SUNDERLAND skipper Michael Gray last night made an impassioned plea to the stars in the team not to jump ship during the summer. For after a disappointing season, when Premiership safety was not achieved until the very last game, the former England full-back
DESPITE the efforts of Sunderland manager Peter Reid to keep the news of Liverpool's two-goal half-time lead over Ipswich Town from his players striker Niall Quinn revealed afterwards that word had got round the team - and they took their foot off the
Q What is the origin of the Wear Valley village name Daddry Shield? - W Sewell, Bishop Auckland. A The second part of the name is relatively easy to identify. A shield or shiel or scheale is an Old English word for a shelter and often occurs in upland
MIDDLESBROUGH skipper Paul Ince has hinted that his future could lie away from the Riverside. The inspirational midfielder's comments come just as Boro target Muzzy Izzet revealed he is about to reopen talks with manager Steve McClaren over a £6m switch
THREE schools in Darlington are to be helped to develop travel plans to make it easier for children to walk or cycle to school. Mowden Infants, St Augustine's and Abbey Infant schools will work with council officers to create travel plans for pupils.
A COFFEE morning at Sedgefield Methodist Church raised more than £800 to provide medical supplies for Kenya. The event was also held to support congregation member George Simpson, a fourth year medical student at Dundee University, who is to spend eight
MORE than 150 schoolchildren put their stamina to the test during a charity fun run yesterday. Runners from Billingham Campus School did their bit to raise money for good causes when they took part in the mini-marathon, at Gosforth Racecourse, in Newcastle
A NORTH-EAST house building company has been planting bulbs with the help of primary school children to mark its 75th anniversary. Teachers and children from Willington Primary School joined Yuill Homes' sales and marketing manager, Lindsay Greenhalgh
A TINY North-East garden with a large collection of rare plants is to feature on Canadian television later this year. David and Dianne Nichol-Brown's garden, in the County Durham village of Trimdon Grange, is home to the national collection of polemonium
APPLICATIONS are being invited for Darlington's Young Sportswinner competition for May. The scheme, which celebrates the sporting achievements of youngsters throughout the borough, was launched in 1984 by Darlington Borough Council. It recognises excellence
YOUNGSTERS are celebrating the news that they are soon to have a skateboard park. The park, which has been granted planning permission by Stockton Borough Councillors, will be built next to Stockton Sports Centre, in Talbot Street, Tilery. The park has
The new Star Wars film is eagerly anticipated by science fiction fans across the region. Setve Pratt gives his verdict. "WELL, it was better than The Phantom Menace," muttered a fan leaving the latest instalment of the George Lucas space saga, Episode
A RADICAL experiment to combat learning difficulties in children by changing their diet appears to be showing extraordinary results. Halfway through the six-month pilot scheme - which involves giving daily food supplements to County Durham primary school
A storytime session for pre-school children will be held on Wednesday at the Durham Clayport Library, Millennium Place, at 11am. The event is free and will be led by Carol Attewell and Jacqui Rodgerson. The sessions are held every week.
The driver of a Ford box van died when the vehicle veered across Stamfordham Road, Newcastle, and crashed into parked vehicles on Friday. Police said the 59-year-old man, of Seaham, County Durham, was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A REVISED rail timetable comes into force today, as work continues to clear the devastation caused by Friday's crash at Potters Bar, which claimed the lives of seven people GNER - whose services connect the North-East and North Yorkshire with London,
PATIENTS' champions are to be introduced to help communicate older people's concerns about Darlington's health and social care services. The initiative has come from a Government document which lays out a ten-year plan for improving services and the quality
Darlington fans have decided the best game ever played at Feethams was a Cup game against Middlesbrough. The 1985 FA Cup win over Middlesbrough was voted the Greatest Match Ever At Feethams in a poll conducted on fans' website Darlo Uncovered (www.darlofc.co.uk
A LEADING wreck hunter has quit a planned underwater survey to examine a trawler that sank with the loss of 36 lives, including six North-East men. Keith Jessop, who salvaged gold bullion worth £44bn from HMS Edinburgh in 1981, was to have taken part
NORTH and south have shared the honours in the annual league table of towns and cities with the most profit-making companies. York shared the top spot with the south coast's big holiday spot, Brighton, with both cities having 85 per cent of their top
FIRST World War gunners, grainy black-and-white photos of Hartlepool and extended family trees all formed part of a trip down memory lane for people living on Teesside, at the weekend. The Headland Local History Group's history fair, held in Hartlepool's
POLICE are searching for a North-East man wanted in connection with a vicious attack. Durham Constabulary are trying to trace Kevin Hilton, 35, of Spennymoor, County Durham, who they describe as "dangerous". Mr Hilton is wanted in connection with the
THE oldest-surviving example of 007 James Bond's favourite car went under the hammer at the weekend. The 81-year-old Aston Martin, which had found a home with an unnamed owner on Teesside for many years, fetched £32,000 at a sale of classic cars. Auctioneer
FINAL rehearsals are under way for two proms celebrations in the region. The first event is the Promenade for Youth at Darlington's Dolphin Centre, on Friday. It is being held to raise money for St Teresa's Hospice, the Darlington branch of Age Concern
ACCIDENT investigators are appealing for witnesses to a road accident which left a motorcycle passenger in a critical condition. The accident involved a motorbike travelling east along the A689 at Eastgate, County Durham, just after 9.30am on Saturday
PRE-MATCH snacks of bananas, sweets and biscuits have been credited with helping a football side's success this season. The treats have proved Harrogate Town's secret weapon as they plotted the downfall of rivals to finish top of the Unibond League First
SHOPPERS will be given the chance to find out about a career in nursing first-hand today. Nurses from Gateshead Health NHS Trust will be at the foyer of the town's Team Valley Safeway supermarket, from 10am until 3pm to provide help and guidance about
Gateshead Fell, who failed to record a victory last season, made it three wins out of three defeating Stockton with half their wickets intact. Richard Waite was the only visiting batsman to seriously threaten the home attack but his half century, which
SIlksworth, runners-up last season, indicated that they will again be strong contenders when they sent Hylton crashing to just 48 all out. Hylton had no answer to the bowling of Chris Pringle who returned figures of 6-15. Batting first, Silksworth recovered
A DISABLED woman who bought the house next door for better wheelchair access says she has been let down by a scheme set up to pay for the conversion. Jan Fairbridge, who lives with her husband, Stuart, in Costa Street, South Bank, Middlesbrough, is confined
THE battle against fuel poverty in Stockton has been given a £1.2m cash boost. The Government-led Stockton Warm Zone initiative has received the grant from British Gas. British Gas has agreed to support the project until 2004, with partners Transco and
THE region's motorcyclists are among the least likely in the country to suffer an accident, according to research. Carole Nash Insurance Consultants investigated claims from among its 220,000 policy holders. The report found that bikers in Darlington
A NORTH-EAST university is to host a talented German sculptor. The Henry Moore Foundation Fellowship is awarded to a young sculptor of outstanding ability. This year's winner, Ralf Brg, will work with students and staff at Sunderland University's School
A SLEEPING neighbourhood was rocked by an explosion at the weekend. Residents were woken by a massive blast that ripped through an alley, blowing in nearby windows and setting off burglar alarms. Police suspect the explosion, in an alley between Oxford
HEALTH chiefs have launched an investigation after two rear wheels fell off an ambulance answering an emergency call. The incident, in Sunderland on Friday, has again raised questions about the US-made Chevrolet vehicles used by the North-East Ambulance
FERRYHILL Comprehensive School has won a national award in recognition of its work in the community. The school was recently visited by two assessors appointed by the Schools Curriculum Award team, an independently sponsored body which has validated the
Diane Pretty - who lost a historic legal battle for her husband to help her commit suicide - has died. The mother-of-two, who suffered from motor neurone disease, was now "free at last", said her husband, Brian, who was at his 43-year-old wife's bedside
NURSERY school children have been learning about new life with the help of some fluffy chicks. Children aged three and four at Albert Hill Nursery School, Darlington, have watched 12 chicks hatch from their eggs this week. The eggs were lent to the school
FORMER football manager David Hodgson says he is delighted to have received damages - and an apology - from a national newspaper. The News of the World has apologised to Mr Hodgson, who resigned as Darlington boss in August 2000, for any embarrassment
A JUDGE has ordered a man to quit his council-owned maisonette by the weekend after hearing it described as a vice den which had been raided 24 times by police. Middlesbrough Council was granted a possession order against Alan Calvert, who had lived in
PEOPLE are calling for cheaper bus fares and more cycle lanes in a bid to improve transport on the outskirts of Sunderland. The measures were suggested by people living at Hetton-le-Hole, Easington Lane, East Rainton, Low Moorsley and the southern part
I WAS extremely saddened to read (Echo, May 2) that Lonnie Donegan, aged 71, has had to undergo his third heart operation in London. Lonnie, who has been plagued with heart problems since the early 1970s, has just completed a successful UK tour, his first
CAR-PARKING charges seem likely to stay the same in the Yorkshire Dales, despite a demanding 12 months that has seen income almost halved by the foot-and-mouth disease crisis. National park chiefs will be told at a meeting today that the early Easter
THE councillor who has chaired the committee which oversees Beamish Museum has retired after 15 years. Sunderland City councillor John Mawston stood down at the recent elections and yesterday's meeting of the museum's joint committee was his last. Mr
It began as a way to lose weight but a group of women have now made a career as slimming consultants. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports. ONE was a police officer, one a secretary, one a hairdresser. Now they're all slimming consultants. Debbie McKay
LOCAL government reform is the least sexy of subjects. To many people, it is a complete turn-off. But the people of the North-East should realise the importance of last week's White Paper on regional government. If they choose an elected assembly, and
MORE than 150 schoolchildren put their stamina to the test during a charity fun run yesterday. Runners from Billingham Campus School did their bit to raise money for good causes when they took part in the mini-marathon, at Gosforth Racecourse, in Newcastle
NUISANCE neighbours are set to be targeted by a specialist warden in a bid to cut down on anti-social behaviour. The Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator in Darlington will be part of the existing warden scheme in the town. Other wardens throughout the
THE CONSTRUCTION Industry Training Board (CITB) has secured more than £1m of funding to support the construction sector in the North-East. The grant, provided by the Government Office for the North-East from European Social Funding, will be used for construction
A reunion of air force veterans took place in the North-East yesterday. Former air and ground crews of No 6 Royal Canadian Air Force bomber group marked their 60th anniversary. For many of the former servicemen, who came from across the globe, it was
LEADGATE Community Infants School and Nursery Unit, near Consett, has received the Government Curriculum Award for the quality of its relationship with villagers. The school, one of 251 in Britain to win the award, was visited by two assessors and received
RICHMOND'S mayor-elect has decided he wants to share his sense of civic pride with as many people as possible this year - and has announced plans to have a dozen consorts as a result. According to tradition, the town's leading citizen is usually accompanied
A teenager who carried an unconscious schoolgirl to a derelict flat where she was gang raped has been jailed for 18 months. Ruman Abu, 17, said he was trying to help the 15-year-old when he carried her from one flat to another where she was raped by three
A Tribute To The Likely Lads (ITV) Kylie: Spinning Around (C5) IT seemed an inspired idea to star Ant and Dec (or Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, as they're billed here) to remake an old Likely Lads script - one of today's most popular duos in
PEDESTRIANS in Darlington can look forward to being safer on pavements thanks to a new initiative. Pavements for People, which was launched in the town on Friday, seeks to raise awareness of the problems pedestrians face through the misuse of pavements
Normanby Hall caused a stir defeating fancied Saltburn by 32 runs in a game which produced only 254 runs as all 20 wickets fell. Hall could hardly have been confident at the halfway stage with only 143 on the board from 41 overs, but shone with the ball
THE domestic season may be over but Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren's work starts here. After bringing the curtain down on his first season in charge at the Riverside with a 1-0 defeat at Leeds United, McClaren admits his task now is to make sure
The new Mayor of Darlington, Councillor Doris Jones, will be installed in a ceremony at the town hall on Thursday, at 7pm. Coun Jones will take over the office from Councillor Isobel Hartley. FASHION SHOW: A fashion show will be held at Bondgate Methodist
Four people were arrested last night in connection with an arson attack on a family home, which left seven people dead, including five young sisters, police said. They were being detained at Huddersfield police station following the blaze, which broke
EIGHTIES pop icon and expert gardener Kim Wilde has launched a programme for adult learning. Kim, who studied horticulture after her chart success, was at the Homebase store in Yarm Road, Darlington, to promote the Bite Size Intros programme for 2002.
GARDENERS from Gateshead and Newcastle will be joining forces to compete in this year's Chelsea Flower Show - to boost the European Capital of Culture 2008 campaign. In a cross-fertilisation of ideas, the horticultural experts from Gateshead's Leisure
SEDGEFIELD Borough Council has received an offer of funding to employ an officer to promote the health benefits of walking. The council, representing a partnership of local organisations, made a bid for funding to the Countryside Agency in February. The
A NORTH-EAST restaurant business has announced plans to open 13 more sites in the region. Restaurateur Bill Oldfield plans to open restaurants in Tyneside, Newcastle, Harrogate, York and West Yorkshire, to add to his successful businesses in Darlington
OLYMPIAN Jared Deacon was the fastest 400m runner in Britain for an hour when he set a new record on the opening day of the North-East Championships at Gateshead International Stadium. And 24 hours later he was only five hundredths of a second away from
THE pride of the RAF found a new temporary home at the weekend. The Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight touched down at the Yorkshire Air Museum and lodged there overnight. The museum, at Elvington, near York, gave the RAF use of one of
KIERON Dyer's World Cup dream lies in tatters this morning after a reckless challenge looks to have cost him his place on the plane to Japan and South Korea. The Newcastle United player, who has spent the majority of the season overcoming long-term injuries
VISITORS are being welcomed back to a Teesdale nature reserve which was closed last year because of the foot-and-mouth epidemic. English Nature is reopening Moor House - Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve. The nature reserve has recently been improved
Yorkshire Phoenix set up new batting records against Somerset Sabres at Taunton yesterday but still squeezed home by only one run in a thrilling start to their Norwich Union League season. In a match packed with glorious strokeplay, Steffan Jones needed
The lingering championship hopes of Darlington RA ended at Ralph Gardner Park when North Shields, who required just one point to end in pole position, won 3-2. RA, though, gave their hosts a couple of shocks before conceding two late goals to Robins'
A STUDY by North-East academics has cast doubt on the results of Government literacy tests. Labour claims standards in primary schools have risen sharply since it launched its literacy strategy after coming to power in 1997. It has set a target of 80
A human rights activist jailed in Burma has been praised by the country's Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition leader. James Mawdsley, 29, whose mother lives in Brancepeth, near Durham, was jailed for 17 years by the Burmese military regime for giving
ENGLAND coach Sven-Goran Eriksson last night revealed that Newcastle's Kieron Dyer was "absolutely destroyed'' after being ruled out of the World Cup. Eriksson is facing a damaging midfield injury crisis even before leaving for the Far East, with Liverpool's
NORTH-EAST leisure group Scottish and Newcastle (S&N) is reported to be have held talks with hotel chain Six Continents over a merger that would create the country's biggest pub company. If the deal goes through, the merged company would form a £4.5bn
Whitley Bay hero Ian Chandler thought that he was going to be subbed before he scored the winning goal which gave his side the FA Carlsberg Vase at Villa Park on Saturday. Chandler grabbed the all important goal of a nervous final seven minutes into stoppage
WHILE Craig Holt and Jo Tracey watch the England team in the World Cup, in Japan, their football-crazy regulars will not be forgotten. Their pub - the Five Lions, in Walmgate - is one of 32 in York that are applying for early licences for the duration
DURHAM University rowers triumphed over their Newcastle rivals for the sixth year in a row at the weekend. Durham took the overall trophy in the Northumbrian Water University Boat Race. Honours in the men's and women's races also went to Durham, but Newcastle's
MULTI-MILLION pound action is being recommended to Scarborough borough councillors this week to redevelop two of the town's landmarks. The seafront Futurist Theatre, which occupies one of the prime sites on the Yorkshire coastline, is to have its potential
IT WAS not so much the gulf between the two divisions which undermined Durham yesterday as the unexpected inclusion of Shaun Pollock in the Warwickshire ranks at the Riverside. The visitors are under orders from the South African board not to overwork
WALKERS from all over the region shook off the shadow of foot-and-mouth disease at the weekend to raise £4,400 for health charities. The 107 walkers took part in 14th annual trail from Frost-erley to Wolsingham, in Wear-dale, County Durham, which helped
Campaigners for self-government in the North-East staged a rally to celebrate devolution plans revealed last week. Supporters of the Campaign for a North-East Assembly gathered at the Angel of the North, Gateshead, on Saturday. The event followed the
A choir that has performed with world-famous soprano Lesley Garrett will be changing tack when it sings with Barry Manilow next week. The Northern Spirit Singers was formed less than two years ago by students at Durham and Newcastle universities, and
THE graves of ten North-East war heroes which faced being bulldozed to make way for a £3.5bn French airport look to have been saved. The remains of the soldiers, who died on the Somme during the First World War, were at risk under the French government's
Brandon showed they could be title contenders after beating champions Kimblesworth by seven wickets on Saturday - and it was thanks to Kimblesworth old boy Darren Punshon. Punshon took 4-29 in 12 overs as Kimblesworth were bowled out for 104, only Michael
DEBT-laden cable operator NTL, which employs around 600 people on Teesside, has teamed up with Internet service provider Freeserve in a bid to win more UK business. Freeserve has signed a deal to sell its high-speed broadband service over NTL's cable
POLICE believe two shop raids in Redcar on Saturday are linked. In the first incident, a man walked into Booze Busters off-licence, in Roseberry Square, on the Lakes estate, at about 9.15pm. After threatening staff he made off with the till. About 20
A NORTH-EAST fair got off to a flying start with a visit from a power company's hot air balloon. The new 15m high Npower balloon was one of the main attractions at this year's Teesdale and District Game Fair, which took place at Witton Castle, County
BALLET CLASS: The Harlequin Stage School, in Bridge Street, Yarm is hoping to introduce a mid-week ballet class for three to six-year-olds. Anyone interested in enrolling their child for the class is asked to contact Barbara-Anne Lloyd-Wallis on (01642
A SCHOOL has been given permission by the North York Moors National Park Authority to build a classroom block. The private Village College, part of the Camphill community at Botton Village near Danby, wants to provide two classrooms, a tutorial room and
GIANTS of the steam age were on display in the North-East at the weekend. The National Traction Engine Trust held a two-day rally at Beamish Museum, County Durham, at which ten traction engines were in action in and around the goods yard at the museum's
Diane and Brian Pretty enjoyed ordinary domestic bliss - until a dreadful disease catapulted them into a high profile legal struggle for the right-to-die. The couple had been happily married for 25 years with two children when their lives changed forever
A TOTAL of 45 residents have been hailed as community role models for achieving success in information technology classes. The men and women from west Redcar all have children at local primary schools and have been studying at the Dormanstown and Coatham
WOMEN had the chance to put their driving skills to the test over the weekend - but there was hardly a car to be seen. Instead, they took the controls of a variety of vehicles varying from armoured cars to bin lorries and HGVs to buses. About 200 women
Chief football writer Clive Hetherington sees a parallel between the predicament of Sunderland manager Peter Reid and the troubled times of Bryan Robson in his days with Middlesbrough. PETER REID now knows how soulmate Bryan Robson felt in the twilight
TRAFFIC calming measures introduced on a busy Sunderland road have been hailed a "tremendous success". The first phase of the scheme in Hylton was completed in 2000 and has led to a 43 per cent reduction in accidents. In the three years to 2000, there
A STUDENT from the North-East is gearing up for the summer of a lifetime. Zarah Rasool, 17, a student at Prior Pursglove College, in Guisborough, will fly to New York for 12 days in July to take part in the Global Youth Leaders conference. The students
DETECTIVES have renewed an appeal to help piece together the last movements of a drug addict found dead in suspicious circumstances. The body of Robert Parkin, 29, who was known as Swampy, was discovered lying on a makeshift bed in the kitchen of a top-floor
A FISHING club has been handed a lifeline after achieving partial success in its battle over pier access. Members of Seaham Sea Angling Club have been unable to use the North Pier at Seaham since the start of the year. Seaham Harbour Dock Company banned
IF absence makes the heart grow fonder, James Herriot devotees will be flocking to the region next month for another nostalgic look at life in 1930s' Darrowby. In what has been heralded as a major coup, a tiny volunteer-run cinema in the heart of Herriot
TEESSIDE Airport has shown signs that the airline industry is starting to recover after last year's terrorist attacks on the US. With the airport about to begin another busy summer holiday season, it has already announced an increase in the flights to
LEADGATE Community Infants School and Nursery Unit, near Consett, has received the Government Curriculum Award for the quality of its relationship with villagers. The school, one of 251 in Britain to win the award, was visited by two assessors and received
SUNDERLAND residents have the chance to try out new activities during Adult Learners' Week. Free sessions are to be held throughout the city until Saturday to encourage more adults to take up learning. The focus is on the environment, culture and arts
A PIONEERING football tournament tapping into the growing interest in the game among young girls, kicks off this summer. Durham traffic policeman Ian Kirkup is behind the FA-backed event, to be staged at the sports complex at force headquarters at Aykley
Volunteers with muscles are needed to help push pageant wagons through the city when the York Mystery Plays are staged on July 7 and 14. The production will start at noon in Dean's Park, by the Minster, then move to the South Transept, College Green,
STUDENTS are embarking on a 24-hour sports session in a bid to help their school secure specialist sports status from the Government. Roseberry Comprehensive School, in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, is trying to raise £50,000 in sponsorship in order
A NEW mayor and deputy mayor will be chosen at the annual meeting of Great Aycliffe Town Council, at the council offices, School Aycliffe Lane, on Wednesday, at 7.15pm. PAN BLAZE: Firefighters extinguished a chip pan fire at a home in Hawthorne Road,
A NORTH-EAST restaurant business has announced plans to open 13 more sites in the region. Restaurateur Bill Oldfield plans to open restaurants in Tyneside, Newcastle, Harrogate, York and West Yorkshire, to add to his successful businesses in Darlington
A NORTH-EAST restaurant business has announced plans to open 13 more sites in the region. Restaurateur Bill Oldfield plans to open restaurants in Tyneside, Newcastle, Harrogate, York and West Yorkshire, to add to his successful businesses in Darlington
PROPOSALS for the redevelopment of a former factory in Ferryhill will be unveiled by Sedgefield Borough Council at a series of exhibitions. The authority has completed the purchase of the former Praxis Taylor site and surrounding land, in the Dean Bank
FERRYHILL Town Band has lost its conductor after four years. Steve Robson, who led the band to several successes, including an appearance at London's Royal Albert Hall, has resigned for personal reasons. Band spokesman and trombone player Peter Atkinson
ANGRY farmers and insurers in the region have criticised Government proposals to force them to insure against foot-and-mouth disease. For some North-East farmers, still reeling from the outbreak, the expensive insurance could spell financial ruin. At
DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott was in fighting mood last week as he came to the end of his tour drumming up support for a mini-parliament for the North-East. Having left the hotbed of regionalism in Newcastle, he arrived on Teesside, where support
WIDELY recognised as one of the most prestigious awards for the visual arts in Europe, the Turner Prize attracts some breathtaking entries - but never anything quite like this. As artistic masterpieces go, a decaying wooden pallet jammed into a fence
A BUILDING manufactured by York-based Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has won a 2002 Civic Trust Award, bringing the total number of awards for this pioneering project to nine. The acclaimed Murray Grove Apartments scheme was designed by Cartwright Pickard
I took a step back and admired the latest addition to my garden, a Trillium erectum. It stood straight and proud amongst my small semi-shaded woodland border. It did look lonely, but one was all I could afford. I have been after this particular plant
Q What is the origin of the Wear Valley village name Daddry Shield? - W Sewell, Bishop Auckland. A The second part of the name is relatively easy to identify. A shield or shiel or scheale is an Old English word for a shelter and often occurs in upland
RISK assessment specialists Risktec Solutions has won two major health and safety contracts in two of the world's most inhospitable regions. The Billingham-based business is providing health, safety and environment (HSE) risk assessment services for the
A FIRE fighters' strike which would have seen the return of army green goddess fire engines on to the streets after an absence of 25 years, is off. Management has made an 11th hour climbdown from demands which brought the heavily industrialised conurbation
BAKERY giant Greggs plc is set to install innovative touchscreen technology in its Baker's Oven stores. The Newcastle-based business plans to install six touchscreens in each of its 130 Baker's Oven branches across the UK by 2003, following a successful
