RESIDENTS in a North Yorkshire borough can immerse themselves in culture for free, thanks to a new scheme launched yesterday. Jane Metcalfe, chairman of Richmondshire District Council, ceremonially unlocked the main door of the Green Howards Regimental
THE need for a council policy on domestic violence has been highlighted by a review group set up by Darlington Borough Council's social affairs and health scrutiny committee. It concluded the authority should adopt a strategy to address domestic violence
A monster who used two ponies as target practice for his powerful crossbow was jailed for two years today. Mark Telford was condemned as "dangerous" as a court heard how he lived out SAS fantasies by firing at innocent animals. Police raided his home
HEALTH bosses have denied that there is any intention to close a popular community hospital. A report which went to County Durham and Darlington Health Authority last week suggested that the small South Moor Hospital, Stanley, might be under threat. But
A pub landlord and "terrorist of long standing" was last night facing life in prison after being convicted of conspiring to cause the Omagh bombing which killed 29 people. Father-of-four Colm Murphy, 49, was convicted at Dublin's Special Criminal Court
ORGANISERS of this year's Stockton International Riverside Festival are inviting performance ideas from community groups across the region. Kevin McAuley, from Stockton Borough Council, said: "Stockton is a vibrant town with numerous local artists, many
A TEENAGE babysitter denied yesterday that she was sleeping through a nightmare when she claimed a father tried to have sex with her. The 15-year-old told a jury she had not dreamed her way through an ordeal with Wayne Armin, 32, She said she was half
NOEL WHELAN has leapt to the defence of Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren and insisted: "He can't work miracles.'' Boro were booed off as they slipped back into the Premiership's bottom three after the 1-1 home draw with Bolton. But Whelan, who has shouldered
HARTLEPOOL United's youth team last night lined up a potential glamour clash with Manchester United. The youth team - coach by formrer Sunderland favourite Martin Scott secured a memorable 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the FA
THIS morning's front page story may appear to be one of those reliable hardy perennials. Just as surely as the wrong sort of autumn leaves and the wrong sort of winter snow fall on the railway tracks, the first sign of spring is when the councils start
A website and leaflet have been launched to give an insight to the fascinating heritage of part of the east Cleveland coastline. Local people helped to put together information about the Coatham Coastline, as part of a heritage project organised by the
INJURY-ravaged and demoralised Darlington tonight look to put Monday's FA Cup defeat behind them with a win at Cheltenham. Darlington's third game in five days comes after the dream-destroying loss to Peterborough on Monday which ended hopes of playing
GIFT vounchers are being offered to Richmondshire youngsters who prove themselves good citizens, following the honesty of two schoolboys. The honesty voucher scheme was launched this week by PC Gary Lewis, youth action officer with North Yorkshire Police
A LEISURE company is still considering a city centre as a location for a drinking, eating and dancing establishment, despite being refused a liquor licence. Luminar Leisure said it would consider its options after being refused a licence to convert Durham's
A PONY society will find out today whether it will be allowed to stage a popular annual spring stallion and breed show in Barnard Castle. The event has been held on the town's Demesnes for several years, but last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak forced
YOUNGSTERS were treated to Shakespeare by the professionals when a theatre group visited their school. Belmont Comprehensive, in Durham, invited the Black Cat Theatre Company to perform Macbeth for its year nine students, who are studying the play. The
Flats to be demolished VANDALISED flats are to be demolished on Sunderland's Thorney Close estate. The Sunderland Housing Group, which runs the former city council housing service, plans to bulldoze the 130 properties and landscape the area. The remaining
THE launch of a £1.2m city learning centre on Teesside is guaranteed to go with a bang next week. On Friday, February 1, New York percussionist Simone Rebello will be travelling to South Bank for a master class with youngsters from four local primary
IT is ''in the lap of the gods'' whether Britain will achieve the right exchange rate to be able to enter the euro, the Bank of England warned yesterday. The Bank's director for Europe, John Townend, cautioned any attempt to lower the value of the pound
A PROTEST group is concerned it is being sidelined in discussions about sewage. Marske Against Raw Sewage Klean Environment (Marske) was set up a few months ago by local people concerned about plans by Northumbrian Water to set up storage tanks in an
Irish theme to charity dinner THE Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Councillor Vilma Collins, is hosting a three-course dinner with entertainment, to raise money for her civic charity choices - Redcar and Teesmouth lifeboats, St John Ambulance and local
UNION officials at a strike-hit dump truck factory go into a meeting today hoping management will offer some form of olive branch to solve the dispute. About 500 shopfloor workers staged their third one-day stoppage at the Caterpillar plant in Peterlee
RAIL users across the region are facing chaos tomorrow and Friday as a 48-hour strike is expected to knock hundreds of scheduled services off track. Arriva Trains Northern (ATN) has announced that the strike will take most of its 1,600 daily services
RESIDENTS in the Parkfield and Mill Lane areas of Stockton are to have a programme of improvements to their communities thanks to a £10,000 grant secured by the Neighbourhood Management Board. The project, funded through the Government's Neighbourhood
AN envelope machine which turns out 90,000 envelopes an hour is the pride and joy of a Wearside business. And no wonder, when you consider the new Winker & Dunnebier 202 reel-fed envelope manufacturing machine represents the completion of £5.3m worth
THE next generation of budding pop stars are to be given the opportunity to shine by a new pop school which is to visit Darlington. On Saturday, February 16, the New Generation Pop and DJ School, run by the music agency Generator, will give young people
AN acclaimed theatre group is to perform an adaptation of a classic book in Newton Aycliffe next month. The Castle Players, from Barnard Castle, are staging Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, at the Greenfield Community and Arts Centre
THREE paintings of the Durham Miners' Gala have gone on permanent display in east Durham. The artwork is by George Robson, a former National Union of Mineworkers official, who helps organise the Big Meeting. The paintings were commissioned by Easington
THE latest phase of the Tees Forest looks likely to be planted during the next ten years. The Forestry Commission has bought 200 acres of land at South Burdon, on the outskirts of Darlington, which it plans to turn into a community wood. In partnership
CONCERNED relatives of elderly people requiring nursing home care are being offered access to inspectors' reports. The offer, by Sunderland Health Authority, comes after The Old Vicarage Nursing Home, in East Rainton, near Durham City, gave residents
A FEMALE security guard accused of biting off the tip of a woman's finger in a pizza shop fight has apologised for causing her injury. Michala Dawn Rookes, 36, of Milton Street, Saltburn, east Cleveland, has denied causing grievous bodily harm to Louise
Police are mounting a major initiative to reduce assaults and disorder in Newcastle city centre with a highly visible police presence at key times. Additional officers will be on patrol during the busiest periods for pubs and clubs, which are increasingly
A WIDE-ranging document aimed at redressing the balance between the North-East and the rest of the country is being published today. Bridging the Gap, compiled by the North-East Assembly, will be presented to chancellor Gordon Brown and every MP in the
THE authorities responsible for safeguarding some of the loveliest scenery in Britain were celebrating a major cash windfall last night. Both the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors National Parks are to get an extra 15 per cent in Government funding
A CHARITY which helps people with a wide range of problems is seeking volunteers. First Stop Darlington is an independent charity offering help to anyone who is unsure of where to start looking for information or assistance. It provides access to directories
AWARD-WINNING athletes in the Special Olympics were recognised at a ceremony in Durham yesterday. County Durham Care's 17-strong team for last summer's Cardiff games were presented with awards at County Hall. The athletes won a total of 27 medals and
A DRUNK driver reached speeds of 70mph through a town as he tried to shake off his police pursuers, a court was told. Jamie McLachlan, driving a Volkswagen car, collided with a Ford Fiesta, knocking it onto a footpath, as he undertook it, Sarah Tyrer,
A CALL centre hopes to take on 100 new workers after winning a major contract. 2Touch, based on the Doxford Technology Park in Sunderland, already employs 610 and has seen its workforce grow from 350 in the past year. The firm, which lists leading companies
Not guilty to theft charges A TEENAGE supermarket worker was sent for trial by a judge and jury when she appeared in court at Harrogate yesterday accused of 13 theft offences involving a total of almost £650. Michelle Jones, 18, of Ralph Garth, Tockwith
A building industry award has gone to a student of New College, Durham, for the second year in a row. Gavin Nicholson, of Sherburn Village, won the Roy Irving Award given by the Chartered Institute of Builders. Last year, Andrew Henderson, of Spennymoor
HAZEL WOOD is a dab hand with paints - and she has an award to prove it. She is a partner in Spectacular Events, an entertainments business based in Richmond, North Yorkshire, which has clowns on its book. And, after a few attempts at helping with the
COUNCIL tenants are being invited to comment on new tenancy agreements. Wear Valley District Council is making alterations to its tenancy agreements to incorporate changes in legislation since the last contracts were drawn up. Tenants have been informed
A COLLEGE is hoping to score its first sports success of the season in a judo competition. East Durham and Houghall Community College's Judo Academy is sending three hopefuls to the North-West Open, at St Helen's, Merseyside, on January 27. Alan McConnell
A NEW forest is to be planted on the outskirts of Darlington. The Forestry Commission has bought 200 acres of land at South Burdon to turn into a community wood. In partnership with Darlington Borough Council, the commission intends to plant 140,000 trees
EXOTIC fish were stolen in an overnight raid in Darlington. Among the fish taken was a large ghost koi, measuring 15in. Two white koi and six goldfish were also taken in the raid on a garden in Selby Crescent, between 11pm on Sunday and 7.45am on Monday
ATHLETES who took part in a Special Olympics received awards at a ceremony in Durham City yesterday. County Durham Care's 17-member team, which took part in the Cardiff games last summer, were presented with their awards at County Hall. The athletes competed
A SERIAL burglar was jailed for more than four years yesterday after admitting a series of pre-Christmas break-ins. Appearing at Teesside Crown Court, Duane Humphreys, 22, of Potter Walk, Hartlepool, admitted six charges of burglary, one of theft and
A HOSPITAL ward has closed and more than 60 patients have been hit by a viral infection, it emerged last night. The outbreak, affecting four North-East hospitals, follows problems experienced in Glasgow, where 254 patients have gone down with the winter
A JOBLESS baker with a £50- a-day heroin addiction and debts of £14,000 was given a chance to prove he could kick his habit when he appeared in court yesterday. Stephen Trotter pleaded guilty at Harrogate Magistrates' Court to stealing a pair of jeans
The Blue Circle Cement works in Weardale, County Durham, is to close with the loss of 147 jobs. Bosses said the Weardale Works at Eastgate will end cement clinker production at the factory in July. Operations at the site will then reduce as remaining
HOME owners on Teesside could face an additional council tax burden and be asked to pay almost 60 per cent more for policing this year, it was revealed yesterday. Cleveland Police Chief Constable Barry Shaw told a meeting of Cleveland Police Authority
A WOMAN who has worked for St John Ambulance for 30 years is to receive an award for her dedication. Edith Dodds, a pensioner from Darlington, is to be awarded the Order of St John. The former Cleveland Bridge employee works as a volunteer at the St John
AN ARMED robber held up a general store and demanded cash from a lone female shop assistant. The thief, a stocking on his head, burst into the shop, in Scurfield Road, Hardwick, Stockton, at 7.45pm on Saturday and threatened the woman with a handgun and
MOUNTAINS of unwanted fridges are building up across the North-East as councils bear the cost of new European regulations. Local authorities are facing bills of up to £1.2m to stockpile thousands of old fridges, because they have been banned from dumping
Crime figures across the region are set to soar over the coming months - but police chiefs have insisted it's nothing to worry about. In a major shake-up, by the start of April the recording of crime will be based simply on victims' reports, rather than
THE stark financial crisis facing the North-East's local authorities is today revealed in a special investigation by The Northern Echo. Speaking from Prime Minister Tony Blair's heartland, Durham County Council leaders warned that council tax payers were
FORMER postal workers are being asked to parcel up post office memorabilia and take it to a display commemorating the service's history. The three floors of Bishop Auckland's former post office, in Tenters Street, once housed a telephone exchange, sorting
A SHOPLIFTER who escaped from a police van ended up being charged with stealing the handcuffs he was wearing, a court heard yesterday. Officers left Anthony Mark Wilks in the van while they went to arrest two other suspects, after he was caught taking
A NEW Force Chaplain for Cleveland Police will take up his duties this Easter. The Reverend John Ford will also be Priest-in-Charge of Stainton with Hilton. Although his parish base will be Stainton Vicarage, his chaplaincy will operate at police headquarters
AN exhibition reflecting the views of young people living in Middlesbrough opens at the town's art gallery this weekend. The exhibition, called Caliban: Seen and Heard includes photography, poetry and an audio soundscape. The pieces were produced by Middlesbrough
THE Harlequin Stage School in Yarm is the only school on Teesside to have been invited to take part in the International Dance Teachers' Association (IDTA) Gala of Dance 2002, to be held at the Newcastle Opera House, in Westgate Road, Newcastle. Pupils
A TOWN council will not ask taxpayers for an increase in precept this year, even though it is to increase its contingency fund by £5,000. Councillor Eric Fell told a meeting of Barnard Castle Town Council on Monday that it was clear there would need to
AN inquest has been opened and adjourned after a man's body was found near the East Coast Main Line. Christopher Bird, 36, of Romanby, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was found on Friday morning behind the York Trailers site, on Standard Way Industrial
THE EURO LET us have some truth spoken in letters on the euro. Successive governments, from the first mention of the Common Market, have not been very truthful. They did not widely tell the people about the carve up of jobs. We lost coal, steel, cars,
Proposals revealed yesterday will give couples the right to tie the knot wherever they want. Nick Morrison looks at what this means for the institution of marriage. WAITING for that familiar music to signal an advert break in Coronation Street, the registrar
Thieves have broken into a funeral parlour - and made off with two coffins. The burglars struck at Cathedral Funeral Services, in Framwellgate Moor, on the outskirts of Durham, after getting through locked gates and into the coffin workshop. They stole
WENSLEYDALE'S newest clergyman will be throwing his weight behind a public appeal as soon as he takes up his new ministry this week. The Reverend Christopher Huggett will be invested as the vicar of St Matthew's, in Leyburn, and St John's, in Bellerby
A MAN who has helped promote the region's greatest seafarer has received a civic thank you for his years of service. Bernard Connolly is standing down after 27 years as master of ceremonies at the Captain Cook birthday celebrations in Middlesbrough. Mr
A CENTURY-old jewellers is settling into its new base in a shopping centre. Bramwells recently opened its second store in the Prince Bishops shopping centre, in Durham City. A family-run business, it has traded in Durham for more than 100 years and is
PENSIONERS and people with disabilities living in the Redcar and east Cleveland area are reminded that their birthdays have an additional significance. Since May last year, concessionary bus passes issued to 12,000 pensioners and eligible disabled residents
AN accident blackspot on the major route to one of the North's top tourist attractions could soon be improved. North Yorkshire County Council is considering converting a junction just outside Whitby, North Yorkshire, where the A171 Teesside to Whitby
A DEVOTED Westlife fan saw her dreams come true after she got to meet her heroes - minutes after being told she could not watch their concert. Fifteen-year-old Kaydee Urwin, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, went to Durham City on Sunday with her mother
A MAN was charged with assault last night following an attack on the daughter of former Middlesbrough manager Bryan Robson. The 20-year-old was arrested yesterday after the weekend incident in Durham, which left Claire Louise Robson needing stitches.
A NORTH-EAST engineering firm's future is secure after a £3m management buy-out. Executives at West's Engineering Design, in Darlington, have bought the business from their parent company, Interserve plc. Interserve put the company on the market in March
Family flee house blaze A fire which caused a mother and three children to flee their Darlington home on Monday night might have been started accidentally by one of the children, police said. The family escaped from the home in Witton Crescent before
A DISGRACED police officer who was forced to quit following allegations that he and a colleague had a sex romp with a sixth form schoolgirl while on duty, has given up his battle to clear his name. Michael Hendy and Marc Watson, both officers in Barnard
FAIRY Moonbeam is preparing to cast her magic spell over Jill and Fleshcreep in a new production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Played, respectively, by Susan Edwards, Elizabeth Graydon and Roger Kiddle, they are three of the principal characters in the show
GET dug in! Groundwork East Durham is launching a scheme to get people back on the allotments. It will, they hope, provide exercise, encourage healthy eating and improve mental health. Brilliant idea. And in an age of drugs and counselling, the plan is
POLICE officers from the region have been discussing how to promote career opportunities for women. Representatives from the Durham and Northumbria forces took part in the conference hosted by Cleveland Police yesterday, led by acting deputy chief constable
A teenager is in a serious condition after being hit by a van while crossing a road in Newton Aycliffe. Police accident investigators are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened at Central Avenue on Tuesday afternoon. The 14-year-old boy
A HOUSING association has won an appeal to build homes for elderly people on open ground near a village centre. But Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association (Damha) will not be rushing to put up the eight two-bedroomed bungalow complex, because local
RELATIVES of a pedestrian killed on an unlit bypass are calling for urgent safety improvements after another man was seriously injured on the road. The 51-year-old man was crossing the A688 near Low House Farm, at the western end of the Spennymoor bypass
PEOPLE in Hartlepool will have a further chance to find out more about the wardens patrolling the town's streets. The community wardens scheme will be one of the topics to be discussed when the Police and Community Safety Local Consultation Forum (south
ANOTHER chapter in Leyburn's Brentwood saga seems inevitable, with residents promising a second bid to persuade the Ombudsman to intervene in the long-running row over road safety packages for the estate. A meeting this week rejected an appeal for a public
FORMER postal workers are being asked to parcel up post office memorabilia and take it to a display commemorating the service's history. The three floors of Bishop Auckland's former post office, in Tenters Street, once housed a telephone exchange, sorting
SINGING sensation Zoe Birkett has been praised by the latest Pop Idol hopeful to be voted off the ITV show. Hayley Evetts, 25, left the show on Saturday after her performance of That Ole Devil Called Love failed to impress the viewers. Her departure means
Countryside Agency chairman Ewan Cameron has visited North Yorkshire to discuss the impact of the foot-and-mouth crisis. Mr Cameron met farmers, retailers and business people in Thirsk to discuss the impact of the disease in the area and what can be done
ENGLISH students in Darlington received a helping hand with their GCSE coursework from a Royal Shakespeare Company actor yesterday. Darren Tunstall is touring with the company's production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, which will be performed
A COUNCIL that gave up control of its entire housing stock in a deal worth £220m has been accused of failing to consult its workers of the move, an employment tribunal heard yesterday. Labour-run Sunderland City Council completed the transfer of its 36,800
MAKE mud-slogging Sir Ruscott (1.00) your number one bet in the opener at Sedgefield today. There are three recent winners in the field, Agincourt, Chief Chippie and No Gimmicks, but none of that trio can boast the level of ability shown by Sir Ruscott
TOM CLAXTON is a brave lad. Every day, while his friends go to school, he stays at home in Richmond, North Yorkshire, whiling away the hours watching videos with his gran. But then Tom has a rare cancer and each day is a battle with the disease which
A SPONSORED walk to raise money to buy a headstone for a 13-year-old girl who died in a swimming pool last year will take place at the weekend. Anne-Marie Readshaw, from Ferryhill, died while swimming with friends at Spennymoor Leisure Centre last September
IT IS sometimes said that the US and Britain are two nations divided by a common language. What also divides us are attitudes to crime and punishment. While a majority of Britons might still favour the death penalty, it would be a small majority. And
PERHAPS because he is an unsmiling Mr June, Brian Hunter from Sedgefield has kindly dropped in a "limited edition" 2002 calendar, produced by Durham County Council. Its depicted dozen are library users of all ages across the county, each invited to select
MONEY left to a village church after a parishioner died could be used to help disabled people. St Andrew's Church in Sadberge, near Darlington, was left a sizeable sum by a parishioner about two years ago. Since then, the Reverend Robert Cooper has been
TWO four-year-old collies are in search of loving homes. Barney and Smokey need to find new homes because their owner can no longer cope with them after his circumstances changed. After contacting the National Animal Sanctuary Support League, in Darlington
A DISPUTE over a road reopening, which prompted a grandfather to chain himself to railings, has yet to be resolved. Last Tuesday, Jim Hall, 66, was taken to Peterlee police station after chaining himself to a barrier blocking Shotton Lane, Shotton Colliery
A STUDENT, who passed a gruelling survival weekend, is to spend three weeks in Ghana as her reward. Helen Dixon, 18, from Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, will fly to Accra in July with Raleigh International, to work on community and environmental
VULNERABLE elderly people traumatised by more home closures, children working in crumbling classrooms, pro-tests at leisure centre cutbacks. This is the grim picture local authorities are desperately trying to stave off as they struggle to balance the
WHEN Ruth and Ray Blundell moved into their new house in Cockerton in December, they felt as if they had come home. They had -to a "haven for homeless girls", a home for orphans. Their house is the one that sits sideways on to Woodland Road, just over
A POLICE community action team has been set up to reassure residents by tackling crime and disorder in the Bensham and Saltwell areas of Gateshead. The team, comprising a sergeant and four PCs, and based at Millennium House, in Coatworth Road, began work
ENGLISH Heritage has announced two National Lottery grants totalling £100,000 to help protect the region's wildlife after the foot-and-mouth crisis. The money will be used to encourage people in the North-East to find out more about the wildlife in its
EDUCATION bosses in Stockton have warned that falling pupil numbers mean further schools could be threatened with closure. The prediction came as the future of a special needs school, in Norton, will be discussed by the borough council's cabinet tomorrow
