A TAXI driver wept in court yesterday as his battle against red tape ended in victory. Cabbie George Jenkinson took on town hall bureaucrats after they ruled his red car was not red enough. Yesterday, magistrates found against Darlington Borough Council
A CHAP called Peter Barron wrote to The Guardian last Saturday from the village of Ripe, in East Sussex. There was no indication if he were a senior citizen, in which case he might have reached a Ripe old age. The watchful will also realise that the editor
ONLY three out of four radiotherapy machines at a regional cancer treatment unit can be used because of staff shortages, it was revealed last night. One of the four linear accelerators used to treat cancer patients at James Cook University Hospital is
A KEY member of Durham University's only all-female college has died aged 77. Dr Edna Jenkinson joined the university in 1954, becoming resident tutor at St Mary's College, where she provided help and support for students until 1973. She was also president
CHILDREN who will start secondary school after the summer holidays have been helped by their church. More than 300 year six pupils from Chester-le-Street were given a copy of a book, called It's Your Move, to help them prepare for their move to secondary
FOR some grannies the ideal present might include dinner with Des Lynam or a new James Last record. But Stockton grandmother Dianne Arthur thought of something much more practical - new computers for her grandchildren's school. Mrs Arthur had the chance
ARTHUR Boddy, of Darlington, was one of the 6,000 Scouts camping in Raby Castle in 1936, which Echo Memories featured three weeks ago. Arthur was a patrol leader in the 16th Darlington (Victoria Road Methodist) troop at the time. The Northern Counties
Books from Britain's oldest subscription library have been found permanent homes as a unique slice of social history. The bulk of the 3,000-plus books, which remained largely untouched for the last 20 years in the library at Westgate, in Weardale, County
A marathon drinking session, which lasted virtually all day, found Jonny and Kate still in bed at 3pm yesterday. The pair actually spent the night - or what was left of it after the alcoholic binge - in the double bed. They were both sick during the night
ABOUT 1,500 youngsters are being joined by football celebrities during a soccer tournament this week. The Sage Soccer Festival, which runs until Friday at Houghall College, near Durham City, kicked off on Monday with an opening ceremony. During the course
They defied all the odds - they are not supposed to be in the North-East, no one really expected them to nest and no one in their wildest dreams ever expected that they would produce young. But today, history was made with the announcement that a pair
STUDIES into the effects of a major fire which levelled a chemical plant has concluded there will be no lasting environmental damage to the surrounding area. Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes for the night after emergency services imposed
IT IS rather premature to blow the final whistle and say farewell to Feethams as Darlington's grand old lady of a football stadium appears to have enough injury time left to satisfy even Manchester United's Alex Ferguson. However, the supporters' exhibition
PRIMARY school pupils were given an insight into industry when they visited the BP-operated Cats Terminal at Seal Sands. The youngsters, from St John the Evangelist RC in Billingham, took part in the visit as part of the Children Challenging Industry
Angler is fined for illegal catch A fisherman found with double the legal limit of rainbow trout he was allowed to catch from a reservoir has been fined more than £200 by magistrates. Michael Craggs, of Woodland View, West Rainton, near Houghton-le-Spring
FORTRESSES and castle ramparts fired children's imaginations when they took part in a medieval history lesson. As part of a project looking at castles and the people who lived in them, pupils from Witton Gilbert Primary School, near Sacriston, visited
ONCE again, proceedings at Cleveland Police leave the public with the nagging feeling that something is not quite right. The public will never be able to be more specific because, unless there is a change of heart by the police authority, they will never
A STOCKTON thoroughfare has a new look thanks to the generosity of a local company. About 30 hanging baskets are now blooming along Green Lane and several other roads in the Newtown area thanks to a £1,000 donation by TL Care Homes. Councillor Steve Nelson
Drug offence man fined Stephen Thomas Bailey, 28, of Grasmere Road, Darlington, admitted possession of cannabis and being drunk and disorderly in the town's Tubwell Row on July 6, when he appeared before Darlington magistrates yesterday. He was fined
HOLIDAY FUN: Children aged from five and to 13 can take part in summer activities at the Community House, 17 Ashgrove Terrrace, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 10am to 2pm. Fair play is holding activity days for the eight to 14 age group at
A MONTHLY farmers' market in Guisborough could offer farmers a low cost venue at which to sell locally produced goods. Director George Tinsley told a planning committee at North York Moors National Park that the monthly Sunday market would sell products
VIOLENCE broke out in Darlington Market Square after England's World Cup match against Denmark, a court heard. Trouble erupted when fans staged an impromptu football match after watching England's three-nil victory in town centre pubs. Darlington Magistrates
MOST people like to relax on holiday, to leave their concerns at home and enjoy a stress-free break in peaceful surroundings. But the 200 Americans who recently arrived in North Yorkshire had a very different holiday in mind. They wanted to frighten themselves
A GRANDMOTHER is appealing for the return of a painting of a stately home which was stolen more than 50 years ago. Marion Sturman, originally from Ferryhill, spent just over a year on a teacher training course at Wynyard Hall following her wartime service
A policewoman drank herself to death because of the stress of the job, an inquest heard today. Katrina Wallace, 38, was found by a colleague slumped over the arm of her sofa after a neighbour raised the alarm. A post mortem revelaed her liver had collapsed
The long-running saga over the construction of high-voltage power lines across the region took a new twist today as a landowner threatened fresh legal action. Rosalind Craven has told National Grid and its contractors, Balfour Beatty, that they do not
AN exhibition celebrating the history of Darlington FC's Feethams ground has proved a huge success. Hundreds of Quakers fans have been wallowing in nostalgia in the first week of the Farewell to Feethams exhibition at the town's Arts Centre. About 4,000
AN undertaker, a carpet-fitter, a vet and a retired police inspector will be swapping their workwear on Saturday for sparkling Elvis outfits. The unlikely group of 12 musicians will be performing Elvis numbers at the Gala theatre on Saturday, with Elvis
A POLICE officer has criticised detectives for failing to prosecute a man she says her husband caught breaking into his car. Northumbria PC Caroline McArdle, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, has spoken of her disbelief that the man has not been charged
Hopes are high among the farming community that the Government could be about to relax the crippling restrictions aimed at preventing a repeat of the foot-and-mouth crisis. Farmers say the 20 day standstill rule is too rigid and fear it could have a devastating
SO when did you last spend hours on the phone on a bank holiday trying to find a medieval historian? Or, come to that, an English graduate, or anyone with a degree in something such as gender studies, philosophy or sports science? But a plumber. Ah, that's
A hospice has launched an appeal to open its own care unit for the terminally ill. The new beds at Darlington's St Teresa's Hospice would provide around-the-clock support for people needing respite, palliative and terminal care. Fundraisers at the hospice
OLDER people in Derwentside taking part in healthy eating sessions have developed a free recipe booklet with healthier eating advice and practical hands-on cookery. Other groups of older people have been taking part in tai chi sessions. The projects have
ASTON Villa are now willing to accept £5.5m for Middlesbrough's top target George Boateng. The 26-year-old has been top of Boro boss Steve McClaren's shopping list for some time and the Riverside outfit saw an offer, believed to be around £4m, rejected
ACTRESS Tricia Penrose officially has opened new stage facilities at Boroughbridge Primary School. Ms Penrose, who plays Gina Ward in the hit television series, Heartbeat, was guest of honour at the school's primary performance of Robin Hood. The new
OPEN space on a housing estate is to be sold off to homeowners to provide larger gardens, despite town council opposition. Teesdale District Council originally agreed to sell the land, between 59 and 60 Bartlemere in Barnard Castle, in 1996, subject to
Children in Hartlepool have been learning how to attract wildlife back into urban gardens. The Gardening for Wildlife project, organised by Yuill Homes, aims to attract more wildlife into urban gardens by encouraging both builders and home buyers to use
THE first step towards mapping out the future expansion and regeneration of Darlington has been taken. People who live, work and shop in the town are being asked for their views on how they would like to see the borough developed over the next decade.
IT has been four years since they were last here, but the Circus of Horrors is back at the Stockton International Riverside Festival - and the bizarre show is more outrageous than ever. Undead Ringmaster Doctor Haze will be joined by a gallery of grotesque
CROWDS of more than 30,000 are expected to attend the seventh annual Orange Darlington Festival. There will be a variety of free entertainment in Darlington town centre during the August bank holiday weekend. Tribute bands and musicians from around the
A DEAF pensioner who claimed he was bitten by a police dog as he lay defenceless on the ground has lost his claim for £3,000 in damages. Alan Little, 68, said he was set upon after Durham Police officers were called to his home in July 1998. Newcastle
David Nicholls and Milton Bradley - the undisputed kings of the sprint handicap department in the last few years, can both land winners at Catterick's meeting this afternoon. And Bradley's Fly More, who has been coming to hand of late, looks the one to
SHARES in Debenhams tumbled yesterday after the department store chain showed how margins were suffering from tough trading conditions. Like-for-like sales across the group in the 20 weeks to July 20 came in above most analyst forecasts at 6.2 per cent
A CLOTHING firm has stitched up an order to supply a fellow County Durham firm with specially designed uniforms for its 1,000 employees. Workwear Express, based in Coxhoe, near Durham City, beat off competition from several national companies to win the
A FAMILY wedding trip resulted in a comedy of errors, starting with half the party being left behind on the platform as the train pulled away and ending with the groom's mother stripping off in the street. Ashley Wray, of Firthmoor, Darlington, booked
AN exhibition exploring the North-East's military history was unveiled yesterday. Defence of the Realm features the work of photographer Stuart McMillan, pictured above, and features 20 military sites, including Redcar, Warrenby, South Gare, Skelton and
COUNCIL chiefs are backing expansion plans for a North Yorkshire industrial estate. The last plot at Leeming Bar Industrial Estate was sold a month ago, but already a feasibility study into its expansion has been carried out. Now local councillors are
A TEENAGE tearaway has been named and shamed by magistrates as part of a council's crackdown on nuisance neighbours. Housing bosses took the drastic step of going to court to obtain an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) against Steven Pearce, 16. Describing
A pensioner was left with a broken nose and cheekbone after a vicious daylight mugging yesterday. Margaret Kent, 61, who is partially deaf, was only yards from her Middlesbrough home when a man approached her from behind. He rained blows on to her head
Work safety helps causes SAFETY-conscious workers have helped raise £2,400 for good causes on Teesside. Ten groups have received cheques of between £150 and £300 after workers at the Petroplus Crude Oil Refinery completed a scheduled plant maintenance
A SPEEDING driver who terrified other motorists was banned from the roads for two years yesterday. Stephanie Brown, prosecuting, told magistrates in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, that Paul Cooper had raced his Renault 5 Turbo along Harlow Moor Road, on
TWO hospital workers have won a VIP trip to the Commonwealth Games. Staff at Middleton St George Hospital and Care Homes, near Darlington, took part in a raffle to win the chance of attending the games in Manchester. Assistant management accountant Ian
A SUPPORT group has been set up to help the estimated 300 unpaid young carers in the Darlington area. Darlington Crossroads, Caring for Carers, is running the youth service from its offices in the town's Lingfield Point complex. The charity specialises
CZECH student Petra Bohunova has been working with a Darlington law firm. The 21-year-old, from the town of Brno, in the Czech Republic, has been getting to grips with the English legal system at Close Thornton Solicitors. She has spent much of her time
THE latest Darlington Business Index figures have been described as "considerably more positive" than for some time. Each month, the index assesses business activity based on figures filed by a selection of firms around the Darlington area during the
A PLAN to double the size of Leyburn cemetery will go before Richmondshire District Council next week. Proposals for the site in Wensley Road include closing the entry from the A684 and creating separate entry and exit roads. The plans, submitted by Leyburn
GRANTS are available to restore headstones in the district of Harrogate affected by safety work. In most cases, the grants, of up to £45, will be about half the cost of re-erection. Full grants may be available in exceptional circumstances of financial
THE grieving parents of a teenage soldier who was shot dead in mysterious circumstances are a step closer to finding out how he died. Geoff and Diane Gray, who believe that their son Geoff, 17, was murdered, revealed that police have several new leads
Rail passengers at Newcastle Central Station did a double take as a bespectacled man carrying a guitar walked along the platform. He was the image of Buddy Holly, the American singing legend who counted Peggy Sue and That'll Be The Day among his many
A DISABLED woman whose husband has been charged with her murder, died of pneumonia caused by multiple injuries, an inquest heard yesterday. A post-mortem examination showed that wheelchair-bound Irene Hood, 55, of Lambton Road, Middlesbrough, was also
SO when did you last spend hours on the phone on a bank holiday trying to find a medieval historian? Or, come to that, an English graduate, or anyone with a degree in something such as gender studies, philosophy or sports science? But a plumber. Ah, that's
A CHAP called Peter Barron wrote to The Guardian last Saturday from the village of Ripe, in East Sussex. There was no indication if he were a senior citizen, in which case he might have reached a Ripe old age. The watchful will also realise that the editor
POLICE are appealing for a taxi driver to come forward following a street attack. The assault took place in Portman Street, Middlesbrough, in the early hours of yesterday. Officers believe a man involved may have got into a taxi on Linthorpe Road. They
THE surface of a car park next to the Tesco supermarket at Egglescliffe could be roughened in a bid to deter skateboarders. Nearby residents have complained about youths congregating there, who they say are intimidating. Egglescliffe Parish Council has
A FOOTBALL club is holding its first children's university this week. Until Friday, the Newcastle United Learning Centre, and the adjacent Platinum Club, at St James' Park, are hosting the university, which involves 210 children from Newcastle schools
THE launch of a scheme will see volunteers receive training so they can coach sporting stars of the future. The Coaching in the Community scheme will be launched at Rutherford Hall, Ellison Building, on the Newcastle campus of Northumbria University,
YOUNG people living together in bedsit properties are causing misery for families and elderly people in parts of Darlington, a councillor has said. Now bad landlords are being targeted to join a scheme which allows them to work with the council and overcome
A NORTH-EAST firm has been awarded a three-year supply contract. Wolviston Management Services was awarded the contract to provide support personnel and consultants to Huntsman Petrochemicals and Surface Sciences sites on Teesside and around the UK. The
A FORMER chief medical officer, now a North-East academic, has warned the Department of Health that its effectiveness is being undermined by constant structural changes in the NHS. The warning comes in a report from Durham University called Make or Break
A YOUNG protestor has proved he is a chip off the old block by starting a campaign group. But while he shares his parents' passion for politics, their views are worlds apart. At the age of 12, Philip West, of Gilesgate Moor, Durham, has formed an action
Norwich Union cuts bonuses The UK's largest life insurer has announced it is cutting the bonuses on long-term savings policies. Norwich Union, now part of insurance giant Aviva, said it was reducing the final bonus paid on its with-profits policies by
INVESTMENT of £150,000 and the creation of 25 jobs are helping a North-East company celebrate its 25th anniversary. E & F Composites, of Hartlepool, has invested substantially in new processes and machinery. This includes a five-axis robotic cutting
MORE than 1,200 people have voiced their concerns about plans to take a swathe of land in the Huntington area out of York's green belt. They claim that a residential and commercial development scheme proposed for the Monks Cross and New Lane area would
POLICE have named the man who died of a suspected drug overdose after collapsing in a North-East nightclub at the weekend. Thomas Geary, a 44-year-old father-of-three, lived in Sherburn, near Durham City. Detectives were yesterday speaking to staff at
A PENSIONER died after suffering a heart attack at the wheel of his car, an inquest heard yesterday. Norman Jopling, 65, of Emsworth Drive, Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, had a history of heart disease, Teesside Coroner's Court heard. On November 17, 2000
Witnesses to crash sought WITNESSES are being sought for a road crash which left a motorcyclist in intensive care in hospital. The biker was driving along the A59 near Knaresborough at about 5.35pm on Sunday when he was involved in a collision with a
BRAD Hodge went straight into the nets on his arrival at Durham's Riverside ground yesterday, then admitted: "I can't wait to get started." The 27-year-old Victoria batsman, who has played for Australia A, goes straight into the team to entertain Nottinghamshire
TWO of the region's museums have been awarded a Government grant after being named among the best in Britain. Beamish and Bowes museums will share a windfall of almost £750,000 which will be spent making them more accessible to visitors. The award will
ANGRY parents have vowed to fight a council's decision to allow a sex shop to open near a residential area. Plans to open the shop were given the go-ahead by Middlesbrough Council's licensing committee on Monday. But yesterday, residents said they were
NORTH-East firms which are driven by social, rather than economic, goals will receive extra Government help, it was announced yesterday. A Bank of England review of finance for social enterprises and a new social enterprise accreditation scheme are among
A BUSY school route in Hartlepool is now safer for pedestrians thanks to a new project. Jutland Road is a shopping area used by parents and children on their way to Golden Flatts Primary School. After concerns were raised about pedestrian safety, the
A MOBILE library has received recognition from an unexpected source, following a plea for help from Volgograd, in Russia. Stockton library services stepped in when a request for help in setting up a Bookbus scheme arrived by e-mail from Andrey Lisitskiy
AN animal sanctuary is trying to find homes for two dogs. Whisper is a nine-month-old labrador-collie cross from Hartlepool, which is being cared for by a foster family in Darlington. Whisper was one of a litter of four offered for adoption. Its siblings
AN elderly woman who is nearly blind was tricked by a bogus official who stole a four-figure sum. The 85-year-old, who is blind in one eye, partially sighted in the other, and is hard of hearing, answered her door in Snaith Terrace, Wingate, County Durham
A FAMILY is appealing for the return of their two young dogs, which were stolen last week. The pair of border terriers, aged six months and a year, were taken from stables at North Road Gardens, Spennymoor, on the night of Tuesday, July 16. Owner Gillian
SO when did you last spend hours on the phone on a bank holiday trying to find a medieval historian? Or, come to that, an English graduate, or anyone with a degree in something such as gender studies, philosophy or sports science? But a plumber. Ah, that's
RAILTRACK'S shareholders have voted to approve the company's rescue plan, investors were told at an extraordinary general meeting in London yesterday. Private shareholders at the meeting had made clear their anger at the proposed deal, which will see
A COMMUNITY planning event for Newton Aycliffe residents to have their say on how to improve their area has been hailed a success. The Event in a Tent, held on the field at Stephenson Way Primary School, attracted 162 people from the western part of the
A glimpse inside UK's horror hospital UK Undercover: Inside Broadmoor (C5) Question: when is a hospital not a hospital? Answer: when it's Broadmoor where, according to this documentary, people are treated more like prisoners than patients. This report
The exploits of a Second World War veteran were recalled at his funeral today. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cant RASC (retired), who died last week aged 88, served his country with distinction throughout his long army career. He was a professional soldier
A DEVELOPER has been working with the public as part of the refurbishment of a 1960s office and workshop complex. Investment and development company Gort, which is based in London, is working on the site at Hopetown Park and has forged strong community
MORE than 8,000 jobs could be on the horizon for the North-East as part of a massive national airport expansion plan. Last night, Teesside Airport bosses said at least 800 new jobs would definitely be created there in the next decade. And Newcastle Airport
A SUSPECTED burglar claimed he was trying to stay fit when he was caught on closed-circuit security cameras running through Darlington town centre at 4am. Malcolm Hutchinson, 24, was first filmed running away from a Next store after a £1,000 window had
A REDUNDANT company accountant, who burst into his old office threatening to shoot the general manager, was arrested by armed police, a court heard yesterday. Brian McCrindle Johnston, 55, waved a handgun about shouting that he was going to shoot the
CONCERN is growing for a seriously ill man who has been missing since the weekend. Keith Harry Keenan, 41, of Sterling Way, Thornaby, Tees side, went to the University Hospital of North Tees on Saturday. On Sunday he walked out and was seen later that
HE has kept the nation amused with his wisecracks and jokes, but on Friday Jonny Regan's on-screen antics will come to an end. The firefighter, who has set female hearts fluttering across the country, will walk out of the Big Brother house - for the first
TOTTENHAM are poised to snatch Robbie Keane from under the noses of Sunderland and Middlesbrough. As Peter Reid warned the Premiership that Kevin Phillips will be back to his best in the coming season, the Sunderland manager was facing up to the prospect
A KNIFEMAN who raped a teenage prostitute had dropped his wife off at bingo before driving to a red light area, a court heard yesterday. The man haggled with the 19-year-old drug addict about her rates before she got into his car. He agreed a price and
CARLTON Palmer could be in for a rough ride from the Hartlepool United faithful as Stockport visit Victoria Park tonight. The Stockport manager, a former Sheffield Wednesday teammate of Pool boss Chris Turner, makes his first visit to Victoria Park since
A 14-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl has won a victory in a battle to wear trousers in class. Katie Hunter took on St Robert of Newminster School, Washington, Wearside, claiming it was discriminating against girls with its skirts-only policy. Now governors have made
A DURHAM fishmonger has come to the rescue of all those buyers who have difficulty distinguishing their scallops from their skate. After years of fielding queries from shoppers on how to cook seafood, Ian Kennedy has put together a book, called the Easy
TEN years of hospital fundraising have been marked in timely fashion with the gift of a new clock. The Community Friends of Malton have raised thousands of pounds over the years, much of it through their shop in Wheelgate. The shop opened ten years ago
A DRIVE to reduce house burglaries will be discussed at three meetings in Hartlepool this week. Community safety strategy officer Alison Mawson will be speaking on the subject at Hartlepool Borough Council's police and community safety consultative forums
POLICE are still hunting arsonists who burnt down a £250,000 home, despite a £25,000 reward for information. Peterlee detectives say they are puzzled and disappointed by the poor response to the appeal for information about a burglary and fire at The
A DECISION on whether to discipline a chief constable over his alleged treatment of a female police clerk is to be held behind closed doors. Last night, MP Ashok Kumar attacked the secrecy surrounding the meeting and the critical report into Cleveland
SHOPKEEPERS in Consett are launching a scheme to put town centre criminals under the thumb. A partnership of Durham Police and retailers is introducing a thumbprint signature scheme, designed to keep credit card fraudsters at bay. Durham is thought to
A SCHOOL which is hoping to attain specialist status is £1,000 nearer its fundraising target, thanks to help from Darlington Football Club. Hurworth Comprehensive School, near Darlington, needs to raise £50,000 to bid for specialist status as a mathematics
A NEW bus service between Teesdale and Darlington begins on Saturday. Service 70, operated by Go North East under contract to Durham County Council, will link Barnard Castle with Darlington Memorial Hospital and the town centre. The service will run five
VIOLENCE broke out in Darlington Market Square after England's World Cup match against Denmark, a court heard. Trouble erupted when fans staged an impromptu football match after watching England's three-nil victory in town centre pubs. Darlington Magistrates
FOOTBALL club officials in Ferryhill are being asked to be extra vigilant when inspecting pitches, in order to guard against claims for compensation. Ferryhill Town Council is asking club secretaries to submit a written record to confirm they have checked
DARLINGTON THERE is just one thing wrong with Darlington's Community Wardens: there are not enough of them. After two years of complaining to the council and police, the wardens sorted out the kids making my life a misery. It's about time the council
A VILLAGE duck pond is getting lifesaving equipment amid fears that youngsters using the pond for swimming could drown. The pond at Grewelthorpe, near Ripon, has recently been the scene for unsupervised bathing by youngsters. Grewelthorpe Parish Council
THE London market continued to languish yesterday as early gains evaporated and investors suffered further losses. Although the FTSE 100 Index had a good start, rising nearly 100 points in the first hour of trading, the gains petered out during morning
A TEENAGER who came to the aid of a stricken pensioner received an award last night. Armele Cremer, 15, from Marske, dialled 999 after she heard the cries of an 87-year-old woman who had collapsed on her bedroom floor. She was presented with a Good Citizenship
Even as his appointment was being announced, he was proving a controversial figure. Nick Morrison looks at the challenges facing the new Archbishop of Canterbury - and the issue which could split the Church of England. WHILE he is considered very much
