THERE'S no arguing with the clock so if Yarmouth's current five-furlong course record holder Roxanne Mill (3.20) runs up to her best, she'll be a hard horse to beat in the £12,000 Showcase Handicap at the East Anglian track today. Roxanne Mill claimed
NISSAN is set to stun the motoring world with a cabriolet version of its new North-East Micra - with a folding metal roof. The car, called the Micra C+C and due to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show this week, is currently billed as a concept vehicle
ANTIQUE furniture worth several thousands of pounds has been stolen from a village church near Northallerton. Burglars who seemed to have known what they were looking for kicked in the front door of the parish church at Danby Wiske while it was locked
Percival Push Project, Sutton Bank MANY of us who wish to accompany family and friends on rambles but who also have some kind of mobility problem to accommodate, will be glad to hear of Percival. I first heard of Percival in connection with the Percival
Q Who was the Morris of Morris dancing and what was the origin of this peculiar dance? - Doug McKenna, Stockton. A Morris dances were country dances traditionally performed in the North of England on days like May Day and Whit Sunday. Some scholars believe
ASYLUM seekers are no longer being sent to a North-East city after a man's murder raised fears for their safety, it emerged yesterday. Following the murder of Iranian Peyman Bahmani in Sunderland last month, Northumbria Police have asked the Home Office
A MAN who admitted killing a scaffolder in a drunken row has been jailed for three years. Father-of-four Stuart Readman, from Middlesbrough, died in Jersey after being punched once by a stranger. Mark Holden, 34, of Hampshire, was jailed at the island's
DURHAM yesterday severed the last link with their original first-class playing staff when they released Simon Brown. The 33-year-old left-arm swing bowler was the last survivor after Jimmy Daley asked to go last month, when he was given no assurances
Around 400 youngsters are being prepared for the dangers of driving with the help of a state-of-the-art simulator. The machine, provided by the British School of Motoring, is being used in the Drive for Life safety event, which began at Durham Constabulary's
CAMPAIGNERS who still believe the disgraced surgeon, Richard Neale, should have been prosecuted are to meet senior police officers. It may be the last opportunity for North Yorkshire police to stave off an official complaint about the two-year investigation
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Carpet fitter/floor layer, County Durham area, full time, alt Sats, required for domestic and commercial premises, must have at least two years experience with clean
A haulier has been fined £150 for picking up a prostitute. Prosecuting solicitor Noelle Brockbank told Teesside Magistrates that working prostitute Yvonne Stewart approached Michael Walton's parked car in Borough Road, Middlesbrough, at 5.30am on August
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Groom, Thirlby, Thirsk. Exceeds NMW, 40hpw, tba. Must hold full driving licence and have previous experience of hunters and event horses. Must be a capable rider
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Care assistant, Hartburn, Stockton. 20hrs pw on rota over 7 days, between 7am and 9pm. NVQ in Care preferred but not essential as training given. Ref: STC 34714.
MORE details about the jobs below are available from Jobseeker Direct on (0845) 606 0234. Hair stylist, Durham. £5.00ph plus bonus, 20-40 hpw, Mon-Sat. Must have three years experience. To carry out all aspects of hairdressing. Ref: DUR28806. Scaffolder
A NORTH-EAST chef beat off competition and served up a winning meal yesterday. Chris Kindlan, of Newcastle, was awarded the title of GNER Chef of the Year 2002 for his three-course meal at the annual competition held in York. He follows last year's winner
NEXT door neighbours have opened their homes to friends in their street to thank them for supporting their charity drive. Andrew Lawrence and Steve Poad, who live in The Grange, Woodham, near Newton Aycliffe, are gearing up to take part in the Italian
SWIMMERS in Darlington have raised £6,500 for Macmillan Cancer Research. About 200 people, of all ages, took part in the annual Swimathon at the Dolphin Centre to raise money for cancer research. The leisure centre has hosted the sponsored swim for more
PUBLIC relations consultant Jackie Gentle has returned to the North-East to join PR and marketing agency DTW. Ms Gentle has taken on the role of account director at the Teesside-based firm after selling her own Newcastle-based public relations consultancy
A CHARITY in Darlington is hoping to grant a wish for a blind or partially-sighted person in the town. The Lions Club is hosting a Grant-a-Wish competition to mark World Sight Day on October 10. The charity would like to hear from anyone who is blind
A PERVERT who terrorised two women with sexually-explicit mail was spared jail last night. Richard Whitfield, of Forster Avenue, Sherburn, County Durham will instead receive treatment at a sex offenders' unit after Durham Crown Court heard the devastating
CAMPAIGNERS pushing for devolution for the North-East say a proposed English parliament would not benefit the region. The English Democratic Party is to be launched in London today. Their campaign for an English parliament would have implications for
WHAT has the "war on terror" achieved so far? The Taliban are no more. This is good, but it was not a declared objective and cost the lives of thousands of innocent Afghans. Al qaida has been dispersed, but arguably remains as dangerous as ever, as hardening
A one-day conference on wind farms is being held in Newcastle this weekend. The Council for the Protection of Rural England has joined forces with the Government Office for the North-East to arrange the conference. Anyone interested in the future of wind
A SERIES of healthy lifestyle afternoons for people aged 50 and over are to be held in a Newton Aycliffe carers centre. The Pioneering Care Centre, Cobblers Hall, is offering a number of free sessions of activities and tasters. Activities will include
POLICE are appealing for information after a farm building and its contents were destroyed in a suspected arson attack at the weekend. Firefighters spent all day Sunday battling the fire in a large barn at Fitches Grange Farm, between Toft Hill and Witton-le-Wear
A disgraced primary school teacher admitted downloading child porn off the Internet when he appeared in court yesterday. Andrew Guffick, 34, of Commercial Street, Ferryhill Station, County Durham, worked as a teacher at Chilton Junior School until February
EXTENSIVE damage was caused to furniture in a shop after arsonists set fire to a car outside the store. Fire crews were called to the loading bay of Moss and Campbell, in Billingham, Teesside, on Sunday, where a car had been set alight. The fire spread
AN initiative to tackle crime has proved so successful it is being applied to more market towns in North Yorkshire. Problem-solving groups have been set up in Hambleton to crack down on anti-social behaviour and reduce crime figures in the district. Launched
THE new commander of the British Army's largest European base has taken up his post. Fifty-three-year-old Colonel Jonny Hackett succeeds Colonel Nick Gaskell at Catterick Garrison. "There have been many positive changes during my time at Catterick for
AT first glance, it could be a scene from a wartime officers' mess. A trio, dressed Andrews Sisters-style in khaki uniforms, belt out 1940s swing favourites on the stage as a sea of Union Jack flags wave in unison. But look a closer and you see that the
ON Thursday people living in Hartlepool will find out how speed cameras are helping to reduce injuries and deaths on the town's roads. A consultative forum meeting will be held at Owton Manor Community Centre, Wynyard Road, where residents will be given
Organisers of a revolutionary new project to help a theatre company and a city's theatre work together are hoping the scheme will benefit both groups, as well as attracting new audiences. Steve Pratt reports. Perhaps it's just as well that Marcus Romer
A 14-YEAR-OLD boy was mugged for his jacket on Saturday by two men. The boy was taking a short cut home along a footpath between Devil's Bridge and St Mary's College, Middlesbrough, when he was grabbed from behind, hit in the face and knocked unconscious
Harrogate District Hospital has announced that Dr Carl Gray has been appointed medical director. The doctor is a consultant histopathologist with the trust and a former director of pathology. Dr Gray has already taken up his new post .
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an attempted robbery which took place at about 3.30am on Sunday, in Northallerton. A 21-year-old woman, wearing a long denim coat, was attacked near the railway bridge in Mill Lane by a white man with a crew cut hairstyle
THE Environment Agency holds a free drop-in session at Gosforth Library, north of Newcastle, tomorrow, from 2pm-8pm, providing advice for people living and working around the Ouseburn, which flows through Woolsington, Gosforth, Jesmond Dene and Byker.
PLANS to revitalise Richmond's old station will be discussed at a public meeting on Thursday evening. The building has been empty since the Garden and Farm Supply Centre closed, owner Mike Pattison blaming the district council which would only offer a
A PLAN to restore an ancient landmark has been rejected by planners on the grounds that it would be too intrusive. A beacon has stood on the heather moorland 1,000 feet above sea level at Danby in the Esk Valley for centuries. After the structure collapsed
THE High Level Bridge over the Tyne became the latest addition to the Newcastle night skyline yesterday when it was lit up for the first time. More than 300 high intensity white lights shone from inside bridge arches and brick pillars to give the bridge
THE masons of Guisborough are opening their doors to passers-by. The three Masonic Lodges in the small East Cleveland town will hold an open day on Saturday, September 21, between 10am and 4pm. Spokesman Colin Bell said: "The purpose is to allow people
A FORMER nightclub owner has won permission to turn one of Durham's oldest pubs into a real ale and steak house. Magistrates granted Cafe Rock a provisional licence for the Traveller's Rest, in Claypath, after residents withdrew their objections. They
A MAN who did not handle asbestos still died with a large number of fibres in his body an inquest has heard. Assistant deputy Teesside Coroner Anthony Eastwood said of forensic tests on the late George Mundy: "The level of fibres was five times the level
TELEVISION bosses have chosen the North-East as the scene for filming two popular programmes. Cult show Bargain Hunt is coming to Thomas Watson's Auctioneers, in Darlington, as well as the new antiques programme Flog It. Flamboyant presenter David Dickinson
A 14-YEAR-OLD boy was mugged for his jacket on Saturday by two men. The boy was taking a short cut home along a footpath between Devil's Bridge and St Mary's College, Middlesbrough, when he was grabbed from behind, hit in the face and knocked unconscious
A MINERAL water firm has secured Government funding towards its £320,000 expansion plan. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has contributed to the scheme by the water bottling and water cooler company, Seaton Spring Water, of Seaham, County Durham
CHILDREN in an east Durham town are in for a treat thanks to a Government funded project aimed at long-term crime reduction. The Easington On Track Partnership has organised a series of fun days in Peterlee to give youngsters the chance to try a range
As Marks & Spencer unveils its new autumn homeware collection, Margaret Milne, head of the store's home design team, talks exclusively to Women's Editor Christen Pears. ONCE accused of being old-fashioned and unimaginative, Marks & Spencer proved
ADULT leisure classes are about to start at Darlington's Longfield Comprehensive School. Courses in the autumn term, partly funded by The Learning Skills Council and Darlington Borough Council, begin next Tuesday and Thursday. Classes include basic and
A CHARITY worker is playing her part in demonstrating that even such a physical game as rugby is not beyond the scope of those in wheelchairs. Angie Stewart of Aiskew, who suffers from brittle bones and is confined to a wheelchair, works for Open Doors
COUNCILLORS have been forced to decide which of two schemes to improve sporting facilities at secondary schools should be given priority - with Wensleydale beating Richmond on a committee chairman's casting vote. Richmondshire District Council had hoped
Percival Push Project, Sutton Bank MANY of us who wish to accompany family and friends on rambles but who also have some kind of mobility problem to accommodate, will be glad to hear of Percival. I first heard of Percival in connection with the Percival
DARLINGTON hope to push the nightmare of Victoria Park to the back of their minds against York City tonight. Three days after the Quakers' dreadful showing at local rivals Hartlepool, boss Tommy Taylor is hoping his side can get back on track at Bootham
A LEADING business organisation has condemned regional transport plans and called for them to be rewritten. The North-East Assembly's draft Regional Transport Strategy was compiled by consultants, at a cost of £100,000 of public money, to address the
PROTESTORS have spoken out against proposals to convert Richmond's former station into a music venue and restaurant, claiming the scheme is a 'screen for a night club.' The Richmond Station Group, which set itself up to promote what it describes as suitable
Q Who was the Morris of Morris dancing and what was the origin of this peculiar dance? - Doug McKenna, Stockton. A Morris dances were country dances traditionally performed in the North of England on days like May Day and Whit Sunday. Some scholars believe
MIDDLESBROUGH and Newcastle United are in a two-way fight for a teenager tagged "the new Eidur Gudjohnsen". The North-East duo are both keen to sign Icelandic striker Sigurdur Donys, who impressed during a four-day trial with Boro earlier this month.
LOMANA LuaLua last night told Newcastle United boss Bobby Robson: 'You were wrong to drop me.' The eccentric striker exploded into the new season, scoring four goals in five games for the Magpies. But after returning from international duty - playing
AN appeal to provide aromatherapy sessions for cancer patients at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton has been given a £600 boost. The money has been donated by the Northallerton Breast Cancer Support Group in memory of Joan Milburn, a former teacher
AN elderly woman's astonishing hoard of fine china collected over 30 years could end up netting tens of thousands of pounds at auction. Auctioneers have been staggered by the sheer quantity of china the lady, who is in her 80s, has amassed at her two-bedroom
A POLICEMAN with a penchant for invention has harnessed solar power to run an old van in a more environmentally friendly way. It has taken Sgt Peter Perkins two years to convert the G-registered Bedford Rascal, which now incorporates solar panels bought
IT WAS a variation on three old ladies locked in the lavatory - 20 people trapped in a 70-acre park for the night. Only frantic waving and shouting brought rescuers to the scene - in the shape of Cleveland Fire Brigade. Apparently, the people shut in
THE parents of a private killed in mysterious circumstances at an Army barracks have appealed to other soldiers to reveal how their son died - a year after his body was found. Private Geoff Gray was 17 when he was killed while on guard duty at the Royal
THIS morning I am going to cancel my 35 years' subscription to an academic journal. Wow, that must be one of the dullest sentences that even I have ever written! But when I give you my reasons, I hope you get a laugh or two. On the other hand, you might
STRUGGLING Sunderland were warned of the dire financial consequences of another relegation battle last night. As the Black Cats prepared for Saturday's crucial Tyne-Wear derby, the importance of Peter Reid steering his side away from the danger zone in
Community groups in Teesdale are being urged to come forward with ideas for projects, which could help secure more than £200,000 in European funding. Thousands of residents living in Teesdale could benefit from part-funding for projects across the dale
A MAJOR scheme to tackle crime has proved a real success in two towns and is being set up in others. Problem Solving groups were launched in Bedale and Stokesley to crack down on anti-social behaviour and reduce crime figures. Their success has led to
PAUL Hooper is hoping that Channel 5's most popular programme, House Doctor, will roll out the barrel for him . . . by selling his home so he can buy a pub. Mr Hooper's bungalow, at The Orchard, Great Burdon, near Darlington, was picked out in July for
A Northallerton woman's Welsh springer spaniel was crowned top dog at the 'Crufts of the North' on Sunday. All the main winners from the three-day annual Darlington Championship Dog Show competed in the final but it was Cleavehill Brynberrys who impressed
A PROLIFIC burglar with a "dreadful history" who caused untold misery to householders received a jail sentence yesterday. Father-of-one Patrick Carlin, 36, "ransacked" two properties and stole more than £4,000 of belongings from each house. Newcastle
A MAN who was missing from home for four days has turned up safe and well. Francis Smith, 60, returned to his home in Mayfields, Spennymoor, saying he had spent the past few days in a guest house near Durham. He had left home on Friday for no apparent
A PROLIFIC burglar with a "dreadful history" who caused untold misery to householders received a jail sentence yesterday. Father-of-one Patrick Carlin, 36, "ransacked" two properties and stole more than £4,000 of belongings from each house. Newcastle
POLICE are appealing for help in identifying a driver who fled the scene of a breakfast time accident in County Durham. A Vauxhall Corsa tavelling in Commercial Street, Trimdon Colliery, was involved in an accident with a Ford Orion, travelling in the
A WOMAN is fighting for her life after the car she was in collided with a loose horse near Bishop Auckland. The 23-year-old, from Woodham, is being treated for multiple injuries in the intensive care unit at Newcastle General Hospital where her condition
A MAN has launched an appeal against a council decision to prevent him using land in Hurworth, near Darlington, as a private gipsy site for his family. Darlington Borough Council refused to grant planning permission for Geoff Watson, of Hurworth, to accommodate
POLICE are appealing for information after a farm building and its contents were destroyed in a suspected arson attack at the weekend. Firefighters spent all day Sunday battling the fire in a barn at Fitches Grange Farm, between Toft Hill and Witton-le-Wear
A TEENAGER left a heap of clothes behind after fleeing from the scene of an indecent assault, a court was told. Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday how Christopher Gill left two of everything he had been wearing to boost his puny physique. Michael O'Neil
AN official at a crucial Premiership match was a police officer on sick leave, The Northern Echo can reveal today. Sergeant Nigel Miller has not reported for duty at his police station in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, since last month and is understood
A NORTH-EAST construction company which began as a modest family-run firm has secured £17m worth of orders. Established in Rushyford, County Durham, in 1974 by brothers Neville and Stephen Hall, building and civil engineering company Hall Construction
THE North-East's police helicopter has become a world leader after clocking up 4,000 flying hours. The EC135 Eurocopter, based at Newcastle Airport, is fleet leader among 220 Eurocopters worldwide. Since entering service in April 1999 with the North-East
WORKERS at energy firm Npower have stepped back from industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions. Following a union ballot staff at the company's call centres in Newcastle, Gateshead and Thornaby decided to continue talks with management rather
THE name of one of the world's oldest department stores has begun disappearing as part of a chain's rebranding programme. In 1838, when he was only 21, Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge was inspired with the idea of creating one of the first department stores
An airliner flying from Newcastle Airport had to turn round yesterday after being hit by a bird. British Airways flight 133 had just taken off for London Heathrow at 2.30pm, when the bird was sucked into an engine. The pilot of the Boeing 737 returned
A NEWTON Aycliffe business has expanded its sales department. Joanna Cobb, a Sunderland University graduate, has taken on a role as sales and marketing assistant at ALM Products, which specialises in architectural ironmongery.
INNOVATIVE flood defences in Cleveland have "set the trend" for countless others across the country, a Government minister said while visiting the region yesterday. But, as Floods Minister Elliot Morley inspected the £300,000 defences at Skinningrove,
MIDDLESBROUGH Mayor Ray Mallon has welcomed a new era for a number of primary schools. Yesterday, he laid the foundation stone for a new sports and arts hall at Holmwood Primary School, Middlesbrough. There will be new halls at Holmwood, Breckon Hill
A D-DAY hero who single-handedly thwarted two German attempts to block the British advance is to be commemorated in his home town. A plaque to the memory of Victoria Cross hero Stanley Hollis, who captured 25 German prisoners alone, will be unveiled tomorrow
WORK is due to start at Hartlepool's Manor College of Technology to create an FA Grass Roots Football Development Scheme. The £425,000 project is the first of its kind in Hartlepool and will include changing rooms, pitch improvements, car parking and
As thousands prepare to march on London this weekend, Richard Dodd, Countryside Alliance regional director for the North-East, argues why everyone who cares about the rural way of life should be there. WHY should normal law-abiding people have to march
THE first Roman Catholic church built in the North after the Reformation celebrated its 200th birthday at the weekend. The 650-strong congregation of Our Lady and St Joseph Church at Brooms, Leadgate, near Consett, County Durham, marked the bicentenary
A WEBSITE giving advice on weapons has proved a hit with shotgun and firearms owners. The Cleveland Police site - www.cleveland.police.uk - has received scores of visitors since its launch. The site contains facts and figures about guns and forms for
A LEADING figure in a town's civic affairs for more than three decades is to stand down next year. Councillor Malcolm Pratt, leader of Chester-le-Street District Council, will retire prior to the local elections in May. Coun Pratt has served as a Labour
A STUDENT with a flair for fashion has won a prize in a photography competition. Richard Williams, a student at Cleveland College of Art and Design, gained a merit for his entry in the Fujifilm Student Awards. He was presented with a cheque for £250 by
A WEDDING breakfast of game pie and other country delicacies was served to guests at a reception in Thirsk last week. A pack of mink hounds greeted the couple after the reception and escorted their horse-drawn carriage out of town along Cod Beck. Joint
Outraged headteachers in the North-East have joined the row over claims that examiners may have deliberately manipulated A-level grades. Hundreds of high-flying students across the country failed their A-level course work modules despite receiving top
A MARKET town can now boast its own community office, which will be home to a host of organisations and facilities. Kirkbymoorside's new servicewill be launched on Saturday, September 28, at a ceremony to be attended by the town's civic dignitaries. However
THE North of England may soon be able to provide an answer to London's Smithfield Show. The Yorkshire Agricultural Society yesterday confirmed a partnership with the Northern Counties Livestock Show, which has agreed to relocate from York to Harrogate's
Benny Gallagher, of hit duo Gallagher and Lyle, has teamed up with Richard Hudson and John Ford of the Strawbs, Pick Withers of Dire Straits, Ian Gibbons of The Kinks, and Steve Simpson of Slim Chance, for an evening of music. Folk Like Us will be at
Benny Gallagher, of hit duo Gallagher and Lyle, has teamed up with Richard Hudson and John Ford of the Strawbs, Pick Withers of Dire Straits, Ian Gibbons of The Kinks, and Steve Simpson of Slim Chance, for an evening of music. Folk Like Us will be at
A POPULAR trainee ambulance technician killed in a road accident a year ago has been fondly remembered by family, friends and former colleagues. Neil Hughes, from Darlington, died at the scene of the accident, after his motorcycle collided with a car
PEOPLE living in a courtyard housing development believe they have found the ideal solution to illegal parkers who have been making their lives a misery. They have applied to North Yorkshire County Council to block their road to the public - and have
WE expect the BBC to maintain the highest possible level of media standards. Its role, however, in the matter of Michael Barrymore's autobiography has been contemptible. It is the type of behaviour we would expect the sanctimonious BBC to bring to the
A student fell 100ft to his death in front of shoppers when he plunged from a city centre car park on Sunday morning. The 22-year-old un-named man, from the Newcastle area, fell from the multi-storey car park bridge next to the Bainbridge department store
THE two members of the Youth Parliament representing Stockton will hold their first surgeries tonight. Katy Hutchcraft, 16, represents Stockton north and Katie Brown, also 16, is the representative for Stockton south. They will hold monthly surgeries
A SURVEY has revealed the rising problem of "youth-on- youth" crime in the region. The survey for the Crimestoppers Trust found that one in five youngsters aged between ten and 15 had been the victim of a crime. Almost a quarter of those quizzed in North
VILLAGERS are nearing their dream of getting their first community centre. Chester-le-Street District Council has approved plans for a £330,000 community centre to be built in Grange Villa, on the site of the village's former primary school. The Grange
A FRUSTRATED inventor who put his family up for sale as part of a tongue-in-cheek Internet plea for support has found two North-East backers for one of his ideas. Father-of-two Malcolm Doherty, of Eryholme, near Darlington, had been willing to move anywhere
THE National Glass Centre (NGC) is playing its part in helping aspiring craftspeople. The Sunderland centre has built five units for small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs), which glass-makers can hire for up to 12 months. The workshops, built with funding
THE Titanic lived up to its name at a fun bath-tub river race. As with its more famous predecessor, the Titanic in question failed to reach its destination on its maiden voyage in the annual River Wear Bath Tub Race. Indeed, the tub, entered by staff
Ultimate Force is ultimate stereotype ONE day Ross Kemp will play an old softie who helps grannies across the road. Ultimate Force isn't that day. As an SAS tough nut, he's more likely to rip off the old dear's arm than take it to guide her through the
Women who suffer at the hands of violent husbands or partners are often afraid to seek professional help. Now, a new project in the North-East is offering victims the chance to get support from women just like themselves. Sam Strangeways speaks to some
DARLINGTON Mind is holding an open day at its Borough Road headquarters on Thursday. The centre will be open from noon to 5pm for people to meet staff and volunteers and sample complementary therapies. General manager Helen Mills said: "It is important
CHRIS Turner will tonight hand Adam Boyd the chance to impress in the absence of leading scorer Gordon Watson. Watson will be sidelined for around eight weeks after breaking a leg in Saturday's win over Darlington and Boyd will be given the opportunity
A wondrous week in Scotland, thanks, the serried gentlemen of the tartan tabloids more upset than at any time since that unfortunate business at Bannockburn. "Vogts of no confidence" remains the most popular allusion to the Faroese fiasco, though the
