his home while the baby's mother went out for the night with friends. Newcastle Crown Court heard
A BOGUS letter warning people about a mythical centre to hold law-breaking refugees has been circulating in the Chester-le-Street area. Police are urging people to bin the letter, from an agency calling itself the International Bureau for Offending Refugees
A WOMAN siphoned off £190,000 from her employers by paying money into her own bank account, a court heard. Amanda Capper, of Hartside Road, Nookside, Sunderland, worked as a finance administrator at OSO Hot Water UK, at the Sunderland Enterprise Park,
A survey is to be carried out on the plants and animals occupying 70km of roadside verges in Weardale. Conservationist believe the verges could hold the key to preserving species from the dale's upland hay meadows. Much of the wildlife is being wiped
Tim Henman and Goran Ivanisevic must once again wait another day before concluding their semi-final after rain brought play to a halt on centre court today. Henman, 26, aimed to go out with all guns blazing against Goran Ivanisevic in their semi-final
DARLINGTON Mowden Park Rugby Club Minis celebrated the end of another exciting season with their annual presentation, with players from age groups Under-7 to Under-12 receiving a variety of awards. Retiring chairman John Whinn thanked Darlington Building
POLICE are appealing for information on an elderly conman who duped two fellow pensioners into parting with cash. The victims, a 92-year-old man and a man in his 70s, reported being approached by a man in his 60s on market days in Guisborough, east Cleveland
A TEENAGE heroin addict who committed two sneak-in burglaries was told yesterday he was lucky not to go to prison. Graham Forbes, 18, of Berry Avenue, Trimdon Grange, County Durham, admitted two burglary charges, at Teesside Crown Court. Two further charges
THE Department of Trade and Industry last night stepped in to force the winding up of controversial Internet firm eforyou.com The Darlington company went into liquidation in May owing millions to investors across the country. Pressure had been growing
ONE of the North-East's biggest engineering firms has admitted breaching health and safety law after the deaths of four steel workers, who fell 80ft from a motorway bridge. Andrew Rodgers, 40, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, and Paul Stewart, 23, of
A DOORMAN was jailed yesterday for a brutal street attack on a man. Mark Dawson's victim outside a Stockton pub was too frightened to give evidence after he suffered a deep cut on his head, said Michael O'Neill. Both men were customers who were ejected
A WOMAN who has been confined to a wheelchair for eight years has defied her disability to make the grade as an exponent of a martial art. Susan van Dijk, 36, only joined the Chung Do Kwan tae kwon do club, in Darlington, two months ago. But despite initially
Young footballers in Cleveland are smartening up their game - thanks to a new set of training bibs from Transco. The gas pipeline company donated the new blue bibs to the Under-15s squad of New Marske Football Club. Club coach Tony Hide said the club
A LEADING businessman has been banned from the roads for three years - after being caught over the limit on his 36th birthday. Butcher Peter Fawcett, who runs a chain of outlets stretching from West Yorkshire to Northumberland, had spent Saturday, June
IN-DEMAND Hartlepool United midfielder Tommy Miller last night arrived back on home turf. Miller landed back at Newcastle Airport after spending time training with Brann Bergen. His Hartlepool United teammates started their pre-season campaign on Thursday
PUBMASTER, which last month launched its £453.4m hostile bid for regional brewer Wolverhampton & Dudley (W&DB), has received support from just 3.7 per cent of Wolves' shareholders at the close of the first deadline. The initial deadline for the
A LIFEBOATMAN, who put his own life on the line to rescue a lone sailor stranded in a terrible storm, is to receive national recognition for his bravery. Helmsman Stephen Iredale has been chosen for the Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award for the outstanding
A MANAGER at a crisp factory who was alleged to have humiliated an employee with a severe stammer yesterday denied she had been aggressive. Kevin Alderson, 40, claims he was badgered into taking part in role-playing session despite making his immediate
A KITTEN came within a whisker of disaster when she stowed away on a 20-mile trip beneath the bonnet of a pick-up truck. Smokey crawled into the engine compartment of farmer Bob Thornton's 4WD for a nap. Unaware the ten-week-old kitten was there, Bob
POLICE are trying to trace a man in connection with the theft of a cash card and subsequent withdrawal of £400. A wallet containing the card was taken from a house in Darlington in a burglary on May 8. Later that evening, a man went to the cashpoint of
A DRIVER who killed a father-of-four in a hit-and-run incident was jailed for nine years yesterday. Speeding motorist Darren Vout - who had never taken a driving test - had been ticked off less than an hour earlier by a police officer over his driving
YOUNGSTERS visiting a new play area are in for a big surprise - the teddy bear litter bins thank them for their rubbish. The four talking bins are the latest addition to Delves Lane Village Hall play area, near Consett. They were funded by a grant of
A WILDLIFE organisation affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis has launched an emergency appeal for funds. Durham Wildlife Trust could lose up to £20,000 because of the restrictions and is experiencing difficulties managing its nature reserves. Chief executive
ESTATE residents were put behind bars yesterday by their local MP. Ashok Kumar, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, was joined by the police to turn the key in a mock cell to raise sponsorship for a play park for children, on the New
SCHOOL footballers ended a coaching programme with staff from Premiership club Sunderland by scoring a huge cash windfall. A sponsored penalty competition on the last day of a five-week course at Copeland Road Primary School, in West Auckland, netted
TEN North-East soldiers are recovering after a coast-to-coast cycle ride for charity. The group pedalled from Workington on the west coast to Sunderland on the east. Every mile they covered raised more cash for the Chernobyl Children's Lifeline, which
A £1m National Lottery grant will bring part of Hartlepool's heritage back to life. The cash has been awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore and repair historic buildings in the Headland area. It will be used to restore empty buildings as well
THE Tweenies will be making a flying visit to this year's Sunderland International Airshow. The children's favourites will appear as part of the BBC's involvement in the event, which will include live broadcasts on radio and television. The show will
TEENAGERS have come up with an engineering project which could save manufacturers thousands of pounds a year. Students from Wolsingham School and Community College, in Weardale, took part in the Young Engineer for Britain regional finals. Year 12 pupils
AN ENGLISH teacher retired yesterday after working at the same site for 41 years. Robin Smith, 66, has taught at the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, since 1960, when it was Darlington Boys Grammar School. Mr Smith originates from Bedford
police are taking part in a large-scale exercise this weekend to test their response to a major incident. The exercise is one of a series run throughout the year by the Northumbria force to deal with potential problems at areas such as the airport, one
RABBIT owners could win £200 and a year's supply of rabbit food by entering a competition to find Britain's Supa Rabbit. The competition, organised by Burgess Supafoods, is aimed at promoting responsible pet ownership and raising awareness of the number
Pallister Park were the bridesmaids on three occasions at The North of England Primary Schools Soccer Festival at the weekend. The Middlesbrough school finished as runners-up in the three different categories, and thus, missed out on a football strip
NOW is an ideal time to establish a water garden. When planting the pool, remember that a new underwater world is being created in which plants, fish and snails depend upon one another to provide the basic requirements necessary for their happy co-existence
ECONOMIC links between the North-East and northern France have had a welcome boost thanks to a new agreement between organisations in the two countries. RTC North, based in Sunderland, is the lead partner in the Innovation Relay Centre for the North of
TODDLERS found out what it was like to get married earlier this week. Pupils at Esh Winning Nursery School, near Durham City, held their own wedding ceremony as part of a project on celebrations. The youngsters dressed up for their different roles and
STEVE HARRISON last night revealed the role played by Manchester United strike duo Dwight Yorke and Teddy Sheringham in his appointment at Middlesbrough. Steve McClaren quit as assistant to United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to become a first-time boss
Rosberry Group North East Durham League - North Bitchburn totalled just 64 all out visiting Sunderland Hospital in Division One. Their batsmen found the bowling of John Surtees and Wayne Shaw, in particular, difficult to deal with and the two home attackers
A 15-year-old girl missing for a week has contacted her family to say she is well. Kerry Hetherington was last seen by her father, David, on Tuesday, June 26, when she left her home in Gosforth, Newcastle, to go shopping in the city. She has been missing
A £3m cliff protection scheme at Robin Hood's Bay will officially open next week. Scarborough Borough Council has been carrying out work to safeguard the cliff from sea erosion and instability. On Wednesday, Reg Purnell, chief engineer with the Department
A POET is hoping to be inspired when she steps into a tattoo parlour on Monday. Kitty Fitzgerald, the award-wining poet and screenwriter, will be the first poet to take up a mini-residency in an unusual and challenging place in County Durham. She will
REVIEWS: Star Trek: Dominion War. Publisher: Pan Interactive. Format: PC CD-ROM. (£29.99) STAR Trek would appear to be the perfect template for a video game. All that exploring strange new worlds stuff, Klingons on the starboard bow and a rich cast of
WHEN it comes to depicting scenes from Durham Miners' Gala, artist George Robson knows what he is painting about. For it is nearly 30 years since Mr Robson started organising the event, which he holds very dear to his heart. So dear, that he decided to
South West Durham Association - The last unbeaten record in the league went when Barnard Castle Glaxo travelled to Darlington East End and were whitewashed. This meant that the top spot in the Second Division is now shared between Glaxo, Shildon Elm Road
POLICE have defended their decision to arrest a man using a plastic toy pistol. Chief Superintendent Michael Banks said that the armed response unit is used in any incident where a member of the public reports seeing someone brandishing a firearm. "The
ELECTRICAL service specialist Team Rewinds has won a series of major contracts, including work for Nissan and Scottish & Newcastle. The company's latest win is a contract to repair a 16-tonne electrical pump for South Staffordshire Water (SSW). The
PART of one of the region's most famous cathedrals has been sealed off to the public after pieces of stone collapsed to the ground. Several fragments of masonry at York Minster fell as tourists walked around the choir area below, it was confirmed yesterday
NEWCASTLE United will face a fight to prise striker Laurent Robert from Paris St. Germain if they firm up their interest in the French international. Sources in France claim United chairman Freddy Shepherd is booked for talks with Robert's agent, Pape
THE Stewards at Doncaster on Sunday looked to have made a major mistake again when demoting Nashaab, winner of the Mail on Sunday Handicap by a head from Unshaken. The stewards were very slow to announce an enquiry and some bookmakers and the Tote had
REVIEWS Star Trek: Dominion War. Publisher: Pan Interactive. Format: PC CD-ROM. (£29.99) STAR Trek would appear to be the perfect template for a video game. All that exploring strange new worlds stuff, Klingons on the starboard bow and a rich cast of
A DRUGS "custodian" found with £1,000 of cannabis avoided a prison sentence yesterday. Police officers searched the home of Gareth Clydesdales' mother, in Stockton, with a trained search dog, which found a black plastic bag containing nine ounces of the
CAMPAIGNERS from four Catholic primary schools are planning a mass protest walk against proposals to cut free school transport. Hundreds of parents and pupils from the four Catholic primary schools in Darlington are planning to walk from the schools to
TWO men have been stabbed in separate incidents on Tyneside. The first stabbing involved a 27-year-old man who was found in a pool of blood at the junction of Stanhope Street and Stanhope Way, in the Graft area of Newcastle's West End. He had been stabbed
PINT-SIZED pensioner Nora Milbourne has won £8,000 in damages from her council after she broke her leg trying to move her wheelie bin. The 87-year-old, who is just 4ft 11in, and weighs less than seven stone, fell when she tried to drag the bin along her
A DRAMA group run by adults and children is under the spotlight for its work. The Woodhouse Acting Silly Harry's (Wash) youth theatre has been awarded an Investors in Children award in recognition of the way young people are involved in every aspect of
IT WILL be a quiet one on the results front next week, with just a handful of firms reporting. Aside from that, the City will be on tenterhooks for any further profit warnings following Marconi's dramatic announcement. Investors will be hoping for some
At the inaugural Durham County Primary Schools Table Tennis Festival, Darlington's St Teresa's became the first winners of the Sportsmatch Trophy. During the past six months, eight teams had qualified for last Saturday's finals, from regional events held
Letters from The Northern Echo BEDALE 750 AS part of the Bedale 750 Celebrations, Bedale Museum mounted a Photographic Exhibition entitled Bedale Past and Present, in Bedale Hall. This exhibition, staged jointly with Simon Reynolds, attracted over 450
FORMER soccer star Bernie Slaven teamed up with a 6ft rabbit from outer space to cheer children on in a penalty shoot-out. The ex-Middlesbrough player attended the event at Hummersea Primary School, Loftus, yesterday, with Freddie Farkle, the extraterrestrial
SUNDERLAND Player of the Year Don Hutchison, who misses the opening game of the new campaign through a suspension carried over from last season, has pledged to clean up his act. The 30-year-old Scottish international was the Wearsiders' most cautioned
QI have the chance to take my mineworkers' pension early. But will it affect my Disability Living Allowance, Industrial Injuries or Incapacity Benefit? AOnly Incapacity Benefit could be affected. Half of any pension over £85 will be deducted from benefit
TIM Henman stands on the brink of sporting immortality. The rain which lashed down on Wimbledon's emerald lawns last night were so untimely as to be cruel to a nation, praying for a hero to make its dreams come true. But this Wimbledon has seen a change
A DRUGS minder who stored heroin in his home because he owed money to a dealer was jailed for two years yesterday. Brian Lewis, 38, told police who raided his house in Billingham that he was holding heroin worth £700 and there was more, worth £690, in
