A SURVEY of alcopops being sold in the area has revealed that some contain undeclared or excessive amounts of chemicals. Consumer experts at Durham County Council analysed and tested several types of the alcoholic drinks to national food standards. In
Emerson Thome made his eagerly-awaited comeback in Sunderland Reserves' 2-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday last night. Thome, who has undergone two knee operations during a nine-month lay-off, played for 72 minutes in the game at Hillsborough. Ben Clark
SEDGEFIELD Borough Council is switching to 'green' electricity to supply its large sites. From this month the council offices at Green Lane, Spennymoor, Chilton Depot and the leisure centres at Newton Aycliffe, Spennymoor and Ferryhill will be supplied
A jury is set to retire to decide whether or not a former airman downloaded child pornography on to his home computer in his barracks room. James Richard Poole, 33, had more than 6,000 pornographic images on his computer at Blackburn Barracks, RAF Leeming
LONG-awaited improvements to the A64 dual carr-iageway have finally been completed after months of work. The £4.1m scheme to replace the traffic light controlled junction at Top Lane, Copmanthorpe, near York, was finished on schedule. The improvements
THOUSANDS of people were last night settling down for a second night away from their homes after a massive Second World War bomb was unearthed in a city centre. But, as bomb disposal experts continued a delicate operation to defuse the device, more than
Would you go round peeping into people's bedroom windows to find out about their sex lives? Lurk somewhere in the shrubbery with your binoculars so you can get a good view of what they're up to? Probably not - I hope. But increasingly, we seem to be spending
Going A over T into A&E, the column spent part of Saturday morning in casualty at Darlington Memorial. "Like something out of a Whitehall Farce," we explained to the inquiring doctor, a pleasant young houseman who responded blankly, as if a Whitehall
England 2-2 Macedonia - DAVID Seaman signed his own international death warrant on Wednesday night when he made the sort of mistake that has regrettably become part of his repertoire in the last four months. For Ronaldinho and the searing heat of Shizuoka
TO the hundreds of youngsters whose parents earn their living working on funfairs around the country, Valerie Moody is known simply as "Auntie Valerie". For more than a decade she has devoted her time to organising lessons for children of fairground workers
RESIDENTS are seeking legal advice as they prepare to take out an injunction to stop their local council from demolishing their homes. People living in the 120 condemned houses and bungalows in Cuthbert's Walk and St Aidan's Walk in Bishop Auckland, want
The Northern Echo's campaign which is "working for a future" has had a good start, and it's vital that a difference is made after a string of body blows on the jobs front. Of course, there's a real need to protect and revive manufacturing, but the progress
CLEVELAND Police chief Barry Shaw last night announced he is to retire from the force next year. The chief constable, who has been embroiled in controversy throughout much of his ten-year stint at the top, will step down in March - just two days before
Two punters who made a killing by betting on a Premiership soccer club's new manager were revealed yesterday as teachers of the chairman's daughter. Sunderland supremo Bob Murray shocked the football world by appointing Howard Wilkinson as the new boss
A CALL has been made to clear pavements of cyclists. Gordon Pybus, chairman of Darlington Association on Disability (Dad), called for tougher action on cyclists who ride on pavements when he spoke at Monday's Transport Forum meeting. He said elderly and
A TERRIFIED landowner fled for his life as masked gunmen opened fire on him after forcing their way into his isolated farmhouse. The 72-year-old horse breeder scrambled for cover behind a hedge to escape the intruders as gunshots whizzed over his head
Matalan store ready to open: Cut-price clothing store Matalan opens its £1.5m store in Darlington today, bringing with it 100 jobs. The store is on a site off Neasham Road occupied until recently by Morrisons supermarket. A further 20 temporary jobs will
DON'T Dress For Dinner was the invitation to The Northern Echo's longest-serving employee, Geoff Elvish, when he was guest of honour at a show in Darlington Civic Theatre on Saturday. He and his wife, Joyce, watched the farce, starring Robert Duncan,
DRIVERS will not be charged for parking in Darlington town centre on Sundays, the borough council's leader said yesterday. John Williams told a meeting of the council's cabinet yesterday that free parking on Sundays was not in jeopardy. He was speaking
SUNDERLAND chairman Bob Murray was last night accused of holding Stoke City hostage after failing to open talks on a compensation package for Steve Cotterill. Murray's Stoke counterpart Gunnar Gislason angrily claimed Sunderland's refusal to reach an
WETHERBY'S winter season of National Hunt action gets underway this afternoon with a superb six-race card. The stiff, but fair fences take some jumping, although they hold no fears for Mick Easterby's Rigadoon (2.55), who heads for the Tetley's Bitter
A NORTH-EAST media firm has secured a lucrative deal with the production company making the latest Wallace and Gromit adventure. Media Ideas, based in Barnard Castle, County Durham, will distribute ten short films by animated Oscar-winner Nick Park, entitled
A police officer picked up four prostitutes and indecently assaulted them in the back of his van during an evening patrol of a North-East town centre, a court heard. Detective Constable Darren Dolan, 33, of Cleveland Police, who was a PC at the time,
North-East MP Stephen Hepburn has told the Government to "throw in the bin" an official study which rejected turning the A1 into dual-carriageway between Newcastle and Edinburgh. Transport Minister John Spellar told the Commons he was still looking at
A man who robbed a filling station was jailed for five years yesterday. The male cashier at the Priory Garage, in Newport Road, Middlesbrough, told police that months later the memory of the 6ft 2in raider, who was armed with a knife, still left him feeling
THE fight to save a group of 100-year-old pine trees, which have been described as a wildlife haven, appears to have been lost. Residents had challenged the Church of England in an effort to save the 12 pine trees at a parsonage in Loftus, east Cleveland
PERSONNEL serving on the region's front-line fighter base took a break from operations to attend a presentation ceremony. Staff at RAF Leeming, near Bedale, were presented with commendations and awards by Group Captain Brian Bates. Awards included the
PUPILS are using technology to test their geography as part of a national week. To celebrate Geography Action Week this week, Durham School pupils are taking part in a quiz on the geography department's Intranet. They have to identify various locations
SLIPPERS of all shapes and sizes went into production yesterday at a Northallerton junior school. Children in years four, five and six at Bullamoor County Junior School have been designing their own slippers. They were joined by a specialist design teacher
A woman loading shopping into the back of her car has become the 11th victim of a sniper terrorising the area around the American capital. Nick Morrison asks: what sort of man carries out such an apparently random, cold-blooded crime? FOUR were at gas
MAYOR of Middlesbrough Ray Mallon can expect to face some tough questions today when he comes face-to-face with his teenage counterpart. Mr Mallon and his executive board will hold their first meeting with Middlesbrough's Young Mayor, Adam Gallagher,
A RAF serviceman who was the subject of a harassment investigation was found to have pornographic images of children on his computer, a court was told yesterday. James Poole, 33, was in his barracks room at the RAF Leeming Tornado base, North Yorkshire
A POLICE officer claims a lack of information sharing has been partly responsible for the slow advances in arson investigation over the years. Detective Constable Graham Thompson, a member of the Teesside's three-man Arson Investigation Unit, hopes a
A STORAGE company in Darlington has started up a relationship with Virgin Brides. Lingfield Warehousing Limited, a storage, distribution and logistics company, already worked with two branches of the Virgin Group empire and has developed a storage system
VILLAGERS are stepping up their fight against plans for a housing development by sending out diagrams of the proposals. The West Rainton Housing Action Group is posting leaflets showing the plans by George Wimpey UK Ltd, through all 1,100 of the village's
A DYSLEXIC student has thanked a college for helping him to fulfil his ambition. Stephen Okey, from New Marske, has been accepted into the Royal Engineers after studying at Redcar and Cleveland College, Redcar. Stephen said: "I am delighted that after
A NORTH-EAST design firm has won a contract to work on the conversion and upgrade of a diamond mining ship. Armstrong Technology has been awarded the third and final phase of a contract on the De Beers vessel, which will help safeguard the 27 jobs at
business-minded young people aged 15 to 19 from Darlington and Teesside took part in an enterprise master class. More than 250 took part in the day, which enables them to take part in the Young Enterprise Company Programme which develops their business
A BRAVE youngster, who is facing more surgery, has started nursery school. Three-year-old Liam Lyons has already had three major operations at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital and now doctors are seeking advice from across the world to continue to treat him
ALREADY six points behind Arsenal after nine games, Manchester United's title challenge should be just about over once Roy Keane is fit and able to play again. A five-match ban may not sound too severe - particularly as one of those fixtures is in the
First defeat for Boro Reserves RIVERSIDE: Middlesbrough Reserves lost for the first time this season when going down to a solitary goal against Manchester City at the Riverside last night. An open entertaining game saw both sides create chances with Boro
A WASTE disposal firm has released more information about its bid to move onto an industrial estate on the edge of the A1. Firms in Brompton-on-Swale are worried having Yorwaste as a neighbour could have an impact on their trade. However, Yorwaste has
A PLEA to change a nature reserve into a green burial ground at a North Yorkshire village should be refused, say planners. The plan for New Road, Scotton, near Knaresborough, on a site known locally as Gertrude Pastures, has been tabled by Susan Thorp
STARS from Byker Grove gave their backing to a region-wide firework safety campaign yesterday. Twins Alex and Dominic Beebe, who play Adam and Luke in the hit children's television show, helped launch the campaign at Newcastle's Byker Grove studios. Spearheaded
A MAN facing a burglary charge made history at Harrogate Magistrates' Court yesterday when he was remanded in custody while 60 miles from the courtroom, in a hearing which took just four minutes. William Patrick Conarty, 32, appeared before a Bench sitting
THE three main rivers in County Durham are the inspiration behind a book of poetry launched to mark National Poetry Day last week. As part of the research for the book, its author, theatre artist Julie Ward, embarked upon journeys that took her to the
Middlesbrough Reserves lost for the first time this season when going down to a solitary goal against Manchester City at the Riverside last night. An open entertaining game saw both sides create chances with Boro squandering a handful of opportunities
Undercover surveillance has revealed a thriving trade in the illegal sale of fireworks to young children. Trading standards officers today released video footage of children visiting houses in Middlesbrough to purchase rockets and powerful air bombs from
Scotland's striking saviours Stevie Crawford and Steven Thompson were both on target as the rejuvenated nation gave Berti Vogts his second success in the space of four days against Canada at Hibernian's Easter Road last night. The new frontline pair built
THE RELOCATION of a war memorial will mark the completion of major regeneration work in Shildon. It is hoped that the memorial, which is currently situated in the churchyard of All Saints Church, will be erected on its new spot in Redworth Road in time
FORMER workers of a County Durham cement works say the £22m it could cost to close the site could have been better spent saving their jobs. Almost 150 jobs were lost when Lafarge UK ended production at its Eastgate plant, in Weardale, in early August.
THE entire cabinet of Sedgefield Borough Council is under investigation after claims that members broke a national code of conduct. The complaints against the seven councillors, including council leader Brian Stephens, have been referred to the Standards
DESPERATE residents have formed their own action group in an attempt to rid the streets of drug abuse. About 50 people gathered at a public meeting last week to try and come up with ideas of how to stamp out heroin addiction in Spennymoor. Anti-drug campaigner
THE future of one of the country's most famous amateur football clubs was secured this week with the offer of a £250,000 grant towards their new out-of-town stadium. Ten times FA Amateur Cup winners Bishop Auckland FC quit their Kingsway ground in April
INSPIRATIONAL teachers from across the region could scoop prizes worth thousands of pounds when the national education "Oscars" get underway. Several teachers from the North-East and North Yorkshire will be attending the finals of the annual BT Teaching
MORE than 150 fireworks have been seized in a raid on a house on Middlesbrough's Thorntree council estate. It is illegal to sell fireworks without an explosives licence and Cleveland Police are condemning illegal firework sales, which they say pose a
ONLY a few months ago Paul Anderson and his colleagues were rocked by the news that their jobs at Lafarge's Eastgate operation were to go. The cement works was a major employer in Weardale and the impact of its closure was felt throughout the Dale. Now
KIDS living in deprived areas of the North-East are being encouraged to stay on at school or college with cash incentives of up to £1,500. Over the next two years, 2,400 youngsters aged between 16 and 18 will have a chance of securing a slice of a £2.5m
A NEW steam engine will roll into Weardale this weekend. Weardale Railway Locomotive Preservation Group will take delivery of its first steam engine, called Norwood, on Saturday afternoon. The group's members and volunteers have been restoring the line
THE new ward boundaries for Darlington have been revealed and will come into effect for the elections next May. The changes are the result of a Local Government Commission review carried out in 2000, which was the first review in 25 years. It looked at
TWO North Yorkshire comm-unities who have campaigned for safer roads appear to have been successful. People who live in West Witton, in Wensleydale, and in Plummer Road, in Catterick Garrison, have become so concerned about drivers speeding that they
A RECRUITMENT consultant has claimed that people in the South Durham area are opting out of the nine-to-five rat race and choosing a less stressful way of working. Thelma Clark, of LMR recruitment in Newton Aycliffe, said she has seen a dramatic increase
DEAF people whose lives could be transformed by new digital hearing aids are being turned away by the NHS, it emerged tonight. Thousands of people in the region who need hearing aids are being refused access to hi-tech digital hearing aids which are far
A former nurse today won more than £400,000 damages for back injuries she blamed on "appalling" shortages of staff and equipment at the hospital where she worked. Former Sister Angela Knott suffered a prolapsed disc which has left her unable to have children
THE future of one of the country's most famous amateur football clubs was secured this week with the offer of a £250,000 grant towards their new out-of-town stadium. Ten times FA Amateur Cup winners Bishop Auckland FC quit their historic Kingsway ground
A SHOWPIECE arts complex that folded with crippling debts last year will re-open in the spring. Stockton Arc, which closed last October after running up debts of about £2m, will be run by a non-profit-making company. The troubled Arc was dogged by dwindling
Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has been ruled out of tonight's European Championship qualifier against Macedonia after failing to shake off a groin injury. Heskey limped out of a training session on Tuesday and has failed to recover in time for this evening's
Coal may have shaped the region's culture and identity, but it also transformed the physical landscape of the North-East. In the latest part of The Northern Echo's special series looking at the legacy of the pits. Frances Griss and John Dean see how the
THOUSANDS of people were last night settling down for a second night away from their homes after a massive Second World War bomb was unearthed in a city centre. But, as bomb disposal experts continued a delicate operation to defuse the device, more than
TODAY, an examination in comprehension for our readers. Examine the following facts and course of events. Then explain, in simple English, exactly what has been going with this summer's A-level results. Less than two months ago, 94.3 per cent of students
STEPHEN Harmison warned last night that Darren Gough, currently fighting a long-standing knee injury, must be at the peak of his powers this winter - or England will face further Ashes misery. Harmison made his gloomy forecast as he prepared to fly out
DISCUSSIONS are ongoing about how £3.4m will be spent to restore a Darlington park to its former glory. Visitors to the South Park were delighted when it was awarded a heritage lottery grant after it had been neglected for years. But work has not yet
COUNCILLORS said farewell to their town clerk who has moved on to pastures new. Julia Brown quit her post as clerk to Dene Valley Parish Council earlier this year to take up a post as secretary at Langley Moor Nursery. The 36-year-old, from Langley Park
A FLASHING unit which displays the speed of an approaching car could be a permanent feature in Darlington. The Speedvisor, used in West Auckland Road, Fitzwilliam Drive and Thompson Street, has been hailed as successful in reducing the overall speed of
DIRECTOR Eunice Cockburn has taken Darlington Operatic Society's production of Fiddler On the Roof by the throat and insisted that most of the male cast grow beards. The results for production, which runs from October 23 to November 2 at Darlington Civic
A LEADING clergyman has called for "the highest standards of personal ethical behaviour" as a way of turning the rising tide of HIV and Aids. The Bishop of Jarrow, the Right Reverend John Pritchard ,said the church had to advocate high standards of behaviour
THE evening of September 5, 1940, is one Eve Douglas will always remember. Not only was it her 14th birthday, but as an awestruck teenager she watched a German Heinkel HE111P bomber shot down in flames over Sunderland. Little could she have known then
A NEW team of governors for a troubled Darlington school looks likely to be given approval. The go-ahead for changes in the Eastbourne comprehensive team was given by Darlington Borough Council's cabinet yesterday. Suggested members include the principal
A GOLF tournament has raised £3,800 for a North-East hospice appeal. The tournament for St Teresa's Hospice, in Darlington, was held in memory of golf fan Rob Niven, a Darlington architect who launched the hospice's Giving to Life appeal just days before
BLACK & DECKER: AS an ex-employee of Black & Decker, and also one of the 570 made redundant when Fujitsu pulled out, I have sympathy with those affected by the recent bad news. I totally agree with those who say that immediate assistance is required
A SURVIVAL plan which would involve employees purchasing shares, has been put to administrators seeking a buyer for a threatened North-East steelworks. Proposals for a management-led employees' takeover of the Weardale Steel plant, at Wolsingham, County
Retailer Mothercare raised hopes of trading revival after seeing autumn sales begin to spark. The group encouraged investors, reporting that the slowdown in like-for-like sales had eased in the 14 weeks to Saturday. The fall of 1.2 per cent in UK stores
AN energy firm's appeal to establish an opencast mine and erect two wind turbines was adjourned yesterday. After Durham County Council refused permission for the development, in January, Eco Energy lodged an appeal. The company wants to set up an opencast
BRITAIN'S tax-payers are set to win on aggregate, thanks to a revolutionary recycling process, pioneered by a North Yorkshire company. The process, used for the first time on a British motorway this week, could knock millions of pounds off the cost of
PREPARATIONS are under way for the Young Musician of the Year Competition. The contest, organised by the rotary clubs of Darlington and Northallerton, is divided into three classes; piano, woodwind and brass or strings. More than 60 young musicians will
A FILM about domestic violence will receive its premiere in Hartlepool tomorrow. Domestic violence and living in an abusive relationship are the themes explored in the video made by a group of 17 to 19-year-olds who attend a Barnardo's advice centre in
A "REVOLUTIONARY" new treatment for hirsute women has landed its distributor with a £20,000 fine. Teesside Crown Court fined the company after hearing how the Epil 2000 system failed to remove a Cleveland woman's unwanted hair - despite 12 costly sessions
HOPES are high that a cheese and pepperoni pizza will prove a money-spinning combination for Durham Cathedral. Pizza Express in the city has added fundraising to its menu by creating a special Friends Pizza to help raise money for the Friends of Durham
ONE of the world's most dangerous spiders has been discovered at a North-East factory. Workers found the black widow in a shipment of machinery parts from Mexico, which came into the plant on the Team Valley Industrial Estate, at Gateshead. The young
Would you go round peeping into people's bedroom windows to find out about their sex lives? Lurk somewhere in the shrubbery with your binoculars so you can get a good view of what they're up to? Probably not - I hope. But increasingly, we seem to be spending
A long-standing grievance in my village, like many others, is that its young people can't afford to buy houses there. A few years ago the problem was eased by the building of four 'affordable' rented homes, owned by a housing association. Again in common
A WASHINGTON envelope company has sold half its business to a North Yorkshire manufacturer, in a move which the British company hopes will strengthen its businesses. Silent partner at Washington Envelopes Trevor Jenkins has retired and sold his stake
STOCKTON Borough Council's library service is celebrating gaining Charter Mark status for the second time. The assessors said: "The concept of customer service is well-embedded within the library service culture at all levels and amongst support as well
In actual fact, Bodily Harm's not at all bad Bodily Harm (C4) Immediately after sacking him, his boss asks Mitchel Greenfield how he feels. "Like you've beaten me up," replies his now ex-employee in Tony Grounds' two-part drama. That's only the start
Jobs team celebrates: Chester-le-Street Action Team for Jobs is celebrating its second birthday and success in registering its 1,000th client. The team, part of the Jobcentreplus Network, aims to remove barriers into employment by helping people with
BOLLYWOOD came to North Yorkshire yesterday as a film crew worked on a new all-singing, all-dancing production. The Indian film industry produces hundreds of films a year, making it one of the most successful film industrious in the world. However, until
A PROJECT set up to help Alzheimer's sufferers has been awarded a £55,000 grant from the National Lottery's Community Fund. The Richmondshire branch of the Alzheimer's Disease Society has been given the money to spend over the next three years. "Over
A BANKER swapped his suit for an apron to work in a cafe to raise money for charity. Chris Simpson, local business manager for Barclays Bank, in Hartlepool, Sedgefield and Billingham, spent an afternoon at the Courtyard Cafe in Sedgefield Community Hospital
A PROJECT to help children to tap into their creativity will be put to the test tomorrow evening in Middlesbrough. Pupils from Tollesby Special School, Hall Garth Comprehensive, Linthorpe Junior and Easterside Primary schools will perform a one-hour show
TREASURE TALK: Treasure Trove will be the theme of a talk by John Geddes to the Sacriston and District Everyman's Club on Tuesday, at 7.30pm. ACOUSTIC NIGHT: Eddie Walker will entertain the Beamish Mary Acoustic Club on Wednesday, at 8.30pm, in the Beamish
NORTH-EAST housebuilder Bellway has notched a record profit of £325m - showing there is still little sign of a slowdown in the housing market. Forward sales at the Newcastle-based group are up 47 per cent, with strong demand across the UK. This follows
Going A over T into A&E, the column spent part of Saturday morning in casualty at Darlington Memorial. "Like something out of a Whitehall Farce," we explained to the inquiring doctor, a pleasant young houseman who responded blankly, as if a Whitehall
THE Darlington branch of the North-East Chamber of Commerce has been given a new lease of life. Some of the members of the Darlington sub-group attended the relaunch, when a long-term vision was set out and Darlington businesses were encouraged to have
AN initiative to breath new life into the back garden of a former bank has been awarded a grant worth up to £7,000. The Reeth Community Orchard project celebrates its first anniversary later this month, marking a year which has seen significant progress
TV duo Ant and Dec collected a hat trick of prizes last night at the National Television Awards. The Geordies won the top entertainer prize for the second year running along with a Special Recognition Award, while their Pop Idol show was named most popular
HIGH street bank Abbey National closed the door on a possible £10bn tie-up with Bank of Ireland last night by insisting it was better off on its own. The UK's second biggest mortgage lender said there was "no material new information" in detailed proposals
THE TUC last night piled the pressure on Arriva Trains Northern (ATN) bosses to solve their long-running dispute with conductors. The union's Northern and Yorkshire regions jointly called on the company to "act in good faith" and return to the negotiating
A £1.5m cut-price clothing store opens in Darlington today, providing more than 100 jobs for the town. The Matalan store, on a site off Neasham Road previously occupied by a Co-op store and most recently a Morrisons supermarket, will be opened by Darlington
