OFFICIALS from the North-East's largest trade union will call on MPs to halt the use of private finance in the NHS when they give evidence today. Members of the House of Commons Select Committee are holding an open session at the University Hospital of
MIDDLESBROUGH goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is confident the club will be in safe hands when he leaves for a month. The Boro stopper will play one more game - Saturday's home match with Derby - before joining up with his international teammates. The Australian
AN England cricket star was left needing stitches after he was slashed with a bottle during an attack in a North-East pub last month, it was revealed yesterday. Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison, 23, was taken to hospital by ambulance when a broken bottle
STEVE McClaren was left fuming at the penalty decision that he believes was a "defining moment" in Middlesbrough's 2-1 defeat at Tottenham. And the Boro boss, whose side lost their first Premiership away game since August, was left disappointed at the
It will probably be a What Happened Next? poser on an episode of A Question Of Sport: which football team changed football kit during a match and why? The team is Darlington and the reason is referee Mike Jones, although that's a little harsh on the Chester
A VILLAGE action committee has vowed to carry on entering floral competitions, despite the withdrawal of financial support from the council. Aycliffe Village has won the best large village category of the Northumbria in Bloom competition for the past
EXTENSIVE refurbishment of what was once Britain's cheapest cinema starts today. The ABC cinema in Northgate, Darlington is being turned into an Odeon, following the merger of the two companies a year ago. The company will spend £117,500 on the refurbishment
A FARMING community has been thanked for answering an SOS call from Tanzania to help a scattered African community ditch the ritual of making their daily bread by hand. Members of churches in the Fountains area near Ripon raised £3,190 in weeks to buy
THE daughter of tragic speed ace Donald Campbell has revealed that she hopes to rebuild his doomed craft and race it once more on the lake which claimed his life. Campbell died when his jet-powered boat, Bluebird K7, flipped over and crashed on Coniston
A North-East convicted killer is challenging the Home Secretary's power to decide how long murderers should spend behind bars. Murderer John Hope Taylor claims David Blunkett's power to fix "tariffs" in murder cases breaches his human rights. He has launched
AN ancient mansion with a history dating back to at least the Norman Conquest has yielded one of its lost treasures. Builders have discovered an old kitchen range hidden behind a wall at Beamish Hall, adjacent to Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham
COUNTY Durham pupils have captured their view of Japan in an art exhibition being held this week. Images of Japan, at County Hall, Durham, tomorrow (oct30), Wednesday and Thursday (Nov 1) is part of a county-wide programme of events celebrating the country-wide
Q: During a conversation in the staffroom of our school in Seaham, it came to light that I was old enough to be the father of one of the members of staff. "That makes you a gadgie in her eyes," ventured another member of staff. I pointed out that to me
THE Tees Valley Business Show, organised by the Darlington Business Venture, produced an impressive audience of key figures last week. It was an opportunity for building relationships - a process which is vital to the future prosperity of the area. But
TROUBLED rail firm Arriva Trains Northern has turned to a former Railtrack chief in a bid to turn its fortunes around. The company, which has been threatened with a £2m fine for cancelled services, last night announced the appointment of a new managing
RIDING the roller-coaster of rugby at its lower levels has its compensations, particularly for old stagers who reminisced about the Durham City v Billingham county cup final in 1958. Len Ferguson and Billy Hay, members of the City side which won that
FEARS were growing for hundreds of jobs last night after ailing engineering firm Kvaerner admitted a speedy rescue deal looked unlikely. Company bosses were holding talks with bankers and major shareholders which were expected to continue into the night
HARTLEPOOL United's players should today discover what it feels like to be a supporter as they undergo 90 minutes of torture. Boss Chris Turner will make his players watch the video of Saturday's woeful home defeat to Oxford as he strives to discover
NORTH Yorkshire's largest NSPCC Christmas fair will take place at Castle Howard next month. The Norton and Villages branch of the NSPCC is holding its annual Christmas fair, sponsored by Fenwicks of York, with 50 stalls selling women's fashions, children's-wear
DARLINGTON and Hartlepool both face away trips in the First Round of the FA Cup. Quakers must go to Jan Molby's Kidderminster and Pool have to make the trek to Swindon - bossed by Roy Evans and Neil Ruddock. Whitby's reward for beating Scarborough is
New Darlington manager Tommy Taylor has been dealt a huge blow with the news club captain Craig Liddle has been ruled until after new year. The 30-year-old former Middlesbrough defender limped off during the Quakers' 1-0 defeat at home to Hull on Saturday
AN award-winning soccer fanzine celebrated its centenary at the weekend. The 100th edition of A Love Supreme rolled off the presses and was bought by Sunderland fans at the Stadium of Light before the drawn match with Arsenal. The fanzine was launched
All Hallows Eve October wanes, Witches prowl, Owls hoot, Dogs howl, Bats hide, Mice hurry, Toads quiver, Spiders scurry, Cauldrons bubble, Witches dance, Cats wail, Wizards prance. Spells are chanted, Mystic - frightening, Rumbling thunder, Forked lightning
BSE IN THE light of the fiasco of the Government scientists who mixed up cow and sheep brains, an error which, had it not been discovered, may have led to the slaughter of the entire British sheep flock, is it not time that the hype and hysteria was taken
PARKING charges are to be introduced at the headquarters of Durham Police. Staff taking cars to Aykley Heads, Durham City, will pay £2 a week, although job sharers will only be charged £1. The force says the charges, coming into force in December, will
LEUKAEMIA patient Catherine Readshaw received a boost from Jeremy Guscott during the former rugby star's 800-mile charity hike. Guscott is undertaking the Tetley's Trek, a walk around the country, in an effort to raise £250,000 for the Leukaemia Research
DARLINGTON Mowden Park await fitness reports on Tasi Tuhana, Tony Irwin, Ian James and Mark Bedworth in the build-up to next Saturday's Senior Knockout Cup fourth round tie at home to Manchester. Despite scoring five excellent tries, the 29-20 home win
MIDDLESBROUGH'S Riding for the Disabled Centre is galloping into the Christmas season with a fundraising event tomorrow night. The Unicorn Centre, in conjunction with the Body Shop, is offering a chance to win a free beauty makeover. The event, at Springs
GROUPS of refugees discovered at a North-East port have led to growing speculation that it has become a target for human traffickers. Ten refugees - eight adults and two children - were found in a freight ferry at Teesport yesterday afternoon. They were
LOCAL radio stars from TFM will join forces with the Tidy Britain group in Stockton this week for the launch of a youth litter campaign. The launch will take place during a litter roadshow entitled "Are you doing your bit?" which is organised by Stockton
A theatre will be getting in the swing of things when its big band comes out to play. The Customs House Community Big Band will be performing at the venue, at South Shields, Tyneside, on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 27 and 28. A theatre spokesman said
The closest Valerie Everson came to royalty was when The Queen swept past in her chauffeured car on a visit to Newcastle in the 1970s. But the mum-of-three, who was born on the day when Her Majesty took the throne in February 6 1952, will get a chance
A NEW drama will be performed at the Darlington Arts Centre over the next two nights. Tiny Dynamite, jointly presented by theatre companies Frantic Assembly and Paines Plough, has been described as "an impossible love story". The show is recommended for
A body has been found hanging in woods by a child. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances into the death of Gary Sides who had travelled from Wrexham in Wales before killing himself at South Stanley Woods. Erroneous rumours spread around South
A CONFERENCE tackling the problem of young offenders is being held on Teesside tomorrow. The day-long Youth Offending conference at the Samsung Centre, Wynyard, near Stockton, will look at understanding young people's behaviour. Rob Allen, of the Youth
A YOUNG Stockton mother working towards setting up her own beauty business has been handed a grant and loan from the Prince's Trust. Dawn Jones, 25, joined the Into Work Project, in Crom-well Avenue, Stockton, last September in a bid to find a career
CAMPED-OUT halfway up a mountain, the bitter wind searing at her tent, and the sounds of braying beasts and men snoring filling her ears, Hermione Youngs must have wondered what on earth she was doing. Less than a decade ago, she had been a regular wife
A TEESSIDE schoolteacher was chosen to visit Japan recently as part of a cultural visit. Eight teachers from the UK, including Peter Bell, of Grangefield School, Stockton, were among 65 from around the world chosen for the trip by the Japan Foundation
NORTH-East youngsters are celebrating after winning a national award for their crime-busting work. Teenagers from Brandon, County Durham, won the overall award and the Home Secretary Award for Young People in the Norwich Union National Neighbourhood Watch
A HORSE had to be put down after it was hit by a car on a County Durham road. The accident happened at Hargill Bank, between Howden-le-Wear and Witton-le-Wear, at about 3.40pm on Saturday. The driver of the car was blinded by strong sunlight and collided
SOME of the region's top designers will be selling their wares at a Christmas shopping event in Auckland Castle. Unusual Christmas gifts will be on sale at the venue, at Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on November 10 and 11. Stephen Gregory, multiple
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a pedestrian was struck in a hit-and-run incident. The accident occurred on the A168 south of Thirsk, North Yorkshire, and the driver failed to stop. Police were called by a member of the public at 2.30am on Saturday
AN ice hockey coach claims Teesside's ice rink is on the verge of collapse. Allen Flavell, who manages Billingham's junior ice hockey club, says the state of the Billingham Forum rink is an "embarrassment" and is impossible for teams to play on. He has
An enormous musical instrument carried more than 500 miles on a Second World War "Death March" has been presented to a regimental museum. Private Joe Brooksbank, from Shildon in County Durham, insisted on taking the piano accordion with him on a tortuous
A FATHER stricken by cancer hopes to meet the son he has not seen for 16 years before he dies. Frank Conn, 56, a former head chef, says doctors have told him he has only months to live, after being diagnosed with lung and liver cancer. His son, David,
GHOSTS, ghouls, spectres and poltergeists will be coming out to play this week on the spookiest night of the year. The North-East is reckoned to be one of the most haunted regions in Britain and there should be plenty of ghostly goings-on on Halloween
A DARLINGTON sports club has won a substantial grant from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme. Haughton Badminton Club has received £3,858 in the latest round of funding, which will be spent on expanding the club by attracting more members. It
WHILE farmer Colin Whitfield would not wish the nightmare of foot-and-mouth on anyone, he believes he is better off than many farmers who have kept their livestock. Mr Whitfield, 45, was born on High Hedley Hope Farm, near Tow Law, County Durham, and
THE region's farmers were warned last night that the battle against foot-and-mouth is not over yet. Exactly a month has passed since the last reported case in the North-East. The lack of new infection has raised hopes that the disease which has brought
TWO North-East teachers were last night named among the best in Britain at a glitzy ceremony dubbed the Oscars of the teaching world. The red carpet was out and the champagne flowing at London's Theatre Royal, in Drury Lane, for the Teaching Awards 2001
RECRUITMENT chiefs are offering Mickey Mouse jobs - but expect there will be a lot of interest. Newcastle Jobcentre is holding an interview day on Monday, November 12, for people who want to work at the Disneyland Paris theme park. It is looking for 3,000
THE first two of six wind farm turbines, which are nearly four times taller than the Angel of the North, have been hoisted into place on an isolated fell in the North-East. Components arrived to get building under way at two developments on the same stretch
PEOPLE in County Durham's former mining communities are being urged to back a drive to win more funding for heritage schemes. Organisations devoted to regenerating the country's former coalfields are concerned that there is a lower-than-average number
SIX more "safety wardens" are to be employed by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, thanks to a £224,000 Government cash boost. The wardens cover problems from illegal street dumping to faulty street lights. With the extra wardens, there will be a total
YOUNG visitors to a haven for birds made their own feathered friends. The sessions were held at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Washington, Wearside, throughout the half-term break, finishing yesterday. Youngsters worked with natural materials, including
SCOTTISH international Andrew Caine ran the fastest time in yesterday's opening North-East Harrier League fixture at Blaydon and immediately served notice that he wants the region's cross country championship. The 24-year-old Tynedale Harrier was beaten
Tow Law manager Graeme Forster is dreading penalties after his side could only draw 2-2 at Ashington on Saturday. Not penalties given against,but spot kicks awarded in favour of his team, as they missed their seventh successive penalty kick during the
THESE are testing days indeed for the international coalition fighting the war against terrorism. Tony Blair is calling for patience and an understanding that the conflict will be neither easy nor quick. Although it is extremely hard to find the right
Such are Darlington's problems at the moment it doesn't take a football genius to dissect one of Quakers' major failings this season, writes Craig Stoddart. Had Quakers been more clinical in front of goal this season, and especially over the past month
THREE British Muslims have been killed by US bombs while fighting for the Taliban, it was claimed last night. The news came as Prime Minister Tony Blair called for the British people to hold their nerve amid growing concern over mounting civilian casualties
Some things are easier to change than others. Tommy Taylor last week took up employment at Feethams as Quakers changed managers. On Saturday they had a temporary manager in Mick Tait and even changed their shirts during the defeat to Hull City. But the
PLAYERS and managers alike are continually asking the men in the middle for just one thing - consistency! Last week's action in the Premiership again raised the subject, with Paul Ince and Leeds' Robbie Keane in the spotlight. In the Tees-Wear derby Ince
POLICE in Sedgefield borough are warning people about dangers over the misuse of fireworks in the run-up to November 5. Officers have been told to check that retailers are not selling fireworks to anyone under 18. A series of firework-related incidents
HOSPITAL staff are facing a possible prosecution after a patient with a mental handicap died when being restrained. Billy Thurgood was found dead, allegedly wrapped in two duvets, at Prudhoe Hospital, Northumberland, in July last year. His family say
HE has dropped his pants in some of the world's most celebrated venues - but over the weekend it was the turn of a tiny village to get a full frontal view of Mark Roberts. The serial streaker, who has bared all almost 200 times in the past nine years,
WHEN Gary Carter woke up after a day-long drinking session he found himself out on a limb. The 22-year-old enjoyed a night out at The Red Lion pub, in Trimdon Village, County Durham, on Saturday. But after stumbling out of the pub, he was found later
A PAIR of raiders have been dubbed Britain's worst robbers after the duo forgot to cut eye holes in their face masks. The antics left lawyers laughing when the pair appeared at York Crown Court. The court heard they repeatedly bumped into each other as
IT didn't seem too long ago when Newcastle picked up most of their points on Tyneside, and anything amassed on away visits was mere icing on the cake. The fortress that was St James' Park has been chipped away at over the years and, although still a tough
What's hot Towing the line: Believe it or not, caravanning is set to become cool. Traditionally the hobby of the elderly or those who like tame holidays travelling with their own washing-up bowl, things in the world of caravans are about to change. Eminem
A WILDLIFE watchdog is calling for better legal protection for one of the region's most picturesque sections of coastline. Robin Hood's Bay, near Whitby, in North Yorkshire, is on a list of 34 marine sites the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds
PLANS for a 12.5-metre mobile phone mast in a residential area have provoked a storm of protest. BT Cellnet plans to build the mast just off the roundabout at the junction of Waldridge Road and Whitehill, in Chester-le-Street. With homes yards away, a
BUSINESSES are being asked to save their old computer printer and toner cartridges to help Darlington's St Teresa's Hospice. The Money for Old Rope project project is run in conjunction with Worktwice Marketing, which has raised more than £180,000 for
THIEVES stole £300 cash and a video recorder from a charity headquarters in Middlesbrough in the early hours of yesterday morning. Ex-convict Rod Jones, who runs Convoy Aid, a charity which helps Romanian children, was in Liverpool picking up supplies
HARTLEPOOL United's players should today discover what it feels like to be a supporter as they undergo 90 minutes of torture. Boss Chris Turner will make his players watch the video of Saturday's woeful home defeat to Oxford as he strives to discover
PLANS for a new police station in the Blackhill area of Consett have been unveiled. Durham Police want to convert a house in Durham Road, Blackhill, near St Andrew's United Reformed Church, to a district police station in order to be more accessible to
One of the country's top teachers is expected back at her North-East desk tomorrow after her success in the industry's Oscars. Barbara Robinson teaches at Blakeston Community School in Stockton, Teesside, and on Sunday night picked up the community award
POLICE are hunting a knife-wielding thug who left a man seriously injured in an apparently motiveless attack. The unnamed 20-year-old victim suffered head and back wounds when he was attacked outside the Marco Polo Italian restaurant, Dean Street, Newcastle
Engineering giant Kvaerner, which employs more than 1,500 people on Teesside, has been handed a last-minute lifeline. The company's largest shareholder, Moscow-based Yukos Oil, has presented a rescue plan to the group's board of directors and its major
A GYM club which feared it would be out in the cold when its heating failed has been saved, thanks to two charities. Earlier this year, the heating system at Redcar Gym Club, east Cleveland, was condemned and the volunteers did not have enough cash to
PROTESTORS fighting to save a historic building in Darlington have had a cheeky dig at their opponents. Architects John Ellis and Neil Anderson were among the first to object to plans by Darlington Building Society to demolish the Chesterfield building
A TRAFFIC warden has been barred from his favourite pub after giving the landlord three parking tickets in five months. Dave Wilkinson, licensee of The Lettered Board, in Pickering, North Yorkshire, says he only left his car outside to load and unload
THE best in traditional country skills will be on display at a hedge-laying and stone-walling competition this weekend. The Durham Hedgerow Partnership is holding its fourth annual event on Saturday at West House Farm, Garmondsway, south of Durham City
Thousands of rail travellers in the region today endured further misery as Arriva Northern axed hundreds of services. Commuters have been forced to catch buses from stations after the troubled train operator cut services across the region because of a
COUNTRYSIDE campaigners have clashed with planning officials over controversial proposals to build holiday chalets in a North Yorkshire village. The application to build ten chalets at Stonebridge Trout Lakes, Little Fencote, near Northallerton, have
Hopes that foot-and-mouth may soon be beaten are of little comfort to many of the region's hard hit businesses. Many rely on the countryside trade, and for Gary Weilson, of the High Force Hotel in Teesdale, County Durham, the outlook appears bleak. The
A scheme has been launch-ed in Sunderland that will help tackle rogue landlords and anti-social tenants. The city council has formed a forum with private landlords. Its role will include pooling information on anti-social behaviour and problem tenants
A 45-year-old man appeared in court yesterday in connection with the "Soldier David" poison pen letters in Teesside. Ian Walker, of Sherwood Road, Thornaby, is accused of a two-year hate campaign against store workers and children in the Thornaby area
THE launch of England's only professional theatre festival for children proved child's play for two actors yesterday. The fully-grown Japanese thespians, from Tokyo's Himawari Theatre, appeared clad only in baby-grows during the show Baby Love. The show
DRAMA students from Redcar and Cleveland College hope to play to a full house when they put on two plays at Saltburn Theatre this week. The students, who are working towards a BTEC National Diploma in drama, are busy rehearsing for their opening night
THE Environment Agency says it is happy with action taken to stop mine water spilling on to a Durham footpath. Earlier this year, a discharge pipe on the city's riverbanks, near Durham Cathedral, became blocked, sending ochre-coloured water on to the
A twice-decorated American servicewoman and chapel worker was caught drink-driving two times in just six weeks, a court heard. Penny Ann Portivent, 35, who is based at the US spy base at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, admitted both charges
AT LONG LAST Sunderland finally demonstrated the qualities they hope will be good enough to open a door into Europe this season. Championship contenders Arsenal could count themselves fortunate to leave the Stadium of Light with a draw after a stoppage-time
SUNDERLAND captain Michael Gray believes that the thrilling performance against championship contenders Arsenal can kick-start the Wearsiders' belated quest for European glory. Peter Reid's men at long last hit top form against the Gunners, and came within
IRISH stopper Shay Given turned in a man-of-the-match performance on Saturday then set his eyes on keeping his number one goal for the year - to help the Republic land a World Cup spot. The Magpies' first choice keeper, who was inspired at Goodison Park
