Archive

  • Seven die as violent winds hit the North

    SEVEN people died yesterday and 20,000 were left without power as storm-force winds wreaked havoc across the North. Gales reaching speeds of nearly 100mph left four dead in the North-East and North Yorkshire, three after lorries were blown over. The fourth

  • Will this be our winter of discontent?

    ANGRY pickets standing outside factory gates, rubbish lying uncollected for weeks, trades unionists turning up at Downing Street for beer and sandwiches - once a nightly ritual on the news, for a whole generation these scenes are familiar only through

  • 120 jobs go as

    A BT directory inquiries centre in the North-East is to close with the loss of 120 jobs. The Durham centre, which handles calls to the 192 service, is among five in England and Scotland being axed. The 120 staff, of whom 63 are employed by BT and 57 by

  • Attack victim in shock

    A MAN with a heart defect is in shock after being mugged at knife-point. The 20-year-old was walking in Gladstone Street, Crook, when he heard footsteps behind him. A man pulled out a knife and threatened him, demanding money. The victim was walking from

  • Band concert to aid mayor's appeal

    AN acclaimed brass band has pencilled in a visit to Spennymoor. The Yorkshire Building Society Band will be playing at the town hall on March 23, in aid of the Spennymoor Town Mayor's Charity Appeal. Hugh Stephenson, secretary of Spennymoor Town Band,

  • Mystery backers bring new hope of Blue Circle rescue

    A MYSTERY consortium is due to meet Blue Circle bosses over the possible sale of a doomed North-East cement works. A day-long round of frantic phone calls by Weardale county councillor John Shuttleworth finally succeeded last night in arranging a meeting

  • Jury split in case of Quakers' ex-chief

    A JURY will continue deliberations today in the case of former Darlington FC chairman Reg Brealey, who is accused of breaking bankruptcy law. The jury sent a note to the judge yesterday saying they were divided, but they were told to continue their deliberations

  • Strike may escalate amid fresh unrest

    STRIKE action at dump truck factory Caterpillar could be set to escalate. Workers at the Peterlee, County Durham, factory were due to continue their series of one-day strikes today. But, Davey Hall, regional convenor for the AEEU/Amicus, warned that the

  • Tree planted as memorial to holocaust victims

    MEMBERS of Middlesbrough's Jewish community spoke yesterday of their painful memories of the Holocaust at a ceremony to commemorate those killed by the Nazis. The Mayor of Middlesbrough, Councillor Pat Walker, joined adults and children at Stewart Park

  • Reid lands Swedish defender

    SUNDERLAND manager Peter Reid took the advice of England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson yesterday and paid £1.5m for Swedish international Joachim Bjorklund. But he just missed the deadline for the former Glasgow Rangers defender to make his debut in tonight's

  • Scary prints no claws for concern

    PAW prints thought to belong to a large cat have been dismissed as a hoax. The prints, thought to belong to a lynx, were found in snow on New Year's Eve at Billingham Bottoms, Billingham, Teesside. However, David Laing, assistant warden at Billingham

  • Battered and blasted in eye of the storm

    STORM force winds of up to 94mph battered the region yesterday leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Emergency services were swamped with a flood of calls after trees were uprooted, lorries overturned and flying debris hit passers-by. There was

  • Missing man calls to say he is safe

    A MAN reported missing from a hostel has called relatives to let them know he is safe. Fears were growing for Michael Coonan, 32, who went missing from the Tow Law hostel, County Durham, on Saturday, January 12, after saying he was going shopping. Police

  • Woman mugged on the way into church

    A PENSIONER needed hospital treatment after she was mugged outside an east Durham church. The incident happened as the 65-year-old married woman, from the Peterlee area, was walking into St Mary's Church, Blackhills Road, Horden. As she approached the

  • Criticism for council over decision to close footpath

    A GOVERNMENT watchdog has criticised Durham City Council for abandoning a pledge to reopen a footpath which it illegally closed. Local Government Ombudsman Patricia Thomas found the authority guilty of maladministration causing injustice to disabled pensioner

  • Young crime fighters have new base

    YOUNG crime fighters have moved into their own base to carry out its work more effectively. The Junior Task Force, at Pennywell, Sunderland, will operate from a building in Nightingale Close. The group, which has 120 members, was formed four years ago

  • Traffic signals return to normal

    Traffic signals in Guisborough are to be put back to normal after an experiment. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council temporarily altered the traffic signals at Market Cross, the junction with Bow Street and Church Street, from being three-way to two-way

  • Hear all sides

    SINGLE CURRENCY JOHN Elliott's letter (HAS, Jan 25) is one of the best letters published in The Northern Echo on the subject of the single European currency. He makes some relevant points as to why this country should not adopt the euro. For some time

  • Pensions office extended

    A JOINT venture between Amec and Interserve Facilities Management has been awarded an extension to their contract for new office accommodation for the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP). Through the Newcastle Estates Partnership (NEP), the two companies

  • Zoe plans a 'thank-you fans' event

    BUDDING pop star Zoe Birkett is planning to host an event to thank all her North-East fans for supporting her bid for stardom. The 16-year-old from Darlington was voted out of the ITV Pop Idol competition on Saturday after her two renditions failed to

  • Authority will include public views in code

    CONCERNS raised by the public will be included in a new code of conduct for Redcar and Cleveland borough councillors. The authority's standards committee, led by two independent members, has been heartened by the public's response to the creation of a

  • Vandals go on the rampage at YMCA

    VANDALS ran amok at Consett YMCA over the weekend before stealing hundreds of pounds in cash and equipment. The thieves forced open a ground-floor door before causing damage to furniture and fittings, the cost of which is estimated to run into thousands

  • Loch killer's family are in the clear

    RELATIVES of ''limbs-in-the-loch'' killer William Beggs will not be prosecuted, after a police probe into allegations that they tried to cover up the crime, it emerged yesterday. The Crown Office confirmed that no charges would be brought against three

  • Everything is rosy in the garden

    A GARDEN fit for a community was opened yesterday. Environmentalists Groundwork West Durham worked with local trainees and artists to create the community garden from formerly abandoned land outside Catchgate Communal Rooms, at Catchgate, near Annfield

  • In defence of innocence

    CHILDHOOD is gone all too quickly. That's why it should be a precious time of happiness and innocence. Unfortunately, we live in an age in which youngsters grow up far too quickly, with underage sex producing unwanted babies, and make-up and fashion becoming

  • Woman, 82, assaulted and robbed at home

    AN elderly woman is recovering after she was robbed and assaulted in her home. The 82-year-old was in her home in the Parkfield area of Stockton shortly after 5pm on Friday when two males kicked her door down and burst into her home. The lady, who is

  • 'Celibate' Zoe shrugs off the tabloid treatment

    TEENAGE singing star Zoe Birkett had her first taste of life as a tabloid victim yesterday. Just one day after she was voted out of the hit ITV show Pop Idol, Britain's biggest-selling daily published a story about her love life - despite the fact she

  • Accolade for Geoff's work

    THE business brain behind a restored medieval town house in the centre of York has won an award in recognition of his work. Geoff Taylor has been named the Regional Advisor of the Year at the Creative Learning Champions award ceremony in Leeds for his

  • Course to help writers

    WOULD-be poets, novelists and scriptwriters in the Wensleydale area are being offered the chance to let the words flow. Creative writing sessions to help budding writers are planned at the Community Education Centre, Leyburn, from next month. The classes

  • Courts closure opposition

    ANOTHER local government committee has joined the chorus of disapproval over proposals which would see a three magistrates courts close across North Yorkshire. The deadline for comment on the Magistrates' Court Committee's streamlining plans expired on

  • Who's to blame for this crisis?

    AS rector in a busy metropolitan parish, I visit a lot of hospitals and I have to say I'm not impressed by a great deal of what I see. Chaos seems to rule. Chaos and clutter. And there is the unavoidable sense that things are not as clean as you might

  • Eating owt

    ST Francis of Sales should not be confused with the January Sales. He was a 17th century Bishop of Geneva who once observed that more flies were attracted by a spoonful of honey than by a barrel full of vinegar, and for that or reasons yet more compelling

  • Terrorism arrests

    SIX men were arrested on suspicion of terrorism following pre-dawn raids across the region this morning. The men from Darlington and Cleveland are being held under the Terrorism Act 2000. 150 police officers from the Darlington and Cleveland police forces

  • Boro running out of patience with Yorke

    MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren will abandon his attempt to prise Dwight Yorke from Manchester United if the deal is not done by the end of the week. Yorke's excessive wage demands are the big sticking point - the 30-year-old striker is reported to

  • 'Keegan classic in store' - Beardsley

    PETER BEARDSLEY yesterday warned Newcastle United fans to brace themselves for a classic cut-and-thrust FA Cup duel with Kevin Keegan's Manchester City. The emotional return of "Messiah'' Keegan, who sensationally quit Newcastle as manager five years

  • Time to Kick home

    DESPITE a heady home reputation, Musselburgh-bound Khan Kicker (1.50) has yet to deliver the goods on the racecourse. Trainer Ferdy Murdy has always thought plenty of Khan Kicker and no-one was more disappointed when the six-year-old threw away a winning

  • Street attack - two held

    A MAN is fighting for his life after being attacked outside his home. William Peter Baxter, 24, is critically ill in the intensive care unit of Middlesbrough General Hospital, where he was admitted with serious head injuries following an incident in Meath

  • Watson hoping to beat record

    GORDON Watson is aiming for his own scoring record tonight. Hartlepool entertain Scunthorpe at Victoria Park, with Watson aiming for a personal best goal number 13 of an impressive campaign. Watson has 12 goals in just 19 games this season - a total that

  • Zoe back home

    SINGING starlet Zoe Birkett is to make a welcome return to the region tonight to cheer on the Quakers. The teenager, who shot to fame in the ITV Pop Idol competition, has been invited to Darlington's FC Feethams ground by millionaire chairman George Reynolds

  • Mother admits stabbing teenager

    A MOTHER-OF-THREE may have been suffering from post-natal depression when she stabbed a teenager, a court heard yesterday. Michael Parkin, 19, was stabbed in the abdomen with a kitchen knife, in Crook, in November last year. Jolene Cheesey, 23, appeared

  • A motorbike built for two

    ROMANCE blossomed on a BSA motorbike for John and Ruby Dixon. Since then, they have rarely been apart - and tomorrow they will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary with a family party at their home in Rookhope, Weardale. John, 88, first met Ruby,

  • Reluctant dean gets a jubilee call-up

    A CLERGYMAN'S theatrical talents have been called on to help a city celebrate the Queen's golden jubilee. The Dean of Ripon, North Yorkshire, the Very Reverend John Metheun, has been persuaded by Ripon Cathedral and Ripon Partnership to help with the

  • Stirring end as baggers are sacked

    TETLEY'S tea folk are up the spout after bosses axed them from their TV adverts. The tea folk have been the face of Tetley since 1973. But yesterday, bosses at the company, which was taken over by Indian tea company Tata Tea two years ago, branded the

  • Megabrewer merger talks

    SCOTTISH and Newcastle (S&N) is said to be in trans- Atlantic merger talks to create the world's largest brewer, and a deal could be announced in March. The new company would combine S&N, US brewer Miller and London-based South African Breweries

  • Businessman jailed after £19,000 claims

    A MAN who ran a business while claiming £19,000 in benefits was jailed for a year yesterday. George Sowerby, 33, received the benefits between 1997 and 2000 while running Elite Services, providing door staff four Yates's Wine Lodges in the region. Robert

  • Feathers fly over 'danger' duck shoot

    ORGANISERS of a country shoot have been warned by the police after a duck, hit by marksmen, smashed into the window of a child's bedroom. The bird was travelling fast enough to smash the pane on impact, leaving blood smeared on the glass. Owners of the

  • Non-existent antiques were 'sold' on Internet

    SEVEN people fell for an Internet fraud, most of them seeking bargains after responding to overtures from someone using the name Angel Eyes, a court heard yesterday. It was a scam which netted Garry Jay more than £500 in a matter of days, when he used

  • Attacker jailed for 'savage' knifing

    A MAN who launched a savage knife attack which inflicted severe internal injuries on his victim has been jailed for eight years. David Bain, 25, stabbed father-of-three Kevin Lister, 35, four times after spraying him in the face with CS gas. Newcastle

  • Visitor centre likely

    PLANS to provide a visitor centre at a Hartlepool church look set to be approved. Councillors from Hartlepool Borough Council's community services and safety board will meet on Friday to discuss plans for the visitor centre at St Hilda's Church on the

  • Freezing out rivals

    RICHMOND Foods, the UK's largest ice cream manufacturer, has invested more £m to extend its interests in the impulse ice cream sector. Richmond, of Leeming Bar, near Northallerton in North Yorkshire, has bought stock, plant and equipment from the Dairygold

  • Ancient pump to be restored

    AN ancient water pump in Hartlepool's Headland is to be restored. The water pump has been a prominent feature within the High Street on the Headland since the early 19th Century and possibly earlier. The existing structure is believed to date from the

  • Schools link up in bid to gain IIP recognition

    ELEVEN schools are teaming up in a bid to gain Investors in People (IIP) recognition. The primary schools, all in the Stockton-on-Tees area, will share good practice standards and work together to gain accreditation. The Local Education Authority, Stockton

  • Eyesore to be demolished to make way for park

    AN eyesore in west Middlesbrough is undergoing a £95,000 demolition to make way for a park. The former Institute for the Blind, in Stockton Road, has been unused since 1986 and has become a target for vandals and arson attacks. It is being demolished

  • Vicar's grave damaged by gales

    GALE force winds destroyed a vicar's grave when a decorative stone cross fell from a church. The Reverend William Cassidi's grave is in a prominent position next to St James' church, in Thorpe Thewles, where he was vicar for 41 years until 1882. The parish

  • Teenager chases off man trying to abduct children

    A 14-YEAR-OLD boy chased off a man trying to abduct two six-year-old boys. The man was carrying one of the children and was being followed by the other at about 7pm on Friday, in the Wren Grove area of Castletown, Sunderland. The man, who was tanned and

  • New ban aims to save Alice for UK

    A TEMPORARY export ban on a set of rare Lewis Carroll photographs has been extended until May. Photographs of Alice Liddell, the little girl who inspired the author to write Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, have been blocked by the Government. Carroll

  • Black and Decker briefing

    TWO hundred County Durham Black and Decker workers will be briefed by bosses today over changes in the company's operations. The US-owned firm has consistently reassured staff at the Spennymoor plant, but workers have said that morale is extremely low

  • Service marks life of former N-E bishop

    A SERVICE is to be held to commemorate the life of a former North-East bishop. An Evensong and Commemoration of the Life of the Right Reverend Alexander Hamilton, who was Bishop of Jarrow from 1965 to 1980, will be held at Durham Cathedral, on February

  • The hurt deepens as grants unveiled

    THE Government delivered a financial slap in the face to the region's hard-pressed councils last night after ignoring pleas to bolster funding for vital services. Hefty council tax increases are inevitable in County Durham and North Yorkshire after it

  • Stepping down from council

    Parish councillors Harold Linley, 85, and Richard Watson 74, have stepped down from Allerston and Wilton council near Pickering after each serving 40 years. Mr Linley was Allerston's village joiner, undertaker and builder, for four decades while Mr Watson

  • Punishing backlog Taylor-made for Pearson

    DARLINGTON'S punishing fixture schedule continues this evening when Lincoln City visit Feethams - the Quakers' fifth game in 11 days. In their wisdom, the Football League says all postponed games must be rearranged at the earliest possible opportunity

  • Phillips faces double mission in derby

    SUNDERLAND goal-ace Kevin Phillips will be on a double mission against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light tonight. He is determined to earn himself the distinction of having scored against every Premiership club as England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson