THE Government will fight a legal bid to force a public inquiry into the Richard Neale scandal, it was revealed last night. Campaigners representing hundreds of former patients of the disgraced former Northallerton surgeon want the Government to hold
FIREFIGHTERS will get down to the bare essentials of fundraising when they perform a strip tonight. Nine Cleveland fire officers bravely volunteered for the job after being approached by Assistant Divisional Officer Alan Gill. Having puzzled over how
WHEN jockey Scott Taylor suffered severe head injuries in a horrific racing accident two years ago he was lucky to have survived. Now his remarkable journey back to health has been made all the more precious by the news that he is expecting his first
A NORTH-EAST police officer and lifeboat crewman are to receive national awards after being scrambled during an exercise at an air show to a real rescue along the coast. PC Robert Bagshaw, helmsman of Northumbria Police's inflatable boat Sabre, will receive
THE future of a major annual music event could be threatened because of poor organisation. BBC Radio One's One Big Sunday takes place annually at Middlesbrough's Stewart Park, attracting thousands of music lovers from throughout the region. In previous
AN OFFICER at the region's newest police station is having to arm himself with a government licence before taking a rare band of fugitives into custody. For while his colleagues in Durham Police celebrate the official opening of Peterlee's £2m police
A CHARITY offering Darlington's young homeless people an alternative to sleeping rough, is desperately seeking volunteers. Nightstop offers young people temporary board and lodgings while efforts are made to find them a more permanent home. The Nightstop
A WOMAN was last night lying in intensive care with a broken neck following a serious road smash. The victim was a passenger in a Ford Ka that was involved in a collision with a Mercedes van in Tyne and Wear on Wednesday night. The crash happened just
A FIRM of Darlington solicitors is launching a Saturday service for people who find they are too busy to deal with legal issues during the week. Latimer Hinks is opening the doors of its legal practice on the first Saturday of every month, starting on
POLICE are continuing to follow up leads from the public in the hope of catching the person responsible for a series of chilling letters and phone calls. Over a two-year period the man, known only as Soldier David, has waged a hate campaign against stores
LIVERPOOL are ready to mount a major legal challenge to a Premier League charge that they made an illegal approach to prise Christian Ziege away from Middlesbrough. The Premier League have granted Liverpool a further seven days to finish gathering evidence
A NORTH-EAST council has drawn up plans for safety measures at an accident blackspot. Sunderland City Council plans to introduce a ban on U-turns at the Stoneygate junctions on the A690 between Sunderland and Houghton-le-Spring. A 50mph limit will be
THE region celebrated its historic links with Captain James Cook yesterday - on the birthday of the legendary seafarer. Civic leaders from across Teesside and North Yorkshire gathered at the Captain Cook statue, in Great Ayton, for a wreath-laying ceremony
A NORTH-EAST college's New Deal for Musicians scheme will showcase some of its talent tonight. South Tyneside College's event starts at 8pm in The Ropery, Sunderland, and admission is free. The show will be compered by Leanne Strong from Sunderland, with
Heard the one about the harassed mother trying to get her recalcitrant son out of his Sunday morning stupor? "I'm not going to church," he mumbles. "Yes you are, so get yourself up now," insists his mum. The prodigal son demands one good reason why he
A MAN was charged last night with the murder of Julie Smailes - almost five years to the day since her death. Darren Willis, who was arrested early yesterday by detectives, lives a few hundred yards from the house in Leadgate, County Durham, where Julie's
EUROPE'S leading manufacturer of watercoolers, Ebac Ltd, has won two international awards for its marketing efforts. The business, from Bishop Auckland, scooped a double with first places in the advertising and website categories of the International
A 28-tonne Warrior tank travelled through the streets of Sunderland yesterday. It looked like the tank was on serious manoeuvres - and in some ways it was. It had to get Private Wayne Mawston home for a cuppa with his mother. Pte Mawston was driven through
RELEGATION has never been an issue for Chris Turner. Tuesday's win at Macclesfield lifted Pool off bottom spot and into 19th in Division Three. And while the Pool boss is not getting carried away, he admits to looking at the top end of the table instead
FIDGET the feline is a classic example of a fat-cat boss. The 14-year-old, which weighs 18lb, has the run of the Pet Fare store where it lives, and regularly helps itself to whatever food takes its fancy. But owners Wendy and Shaun Kirk say the other
PRICES at the petrol pumps were tumbling last night to their lowest levels for two years. Northern supermarket Morrisons began the trend by slashing unleaded petrol 2p to 69.9p per litre - its cheapest since 1999 and about 12p lower than a year ago. Fellow
BUSINESSMAN Sir Tom Cowie has been paying for his youthful thoughtlessness at a Sunderland church. Sir Tom donated more than £50,000 to St Mark's Church in Millfield for the restoration of the roof. He began his business in Hylton Road, Millfield, selling
THE death of her beloved sister was just the beginning of five years of torment for Wendy Smailes - five years in which she freely admits to have considered ending it all. During the long years waiting for someone to be brought to justice, the 35-year-old
THE Government is to spend £40m buying up to 25,000 extra operations from the private sector in a bid to free NHS hospital beds, Health Secretary Alan Milburn announced yesterday. The MP for Darlington believes the move will reduce bed occupancy rates
A FREED prisoner ended up back behind bars after celebrating his release with a few drinks too many, a court was told yesterday. A custody sergeant at Stockton police station, who dealt with Derek Lowe, 28, described him as drunk as a skunk, said Keith
DURHAM University said there was no evidence the city had a "student bashing'' problem. The university has about 9,000 students - about 15 per cent of the adult population. It is popularly believed in the city that "town and gown'' friction can lead to
SAINSBURY's boss Sir Peter Davis said the supermarket chain was back "in the front pack" after it beat City expectations with a jump in sales. Total sales surged 7.7 per cent in the 16 weeks to October 13, while like-for-like growth, excluding petrol,
A SCHOOLGIRL suffering from a rare disease has raised more than £1,000 to pay for research into finding a cure. Thirteen-year-old Rebecca Parkin was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease a year ago after coping with persistent stomach problems and spending time
Letters from The Northern Echo ASSISTED SUICIDE YOUR comment on the case of Diane Pretty (Echo, Oct 19) is flawed. The law has no right to deny the right of an individual to make such a choice, if that choice can be proved to be a rational one, based
A NEW £43million shopping complex set to revitalise the fortunes of a town centre was officially opened today by top soap star Stephen Beckett. Stephen, who is best known as Doctor Matt Ramsden in Coronation Street, helped the mayor of Stockton, councillor
A POTENTIAL £100m development which community leaders hoped would herald the rebirth of a town, looks to have come to nothing. Leader of Derwentside District, Councillor Alex Watson, said it had decided to "take a step back" from the King's Head Fields
A CRIME-FIGHTING jewellery valuation service is available at a new fixed price in Darlington. Safeguard is teaming up with H Samuel to offer fixed-price security valuations for watches and jewellery at just £35 for the first item and £10 for subsequent
A DISABILITY awareness project marked its third anniversary with a celebration of achievement. The Dimensions Disability Initiative, run by Darlington Association on Disability in partnership with Darlington Borough Council, also launched its new Millennium
THE owner of a hotel, which could be forced to close after 25 years, has warned that businesses in Teesdale will continue to fold unless they receive more council backing. Mark Watson, who runs the Jersey Farm Hotel, near Barnard Castle, claims that trade
THE owner of three dogs, which were destroyed after an attack on a woman, has won her battle to have them buried. Lisa Cowley, of Foster Court, Murton, County Durham, has been involved in a dispute with the owner of the kennels where the animals were
COMMUNITY groups in east Cleveland are more than £6,000 richer thanks to the latest round of grants from the Cleveland Community Foundation. The foundation is a vehicle for individuals, families, companies and trusts throughout Teesside to make bequests
PLANS to build two animal incinerators to burn foot-and-mouth carcasses were backed by councillors yesterday, despite fears over pollution. The plans have received backing from the farming community, although people living near the planned sites have
A CONCERT to raise money for the town's Christmas lights takes place in Redcar on Saturday night - thanks to The Northern Echo's sister paper in east Cleveland. The Clarion, east Cleveland's favourite weekly newspaper, has teamed up with Redcar Business
TWO of the region's manufacturing businesses are to create jobs after sharing grants worth more than £87,000. Ten jobs will be created by Cleveland Technologies, at Redcar, and nine at Posi-thread, Washington. Cleveland Technologies is made up of three
Andrina Carroll had done a "pants-only" rehearsal the day before and was preparing to go the Full Monty the following day. The York-based actress was considering just how embarrassing it would be stripping off in front of her fellow actors. It isn't the
GARY Bennett yesterday took the honourable way out of the Darlington manager's office in characteristic fashion. Nice-guy Bennett, appointed when David Hodgson walked out on August 3, 2000, decided to quit when it became obvious the players weren't giving
RAIL users in East Cleveland have the chance to question representatives of Arriva Trains Northern and the British Transport Police next week. The meetings were arranged by the Saltburn Line User Group. It is concerned with new initiatives and passenger
A DARLINGTON rugby club is moving forward on and off the pitch with a new website and an initiative to introduce more women to the game. Mowden Park RFC's new schemes are part of a Rugby for All initiative, which has had an encouraging start with more
A GROUP of 19 refugees, including three young children, has arrived at a North-East port, a fortnight after 27 people illegally entered the country. The latest stowaways, all thought to be Turkish Kurds, arrived in Teesport, Middlesbrough, on a P&
RESEARCH into the remote caves and mineshafts of the Yorkshire Dales has uncovered thousands of roosting bats never before found in the region. A team of university experts has provided vital new information on the importance of the Dales' underground
PEOPLE with special needs are to benefit from a £1,000 Abbey National bank gift. Outreach worker Margaret Worsnop and clerical officer June Bell, from Spennymoor Learning Library, were presented with a cheque by the manager of Abbey National's Bishop
A FORMER sports secretary of a social club accused of stealing thousands of pounds yesterday told a court: "I am not a thief". Terence Sturman banged his hand against the witness box at Teesside Crown Court as he stated his innocence. Mr Sturman, 68,
A NORTH-East family will be rubbing shoulders with TV stars next week as they feature as Family of the Week in Channel 4's Big Breakfast. The Francis family, from Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, Teesside, were chosen to take part after appearing in a
A NURSING home boss who ran up losses of nearly £250,000 has been banned from being a director for five years. Dr Nabil Awadalla Naroz, of Hett Hills, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, agreed to be disqualified after he ran Derwent Care Ltd. The
A MAJOR murder-style inquiry was launched today after a badly decomposed body was found in secluded woodland. The remains were discovered hidden by undergrowth at Bilton, near Harrogate, by a man out looking for his lost cat. The body was in such poor
THE Darlington Poppy Appeal was launched yesterday by the town's mayor. Councillor Isobel Hartley congratulated Royal British Legion members and other ex-service people at the launch, for their work. She then accepted a collection box for the town hall
DARLINGTON FC boss Gary Bennett resigned as manager last night saying he was "sacrificing" his position for the good of the club. Chairman George Reynolds is wasting no time in his search for a successor, with ex-Leyton Orient manager Tommy Turner being
TONIGHT is the night that the business community of the Tees Valley has been waiting for. At the Tall Trees Hotel in Yarm, The Northern Echo's editor, Peter Barron, will reveal this year's winner of the Lifetime of Achievement Award, sponsored by the
THE RSPCA is appealing for cat owners to make sure their pets are neutered to avoid the feline population spiralling out of control. Last year, 596 cats were accepted into the RSPCA's animal home in York, with 410 taken in by the charity's Great Ayton
Heard the one about the harassed mother trying to get her recalcitrant son out of his Sunday morning stupor? "I'm not going to church," he mumbles. "Yes you are, so get yourself up now," insists his mum. The prodigal son demands one good reason why he
TO some it was always a matter of when rather than if, and to many it should have come a lot sooner. The news that Gary Bennett had vacated the Darlington hot-seat will have been greeted with a sigh of relief by most of the clubs' fans, but that's a little
A TEENAGER died and three other people were injured in a head-on collision on a country road. James Patrick Woodworth, a 17-year-old from Newby Wiske, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was killed when the red Escort in which he was travelling collided
FORMER Coronation Street star Denise Welch has spoken out over allegations in a Sunday newspaper article portraying her as a "drug-crazed animal". The 43-year-old actress, whose family still live in County Durham, thanked the people of the North-East
THREE young soldiers from the North-East are returning to the region as part of a visit by one of the Army's most famous regiments. Lance Corporal Joe Conley, from Crook, County Durham, Private Mark Bailey, from Durham City, and Private Simon Evans, from
THE new film from Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall will have a regional premiere in Newcastle on Monday. Sean Landless, the 15-year-old Sunderland schoolboy who stars in the £3m movie, will be among the cast of Gabriel And Me at the special screening at the
INDUSTRY leaders have called for a half-point interest rate cut after it emerged export prospects were at their bleakest since 1980. The CBI's latest quarterly industrial trend survey found that 59 per cent of manufacturing firms were less optimistic
EVER polished off your plate and still fancied a bit more to eat? Then Fairfax House, in York, has just the thing - edible knives and forks. Snacking on the cutlery not only helps fill the heartiest appetite, but for some it could be doubly beneficial
THE region's business leaders were shown a vision of the future of information and communications technology (ICT) at an event in Newcastle. Speaking at the event, Mike Langston, managing director of BT Small and Medium Enterprises, announced that the
TODAY marks the launch of the 2001 Poppy Appeal to remember those who were killed or injured in active service. It is an appeal which The Northern Echo is always proud to support by featuring the Royal British Legion's poppy on its front page in the run
A MAN accused of a robbery at a pizza takeaway has been sent for trial. Harrogate magistrates yesterday sent Richard Lee Halliday, 33, to York Crown Court, where he will appear on Monday. Mr Halliday, of Albany Avenue, Bilton, Harrogate, is accused of
A MAN is facing life in jail after a vicious attack on a student resulted in death. The court was told it was the second time Christopher Woolley had brutally assaulted a student. Wolley, 24, was convicted yesterday of the manslaughter of Patrick Brown
A NEW coroner has been appointed for a North-East area. Following the death of William Duffy, who served as coroner for Gateshead and South Tyneside for 22 years, Terence Carney has been approved by the Home Office. Mr Carney, who has served as deputy
DURING the long hours author and historian Barbara Laurie was digging into the past for her latest book on Bishop Auckland, her mind was firmly fixed on ways of creating a brighter future for her home community. Councillor Laurie, Wear Valley District
AN angry businessman says efforts to expand his family firm and create more jobs are being blocked by the local council. Bill Blamire, whose printing company has operated in Ferryhill for 100 years, says the local authority is putting obstacles in the
DETECTIVES investigating an alleged bogus officials scam in the Bishop Auckland and Teesdale areas have questioned two men and a teenager. The three, who are all from the Cleveland area, were questioned at Bishop Auckland police station and released on
PEOPLE with special needs are to benefit from a £1,000 Abbey National bank gift. Outreach worker Margaret Worsnop and clerical officer June Bell, from Spennymoor Learning Library, were presented with a cheque by the manager of Abbey National's Bishop
TICKETS are on sale for a concert showcasing the best young talent in Newton Aycliffe and the surrounding area. The event, at Greenfield Community and Arts Centre, is being organised by John Melvin, who has dedicated his free time to provide young people
TAXI drivers in Darlington are protesting against proposals to increase licence fees. Darlington Borough Council wants to raise the Hackney carriage drivers' licence from £49 to £55 and the car licence from £260 to £290. Taxi proprietor Nigel Nevison
Wear Valley District Council is appealing for visitors to Bishop Auckland's Firework Spectacular on November 2 to use public car parks. In previous years, people in Etherley Lane and Toronto have experienced problems with people leaving cars on private
BRITISH Telecom is linking up with the Wear Valley Disability Access Forum to offer an equipment service for people with poor eyesight or hearing problems. A range of communication aids will be on show at the forum's office at Crook Business Centre after
PICTURES of east Cleveland churches are featured in a new calendar, put together by a local churchwarden. Janet Danks is the church warden at St Cuthbert's Church in Ormesby and her calendar, Cleveland Churches, includes colour photographs of St Mark's
LEADING amateur jump jockey Paudge Whelan is fancied to put one over his professional counterparts by booting Prince Among Men (3.40) to victory at Ludlow today. Whelan normally rides for his Malton-based boss, Richard Fahey, but on this occasion has
THE penultimate horse race meeting of the season gets under way at a North-East course on Tuesday. Satellite Information Services (SIS), the producers of The Racing Channel, is sponsoring the seven-race event at Redcar racecourse. The feature race of
police and safety officials say vandals have broken into a quarry only days after an 11-year-old boy plunged to his death. Gavin Reid, from Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, fell from Table Rock at Houghton Quarry on Saturday after he sneaked on to the site
THOUSANDS of rail passengers are facing nightmare journeys if Arriva succeeds in scrapping some of its train services in favour of buses. The North-East operator has been in discussions with regulators over plans to cut more than 1,000 of its train services
FIREFIGHTERS had to break into the home of a Middlesbrough woman today after she had a diabetic attack. The woman, who has not been identified, was at her home in Staveley Walk, Overfields, Middlesbrough, with her six-year-old child, when she had the
WITH his blue and white striped romper suit, Andy Pandy was a familiar sight for generations of children. Along with Teddy, every week he would jerkily emerge from the wicker basket he called home, and spend his life trying to persuade the reclusive Looby
IT was time for the vote of thanks at the regular meeting of Rylstone and District Women's Institute. Tricia Stewart stood up and felt her mouth go dry. The eyes of everyone in the room stared back at her as she cleared her throat quietly, and in a slightly
A middle-aged man has handed himself into police, claiming to be the man behind a two-year terror campaign directed against children and shop workers. A poison pen writer, who signed some of his chilling letters Soldier David, is behind a series of threats
POPULAR myth may have it that cats and dogs are sworn enemies - but try telling that to Pepper the weimaraner. Pepper is living proof that nothing gets in the way of true mother love, not even a little thing like a brood of a different species. The 63lb
FORMER paratrooper Lee Clegg, who won a lengthy battle to clear his name over the shooting of two teenage joyriders in Belfast, has been rejected for a job in the police force, it emerged yesterday. Clegg fired at a stolen car as it burst through a checkpoint
COUNCIL staff helped to raise more than £2,000 for charity by taking part in a challenge weekend. More than 50 Sunderland City Council employees spent two days at the council's Derwent Hill outdoor activities centre in the Lake District. Eight teams,
TWO groups of investors, led by a household name in British sport, are in negotiations to buy Newcastle Jesters Ltd after the present owners had their franchise removed. But it is increasingly unlikely that there will be top-flight ice hockey in the region
AN Army sergeant was caught smuggling CS gas into the country to sell on to training instructors for use on new recruits, a court has heard. Michael Grundy, 36, told Customs and Excise officers that the Army hierachy "turned a blind eye" to the importation
