DISABILITY groups have branded an pantomime advert featuring "real dwarfs" as insensitive. The poster, for Snow White, features petite actors under the banner "seven real dwarfs". Darlington Association on Disability (DAD) and Disability North called
DOCTORS are crying foul after fast-track clinics for orthopaedic patients were axed. GPs believe that concerns about meeting waiting list targets may be behind the cancellation of two clinics - but hospital bosses say the move is about ensuring equal
THE voice of country music in the North-East returns to the airwaves tomorrow for a Christmas Day special. Veteran broadcaster Brian Clough, a photographer with The Northern Echo by day, is a country music enthusiast in his spare time. Following a three-year
DOCTORS are crying foul after fast-track clinics for orthopaedic patients were axed. GPs believe that concerns about meeting waiting list targets may be behind the cancellation of two clinics - but hospital bosses say the move is about ensuring equal
A LOCAL MP has backed hundreds of families who are fighting plans for a waste recycling plant on their doorstep. Biffa Waste Services wants to build the plant on the Stephenson Industrial Estate, Washington, but residents from nearby Usworth, Sulgrave
ONE of the region's major shopping centres has been recognised with an international safety award. Gateshead's MetroCentre is one of only 40 organisations worldwide to receive a British Safety Council Sword of Honour. It is also the only shopping centre
GEORDIES think they are of Viking origin, citing the expression 'ganin hyem' because hyem is similar to the Scandinavian for 'homewards'. I thought the Tees was the northern boundary of Danelaw while Northumberland and Durham remained English? Vic Woods
On course for free learning A COMMUNITY centre has joined forces with East Durham and Houghall Community College to offer 12 free courses in the New Year. Chester-le-Street Community Association, at Newcastle Bank, is in partnership with the Peterlee
VISITORS to a supermarket have been encouraged to put some soul into their Christmas shopping. Shoppers at Tesco, in Eaglescliffe, filled their trolleys to the musical accompaniment of a soul band, comprising tuneful sixth form students from Egglescliffe
A LOVABLE dog needs a good home for the New Year. Bobby, a two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, is being looked after at the National Canine Defence League, in Darlington. Staff at the kennels are hoping they can find him an owner who is active, as
THE ominous-looking clouds which brought blizzard conditions to much of the region on Saturday may make a limited return on Christmas Day. A spokesman for PA WeatherCentre said there was a 90 per cent chance of snowfall on Christmas Day - with Scotland
Festive treats left at bus stop SOME youngsters may have to go without their Christmas presents tomorrow. Two carrier bags containing gifts from Darlington's Argos, Athena, HMV and Early Learning Centre stores were found on steps at a bus stop in the
THREE revellers savaged by a police dog have been awarded tens of thousands of pounds compensation after their ordeal was captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV). Helen Tomlinson, 31, Ian Collins and Stephen Bendall, both 40, were all bitten by police
A UNION says it will continue to campaign against a shake-up of elderly care in County Durham. Durham County Council plans to close 16 of its 25 residential homes and build six extra-care units designed to give pensioners more independence. One is open
A group of special needs youngters flew to Lapland at the weekend to meet Santa in his Arctic Circle grotto. Katie Relton went with them to witness their sheer delight TEMPERATURES may have plunged as low as minus 32 but it was all part of an amazing
PEOPLE with special needs should find a visit to the Yorkshire Museum of Farming less of a challenge, thanks to a Country Land and Business Association (CLA) grant. The £500 donation will be invested in a footpath for the disabled in the Murton Park grounds
POLICE are hoping the public will be able to help with an investigation into a road accident in Catterick Village, North Yorkshire. A green Ford Focus collided with a Vauxhall Zafira parked on the High Street near Mowbray Road at 8.20pm on Friday, December
A QUICK-THINKING four-year-old is being hailed a hero for saving his grandmother's life. Adam Courtley, from Tudhoe, County Durham, came to the rescue when his diabetic grandmother was taken ill while looking after him last Wednesday. Yvonne Foreman had
MINUTES after getting married, Barry and Michelle Waines were skating on thin ice. Process operator Barry, 31, and Michelle posed for photographs on a temporary open air ice rink, just yards from Middlesbrough Registry Office where they tied the knot.
A BUS driver from the region has been voted one of Britain's hunkiest husbands. Dad Tony Balmer, of Darlington, is to become a calendar pin-up after being voted a hunk by readers of Best magazine. The 40-year-old, who was nominated for the competition
A COUPLE who thought their prize draw win was a practical joke were still pinching themselves when they made the trip to collect their new car at the weekend. Robert and Sandra Kreutzer-Brett bought the winning ticket in the Richmond Georgian Theatre
FAMILIES were invited to forget last-minute Christmas shopping for a few minutes and visit Middlesbrough's Stewart Park - transformed by overnight snow into a winter wonderland in which it was not difficult to picture Father Christmas and his reindeer
MEMBERS of the production team from the TV success Heartbeat took a day out from their filming schedule to visit some real boys in blue. They travelled to RAF Leeming to meet the officers and men responsible for patrolling the skies above Britain. After
England always knew their best chance of bowling out India twice in a Test would be to transport the British weather halfway across the world but its very arrival stymied their progress. The gloomy cloud cover added a different dimension to the tourists
AN Oscar winner will be bringing a touch of Hollywood glamour to Middlesbrough early next year when he attends the University of Teesside's international animation conference. Phil Tippet, who has twice been an Academy Award winner for his work on blockbusters
A LANDLADY has rediscovered some of the traditions of a North-East Christmas thanks to regulars at her pub. Sam Kidd, of the Old Farmhouse, near Darlington, was determined to turn her back on a modern-day Christmas this year and so asked local people
CHRISTMAS came early for 200 North-East youngsters who were given free books as part of a drive to promote literacy. Year seven pupils at Easington Community School, east Durham, received the first of three books each from the Reading is Fundamental in
THE future of a centre for adults with learning difficulties in Newton Aycliffe has been resolved. The Acorn Centre, on Aycliffe Industrial Estate, is housed in a former factory and has long been recognised as unsuitable. When the lease was coming to
ONE of the region's major shopping centres has been recognised with an international safety award. Gateshead's MetroCentre is one of only 40 organisations worldwide to receive a British Safety Council Sword of Honour. It is also the only shopping centre
THE cargo ship seized by anti-terrorist police following a tip-off is likely to remain off the Isle of Wight for the foreseeable future, the Metropolitan Police said yesterday. It would be a number of weeks before the detailed examination of the MV Nisha
SANTA rejected his reindeer in favour of a pony and trap for a visit to a hospital on Friday. Father Christmas arrived at the University Hospital of North Durham on a one-pony open sleigh supplied by Braes of Derwent South Pony Club. He made a circuit
DETECTIVES investigating North Yorkshire's body-in-a-suitcase mystery have yet to confirm whether they will be interviewing a man arrested in connection with a similar discovery in Hampshire. The remains of a small, slightly-built Oriental woman, who
POP Idol hopeful Zoe Birkett will be enjoying an extra special Christmas after making it through to the final of the hit show. The 16-year-old from Darlington wowed the judges on Saturday night's programme with her rendition of Mariah Carey's All I Want
NOMINATIONS are flooding in for the Positive Young People Awards 2002, which will mark the efforts and achievements of people from Darlington under the age of 18, in an effort to highlight the good things done by the borough's youth. Three nominations
A GROUP that offers a vital service to the community is going into the New Year with a new person at the helm. Hambleton Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) moved into new premises after converting a former doctors' surgery in Northallerton's North End a few
Man injured in brawl A MAN will spend Christmas in hospital after suffering serious facial injuries in a weekend brawl. Surgeons at Middlesbrough General Hospital operated on the 20-year-old man, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, who had his jaw, cheekbone
NEW LABOUR IN 1997, Tony Blair came to power, boldly declaring that New Labour would clean up politics and return trust to the people. Now, (with Parliament hounding out of office Elizabeth Filkin, having appointed her as Commissioner for Standards in
TOMMY Taylor had no complaints over the postponement of Saturday's match with Cheltenham - despite the referee waiting until almost midday to call the game off. Feethams was covered in snow, and as soon as it began to fall around 9am the game never had
AN ENFORCED kick-off time switch due to a cup-day football fixture clash has met with an angry response from one of the North-East's major clubs. The 3rd Round draw for the FA and Scottish cups, made earlier this month, saw all three senior clubs in the
A UNION says it will continue to campaign against a controversial shake-up of elderly care in County Durham. Durham County Council plans to close 16 of its 25 residential homes and build six new-style "extra care'' units designed to give pensioners more
Police were on Sunday still trying to trace relatives of a man who died in an accident involving a taxi manoeuvring in a crowded city centre. Scots-born Dennis Gillespie suffered head injuries in the late night accident and was confirmed dead on arrival
HUNDREDS of patients who are well enough to go home will have to spend Christmas in hospital because of "bed blocking". A month ago, The Northern Echo carried out a survey which showed that 228 patients were awaiting discharge from seven hospital trusts
CONMEN are bluffing their way into houses in Middlesbrough - and filling their pockets. Posing as council workmen, they seem to be targeting the town's Berwick Hills Estate and surrounding area. Following a spate of walk-in thefts, housing staff in east
DRIVERS who misuse disabled parking badges have been warned a campaign to catch them will continue throughout the year. During December, police, council officers and traffic wardens have been targeting people in Darlington who wrongly use disabled-only
BLIZZARDS created a picturesque winter wonderland for delighted youngsters over the weekend. But the heavy falls of snow which hit much of the region caused havoc for both motorists and the hordes of Christmas shoppers who ventured out. Highways departments
A teenager who was left paralysed after an horrific accident on his BMX bike, has astounded doctors by returning home for the festive season. Experts had feared that 14-year-old Gavin Wilson would never be able to breathe without the aid of a ventilator
AMERICAN midfield star Claudio Reyna believes his home debut match-winner will be the start of a merry Christmas for Sunderland. The 28-year-old midfielder, whose £4.5m transfer from Glasgow Rangers equalled the club record, delighted home fans in the
Pop Idol hopeful Zoe Birkett will be enjoying an extra special Christmas after making it through to the final of the hit show. The 16-year-old from Darlington wowed the judges on Saturday night's programme with her rendition of Mariah Carey's All I Want
IT WAS a week when Newcastle United's Premiership title credentials were put to the test. According to most watchers games at Highbury and Elland Road would surely see Bobby Robson's pretenders to the throne find the going just that little bit too tough
The father of an apparently healthy woman who died on a long-haul flight heading home to the North-East for Christmas hopes it sends a message to other travellers. Regular flyer Alayne Wake, 28, died from deep-vein thrombosis (dvt), the condition commonly
NEWCASTLE skipper Alan Shearer hailed a super show from Kieron Dyer, with the captain immediately paying tribute to the hard work the England international has put in on the training ground over the past few months. Dyer was getting back somewhere near
NEWCASTLE Falcons could have to wait until late in the season to play their home match against Bath, which it was hoped would attract a record Kingston Park crowd yesterday. It was decided on Saturday to stop Bath travelling and a midweek date may have
A UNION says it will continue to campaign against a shake-up of elderly care in County Durham. Durham County Council plans to close 16 of its 25 residential homes and build six extra-care units designed to give pensioners more independence. One is open
NORTH-EAST families enjoying the seasonal activities of eating, drinking and giving gifts will create more than 150,000 tonnes of festive rubbish this Christmas. Campaigners have revealed that even though most of it could be recycled, almost 90 per cent
Members of the charity Court Endeavour of The Foresters are collecting used postage stamps for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The charity is asking people to take the stamps off envelopes and take them to three collection points in the North-East
MINUTES after getting married, Barry and Michelle Waines were skating on thin ice. Process operator Barry, 31, and Michelle posed for photographs on a temporary open air ice rink, just yards from Middlesbrough Registry Office where they tied the knot.
SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid admitted afterwards he didn't think a goal would come in this festive famine - but new boy Claudio Reyna spared his blushes with a scrambled match-winner. Until then most of the fans in the 48,013 crowd must have wished that
A FARM family is sick of the sight of turkey, after rearing and preparing 280 of the birds free range for North-East dinner plates this year. However, Martin and Judith Dryden will still tuck into turkey tomorrow, enjoying the fruits of their labours
WHAT'S HOT: GRAND DAME: Good old Joan Collins is set to walk up the aisle again. The 68-year-old actress is going to marry Percy Gibson, who is 32 years her junior. Looking like a woman less than half her age, Joan has said this marriage will last, unlike
A DALES town council has decided it will not be giving up on an attempt to introduce a bylaw, banning the consumption of alcohol in parts of the community's market square. The move was inspired by a single vagrant, who has made Leyburn's market shelter
SHOPPERS are being treated to free pantomime performances as a respite from the festive clamour at Gateshead MetroCentre. The indoor complex's own cuddly characters, the MetroGnomes, are starring in a specially-written version of the traditional children's
HE is one of the best-travelled cuddly toys around, but little Pudsey Bear has now found himself a new home. The little bear was first bought for Children in Need by Steve Davies, from Hartlepool, who works at RAF Leeming as a driver on XI (Fighter) Squadron
UNLUCKY black cat Pheobe created some really bad karma for owners David and Kate Mallender just as they were leaving for a fancy dress Christmas party. For the hippy-style couple - resplendent in wigs, flares and platform shoes - were hardly clad in the
WHAT now for the region's farmers? Hit hard by the BSE outbreak and then crippled by the foot-and-mouth epidemic, the future seems bleak. But despite the despair, some organisations are determined to pick up the pieces and give the region's agricultural
THE father of a woman who died on a long-haul flight heading home to the North-East for Christmas hopes the tragedy sends a message to others. Regular flyer Alayne Wake, 28, died from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), the condition commonly called economy class
Police today expressed concern about the well-being of a teenager who disappeared in severe weather conditions after a Christmas party on Friday night. Brian Slater, 19, was wearing just jeans and a shirt when he was caught in bitter cold and heavy snow
IT is time for sighs of relief all round. Fears that Christmas could be missing one of its essentials have been proved groundless. Santa is definitely on his way. Foot-and-mouth disease may have caused misery for millions this year, but Father Christmas
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for opencast mining on land between three villages have welcomed a council's support. Durham City Council has added its weight to the opposition generated by the reformed Bowburn Opencast Action Group to the Eco Energy Group's
A town centre ice rink has proved such a hit with skaters that it is staying open for an extra week. Sedgefield Borough Council, which has staged the rink alongside a traditional German market in the centre of Spennymoor, is keeping it open until Friday
FOR a few minutes, at least, there was peace on Earth yesterday for villagers to tell their Christmas story. Police held up traffic waiting on the busy A68 near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, while the congregation of Etherley Methodist Church, in Toft
LYNSEY Hodgson is getting all the right chemical reactions. The one-time teenage youth trainee is celebrating after gaining a first-class degree in chemistry. Not only that, Ms Hodgson, 24, picked up the Teesside Science Award following her graduation
CHRISTMAS is not only a time for celebration. It is also a time for reflection on what has been, and what the future may hold. We will reflect with sadness; the dateline September 11, 2001, etched in our minds as it will be in perpetuity. The events on
MAGISTRATES could pull the plug on noisy neighbours who are planning anything but a silent night over the festive holiday. Asking courts to confiscate music systems will be a sanction sought by a council on Teesside. The threat from Middlesbrough Council
Police appeal for witnesses A WOMAN was dragged into an alleyway by two men who then demanded money. She was held round the neck as her pockets were searched and was left with a small cut on the front of her neck. The woman was grabbed in Brenda Road,
ACTRESS Denise Welch is looking forward to her first Christmas with son Louis. The former Coronation Street star was devastated when Louis was born with a rare bowel condition which meant his body could not absorb food. Now, just months later, he has
A MATURE student training to be a nurse is celebrating both her first job and receiving an award from Teesside University. When she was a girl, Sarah Owen, 35, from Marske, east Cleveland, dreamed of becoming a nurse when she grew up. And now she has
A MATURE student training to be a nurse is celebrating both her first job and receiving an award from Teesside University. When she was a girl, Sarah Owen, 35, from Marske, east Cleveland, dreamed of becoming a nurse when she grew up. And now she has
A PROJECT aimed at keeping traditional handicrafts alive has been commemorated in a wall hanging created by a North Yorkshire community. The Colburn Craft and Chat Club won a £4,500 Millennium grant from Age Concern to help pass on sewing, cooking and
THREE embarrassed planners who went to view a potential housing site at an old brewery maltings ended up locked inside. A planning committee visit had been arranged to view the site at Langthorpe, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. But after spending some
A FAMILY whose lives were shattered following the death of a young father could be given a New Year boost in their quest for a more severe punishment. Paul Simpson, 33, from Darlington, died after he was punched in the street and fell, hitting his head
FAMILIAR faces are among the line-up of new health bosses in the region. Ken Jarrold, chief executive at County Durham and Darlington Health Authority, is the chief executive designate at the new County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority
AN AIRCRAFT passenger who allegedly tried to ignite explosives concealed in his shoes is British, Scotland Yard said last night. The man, identified by French police as 28-year-old Tariq Raja, was being questioned by FBI agents in Boston. American Airlines
Every year the busiest man on the planet takes time out from preparing for the big night to ask youngsters what they want for Christmas. We've visited sites across the region to assess Santa's performance * THREE-YEAR-OLD Dean Bainbridge was delighted
TAKING a trip down memory lane is becoming a worrying reality for nostalgia buff Bob Harbron. The amateur historian has cancelled his guided walks for adults around Stockton's town centre after people in groups he was escorting tripped over uneven and
A LOCAL MP has backed hundreds of families who are fighting plans for a waste recycling plant on their doorstep. Biffa Waste Services wants to build the plant on the Stephenson Industrial Estate, Washington, but residents from nearby Usworth, Sulgrave
A TV company is on the lookout for anyone who has been through hell on holiday or on the roads - and wants to share their experiences with their audience. Yorkshire TV is compiling more documentaries from the "... From Hell" strain, with the two topics
A Darlington businessman, described as a true gent, has died. David Herd was a former managing director of David Herd Steel, a company at Albert Hill. The 71-year-old set up the business in March 1982 with Ray White, with whom he had spent ten years working
IT is time for sighs of relief all round. Fears that Christmas could be missing one of its essentials have been proved groundless. Santa is definitely on his way. Foot-and-mouth disease may have caused misery for millions this year, but Father Christmas
POLICE were last night still trying to trace relatives of a man who died in an accident involving a taxi manoeuvring in a crowded city centre. Scots-born Dennis Gillespie suffered head injuries in the late-night accident and was confirmed dead on arrival
PUPILS of a Darlington school have been presented with awards for their examination results. The presentation and prize-giving at Carmel RC Technology College was hosted by Euro MP Stephen Hughes. This year, 66 per cent of GCSE students achieved five
Bureau in need of volunteers THIRSK, Sowerby and district volunteer bureau is looking for helpers. Opportunities are wide and varied, and the bureau has information on a range of activities and can arrange no obligation introductions to other organisations
CHEMICAL company ICI has agreed final terms for the sale of its remaining 30 per cent shareholding in Huntsman International Holdings - its former commodities division. The arrangement could mean that ICI will have to wait well into 2003 for the money
On course for free learning A COMMUNITY centre has joined forces with East Durham and Houghall Community College to offer 12 free courses in the New Year. Chester-le-Street Community Association, at Newcastle Bank, is in partnership with the Peterlee
Sunseekers and travellers heading home for Christmas are keeping the region's two main airports busy over the festive season. Newcastle Airport is expecting 66,000 passengers through its doors over the next two weeks and says it will be business as usual
A MAYOR is urging residents to protest over plans to pump raw sewage into a river during an emergency. The Mayor of Ripon, North Yorkshire, Councillor David Harrison, has asked people living alongside the city's River Skell to oppose an application by
In his Christmas message, the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, says that, this festive season, we should think about what it means to be human A YOUNG boy desperately wanted a BMX bicycle and was praying hard for it. His mother tried
REVELLERS have a chance to shed the pounds gained over Christmas by taking a walk in the Wearside countryside. Sunderland City Council's countryside team will lead people through a brisk eight-mile stroll in the Wearside countryside - and walkers might
POLICE are hailing a pre-Christmas crime blitz a success after making 28 arrests. East Durham officers have made the arrests in the past two weeks, as part of Operation Bull's Eye, a campaign focusing on burglars, late-night violence, drug-related crime
YOUNGSTERS' designs will be used to promote a support group for autistic children. More than 100 children from primary, secondary and special schools in Sunderland submitted designs for a logo for the Sunderland Autism Planning Group. The three winning
Police appeal for witnesses A WOMAN was dragged into an alleyway by two men who then demanded money. She was held round the neck as her pockets were searched and was left with a small cut on the front of her neck. The woman was grabbed in Brenda Road,
THE father of a woman who died on a long-haul flight heading home to the North-East for Christmas hopes the tragedy sends a message to others. Regular flyer Alayne Wake, 28, died from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), the condition commonly called economy class
I HAVE recently re-read Treasure Island and wondered if you could tell me who was Admiral Benbow, after whom the inn belonging to Jim Hawkins' mother was named. - Ken Orton, Ferryhill Station. JOHN Benbow was the son of a Shropshire tanner and was born
Powerful computer equipment taken in a raid on a North-East university science complex may have been stolen to order for a foreign market. Information taken in the raid on Durham University's science site may already have gone abroad, police confirmed
With 12 children, aged between one and twenty six, hundreds of presents to unwrap and a vast turkey, Christmas in the Beadle household is planned with the precision of a military operation... and planning starts again in January. Christen Pears meets
IMAGINE what Christmas would be like if you suddenly won millions of pounds. Many would probably swap the stresses of preparing Christmas dinner for eating out, buy friends and family expensive gifts, and abandon the cold English weather for a warmer
COMMUNITY leaders have confirmed Reeth's new community office will not be up and running by the end of the year. It had been hoped the former Barclays Bank would re-open as Swaledale's community office before this year ended. It now seems more likely,
