A FORMER shipbuilding city has beaten the rest of Europe in a gardening competition. Gardeners in Sunderland won a gold medal, the top award, in the European Entente Florale competition. The city had already won the North-East and Britain in Bloom contests
PLANS for an out-of-hours dental service at Darlington Memorial Hospital are nearing completion. A service for emergency cases on weekday evenings, weekends and bank holidays is already in operating in Darlington. But if any immediate treatment is required
A COUNTY Durham woman was one of the last people to visit the observation deck of the World Trade Centre. See her pictures on-line and in Wednesday's The Northern Echo. Mildred Stafford, from Rushyford, near Ferryhill, was one of the last people to enjoy
THE mother of a 36-year-old man who is fighting for his life after a mystery fire, spoke last night of her anguish. Barry McCann, from Chester-le-Street, is critically ill after suffering 25 per cent burns at the Warriors Arms pub, Front Street, Great
ETHICAL beauty chain The Body Shop is considering whether to respond to takeover interest from a host of potential buyers. The company, which was founded by Anita Roddick in 1976, has received a number of "unsolicited expressions of interest". But it
A MAN raped a prostitute in his car, a court heard yesterday. Peter Thompson, 20, of Portman Street, Middlesbrough, is standing trial at Teesside Crown Court charged with two counts of rape, which he denies. Stephen Ashurst, prosecuting, said the woman
A BURGLAR broke into the same building three times, a court heard yesterday. Lee Stephenson, 24, of Costa Street, South Bank, Middlesbrough, admitted six charges of burglary, three of failing to surrender to bail, two of obstructing a police officer and
A FARMERS' auction market closed since the start of the foot-and-mouth crisis began is to be given a helping hand. Darlington Farmers Auction Mart Company (DFAM) runs the livestock trading market in Clifton Road, in the town, but it has been closed since
I GUESS we shall all remember for the rest of our lives what we were doing when "the first war of the 21st Century" broke out. I was in Oxford with 80 other clergymen from the diocese of London. The Bishop of London had asked us to meet in St Catherine's
MYSTERY surrounds the death of a former teacher whose body was found on a beach on Sunday. The body of Debra McNicholas, 44, was discovered by a member of the public at 7am on Redcar beach, east Cleveland, near the children's paddling pool. A post-mortem
AMBULANCE chiefs say plans to re-locate in Darlington will improve response times. The North-East Ambulance Service NHS Trust hopes to move into disused workshops at Darlington's fire station, in St Cuthbert's Way. Ambulance staff presently use a crew
A MOTHER jumped 180 feet to her death with her young autistic son from a County Durham footbridge, police said today. The bodies of 38-year-old Helen Rogan and her 11-year-old son, Mark Owen Young, were discovered yesterday by a relative on a footpath
LAST week's terrorist attacks have created a wave of emotions in the United States. In responding to these emotions and the clamour for retribution, President Bush has resorted to the rhetoric of war. In offering the unstinting support expected of a staunch
ANGRY councillors in East Cleveland are protesting against a decision to remove the only phone-box from a remote moorland village. The phone-box in Liverton village, near Loftus, has been removed while the village hall is rebuilt. However, councillors
HIGH volume manufacturers across the region are adopting the same approach to training as they do to their production lines, developing staff en masse to gain relevant qualifications. More than 800 staff have already enrolled on a revolutionary programme
A MULTI-MILLION pound plan to breathe new life into a troubled community centre is to be considered by council chiefs. Hambleton District Council's cabinet is meeting later this week to discuss the future of Northallerton Community Centre, which had been
PROPERTIES that are difficult to let could be furnished by the council to make them more attractive to prospective tenants. Darlington Borough Council is hoping to set up a trial of the Furnished Tenancy Project for 20 properties. The houses will be let
PIZZA delivery woman Yvonne Edwards is prepared for some odd looks from customers tonight. Those switched on to Tyne Tees Television will see her recalling her childhood in Darlington in the 1950s and 1960s. "It'll be strange if I go to the door and they're
BOBBY ROBSON last night identified Craig Bellamy as the key ingredient that had been lacking in his recipe for success at Newcastle. Bellamy, whose enthusiastic celebrations almost sparked a touchline fracas with Manchester United's Gary Neville and David
HARTLEPOOL United manager Chris Turner last night called for patience as his side aim to find a winning formula at home. Pool have yet to win at Victoria Park this season and Saturday's draw at Southend was just their fifth point of the campaign. But
AFTER three games without a victory, Darlington need to get back to winning ways as soon as possible if they're to avoid repeating last season's statistics. A year ago a dip in form followed a promising start which saw Gary Bennett's side remain unbeaten
A MAN who used a council's computer to email a friend pornographic photos of children has had his jail term cut to six months. Tony Allison, 28, of Eldon Lane, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, was sentenced to nine months after pleading guilty on
MYSTERY last night surrounded the death of a former teacher whose body was found on a North-East beach. The body of Debra McNicholas, 44, was discovered by a member of the public on Redcar beach, near the children's paddling pool, at 7am on Sunday. A
TWO men who got involved in a family row which ended with a Samurai sword being produced were conditionally discharged yesterday. Martin Clarke, and Ronald Foley, admitted at Teesside Crown Court that they had used threatening behaviour and caused criminal
A GUARD of honour was formed as a mark of respect at the funeral of a Darlington ex-serviceman yesterday. Jack Tomlinson, 85, of Quaker Lane, died in his sleep at home last Tuesday. Born in Stretford, Manchester, Mr Tomlinson was a promising footballer
AN inquiry was under way last night into circumstances surrounding the death of a man who was allegedly chased through a city centre before being brutally attacked. Police are hunting a gang of about seven people who viciously assaulted 34-year-old Michael
A CHARITY funfair raised hundreds of pounds for a young boy suffering from leukaemia at the weekend. All proceeds from Darlington College of Technology's annual September party will go to a local charity which is raising money to send Alan Clough to the
A COUPLE celebrated their golden wedding anniversary close by the church where they married 50 years ago. Peter and Nancy Murphy, of Hackworth Close, Shildon, celebrated their golden anniversary on Saturday with a family celebration at the town's Flag
A MAN raped a prostitute in his car, a court heard yesterday. Peter Thompson, 20, of Portman Street, Middlesbrough, is standing trial at Teesside Crown Court charged with two counts of rape, which he denies. Stephen Ashurst, prosecuting, said the woman
A PROPOSAL to set up a town centre ice rink is one of many schemes being considered to inject more life into Spennymoor. The large number of boarded up properties and air of neglect surrounding the town's shopping precinct has thwarted attempts to bring
THOMAS the Tank Engine steamed into a primary school yesterday, to teach youngsters about air travel. The hot air balloon replica of the children's television character visited St Andrew's Primary School -known as Henknowle Primary until September 1 -
A POLICEMAN who has replaced crime with football is in line for a national award. PC Calvin Skinner has brought down crime figures on his Coundon beat, near Bishop Auckland, with a mixture of straightforward policing and the unifying game of football.
TWO eagle-eyed readers have won prizes by correctly identifying a mystery photograph in The Northern Echo. The newspaper joined forces with Darlington Borough Council to run a competition as part of the Heritage Day Tours. Properties in Darlington were
A BURGLAR broke into the same building three times, a court heard yesterday. Lee Stephenson, 24, of Costa Street, South Bank, Middlesbrough, admitted six charges of burglary, three of failing to surrender to bail, two of obstructing a police officer and
A CITY council is facing unlimited fines after it used ash from an incinerator for allotment footpaths. Magistrates could have fined Newcastle City Council up to £25,000 yesterday, after it admitted at an earlier hearing two breaches of environmental
INNOVATE or die! That's the message of an event being organised by Business Link Tees Valley. The event is designed to help growing companies in the Tees Valley improve their competitiveness. The Innovation Masterclass promises delegates the opportunity
BRIDE-TO-BE Andrea Campbell spent two years planning every detail of her dream day - only to see it turn into the wedding from hell. Andrea, 23, and husband Paul Swan, 37, spent £5,000 on a spectacular ceremony, which included tying the knot on the oldest
INSIDE the low, white building, at the end of a broad avenue in the heart of the capital, the president and his advisors agonise over decisions which could lead to a new world order. But this is not George W Bush in the White House; instead it is thousands
A FORMER nun from a closed order will address a meeting of business women tonight. Catherine Wallis, who was a member of Darlington's Carmelites community for 14 years, recently left to start up her own business. Tonight, she will speak at the first meeting
A TEENAGER who stole his mother's car while she slept had to be stopped by police using a stinger device, a court heard yesterday. Martin Robert Tyson, 18, of Fawcus Street, Redcar, admitted a charge of aggravated vehicle taking without consent, driving
TEES councils will this week decide whether to give their backing to a new £10m sports retail store which could create 50 jobs. French sports retailer Decathlon wants to build a 50,000sq ft store at the Portrack Interchange Retail Park in Stockton. Stockton
DRIVERS face disruption during the coming months because of refurbishment works to bridges and maintenance on the A66M. Birse Construction, which will be carrying out the work on the bridges for the Highways Agency, has warned disruption will start today
A NEW manager at one of Teesside's private hospitals wants to build links with NHS hospitals in the region. Phillippa Crowther comes to the Cleveland Nuffield Hospital in Stockton after four years at the Nuffield in Harrogate, where she oversaw a £3m
NORTH-EAST youngsters who belong to the country's best sports acrobatics club are to get a £426,949 new home. Deerness Gym Club, in Ushaw Moor, near Durham City, has produced several gymnasts who have enjoyed extensive international competition success
HUNDREDS of people joined in the fun at the annual Rhythm 'n' Brews Festival in Darlington last week. The seven-day programme attracted record crowds to sample real ales and listen to top bands at Arts Centre and in the Market Square. All the events at
LEAD developer at Teesdale Business Park, Terrace Hill, has signed up a tenant for its Discovery building development, just three months after it got under way. Dutch oil company Petroplus, which acquired the former Phillips-Imperial Petroleum refinery
MODULAR construction specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has completed construction of new office and laboratory facilities at Grangemouth, Cumbria, for agribusiness company Syngenta. The formation of Syngenta, following the merger of Novartis
BRITAIN'S favourite astronomer travelled deep into a North Yorkshire forest to launch a facility for stargazers. Sir Patrick Moore, veteran presenter of TV's Sky At Night went to Dalby Forest, near Pickering, where he joined members of the Scarborough
GOVERNMENT Minister Alun Michael was urged yesterday to give more cash support to North Yorkshire as it struggles to cope with the effects of foot-and-mouth disease. The rural affairs minister was in the county on a fact-finding mission to see how the
A BURGLAR used a pole to hook a woman's handbag through an open window, a court heard yesterday. Patrick Duffy, 28, of Prior Court, Billingham, admitted a charge of burglary, at Teesside Crown Court. Richard Parcell, prosecuting, said the house owner
TYNESIDE baker, Greggs of Gosforth, has recruited seven school-leavers to its three-year bakery apprenticeship programme, which leads to an NVQ level 2 and 3 in craft baking. Greggs bakery manager Robert Walby said: "Our training scheme gives the apprentices
HEALTH chiefs were last night trying to discover the extent of Darlington Memorial Hospital's involvement in a scandal surrounding the use of the bones of dead babies. Between 1955 and 1970, 3,400 bone samples were taken across the country from deceased
EIGHTY jobs are to be created at the North-East's newest theatre. Gala Theatre, Durham City's £14m arts venue, will open in January as part of the Millennium City development. Forty full-time and 40 part-time staff will be needed, including stage technicians
POLICE recovered more than £17,000 worth of cannabis in a raid yesterday. Officers and a sniffer dog raided a house at Wolviston Court, Billingham, and found a skunk cannabis farm of 16 plants and a quarter of a kilo of cannabis bush. A 30-year-old man
A RARE water-colour painted by one of the 18th Century's most famous book illustrators will come under the hammer today. Thomas Bewick won fame in 1790 after publishing A General History of Quadrupeds, with illustrations he painstakingly created of four-footed
A man appeared in court yesterday for causing unnecessary suffering to a horse, which had been tethered near Bishop Auckland. Steven Walker, 45, from Central Avenue, St Helens, pleaded not guilty and will appear again before Bishop Auckland Magistrates
POETS are going out into the community to take the mystery out of verse. A series of readings is being organised across County Durham as part of the county council's Sharp Stick initiative to promote poetry. The series, called Unsafe Text, will feature
A £300,000 investment in the latest equipment will ensure that the kitchens at the new Bazil Brasserie will add up to a recipe for success. The investment in the Whitley Bay business means that the kitchen and food preparation areas at the restaurant
THE last Bishop of Ripon considered nothing more ambrosial than a plate of baked beans on toast, topped with melted cheese. He admitted as much in a sermon at Middleton Tyas church a few years ago; it was the only bit our bairns remembered. We mention
THE Metro to the coast on Great North Run day is much like the Tube to the Cup final, save for the banners, the beer fumes and the chants of Wemb-er-lee. South Shields doesn't scan. The old watering hole has been much titivated since last we paddled down
A parent and toddler group which is backed by the Government is hoping to part-fund a venture with a council to provide more play areas. Sure Start, in Stanley, has already conducted a survey of the town's parents to find out what is needed. The group
GLASWEGIAN funny man Billy Connolly has been filming for his new TV series at one of the region's World Heritage sites. The Big Yin took time out from his sell-out concert performances at Newcastle City Hall to film an item at Hadrian's Wallfor his forthcoming
TOWNSFOLK stepped back in time at the weekend as the past came back to life in Northallerton. Local historians staged their second History Day in the town hall - and the event caught the imagination of the public. The day was held as a celebration and
A MAN who admitted stealing money from pensioners was told yesterday to expect a jail sentence. Scott Wilcock, 21, of Neasham Road, Seaham, County Durham, admitted three charges of theft and two of obtaining property by deception, at Teesside Crown Court
A scheme to regenerate a former derelict stable courtyard has scooped one of the top honours in the RICS Pro Yorkshire Awards. The Aske Stables project on the Aske Estate, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, was voted the best entry in the commercial category
THE recession in the engineering sector has deepened as UK firms continue to feel the impact of the global economic slowdown, official figures have shown. A sharp fall in overseas orders pushed turnover across engineering industries down by 6.6 per cent
A PRISON'S high-risk gamble of scrapping segregated wings for vulnerable inmates is today heralded as a success in an official report. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, Sir David Ramsbotham, hails Durham Jail's initiative as the "chief jewel in
TELEVISION star Sam Kane has returned to the stage in Darlington with a new lady on his arm. The former Brookside star, who met his real-life wife Linda Lusardi while performing at the town's Civic Theatre, is starring alongside his stage partner Shona
TANKER drivers in Teesside yesterday launched the first of two 24-hour strikes over a pay dispute. The P&O trans-European drivers, who deliver chemicals to manufacturers, were protesting at new contracts which could lead to wage cuts. Union leaders
BRASS BANDS from across County Durham are to join together in memory of a popular band member. Tim Holmes, 46, was a member of Spennymoor Town Band and had been involved in brass bands in the North-East all of his life. In May this year, the musician,
Thousands of people converged on the River Tyne yesterday to be among the first to tramp over the £22m Gateshead Millennium Bridge. For those who may not have been sufficiently in awe of its graceful arch, a commentator reeled off its impressive statistics
ANGRY councillors in East Cleveland are protesting against a decision to remove the only phone box from a remote moorland village. The phone-box in Liverton village, near Loftus, has been removed while the village hall is rebuilt. However, councillors
President Bush said last night the United States was determined to get terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden "dead or alive". Bin Laden is the prime suspect for overseeing last week's terrorist attacks on America and is in hiding under the protection of
BROUGH PARK prepares for a capacity crowd tonight as it hosts the North-East's richest-ever night of greyhound racing, centred round the final of the Regal All England Cup. The winner of the prestigious event will leave Tyneside with a handsome trophy
FOOT-AND-MOUTH THE Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has come up with the policy of spraying every vehicle with disinfectant to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. I sometimes wonder why. When I travel around rural areas
A WALK which tells the story of the industrial beginnings of Middlesbrough celebrates its first anniversary this week. And local people are invited to follow the trail with Robin Daniels, of Tees Archaeology, on Thursday, at 2pm. He will lead walkers
REDCAR and Cleveland College has a new principal. Alan Old, vice-principal of the college and acting principal since July 2000, takes over from Lynne Howe. A plan to extend the campus and provide a theatre and other arts-based learning facilities ran
HEALTH officials have dismissed rumours that sex offenders are to be admitted to a new private psychiatric hospital near Darlington. Trees Park Healthcare, which is to change its name to Middleton St George Hospital, is undergoing a £4m expansion of its
COMMUNITIES will gather to discuss their future at a joint meeting next week. The area-wide community forum meeting for the Crook, Willington and Tow Law areas starts at 6.30pm on Tuesday, in Sunniside Community Centre. Residents, community groups, voluntary
A FUTURE medicine student has been given a helping hand with a grant from local doctors. When the South-West Durham branch of the British Medical Association received a shares windfall from the Northern Rock Building Society, it decided to use the money
MIDDLESBROUGH keeper Mark Schwarzer's blushes were saved last night by two goals in the final five minutes from his teammates at Leicester City. Schwarzer, who now serves a one match suspension after his dismissal against Newcastle on September 8, made
A TEENAGE burglar who raided two neighbouring houses in one night was ordered by a judge yesterday to be electronically tagged to protect the public. The tag, to be fitted to Robert Sargent, 17, will make sure that he stays in his home from 7pm to 7am
A TEESSIDE woman was baptised in the river Tees at the weekend. Norma Dooley, who has been attending the Stockton Baptist Church since she married a member just over a year ago, was immersed in the river Tees at Stockton to mark her joining the church
US shares suffered their biggest one-day fall when Wall Street reopened yesterday for the first time since last week's terrorist attacks. The resumption of trading ended the stock market's longest shutdown since the Depression. Within minutes, the Dow
A former football talent scout has been bound over to keep the peace after admitting telling a referee who is a farmer: "I hope you get foot-and-mouth." Thomas Gerard Marron, 48, caused a match between Northern League sides, Esh Winning and Penrith, to
AEROSPACE and engineering group Smiths has raised £20m after agreeing to sell two of its non-core businesses. The deals include the disposal of the Plenty fluid handling products business, which employs about 450 people in the UK and overseas. Based at
A POLICE informer who claimed officers failed to protect him after he helped to smash a massive drugs ring, has failed in a High Court bid for more than £100,000 compensation. Judge Mr Justice Leveson said that informer Terry Donnelly, 60, had aided police
SO impressed were judges by the artistic talents of pupils at Stanley School of Technology that they had to invent three extra prizes. The Stanley Action Group Enterprise (Sage) plans to display the overall winning entry across the town. The residents
A TEENAGE burglar who raided two neighbouring houses in one night was ordered by a judge yesterday to be electronically tagged to protect the public. The tag, to be fitted to Robert Sargent, 17, will make sure that he stays in his home from 7pm to 7am
TONY DOBBIN could have the bookies running for cover at Sedgefield this afternoon where he has a handy-looking book of rides. Dobbin's day begins with an excellent opportunity in the opener aboard The Names Bond (2.20) in the Stanley Racing Juvenile Novices
A man found with a sawn-off shotgun was jailed for 12 months yesterday. Stuart Duncan, 44, of Stanley Way, Crook, admitted a charge of possessing a firearm without a licence at Teesside Crown Court. Christopher Williamson, prosecuting, told the court
RESIDENTS fled their homes after being tormented by a 15-year-old schoolboy, a court heard. Graham Lake told District Judge James Prowse, at Teesside Magistrates Court, that he moved after the teenager threatened to burn his house down. The boy, who cannot
THE Roman Catholic Church has pledged to investigate all allegations of child abuse where no action has been taken in the past, in its efforts to root out paedophile activity. The announcement yesterday came as it published an independent inquiry into
Dog-lover Trevor Ord saved the life of a newborn puppy - thanks to his favourite TV programme. When the puppy arrived among a litter of 13, it was motionless and was not breathing. But Mr Ord remembered seeing an episode of Pet Rescue, describing how
A WALK which tells the story of the industrial beginnings of Middlesbrough celebrates its first anniversary this week. And local people are invited to follow the trail with Robin Daniels, of Tees Archaeology, on Thursday, at 2pm. He will lead walkers
FOLLOWING a number of major contract wins, public relations and advertising consultancy Kinghorn Davies has strengthened its team. The Newcastle-based agency has appointed NATALIE TRAINOR, 22, as PR account executive. She joins Kinghorn Davies with an
CAMPAIGNERS have given the Government an ultimatum over the Richard Neale affair. Member of the group, which represents victims of the struck-off surgeon, arepressing for a full public inquiry into the former Northallerton gynaecologist. They are unhappy
CHANNEL 4 Racing expert John McCririck has revealed that police are to take no action over an alleged assault at York races. He was said to have "brushed aside" 55-year-old security guard Jan Cole after she claimed he tried to go into a restricted area
