school leavers are taking part in a 12-day workshop at Stainton Camp, in Barnard Castle. The camp has been organised by Shaften Youth Community Group, from Barnsley, which looks after the welfare of teenagers who have chosen not to go on to further education
A FEMALE football team are looking for more women to join them on the pitch. Darlington RA Ladies' Football Club needs new players for two teams it runs. Coach Tim Paver has already made a plea in The Northern Echo for a goalkeeper and now he wants to
MORE than 8,000 music fans are expected to head for Stanley on Saturday for the town's annual blues festival. The free event is once again being held in a giant marquee on the town's Kings Head Field and will attract blues lovers from across the region
SIR William Turner's Chapel at Kirkleatham will be open to visitors every Sunday afternoon throughout August. The seventeenth century chapel dates from the time of King Charles II and has remained virtually unaltered since it was remodelled in 1742. It
THERE'S just no getting away from those wizards of Oz. In a week dominated by Rod Marsh and John Buchanan, Darren Lehmann scored 300 runs in the Roses match, Queenslander Matthew Hussey scored 400 in a match for Northants, Andrew Symonds hit a rapid 125
WANNABE rock musicians' dreams of starting out on the road to success have been cruelly dashed. Police across Britain are investigating a hoax which could see hundreds of young hopefuls turning up for non-existent auditions at universities across Britain
PUPILS from Wheatlands Primary School, Redcar, are celebrating success in a science competition. They were runners-up in the northern primary schools final of Science Challenge, a project that aims to inject fun into the science national curriculum. The
A CRISIS-HIT football club is facing a bleak future after a series of vandal attacks caused around £1,500 worth of damage. Police and club members are appealing to residents living near Annfield Plain football club to report anything or anyone suspicious
A POLICEMAN was found not guilty yesterday of molesting a young woman in a police van. But the jurors who cleared PC Andrew Shearer of indecent assault were not told of disciplinary convictions for a string of offences against shop girls while patrolling
Newton Aycliffe AC - Ian Williams made a welcome return to racing after a three year absence to record a terrific time of 43.12 in the St. Ives (Cambridge) 10k road race. John Burnside back first for the club in 41.41. In the Greenfield School athletics
STRUGGLING manufacturers and homeowners have been handed a lifeline with a surprise cut in interest rates. The Bank of England has taken action to counter the economic slowdown by cutting interest rates by 0.25 per cent, to five per cent. The surprise
A COUPLE, whose love blossomed at a bad taste party set the seal on their relationship in dress from the decade that style forgot. But it wasn't just the bride and groom in glam colours and enormous sunglasses at Richmond Register Office. All the guests
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's sports development team has organised a variety of sports activities for over the holidays. Youngsters can try tennis at Marske Tennis Club on Tuesday, at Saltburn Tennis Club on Thursday and in Zetland Park, Redcar
Roseberry Group North-East Durham League - Wearmouth have opened up a narrow lead at the top of Division One following their two runs victory over nearest rivals East Rainton. Wearmouth totalled 159 for nine mainly due to the efforts of Nicholas Bowman
BARCLAYS Bank said the economic outlook gave it cause for caution, but not alarm, as it reported half-year profits rising by 16 per cent, to £1.9bn. The group said that the first half of the year, to June 30, had seen continuing momentum, with profits
STEEL company Corus has promoted a senior manager to chief executive. Tony Pedder, 52, who has worked in the industry for 30 years, takes up the post next month. Sir Brian Moffat has been acting chief executive and chairman of the Anglo-Dutch steelmaker
A Catholic priest who enticed a besotted 12-year-old parishioner into gay sex acts was today jailed for five years. Father William Jacks, 49, a former secretary to the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, carried out the abuse over a four-year period starting
THE toughest restrictions yet seen during the foot-and-mouth crisis are being introduced in an attempt to prevent the disease taking hold in the intensive pig farming area of North Yorkshire. The huge new biosecurity intensification area centred on Thirsk
THOUSANDS of youngsters are getting the message about road safety thanks to an awareness campaign jointly funded by the Teesside Health Action Zone and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. The council employs two instructors, Tracee Hall-Young and Dan
DARLINGTON council has been found guilty of maladministration over planning and could now face paying compensation to complainants. The local government Ombudsman, Mrs Patricia Thomas, found in favour of Brinkburn Drive residents who brought an action
AS you read this I will be on holiday. Or, more precisely, squashed in a car with an irritable husband, four squabbling children and lots of luggage for hours and hours and hours on end. And this is just the beginning. The journey will be fraught with
AH! Summer! Time for the great outdoors, time to light the charcoal, fill the garden with smoke, annoy the neighbours and eat a burger that manages to be both burnt and bleeding at the same time. What did we do before barbecues? In constantly hot countries
Thirty five years on, a "Where are they now" television documentary is planned on the 1966 World Cup. This isn't another on the England team, however - those lads are everywhere, earning more from "appearances" than ever they did playing football - but
Letters from The Northern Echo USE OF PICTURE A GRAPHIC front page picture of a dead man was prominently exhibited (Echo, July 21) to illustrate the serious rioting at the G8 summit in Genoa. Whilet I recognise that this was both newsworthy and an appropriate
CABLE firm Telewest Communications has added 21,000 household customers to record its fourth successive quarter of subscriber growth. The company said its interim figures showed it was getting the basics right, with earnings before tax and amortisation
PETROL firm Shell produced another set of bumper profits figures after strong growth in its oil products and liquefied natural gas divisions. But the Anglo-Dutch group's shares took a knock after it showed that production levels were under pressure. Shell
THE St Teresa's Hospice charity has clawed back more than £32,000 in VAT, with help from chartered accountant Clive Owen and Co. The Darlington hospice is an independent VAT-registered charity, providing care and support for the terminally ill. It had
Quakers RC - The first race in the Castle Eden Walkway Handicap Series, which replaced the foot-and-mouth stricken White Horse Handicap Series, organised by the club, saw Ian Mowbray of Concordia Runners & Pedallers finish first on the night in 36
THE DIRECTOR of an after-school care charity is behind bars after admitting having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Phil Hemmans, head of the Julie Graham Children's Charity, had sex with the youngster around 20 times after she befriended his foster daughter
PARENTS have reacted with fury after a lifeguard who persuaded schoolgirls to perform sex acts on him at a leisure centre escaped prison yesterday. Mark Eyles, 23, a former worker at the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington, was given an 18-month suspended sentence
TEACHERS and pupils at a Stanley school have achieved their best-ever Government test results. Stanley School of Technology's Year Nine Sats results, showed a 'significant improvement,' according to headmaster David Grigg. In English, 57 per cent of pupils
POISON pen letters, abusive posters, pornographic material and paint bombs were part of a bizarre 12-year hate campaign waged by a pensioner against fellow villagers, a court was told. Teesside crown court heard that 67-year-old James Forster targeted
TO protect the tourist trade, they tried to keep it a secret when it struck the Spanish resort of San Sebastian in the February. By May, the British Grand Fleet had 10,000 cases and couldn't put to sea. Two American soldiers had it one day; by the next
ALMOST half the beds at a hospital rehabilitation unit in Northallerton are occupied by elderly people waiting for funding to allow them to move to nursing homes. And nursing home owners in North Yorkshire say people are dying while waiting months to
PICTURES from the new book by Durham historian Michael Richardson have gone on display in the city. Photographs from Durham Miners' Gala between 1935 and 1960 are on show at the Durham Heritage Centre and Museum, in St Mary-le-Bow, North Bailey. The exhibition
A REVOLUTIONARY health care service, which could reduce the pressure on GPs and hospitals, is being piloted in Sedgefield borough. Sedgefield Borough Council, in partnership with Yorkshire-based company Tunstall, has launched the Community Telemedicine
A MAN who threatened to stab a friend with a kitchen knife has been sentenced to ten months in jail. Shaun Cox waved the knife in the street and hurled abuse at Paul Harnett after the pair had an argument. Sedgefield Magistrates' Court heard the dispute
Former Bishop Auckland professional Steve Chapman, now with Hartlepool, has won national honours as a member of the England amateur side. Chapman played for the England ECB team which won a three-match one day tournament in Holland against the Dutch national
Evenwood Town have sent their thanks to Darlington chairman George Reynolds for a "wonderful gesture", writes RAY SIMPSON. The Albany Northern League Second Division club are due to make the long trip to Lancashire in the FA Carlsberg Vase on September
RICHMOND'S adopted ship returns to UK shores this weekend for the first time in seven months. The Type 23 Duke frigate, HMS Richmond, docks in Portsmouth today following a lengthy deployment in the Mediterranean. The frigate was part of a Nato force,
COUPLES tying the knot will receive a better start to married life, thanks to a multi-million investment programme. Cash from Durham County Council has been used to improve the decor at register offices throughout the county, open up and upgrade garden
AH! Summer! Time for the great outdoors, time to light the charcoal, fill the garden with smoke, annoy the neighbours and eat a burger that manages to be both burnt and bleeding at the same time. What did we do before barbecues? In constantly hot countries
THE thorny question of what to do with parking disc cash has been resolved. A dispute broke out at Guisborough Town Council when it was suggested that the £2,038 should be put towards the cost of Christmas lights. Some members felt the money should be
A FUNNY thing happened to Lynn Chambers and Sally Nettleton, not on the way to the forum, but at a medieval banquet at Redworth Hall, near Darlington. "We were the entertainment as well as serving food and controlling the audience, stopping them having
NINE people were injured, three of them seriously, in two separate accidents on the North York Moors yesterday. Two elderly women had to be cut from the wreckage of a Fiat car, which collided head-on with a Renault Clio on the A170, between Pickering
THE Government last night launched a damage limitation exercise to calm fears of an autumn foot-and-mouth cull - and landed itself in more hot water. The Northern Echo revealed yesterday how Government officials have drawn up contingency plans to slaughter
MAGISTRATES are said to be calling for a specific offence of driving while using a mobile phone, with a £60 fine and a three-point penalty. Criticism of the practice is already having an effect. This week on the trans-Pennine A66 a car pulled up, half
NORTHUMBRIAN Water has been fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £3,850 costs by Guisborough magistrates after raw sewage entered a beck near Loftus. The company admitted causing poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters, in a case
A PRESSURE group is pressing Westminster to come clean on the findings of a safety study on one of the region's most dangerous roads. In 1998, the Government confirmed it would be researching the possibility of upgrading the A66 between Scotch Corner
A NORTH-EAST landmark will be the centre of a psychic investigation as part of a new television series. Marsden Grotto, near South Shields, which was bought by Tavistock Leisure, of Sunderland, is about to be restored to its former glory, with plans to
Ripon Piscatorials Navigation Cup on the river Ure saw last year's champion Gary Bullock retain the trophy when the delighted Tadcaster rod tamed a low clear venue recording 26.12.0, writes JEFF HERBERT. Pulling out the famous Leatham's run off peg waggler
A FERRYHILL youngster has won a new mountain bike as part of a school competition to encourage good behaviour and hard work. Five-year-old Megan Dineen, from Dean Bank Primary School, won the competition run by the Sedgefield Community Rangers initiative
POLICE are hunting three men purporting to be fish sellers after one of them stole a widow's handbag. The 76-year-old had left open the back door of her home in York Crescent, Horden, County Durham, because of the heat. The thief sneaked in and took the
Durham and District League - King George V, who are firmly entrenched at the foot of Division One, were looking to an 8-2 victory at Coxhoe as they led 55 shots to 48 with 15 ends played. However, in a remarkable turn round, the visitors dropped 43 shots
A 13-YEAR-OLD girl was sent an obscene pornographic magazine by a former Open University lecturer after her mother replaced him as parish council clerk, a court heard yesterday. James Forster is accused of sending the magazine along with the message "
Kris Martin achieved a tremendous feat when competing for Great Britain in the World Taekwondo Festival in South Korea. The 15-year-old from Darlington defended the international title he won at the same competition last year. Martin took gold in the
Darlington's highly talented juniors have been given expert tuition this week with a trio of England's stars providing coaching in a summer training camp. England's former European champion John Hilton, and current English Women's champion Nicola Deaton
A RICHMOND town councillor observed this week's meeting from the public gallery after a row over where he should sit continued. Coun David Johnson, one of two Conservatives on the council, insisted it was his right to sit next to his Tory colleague, Coun
A CLASSIC and vintage car rally which had been threatened by the foot-and-mouth epidemic has been saved by a change of venue. The one-day rally - part of the Bedale 750 festival celebrations - was due to take place on the Thorp Perrow estate on September
A NORTH-EAST landmark dedicated to a maritime hero is to get a facelift. The Collingwood Monument, at the mouth of the River Tyne, was erected in 1845 to honour Admiral Lord Collingwood's role in the Battle of Trafalgar. A £169,703 project will restore
A TOWN is offering families the fun of the seaside - without getting sand in their shoes. Middlesbrough is 12 miles from the nearest beach, but management at the Cleveland Centre, in the town centre, are determined that is not going to stop them turning
For many centuries, this time of year was known as Lammastide when fairs and festivals were held. Some of the fairs lasted a long time - in some cases, it was common for them to span a period of 11 days. Among them were massive sheep fairs where part
EXTRA police are being drafted into Yarm at weekends to cope with a massive influx of people to the town's pubs and restaurants this summer. In the wake of a serious assault, there will be twice as many uniformed officers on the beat on Friday and Saturday
A TRAGIC dad who lost a four-year fight against heart disease has inspired a community campaign to help save other victim's lives. At 46, devoted family man Joe Hesp had everything to live for - a loving wife Susan, two daughters Andrea and Lynn and a
WHEN Samantha Abbott bought her weekly scratch cards at her parents' post office, she joined a town's rapidly-growing lucky Lottery club. The unemployed 28-year-old won a new Vauxhall Astra Sri worth more than £15,000. Samantha joins National Lottery
TEENAGERS who have no plans for the future, are being invited to get away from it all to build their confidence. Darlington Borough Council is running a Government- funded summer scheme for youngsters who have just left school, but are undecided on their
BELGIAN dance company Hush Hush Hush have been forced to pull out of the Stockton International Riverside Festival because of injury. They were to have performed the UK premiere of Dancing in the Street today, repeated on Sunday, in the High Street, as
THOUSANDS of young people who left school or college in the area last year have found jobs through the Modern Apprenticeship route. And the achievements are particularly impressive considering the recent changes in post-16 education and training that
A NATIONWIDE inquiry is to be carried out into exam cheating after it emerged last night that another school head in the region is being investigated over allegations of irregularities. The headteacher of a North Yorkshire primary school has been suspended
A NEW light rail link would be better than a new road as a solution to traffic congestion in East Middlesbrough, councillors suggested this week. As a major consultation exercise drew to a close, members of Redcar and Cleveland council executive called
TWO South Bank youngsters are cashing in after christening the area's summer holiday activity programme the Parents Relief Club. Eight-year-old Matthew Childs, and Natasha Jones, ten, each received £10 prize money at the launch of the playscheme at Golden
A RICHMOND farmer appeared before a public inquiry in Leeds last Friday in a test case which could have massive repercussions for the industry. The inquiry centred on whether modified tractor units used by farmers on public roads for hauling were classed
STOCKTON Borough Council's childcare information service is urging people who run classes or clubs for youngsters or their parents to get in touch. The service has produced a database of organisations, leisure pursuits, things to do and places to visit
IN just over three days, one of Thirsk's most established farmers has gone from having 350 cattle and 9,000 pigs to looking after just one Labrador dog. Despite taking all measures possible, the spread of foot-and-mouth has cost him his stock. Mr Robin
A FOOTBALL-CRAZY couple are so devoted to their team they have given up their summer holiday to set up a supporters' club. Blue is the colour for Allan and Ann Barkus, of Dilks Street, Tindale Crossing, near Bishop Auckland, whose passion in life is the
A BLIND man says he is being put at risk by overhanging tree branches and stray dogs. Roger Elgood, 62, was the headteacher at Teesside High School for Girls but moved to Saltburn after he lost his sight. He says his life is made a misery by hedges and
FROM the Cut-throat Celts to the Blitzed Brits, two thousand years of horrible British history are being brought to life during the summer holidays. The Horrible Histories Funfair of Fearis based on the books of best-selling County Durham author Terry
PEOPLE in Redcar and Cleveland this week celebrated their Yorkshire history. The area was stripped of its Yorkshire name with the creation in the Seventies of Cleveland county . The North Riding branch of the Yorkshire Ridings Society, which has a strong
A CHARITY shop has gone into a timewarp following a huge contribution of vintage clothing and valuable records from the 1960s and 1970s. Caftans, hippy waistcoats, trousers, shoes and a variety of other garments from the decades that taste forgot, have
A TRADITIONAL gipsy caravan is making its second appearance of the summer at Beamish Open Air Museum this month. The multi-coloured mobile home will be on display in the museum's Colliery Village and its owners, Pete and Joan Smith, from the Wirral, will
A HORSEWOMAN who has not ridden for two years has pledged to brush up her skill to take part in a 150km sponsored ride in Egypt. Miss Sarah Olney, of Thornton Watlass, is one of about 40 people who have signed up for the Pyramid ride for the International
ACTOR and adventurer Brian Blessed brought backing for a rural revival to the North York Moors yesterday. Mr Blessed, the new Council for National Parks' president, was making his first official visit to a national park to listen to residents and see
DARLINGTON Borough Council has been advised to pay compensation to residents whose homes have lost value because of a planning decision. Local Government Ombudsman Patricia Thomas criticised the council following a complaint from a resident citing concerns
Middlesbrough look set to complete the signings of Manchester United pair Jonathan Greening and Mark Wilson for a combined fee of around £4million. Despite interest from West Ham for the duo and an 11th hour bid from Ipswich for Wilson, it is believed
ONE of the North-East's most famous waterfronts has been selected to compete in the Britain in Bloom finals. Newcastle Quayside, along with the city centre, will be visited by two judges from the Royal Horticultural Society, who arrive on August 16 for
THE results of a government review into the cost of secondary cleaning on farms infected with foot-and-mouth could be announced this week. The cleaning and disinfecting, the last step before a farmer can re-stock, was halted last Monday amid government
A LANDOWNER criticised for jeopardising the rebuilding of Reeth's flood-wrecked swing bridge is confident agreement can be reached to allow work to go ahead. The Yorkshire Dales national park authority said the project was in doubt because the owner of
Throughout the 11-year hunt for Ann Heron's killer, detectives have remained convinced that one man may hold the key to the mystery. At about 5pm on a sunny August 3, 1990 - the approximate time pathologists believe Mrs Heron died - a blue car was seen
AS you read this I will be on holiday. Or, more precisely, squashed in a car with an irritable husband, four squabbling children and lots of luggage for hours and hours and hours on end. And this is just the beginning. The journey will be fraught with
A GRIEVING mother is stepping up a campaign aimed at keeping her daughter's murderer behind bars. Carol Lowther is asking to meet Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid to urge him not to release John Johnston, who raped and murdered her five-year-old daughter
YOUNGSTERS are benefiting from a new purpose-built playbus visiting villages in the area. The playbus has been set up by the Government-backed Sure Start East Cleveland initiative. The bus is at Loftus Leisure Centre on Monday and Friday mornings; Maynard
Slazenger Harrogate and District League - It's a fight to the finish for leaders The Academy and Harlow as they go into the final stages for the First Division title. The Academy, aiming to create a league record of winning the promotion every season
SUNDERLAND AFC has joined forces with Derwentside Leisure to bring soccer coaching to even more local youngsters. Black Cats' coaches already reach thousands of youngsters every year by going into schools in the region and holding courses during school
A POLICEMAN was found not guilty yesterday of molesting a young woman in a police van. But the jurors who cleared PC Andrew Shearer of indecent assault were not told of disciplinary convictions for a string of offences against shop girls while patrolling
A stretch of North-East motorway was the scene of a second crash in as many days yesterday. A female driver suffered head and neck injuries when her car overturned on the southbound carriageway of the A1M, between Washington Services and Blind Lane junction
A NEW charity fund has been set up to help disadvantaged children in the region. The Children's Fund is to be managed by the Cleveland Community Foundation and will offer grants from £200 up to £2,000 to locally managed voluntary, community or self-help
DETECTIVES investigating one of Britain's most baffling murders say a breakthrough could be "just around the corner". Ann Heron, 44, was found lying in a pool of blood at her home on the outskirts of Darlington, 11 years ago today, on August 3, 1990.
NORTHUMBRIAN Water has been fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £3,850 costs by Guisborough Magistrates, after raw sewage entered a beck near Loftus. On Monday, the company admitted causing poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter controlled waters
SMALLER Son is learning to drive. I'm doing a lot of squawking. I'm not actually teaching him, you understand. He has a driving instructor for that. (Why do people become driving instructors? They must have the patience of saints and nerves of steel.
FIGURES for slaughterings up to Monday this week have been given as follows: NORTH YORKSHIRE Cattle: infected premises 15,367; contiguous sites 29,697; non-contiguous 4,120; slaughtered on suspicion 1,001. Total: 50,185. Sheep: infected premises 71,041
PICTURES from the new book by Durham historian Michael Richardson have gone on display in the city. Photographs from Durham Miners' Gala 1935-1960, which looks at all aspects of the Big Meeting in its heyday before and after World War Two, were on show
THERE'S just no getting away from those wizards of Oz. In a week dominated by Rod Marsh and John Buchanan, Darren Lehmann scored 300 runs in the Roses match, Queenslander Matthew Hussey scored 400 in a match for Northants, Andrew Symonds hit a rapid 125
Reaction to the sight of Barry's bare bottom was mixed. The owner of the exposed buttocks covered his face in mock embarrassment. Some present giggled nervously. Others laughed at the sheer cheek of it. Barry's naked bum, revealed as he participated in
Worthington CIU Summer League - Ferryhill moved to the top of a very close Second Division after they only dropped one point on their visit to Crook Belle Vue. Glyn Toas, Neil Redfearn, Ian Roddam and Les Lewis won for the visitors with Gordon Sample
THE CLOSURE of two more residential nursing homes in Darlington could leave sick elderly patients with nowhere else to go but hospital this winter. Trees Park Healthcare has decided to close three of its residential lodges at Middleton St George and currently
DARLINGTON Football Club's new visitor centre is likely to score highly when it opens next week. Nestling in the shadow of the club's towering new stadium, the centre will tell the story of the development. Club chairman George Reynolds said he was delighted
MOBILE phone company Orange has played down fears that scores of temporary staff employed in the North-East might lose their jobs. Orange said that about 90 temporary customer service representatives, based at Darlington, were being offered moves to other
A SUNKEN galleon will be rising from the sands on Sunday as part of the Saltburn's Swashbuckle event. The day of fun and frolics aims to celebrate the town's pirating past and the star attraction is likely to be a sand sculpture of a ship complete with
APL's £5m contract to automate and fully integrate the control and telemetry system of floating production vessel The Crystal Ocean has been completed. Tests in the North Sea have been successfully completed, and the vessel is now in full production.
SMALLER Son is learning to drive. I'm doing a lot of squawking. I'm not actually teaching him, you understand. He has a driving instructor for that. (Why do people become driving instructors? They must have the patience of saints and nerves of steel.
THE Ministry of Defence believes it has fully justified its case to compulsorily acquire commoners' rights on a training area in Cumbria. A five-week public inquiry was set up to examine the MoD case to acquire the rights over Warcop, Hilton and Murton
A NINTH successive lost toss in the championship must have seemed like a blessing in disguise for Jon Lewis as the Durham bowlers took seven wickets by early afternoon yesterday. Then the rain arrived. Graeme Hick and Vikram Solanki, Durham's destroyers
TENANTS in Redcar and Cleveland are being balloted on the future management of their homes. It follows a proposal by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to transfer the ownership and management of 12,000 council homes in the borough to Coast and Country
On balance a remarkable achievement, six sports acrobats from the same Co Durham centre head for the senior World Gymnastic Games in Japan later this month. Two are just 14, the oldest 19. The accolade marks the end of 18 years "massive struggle" for
A goal each from Mark Convery and Murray McDowell gave Darlington a 2-0 friendly win over Albany Northern League Guisborough last night. It was a game in which Darlington boss Gary Bennett rested most of his first team regulars but handed four players
A ROYAL Navy sailor is enjoying a "once-in-a-lifetime trip" to the Far East and East Africa. Norman Browne, of Darlington, is serving as an operator mechanic in the Royal Navy on board Type 42 destroyer HMS Gloucester, which is on a seven-month deployment
The first Hartlepool United-Darlington derby of the new football season takes place on August 25 - but a taster for the big match takes place in the name of charity on Sunday. Supporters of each side have teamed-up up to stage a game in aid of Jon Robert
DARLINGTON FC chairman Mr George Reynolds has vowed not to upset residents over a proposed park and ride scheme to take fans to the club's new stadium. Planning conditions imposed by Darlington Borough Council mean the new 25,000-seat ground can only
YOUNG people in South Tyneside will benefit from a £66,000 Government grant to fund extra summer activities. The money will be used to provide constructive activities, such as supervised sport and awaydays for young people aged 12 and upwards. Local voluntary
GOVERNMENT ministers should really be sure of their facts before they make public declarations. Food Chain Minister Lord Whitty had what can be described as a bit of a go at The Northern Echo on Radio Four's PM programme yesterday. Asked to comment on
FOR more than a year Jane Smith saved up every penny she could to pay for smart new replacement windows for her east Durham home. But the mother-of-three's dream of completing the transformation of her semi-detached in Peterlee has turned into a nightmare
The cost of repairing a dangerous churchyard wall was far beyond the resources of Stokesley parish council, members decided. The wall next to 4 Manor Close, Stokesley, was in a poor state and it was possible people could be injured by it falling down.
ELDERLY patients, some with less than three months to live, have been told to leave their nursing home within six weeks. Families of residents at the Hayrick Nursing Home are furious, and aslo annoyed that they had no idea that an application had been
GLORIOUS Goodwood saw Zuhair take the spoils for a magnificent third year running in the Charlton Stakes over the minimum trip on Wednesday. Sent down from Sessay for a repeat bid by David Nicholls, he was well ridden by wife Alex Greaves. Zuhair has
YOUNGSTERS are being urged to beat the queues and pick up their bus pass before the new school year starts in September. For the first time all children under 16 years old in the North-East will be required to carry an under-11 or under-16 pass, which
The Readers Durham County League Under-18s - Tim Smalley was again in outstanding form with the bat when Tudhoe visited Langley Park and won with seven wickets to spare. The talented youngster scored 63 of his team's total of 102-7 after John Lee had
IT'S ironic that one of the few public figures who seems to have any serious idea of what is going on in the countryside is the most maligned member of a generally maligned family. If anyone could be expected to be remote from the worries and horrors
Bedale Club Championship Warrior Darwin Trophy - Following this 36 hole competition which resulted in a tie between Kevin Ward and Andrew Gatenby, a further 18 holes were played to decide the Club Champion. This was won by Kevin Ward. The Kettlewell Trophy
VILLAGERS opposing a businessman who has fenced off a communal play area have launched a campaign to reclaim the land. Mr Kevin Tiplady, of KT Horticulture in Great Langton, near Northallerton, last month enclosed a piece of unregistered land in the heart
A FARMER fighting to be allowed to stay in his home was given a glimmer of hope this week. Mr Len Webster of Chestnut Farm, near Stokesley, is involved in a long-running dispute with Hambleton District Council which claims he makes more money from his
LEADERS Guisborough had the best of a drawn game at defending North Yorkshire and South Durham League champions Saltburn after batting first and amassing 287 for the loss of only three wickets. Opener Graham Shaw carried his bat for 139 and was ably supported
Hartlepool United's preparations for the new season continued in style last night with a convincing 3-0 victory over Gateshead at the International Stadium. Pool sealed their place in the final of tonight's Century FM tournament thanks to goals from Adam
A GROUP of women are hoping to raise more than £2,000 for the Cancer Research Campaign at a quilt show. The women got together last year to start work on the Starry Night quilt, which is made up of 49 patchwork squares, all featuring star designs. It
PART of a notorious Chester-le-Street estate could be bulldozed to make way for a new private development. Residents on The Brooms estate, in Ouston, have been in talks with Chester-le-Street District Council since plans for the work were announced in
VISITORS to the Stockton International Riverside Festival are being urged to buy a camera to capture the mood of the events final weekend. Now in its fourth year, Shutterbugs gives visitors the chance, for £1, to record festival fun with a single use
RESIDENTS, opposing a housing development they believe is out of character, say they are still not happy with revised designs. Proposals for 31 new houses and flats in the Westfields area of Kirkbymoorside, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, have been submitted
CONSERVATIONISTS have become home builders to help an elusive lodger make a comeback. The Environment Agency anti-pollution watchdog is installing pre-fab homes for otters, which are returning in numbers to the River Tees, but finding their natural habitat
A FAMILIAR picture of the region's economic and social deprivation was revealed yesterday - including the highest death rate in the country. Falling house prices and low standards of education are once again the hallmarks of the North-East, according
WITH the summer season in full swing, Northumbria Police is warning motorists of the dangers of towing unsafe or insecure caravans. Operation Towball, which is running throughout August by Northumbria Police, will involve traffic officers checking vehicles
THE bulldozers have moved in to start work on the long-awaited new community hospital in Sedgefield. Prime Minister Tony Blair cut the first turf to mark the start of building work on the £8m project last week. Contracts for the project have now been
POLICE are anxious to trace four shotguns stolen in a raid on a house in Darlington. Two Winchesters, one 12-bore and one 28 gauge, and two Beretta 12-bore guns, one over and under and one single-barrelled, were stolen during a burglary on a house in
FOR nearly 60 years, an unfinished granite headstone languished in a corner of a stonemason's yard, neglected but never forgotten. But now it has been restored to the grave of the couple it commemorates _ thanks to some amateur sleuthing by the great-granddaughter
A LEADING councillor has expressed concerns over proposals for a city academy in east Cleveland. Councillor Ian Jeffrey, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's lead member for education, reacted to the authority's decision to press ahead with consultation
INTERNATIONAL footballers received something of a culture shock when they underwent three days of intensive pre-season training with Army instructors at Catterick Garrison. Physical training instructors from the McKay gym at the infantry training centre
Two ladies football teams have merged to become one of the biggest female clubs in the area. Darlington Simply Lasses and Newton Aycliffe Ladies have amalgamated to become South Durham Royal, a name that reflects the broad base of players involved. The
THE five-a-side league at Billingham Forum is looking for new teams to join up for the start of next season, kicking off in September. The league, which has 18 sides on its books - two short of its usual 20 - is split into two divisions of ten teams,
WORKERS at the North-East regional offices of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs threatened the government with strike action this week. Staff at Defra's Northallerton offices are embroiled in a pay wrangle with Whitehall chiefs
A LOAN fund is donating £5,000 to a women's aid group in Redcar which can provide improved creche facilities. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Employees Loan Fund has donated the cash to Redcar and Cleveland Women's Aid (RCWA). The mayor of Redcar
A MAN who got into a fight with a former friend over his alleged drug use has been acquitted of manslaughter. A jury of seven women and five men took two hours to find Steven McDonald, 29, not guilty of the manslaughter of "gentle giant" Graeme Dawes.
HEALTH bosses are planning to spend £124,000 doing up a mental hospital which is earmarked for closure. The Pierremont Unit, in the grounds of Darlington Memorial Hospital, is due to be shut within three years as part of modernisation plans. But County
YOUNG people have been involved in running campaigns to reduce crime in the area as part of a competition organised by Cleveland Police. The Youth Against Crime 2001 competition involved groups of youngsters running a project or campaign that would benefit
Sir, - Correspondence (D&S letters, June 29, July 6, 13 and 20) on alternative medicine was started by Dr Roger Fiskin, who says that you cannot simultaneously believe both orthodox and alternative models. From a scientific perspective you should
PROPOSALS for a housing development at a former quarry site are expected to be given the go-ahead by councillors. Wilcon Homes has submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council for seven houses at the Doublegates Quarry residential development, in Clotherholme
A ROW has erupted over a move to place two large statues in Saltburn. The Saltburn Improvement Company wants people to say where they want the sculptures to be sited, but an angry resident says people have not been given the option of saying they do not
Reaction to the sight of Barry's bare bottom was mixed. The owner of the exposed buttocks covered his face in mock embarrassment. Some present giggled nervously. Others laughed at the sheer cheek of it. Barry's naked bum, revealed as he participated in
IT is only a year since Beverley and Leslie Bailey were married - but they enjoyed getting wed so much that now they plan to do it all over again. North Yorkshire County Council is hosting one of the very first affirmation of vows ceremonies in the country
CIU League - Cockton Hill closed the gap at the top of the darts section after they only dropped one point at Chilton and now trail Crook Belle Vue by eight points. The Victoria are ten points adrift of Cockton Hill but have two matches in hand. Byers
STARS from TV soap Emmerdale are heading for Darlington to take part in a charity cricket fun day. The event, in aid of BBC Children in Need, will see cast members lining up against Radio Cleveland presenters at Darlington Cricket Club's Feethams ground
Crook Town Football Club have offered life membership to two of their outstanding players from yesteryear, writes JOHN PHELAN. Jimmy McMillan and Derek Gardner starred for Crook in of the 1950s and 1960s and their long service is to be honoured. Jimmy
LANDOWNERS have hit back at criticism from ramblers over the grouse shooting season going ahead on the North York moors. Ramblers say that while they are barred from going on to the moors because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, shooters will be allowed
REDCAR and Cleveland is set to receive more than £6m to improve the health, employment and well-being of people living in the area. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is being asked to approve the spending plans by the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal
Thirty five years on, a "Where are they now" television documentary is planned on the 1966 World Cup. This isn't another on the England team, however - those lads are everywhere, earning more from "appearances" than ever they did playing football - but
