A MUSEUM'S appeal for help in recovering from the foot-and-mouth crisis has been answered by council donations of £300,000. Beamish Museum, in County Durham, predicted a loss of up to £1m over two years as a result of the agricultural epidemic. It estimated
TRANSPORT firm Arriva has won a £150m contract to operate two rail franchises in Denmark. Sunderland's Arriva is the largest provider of bus services in the country, and will be the first private company to operate rail services for the Danish Government
Choose your way to fjords PASSENGERS travelling to Norway from Newcastle now have a choice of airlines. Norwegian Air Shuttle commenced a two-flights-a-day service to Stavanger yesterday, while Scandinavia's largest carrier Wideroe is operating one flight
SINGING dogs, jealous cats and a rabbit that just won't stop digging. Lindy Metheringham has met them all. The pet behaviour consultant spends her time travelling up and down the North-East, helping owners cope with problem animals. She's also an on-line
A WEATHER vane that normally stands at the highest point of a shopping centre has been removed for maintenance. For the past three years, since the opening of the Prince Bishop's shopping centre, in Durham City, the ornament has stood at its summit. But
POLICE are urging Bishop Auckland residents to keep their doors locked after a spate of burglaries in the Cockton Hill area. Thieves have been entering homes through unlocked back doors during the early evening, while the occupants were watching television
BUSINESSMAN Brian Hall is Sedgefield Borough Council's new member for Middridge. Councillor Hall, 66, who will represent the Labour Party, was appointed unopposed. He fills a vacancy left by Martyn Locklin, who was convicted of sex offences last year
ICY pavements prevented many pensioners in Darlington from leaving their homes last weekend. A resident, who asked not to be named, claimed that Darlington Borough Council had not gritted the pavements in Stockton Road, and that his elderly relatives,
HOUSEHOLDS across Sedgefield borough are being urged to take part in a Yellow Pages recycling campaign. The initiative will start when the new edition of the directory, sporting chicks on the front cover, is delivered during the next few weeks. The campaign
A MULTIPLE sclerosis sufferer is to become an expert in his own illness. Tom Stebbings, 44, of Darlington, will be the first person to take part in a programme to make him an authority on the condition. The Expert Patient programme, run by Darlington
A LUXURY pet hotel partnership, based in the North-East, is branching out to other parts of the country. Petcareco Ltd, a partnership between Mars Incorporated, maker of Mars Bars, and Ann Adlington, former owner of the Triple A Pet Resort at West Boldon
THE hunt is on to find the UK's most environmentally-friendly youngsters. The competition has been organised by wildlife trusts, including Tees Valley, as well as Severn Trent Water and BBC Wildlife Magazine. The winner will be awarded the title of Young
TWO MEMBERS of a family with an artistic streak are taking a rare opportunity to show off their creations on canvas almost side-by-side. Mother and daughter Judith Giles and Jane Pirie have contributed to the first exhibitions of the year at Seaton Holme
AN anglers' group has vowed to keep going despite a ban on pier fishing. As part of a multi-million pound project to relocate the Seaham Harbour Dock Company - to allow for the development of housing and leisure facilities - the company has closed both
MILLIONS more young adults are to be offered vaccination against meningitis C, the Government announced last night. Chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said the vaccine, which has already cut the number of cases in under-20s, was to be made available
£32m rural aid deal unveiled THE Governemnet unveiled a £32m aid package for rural communities last night. Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael said the cash would benefit countryside communities across the country, including North Yorkshire. The money
PASSENGERS spoke of their terror last night after a pilot aborted a flight seconds before take-off. The aircraft was on the runway when cabin crew spotted smoke filling the cockpit. About 50 people were aboard the KLM flight, from Amsterdam's Schipol
COMMUNITY groups in the Haughton east area of Darlington can apply for a grant from a new pot of funding. The funding is from the Active Community Unit at the Home Office and the County Durham Foundation, a charity that encourages people and organisations
A MAN tortured by memories of agonising surgery without anaesthetic has joined a North-East campaign to persuade holidaymakers to boycott Greece. Nigel Race described as 'torture' his appalling treatment at the hands of Greek hospital staff after what
A HOMELESS man took his dog with him as he burgled a garage, a court heard yesterday. John Raper, 32, of no fixed address, appeared at Teesside Crown Court and admitted a charge of burglary. Raper was sleeping rough in parks in Darlington, when he broke
NEW car sales accelerated to a record last year, with 2,458,769 vehicles bought, official figures have revealed. The 2001 total was 10.7 per cent up on the previous year and comfortably surpassed the previous record of 2.3 million set in 1989, the Society
A CARE worker was pulled from her bike and dragged along the road by thieves yesterday. The 57-year-old, who is not being named, was cycling in Castle Way, Grove Hills, Middlesbrough at about 11am when the attack occurred. Two men, believed to be in their
YOUNGSTERS in Gateshead are to battle it out to discover which is the borough's healthiest and safest school. Gateshead Borough Council's Children's Health and Safety quiz will test primary school pupils' knowledge of health and safety issues. The children
ALAN SHEARER believes Newcastle United have a "massive opportunity'' to reach their third FA Cup final in five seasons. The Magpies face an away tie with either Darlington or Peterborough in the fourth round after beating Crystal Palace 2-0 at St. James
THREE police officers have set out on a marathon voyage which will see them row almost 3,000 miles for charity. But the men will never take to the water in their bid to raise a substantial amount of money for the Stroke Association. Inspector Harry Simpson
POP Idol bosses insisted last night that people who could not vote for North-East hopeful Zoe Birkett had got it wrong. They rejected mounting claims that the show's phone line voting system was shambolic and claimed people in the region did not know
MIDDLESBROUGH head for Selhurst Park tonight bidding to end a 25-year cup hoodoo against bogey team Wimbledon. Since a David Armstrong penalty secured an FA Cup third-round replay win at Ayresome Park almost exactly a quarter of a century ago, the Dons
DARLINGTON chairman George Reynolds has been forced to scrap plans to stage a potential North-East FA Cup glamour tie with Newcastle United at St James' Park. The Premiership club has been drawn to play Darlington at Feethams in the fourth round of the
FOOTBALL boot manufacturers are queueing up to sign on Sunderland's ace striker Kevin Phillips - ditched last week by sportswear company Diadora. The England international was furious after the Italian firm's comments on why they had decided not to renew
INJURY-plagued Ginger Fox (2.50) is sufficiently fleet-of-foot to reward Mark Pitman's patience by obliging at Leicester today. Ginger Fox, once rated a heady 136 over hurdles, was forced to miss the whole of last season with leg problems. Now back on
A NURSE who assaulted an 80-year-old Alzheimer's disease patient with a mop at a North-East nursing home was kicked out of the profession yesterday. Peter Summerson, 37, used the mop to pin down the pensioner after discovering the man had wet himself.
AN MP made an 11th-hour bid last night to prevent the first strike action in the 27-year history of a flagship North-East factory. The 510 shop floor workers at dump-truck maker Caterpillar Peterlee Ltd will down tools for 24-hours from 8am today, in
RETIREMENT has brought very little change for a photographer who started his business nearly 40 years ago. Although Jack Hendren retired on January 1, he is still putting in a full day's work at his shop in Rosemary Lane, Richmond, North Yorkshire. The
A SOLDIER who lost the sight in one eye during a game of water polo with fellow recruits is suing the Army for damages. David Gillespie, 31, from Durham, claims the Army is responsible for his injury which happened when he was poked by another player.
A £10m package is needed to revive a North Yorkshire town's economy in the wake of major losses, according to the borough council. Scarborough Borough Council's cabinet is to urge Employment Minister Alan Johnson to back an action plan which has been
A WOMAN fought off a would-be mugger who struck outside a shop. The incident happened after the woman had called at Archie's General Store, in Morland Avenue, Colombia, Washington. She was getting back into her car when a man demanded her handbag. The
A LEADING supporter of the controversial proposal to merge Teesside's two main athletics clubs has been buoyed by the news that it will take a two-thirds majority at Middlesbrough and Cleveland Harriers and only a simple majority at Mandale Harriers to
SCORES of street lights are being installed across Hartlepool in a drive to address residents' fear of crime. Work began yesterday on the £100,000 New Deal for Communities (NDC) project that will see 22 streets benefit from a total of 132 new columns
A ROLLING programme of aid for rural communities devastated by the foot-and-mouth crisis got under way yesterday. The £75,000 scheme - launched by the Federation of Small Businesses - will involve a caravan touring market towns across North Yorkshire
BLIND and visually-impaired people on Teesside are being invited to take part in a survey to find out what computing facilities are on offer. The consultation, in the form of a questionnaire, has been organised by Stockton Borough Council's library service
PUTTING a gloss on life is all in a day's work for an east Cleveland woman who has just launched her own painting and decorating business in the Redcar area. Caroline O'Brien, 27, has been clambering up and down ladders with a paintbrush in her hand ever
A LARGE-screen cinema will premiere the latest version of a Disney classic when it opens this month. The cinema in Durham's new £30m Millennium City complex will be opened by boy band A1 and Durham-born Blue Peter presenter Matt Baker, on January 19.
POLICE are urging a good Samaritan who stopped at the scene of a fatal crash to get in touch. The driver went to the aid of a woman whose car crashed into a lamppost and wooden fence after leaving the A19 northbound carriageway near Easington, east Durham
THE number of police officers on the beat in North Yorkshire could be cut unless tax-payers are prepared to meet escalating costs. There are expected to be 1,420 officers serving in the county by the end of March - the highest number in the force's history
A NEW unit set up in Hartlepool has started to get to grips with anti-social behaviour problems in the town. Since its launch in November, the Hartlepool Anti-Social behaviour Unit (Hasbu) has tackled a range of issues, including motorcycle nuisance,
A MAN who smashed a bottle over the head of an adversary he had not seen for ten years avoided prison yesterday. Despite his record of violence, Dennis David Dunn, 36, was given another chance by Judge Peter Fox at Teesside Crown Court. Dunn admitted
SCHOOL governors have called parents to a public meeting amid fears that village children will not be able to attend the comprehensive school on their doorsteps. Thursday's meeting at Wolsingham Primary School, in Weardale, will hear protests about Durham
WORK is about to start on the construction of the coach park for holidaymakers heading for the tourist capital of the North. During the project, which gets under way on Monday, other significant improvements will also be made to the Union Terrace car
TRADING standards chiefs in Middlesbrough are giving advice on buying TV sets, with the introduction of digital television. Middlesbrough Council's trading standards section has been looking into the sales methods being used by retailers of televisions
SWIMMING coach David McNulty will be happily thrown in the deep end this month when he takes charge of Great Britain's Swimming World Cup team. Mr McNulty has gone from head coach at Derwentisde amateur Swimming Club to the man with the nation's hopes
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Care assistant, Seaham. 16hrs pw, mainly weekends. Required to care for three residents with learning difficulties. Experience essential. Ref: SHE 4550
PEOPLE can still nominate under-18s for the Positive Young People Awards 2002. The awards will mark the achievements of young people from Darlington, with six winners being announced at a ceremony at Darlington Civic Theatre on March 25. They will all
A PROBE into the abandonment of racing at a North-East course just minutes before the start is due to take place later this year. The Jockey Club Disciplinary Committee inquiry into the calling-off of the race day at Redcar, east Cleveland, in May last
actors are preparing to stage the first amateur production at a new North-East theatre. Me and My Girl, being performed by Durham Amateur Operatic Society, will be the first musical to grace the city's new Gala Theatre, from February 12 to 16. A cast
ORGANISERS of a North-East animation festival have secured another major name for this year's event. After attracting special effects legend Ray Harryhausen last year, double Oscar winner Phil Tippet has been confirmed as a guest at the University of
A TEENAGE burglar who targeted elderly victims was locked up for four years yesterday. Stewart Dobbing, 19, of Northbourne Road, Stockton, admitted five burglaries and one charge of theft, at Teesside Crown Court. Katherine Smoult-Hawtree, prosecuting
THE daughter of a North-East MP is due to appear in court within the next few days after an alleged drunken outburst at a Middle East airport. Yvonne Bell, the daughter of Middlesbrough MP Stuart Bell, was charged with being under the influence of alcohol
A MASKED robber, looking like the Eastenders character Phil Mitchell, threatened a Teesside newsagent and stole cash yesterday morning. The manager of Forbuoys, in Billingham town square, answered a knock at the door at 7am, believing it to be a delivery
PROJECT workers on the North Yorkshire and Cleveland coast area looking for volunteers to help them clean up the beaches at Staithes and Runswick Bay. Heritage Coast countryside projects officer Liz Kelly will be on hand to provide special pickers and
CHARITY campaigners are celebrating after the Macmillan County Durham Appeal passed a major landmark. The appeal - to boost the number of specialist Macmillan cancer doctors and nurses based in County Durham - has reached £100,000. Since the high-profile
A SCHOOL ceiling has been restored to its former glory with the help of an descendant of a North-East family. Windlestone Hall school, in Rushyford, near Darlington has spent £80,000 restoring a ceiling in the main hall, complete with the original family
A CENTRAL figure in the Workers' Education Association (WEA) has died aged 63. Valerie Portass had been secretary of the Darlington WEA since 1975. In her role she organised courses for the association, at Bennett House in the town, and booked tutors
NATIONAL museums have seen a huge surge in visitor numbers since admission charges were scrapped late last year. The National Railway Museum (NRM) in York saw its visitor numbers shoot up in December, with 15,000 more visitors that the same month the
POLICE are urging Bishop Auckland residents to keep their doors locked after a spate of burglaries in the Cockton Hill area. Thieves have been entering homes through unlocked back doors during the early evening, while the occupants were watching television
A TEENAGER who burgled a house while his elderly victims lay sleeping was locked up for 18 months yesterday. The 17-year-old, who cannot be named, admitted two charges of burglary at Teesside Crown Court. Sarah Mallett, prosecuting, told the court that
Teen worker appointed Darlington Primary Care Group has appointed a new co-ordinator for the Tackling Teenage Pregnancy programme. Donna Thorne will take up the post in February. She previously worked in a similar role for Wakefield Primary Care Group
GIFTS donated by one of the region's leading bus operators have helped deprived children in Eastern Europe enjoy a happier Christmas. Staff at Go North East, in Gateshead, collected enough presents to give 20 children in poorer parts of Europe a Christmas
WALKERS can hike off their Christmas excesses on Saturday with Hartlepool Borough Council's countryside officer. Chris Scaife is leading a nine-mile walk around Hartlepool, taking in five villages. Walkers should meet at the entrance of the Hart to Haswell
A NEW programme manager has been appointed at the Stockton Warm Zone. Chris Brown, 40, will be based at the Warm Zone office, which is above the energy advice centre, in Stockton, and will be responsible for managing all the surveyors who are working
DESPITE the disgraceful post-match scenes in Cardiff on Sunday, the weekend's action showed why the FA Cup remains the envy of the football world. The relentless march of commercialism through the sport has failed to eradicate the romance of a competition
It is the nightmare every parent dreads, but none expect to have to go through. Jude Sheerin and Dylan Dronfield look at how parents cope with the loss of a child. FOR most of us, coping with the loss of a parent is something we know we will have to suffer
Chancellor Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah were last night mourning the loss of their ten-day-old baby daughter Jennifer Jane after she died in their arms. The tiny baby lost her battle for life at an Edinburgh Hospital, three days after suffering a brain
A THIEF stealing chocolate pulled a knife on shop staff who tried to stop him, a court heard yesterday. Heroin addict Craig Burgess, 26, of Langdale Crescent, Grangetown, admitted two charges of robbery at Teesside Crown Court. He also admitted two charges
A FIVE-YEAR investigation into the brutal murder of Julie Smailes was brought to a dramatic halt yesterday when the case against a man accused of killing her was dropped. Last night, in an extraordinary move, the detective leading the inquiry conceded
School closer to college goal A GUISBOROUGH school has taken a step closer to achieving its ambition of being awarded Sports College status. Laurence Jackson School has completed the first stage of the application process and had a visit from school inspectors
MIDDLESBROUGH'S attempts to bury their Wimbledon cup hoodoo ended in falure on Tuesday night, but a mouthwatering fourth round tie against manager Steve McClaren's former employers Manchester United is still there for the taking. A truly forgettable encounter
TWO local charities have benefited from a fundraising social evening held by Darlington Freemasons. The St Cuthbert's Masonic Lodge, in Darlington, raised £600 for the Samaritans and Grange Road Action for Youth (Grafy). The Samaritans will receive half
FRENCH flop Lilian Laslanes has left Sunderland to join Cologne on six months loan with a view to a cut-price permanent deal. Wearside boss Peter Reid paid £3.6m in the summer for the big striker - capped seven times by France - as a replacement for 35
Tommy Taylor has called on Darlington fans across the country to help play their part in securing a fourth round FA Cup tie with Newcastle. Since Sunday's draw Quakers fans have been anticipating the derby clash, but Peterbrough must be beaten in the
THEY are some of the country's most gifted students, studying at one of the leading universities. But, when it comes to the noble art of boxing, Cambridge University is looking to North-East grit to help raise its game. For the past 15 years, Cambridge
A TOURISM guide is being launched today to attract visitors to the region. Tourism bosses hope that a publicity campaign will provide a boost to businesses and communities in the Yorkshire Dales hit by effects of foot-and-mouth disease. The 2002 guide
Police are investigating whether a prosecution can be launched against an Islam militant who called for terror attacks in the UK. Manchester-born Hassan Butt yesterday used a radio interview to claim he had recruited more than 200 British Muslims to fight
A DISABLED woman was left without heating for almost 70 hours after a carbon monoxide alert. Marjorie Humble called out four qualified gas engineers out in one day in an attempt to find out whether she and her Down's Syndrome sister were at risk from
EXECUTIVE headhunter, CNA, has a new branch in Darlington. It has opened an office in the Imperial Centre, in Grange Road. That takes the Castle Donnington business to 50 offices in the UK. The Darlington office, which specialises in finding high fliers
PLANNING THE demolition of the house called Chesterfield in Stanhope Road, Darlington, would be a disgraceful loss to the town. Leaving aside the design of the proposed replacement, Darlington council's decision on whether to grant approval for the demolition
THE decision to build a new Tesco supermarket in Chester-le-Street, County Durham will provide a much needed boost for the town. That is according to Graeme Herron, valuations expert with Newcastle-based Sanderson Townend & Gilbert. He believes the
A TINY microchip the size of a grain of rice is set to stop criminals in their tracks. Designed and manufactured in Darlington by Cleveland Studios, the Chiptrac radio frequency chip can be concealed in everything from antique furniture, to horse saddles
INFORMATION specialists Imaging Management Systems (IMS) is to expand after securing backing from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE). The Middlesbrough business has been given a £35,000 loan from UKSE to help it expand across the UK. The company was established
A farmer whose land was devastated by foot-and-mouth disease has spoken of his new hopes as dairy cows returned to his property. William Lambert's livestock was destroyed after his farm which supplies milk to Wensleydale cheese-makers became the first
A MAN stole toys to order to clear off his drugs debts. Daniel Bullivant, of the town's Alexander Park, admitted two toy theft offences from Woolworths and Boyes in Scaroborough, and stealing alcohol and coffee worth £158 from the Co-op, in Whitby, all
TRAVELLERS who have set up home in a town centre car park are likely to be evicted by a council order. Four travelling families, who parked caravans in the Wentworth Street car park, in Malton, could soon be facing a bailiff order to remove them. Town
A TV watchdog has rejected criticism that an advertisement from high street giant WH Smith 'patronised' Geordies, it emerged today. The Independent Television Commission received 129 complaints about the Christmas commercial, starring Only Fools and Horses
WORK Minister Nick Brown was on South Tyneside yesterday to praise the success of a scheme which aims to help long-term unemployed find work. Figures released as part of the visit revealed that the Action Team for Jobs scheme helped more than 16,400 people
COUNCILLORS have praised an innovative scheme to put a town's neighbourhood wardens on patrol at a supermarket. The Asda store, in Whinfield, Darlington, has joined forces with Darlington's Neighbourhood Warden Scheme as part of a pilot scheme. The wardens
WHEN Lee Botham decided to ''show-off'' to friends in his father's high-powered Jaguar, there were no half-measures, a court heard today. With one of his passengers urging restraint Botham, 23, wound the XJ6 up to the 100 mph mark on a country lane and
FURTHER details about a wartime plane crash have come to light following an appeal in The Northern Echo. John Boyes was four years old when a Lancaster bomber crashed in a field near Sedgefield, County Durham. He has often wondered about the incident
A PARROT sanctuary owner is appealing for toys to help her birds beat their boredom. Julie Piercy, who runs Pampered Parrots, at Slingsby, near Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, wants to provide more brightly-coloured and durable toys to keep her "guests
A MAN accused of using a Samurai sword as a weapon in an incident at his partner's home was ordered to be tried by a judge and jury when he appeared before magistrates in Harrogate yesterday. Geoffrey Morris, 36, of Knaresborough Road, Harrogate, pleaded
FOUR men appeared in court on Teesside yesterday after police seized crack cocaine with a street value of almost £1,000. Mark Phipps, 38, of Tranter Road, Beechwood, Middlesbrough, Tyrone White, 30, Shane Ellis, 20, and Glen Spencer, 30, all of London
MORE details about the jobs below are available from the Employment Service Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Chef-manager, Darlington, £6,592, Mon-Fri 8am-2pm. To plan, prepare and serve school meals, training given, term time only. Ref: DAE 28907. Support
POLICE have renewed an appeal for information to help them identify vandals who pulled down a village Christmas tree. Three youths have been captured on closed circuit television footage destroying the tree on Sedgefield green. It was knock over at about
TEENAGER Jack Robertson was recovering in an Italian hospital last night after being seriously injured in a skiing accident. The 14-year-old sustained a fractured skull and broken vertebrae after colliding with a friend during the last day of his holiday
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a road accident in Darlington which left an elderly woman in hospital. The 76-year-old, who lives in the town, was hit by a Rover 214 outside the fire station in St Cuthbert's Way, shortly before 1.30pm on Saturday
A PIONEERING community warden scheme in east Cleveland was completed yesterday. The wardens, employed by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, started working yesterday in the St Germains, Longbeck and Marske area, as well as Ormesby and Nunthorpe, Lockwood
A SERIES of free lectures on matters of local interest starts this week. The series by Sunderland University begins on Thursday with a talk by Alex Renwick and David Inglesby, at St Peter's Campus, on a campaign to bring the City of Adelaide clipper back
AFTER months of hard work, transatlantic phone calls and anonymous tip-offs Bill Lees reckons he has finally got to the bottom of why No Place is called No Place. "It's because it's in the middle of nowhere and no one wanted it," said the amateur local
PLANS are being put in place to make Stockton High Street a safer place for shoppers. Stockton Borough Council and the police have drawn up a scheme to improve the pedestrianisation of the town centre. It is difficult to enforce pedestrianisation at present
Homes needed for pups in box POLICE in East Durham hope five puppies found abandoned in a box at the weekend will find loving homes. The animals, thought to be about three weeks old, were discovered by a woman walking her dog in the Westlea area of Seaham
HABITUAL criminal Darren Bell, whose offending included taking a car so he could live in it, was given a chance to go straight yesterday when a court in Harrogate changed its mind about jailing him. Bell, 25, who admitted a string of offences, was asked
WORKERS at beleaguered steel company Corus could be in for a better New Year as unions revealed they were hopeful of saving more than 200 administrative and support staff jobs. It is almost a year since Corus announced it was shedding 6,000 jobs across
