A VILLAGE football team will find out today if its dream of finding a new pitch will get council backing. Members of Bowes Football Club, County Durham, will be keeping their fingers crossed as councillors meet to discuss the club's plans to play matches
TWO soccer pundits have kicked off a recycling scheme which they hope will net funds for a hospice appeal. Boro TV stars Bernie Slaven and Alastair Brownlee yesterday launched a recycling scheme devised by can manufacturers, Alcan. For every kilogramme
THE partner of an SAS soldier who was killed during a rescue mission in Sierra Leone is to take legal action after being refused a war widow's pension. Anna Homsi, 30, was the childhood sweetheart of Brad Tinnion when they were both growing up in Harrogate
RAF personnel found themselves locked in the cells - but only for the best possible reasons. Members of the supply and movements squadron, at RAF Leeming, were put behind bars at York Dungeon to raise money for charity. The 14-strong team successfully
A police officer accused of indecently assaulting a young mother in a police van insisted in court today he had "never touched her". Pc Andrew Shearer, 33, said the only time he came into physical contact with the 21-year-old woman was when she bumped
TAXIS in a dangerous condition have been ordered off the road following random safety checks. Eight cabs stopped by police and Government vehicle examiners during a five-hour operation on Teesside, were found to be so defective they were put under immediate
A PENSIONER waged a 12-year hate campaign against his unsuspecting neighbours in a picturesque village, a court heard yesterday. James Forster targeted victims including elderly neighbour Molly Christian and two families with a series of threats, damage
OLD and young alike, the people of Stanhope and Wolsingham look forward to the day when the fair trundles into their market place. But now modern day traffic problems are threatening a 600-year-old tradition because nobody can agree who should foot a
BRITISH American Tobacco (BAT) said it was in a resilient position to cope with the economic slowdown, as it showed profits for the last half year jump to £936m. The cigarette group, which operates the Rothmans factory in Darlington, said pre-tax profits
IN 1968, Brian Gargate was serving with the police cadets in Sedgefield. He was looking for somewhere interesting to take them training - and ended up spending 18 months in the Antarctic, looking after a team of husky dogs. But, all around him, were reminders
MORTGAGE lender Halifax claimed a dramatic increase in its slice of the home loans market following a big drive for new business. Net mortgage share rose from 12 per cent last year to 25 per cent during the six months to June 30, as the group extended
MORE than 150 homes targeted by arsonists, vandals and drug addicts are to be demolished, it was decided yesterday. Residents of the Whinney Banks area of Middlesbrough were joined by local councillors in calling for the homes to be bulldozed. John Hutchinson
COOL as you like, last week's column de-iced The Ballad of Eskimo Nell, and more of that importunate Innuit in a moment. Shocked by this journalistic journey to the frozen frontiers of respectability, several readers have suggested that we'll be raising
EIGHT more schools in Hartlepool have earned a Government award for their high standards. Elwick Hall, Hart, Throston, St John Vianney, Clavering, St Helen's and Greatham Primary Schools and Seaton Carew Nursery School are the latest to be given the Quality
THE meaning of life, the universe and everything has puzzled mankind since time immemorial. Since man dragged himself from the Proterozoic ooze, climbed down from the trees and stood upright for the first time, he's wondered what it's all really about
OLD and young alike, the people of Stanhope and Wolsingham look forward to the day when the fair trundles into their market place. But now traffic problems are threatening a 600-year-old autumn tradition because nobody can agree who should foot a £1,000
OLD and young alike, the people of Stanhope and Wolsingham look forward to the day when the fair trundles into their market place. But now modern day traffic problems are threatening a 600-year-old tradition because nobody can agree who should foot a
YORKSHIRE Water has been praised for delivering one of the best services in the country, according to industry regulator Ofwat. Only one other company performed better, despite last year's flooding and fuel crises, as well as the foot-and-mouth epidemic
THE amazing Nicky Peng lit up New Road, Worcester, with a spectacular century yesterday long before the floodlights came on in the top-of-the-table clash in the Norwich Union League second division. Yet Durham were outshone as the dangerous liaison of
RIPON Cathedral received a major donation this week from a northern charity. It has been given £10,000 for the current financial year, and the same figure for each of the next four years, to fund a choral scholarship at the choir school. Mr Kerry Beaumont
A PLANNED 36-bedroom luxury hotel outside Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, is to be discussed by councillors. The building, on open land north of the Mayfair Centre, in Tees Road, would also have a restaurant and bar with two hotel wings. One would be used
NORTHUMBRIA POLICE ON BEHALF of the Society of Editors, Northern Region, I wish to draw readers' attention to the apparent policy of Northumbria Police in relation to two unsolved murders - that of Sara Cameron and Peter Beaumont Gowling. In both cases
LANDFILL tax credits are to be used to help restore a village hall to its former glory. Yorventure has given £10,000 to the village institute at Rufforth, near York, to restore its traditional parquet flooring and bring the heating system into the 21st
A STUDENT from Bishop Middleham gained a top honour when she graduated from university this week. Kerry Noades, 21, of Perm Terrace, gained a 2:1 BA degree in communication arts and drama from the College of Ripon and York St John. A former pupil of Sedgefield
A GOOD REASON NOT TO VOTE THERE is much debate about why turn-out in elections, particularly local elections, is so low. For an answer, one only has to look at the childish nonsense recently at Richmond Town Council where lawyers have been consulted about
A MEDIEVAL fair is taking place in Hartlepool this weekend as part of the celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of the granting of the town's royal charter by King John. Knights doing battle, falconry displays, a medieval market, a magician, street
HI-TECH methods are being used to preserve an area's fragile history. Details of births, marriages and deaths of medieval Teesside, contained in crumbling manuscripts are being transferred on to microfilm and CDs and catalogued. Parish records dating
NEWCASTLE United manager Bobby Robson was last night a step nearer solving his striking problems, but the move for Frenchman Laurent Robert will not help their push for a UEFA Cup place. United take on TSV 1860 Munich tonight at St James' Park and Robson's
A MAN was found hanging in his mother's bedroom the night before he was due to appear in court to face drink-driving charges. Mark Shillito's body was found late last Thursday night by his partner, Paula Edgcumbe, after he failed to return to her home
AN east Durham village will hold its first flower and vegetable show later this year. Gardeners living in Horden have produced exhibition quality flowers and vegetables for many years but have never held their own show. That will change with the Horden
IN 1968, Brian Gargate was serving with the police cadets in Sedgefield. He was looking for somewhere interesting to take them training - and ended up spending 18 months in the Antarctic, looking after a team of husky dogs. But, all around him, were reminders
FOOD manufacturing business Cranswick plc, which owns Thornaby company Lazenby's, has acquired Continental Fine Foods (CFF) for £11.7m. However, that figure could rise by a further £3.5m if the new business reaches its projected earnings targets. CFF
SCIENCE-FICTION fans everywhere have heard of the futuristic law enforcer Robo Cop. Now, inventive youngsters, including 12-year-old Ashley Fowler, of Middlesbrough, have got their teeth into an invention of their own, with just as much bite - Robocrocs.The
THE public are being warned to be on their guard against bogus charity collectors. Earlier this week an East Durham businessman was approached by a man claiming he worked for the BBC's Children in Need Charity. When he handed over a donation he was given
A MAN has appeared before magistrates accused of carrying out a serious assault in a County Durham village. John Lee Crake, 24, of South View, Trimdon Grange is charged with causing grievous bodily harm following an incident on Sunday night. Ian Forbes
LEADERS of local councils in the Helmsley area are to meet to explore ways of benefiting from a new Government scheme to aid rural transport. Helmsley Town Council was told that the parish councils of Ampleforth, Oswaldkirk, Sproxton, Beadlam, Harome
SPOT prizes, give-aways, freebies and every sport under the sun will provide a refreshing change for youngsters this summer holiday. Summer Zest, a Derwentside summer fun extravaganza, will keep children of all ages occupied until they go back to school
A GHOSTLY railway story will be on sale for the first time this weekend. In 1845, Thomas Munro Winter, a ticket clerk at Darlington's North Road railway station, shot himself. A few years later, a railway policeman called James Durham was attacked by
Workers snapped when they found sneak photographs taken of them on their tea breaks. The discovery prompted about 100 men working for the company Crown House to down tools on the multi-million pound extension to Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital
ORGANISERS of the CD Bramall Darlington 10km Road Run and Fun Run are expecting a record entry. A week after the official closing date for entries, forms are still trickling in, and close to 1,100 people have already put their names forward to take part
FOR those disillusioned with New Labour - a not-infinitesimal band - it's rub-your-eyes time. Tony Blair and his team are expected to push through a strong package of measures to protect the consumer - who might be you or me. Gosh. Fines of up to £5,000
STEPS are being taken to renew a fish-friendly by-law which has protected salmon and sea trout in the River Esk for the past 14 years. The North-East Regional Fisheries, Ecology and Recreation Committee has agreed to support Environment Agency proposals
CELEBRATIONS to mark the Queen's golden jubilee could stretch across several weeks in Richmond. Programmes for both the annual Richmond Meet, traditionally held in May, and the new Richmond Festival, which saw its debut this summer, could incorporate
A SURVEY detailing how many different types of butterfly species there are in Hartlepool is under way. Volunteer warden Gary Lister has taken on the task of assessing how various species of butterfly are responding to the on-going transformation of Summerhill
TWO fathers have been accepted by the Durham diocese to become readers. Keith Whiston and Kevin Winkworth will start their three-year course in September to become readers at the Saints and Salutation Church, in Blackwell, Darlington. Readers lead services
THE plumber was here for ten minutes and charged £30 for stopping the drip in the downstairs loo. The washing machine man wanted £35, the vacuum cleaner man £40, and the people who made my fax machine wanted £60 before they'd even look at it. Dentists
COUNCILLORS have refused a public entertainment licence for an Australian-themed nightspot over fears of disorder. Regent Inns has already won planning permission from Durham City Council to convert the Robins Cinema, in North Road, into a Walkabout bar
A BID to build a new arena for youngsters into skateboards, roller-blades and BMX bikes has run into resistance. Richmondshire District Council is keen to support the project, pledging to play a role in the hunt for both a suitable location and for cash
DOZENS of villagers are to undergo DNA tests as detectives close in on the murderer of a man who was attacked as he walked home from a country pub. David Williamson suffered a fractured skull after he was struck from behind by a blunt object on the quiet
RESIDENTS and traders in Pickering are being urged to make their views known at an exhibition next week outlining flood defence proposals. The event will give people an opportunity to look at plans and talk to the Environment Agency's flood defence experts
HOUSE prices are rising at an "unsustainable rate", the Nationwide Building Society warned as figures revealed a 1.1 per cent increase during July. During the year to the end of July, prices rose by 10.9 per cent, increasing the average cost of a house
A BEAUTY spot has been hit by a landslip, and work to restore the area is expected to take up to eight weeks. The slip occurred in the Crimple Valley, a Special Landscape Area which separates south west Harrogate from Pannal village alongside Crimple
PEOPLE on Teesside are slow in coming forward when it comes to asking for money, it is revealed. They are the last in the North to apply for National Lottery funds - the conurbation left on the starting line by even the region's rural outposts. Representatives
NORTH Yorkshire trading standards office has warned farmers and other business people to be on their guard and ignore any invitation to invest in a fraudulent scheme to send money to Nigeria. This elaborate scam has already cost many business people up
ORGANISERS of a festival of drama and music have lined up their most wide-ranging and ambitious programme so far. This year's Ripon International Festival, being staged for the fourth year, is hoping to attract audiences from across the region to a series
TRIALISTS Gary Pearson and Glenn Robson could become Gary Bennett's next signings after impressing while on tour with Darlington. Bennett took them on Quakers' mini-tour of Ireland and admitted the pair could bring the number of former non-League players
MIDDLESBROUGH stalwart Steve Vickers has urged manager Steve McClaren to either play him or sell him. The experienced centre-back believes that McClaren is likely to opt for new signing Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu at the heart of the defence. That
POPULAR Paul Mann enjoyed talking to people whether they were friends or complete strangers. Now, almost two years after Mr Mann's drugs-related death, the people of South Bank, near Middlesbrough, have come up with a fitting memorial to the 28-year-old
PLANS to build flats on a former car park overlooking Durham Cathedral look set to win approval despite objections. Local businessman Robert Fulton wants planning permission for six flats on land in South Street, next to St Margaret's Church, which is
A GP surgery has received an Investors in Children Award, thanks to the help of local teenagers. Middle Chare Surgery, in Chester-le-Street, won the award after listening to the needs of young people and improving their access to the surgery and its services
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to stop a further education college being built on recreational land have vowed last night to continue their legal battle, despite losing their appeal court bid last week. Washington Forum First, fronted by resident Pamela Beresford
THE treatment of kidney patients is taking a step forward with the opening of a dialysis unit in North Yorkshire. The satellite unit has been created at Acorn Court, in Easingwold, to ease the burden on the main dialysis unit at York District Hospital
A FORMER Teesdale shopkeeper and close friend of Hannah Hauxwell has died. Kelvin Walker, of Cotherstone, near Barnard Castle, ran a petrol filling station and general grocery business for more than 30 years, and was a popular figure around Teesdale.
A WOMAN is appealing for the person who took her tropical fish from her garden pond to return them. Over a six-week period, £350 worth of koi carp and ghost koi have been stolen from Gill Hetherington's pond in the garden of her home in Norton. She bought
THE Government's war on foot-and-mouth in North Yorkshire began yesterday, as vets prepared to test more than 50,000 animals for the disease. Police and council officials are patrolling key routes around the clock, in a bio-security zone which takes in
NOTORIOUS crook Spider Boy was on the run from the law again last night after failing to meet his probation officer - because he was too busy making a film about his crimes. Charity bosses sparked outrage when it was revealed they were to pay Tommy Laws
POLICE have appealed to the public to help stamp out vandalism attacks on a town's football club, by reporting trespassers immediately. The appeal follows a catalogue of attacks on the Annfield Plain Football Club, near Stanley, County Durham. The call
NEW companies in Durham City will receive a boost with the opening of a business centre. Councillor Ken Manton, leader of Durham County Council, cut the first sod at the Evans Easyspace Business Centre, at Belmont Industrial Estate, on Monday. The centre
STARGAZERS will be checking out the wonders of the cosmos like never before, after the unveiling of one of the largest public telescopes in the North. A mammoth 19in reflecting telescope, housed in a dome at Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire
A BIZARRE squabble over who sits where in a council chamber may have to be decided in court. Conservative David Johnson sparked a row by demanding to sit with fellow Tory Oliver Blease during a town council meeting in Richmond, North Yorkshire. He claimed
