EIGHTY Army vehicles set off on the first leg of their journey to the Gulf yesterday in preparation for any war against Iraq. Land Rovers and four-tonne trucks carrying specialist communications equipment left from Worsley Barracks, in York, and headed
THE headteacher at one of the region's top private schools has taken early retirement because of ill health. Helen Hamilton has been at all-girls Polam Hall School, in Darlington, for 20 years and has been headteacher for the past 16. Parents were told
TWO policemen and a retired officer who tried in vain to save a pensioner's life have received letters of appreciation from St John Ambulance. PCs Michael Trodden and Wayne Barrigan went to a house in School Aycliffe where a 73-year-old man had been found
THE boyfriend of a teenage mother who is charged with her of causing multiple fractures to her baby, told a court yesterday that they would never deliberately hurt him. But Andrew Spence, 24, told Teesside Crown Court that he fell down the stairs at their
ARTWORK by youngsters shares the spotlight with professional pieces in an exhibition opening today. Working Together, at the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery, features work by pupils aged from three to 18 from County Durham schools.
GETTING to hospital should become easier for people in Durham's rural communities thanks to a £740,000 boost for specialist transport services. The county council has Successfully bid for Rural Bus Challenge funding to help patients, visitors and staff
INSPECTORS who slated a council's housing repairs and maintenance service are paying a follow-up visit in March. Wear Valley District Council came under fire from the Audit Commission in November 2001, when a report said it was unlikely to improve on
PENSIONERS who could be missing out on benefits are invited to an open day to help them with their claims. Age Concern representatives will offer advice to people over the age of 50 at Baring Court, Tow Law, on Tuesday, February 11, from 10am to 1pm.
MANUFACTURING problems have been blamed for the late start of Wear Valley's recycling scheme, which should have got under way last month. Green boxes were due to arrive in the district yesterday and will be sent out to residents from Monday. They will
A RECYCLING company has pledged its support to a hospice by giving £600. Foreman Recycling, in Spennymoor, has been working in partnership with the Butterwick Hospice at Bishop Auckland for more than three years. The company is at the forefront of a scheme
CAMPAIGNERS lobbying for Britain to keep the pound came head-to-head with the euro's supporters yesterday. Businessmen heard both sides of the argument when Durham Business Club hosted a debate on the euro in Chester-le-Street. Campaign groups Business
Northern Echo reporter Chris Brayshay needed true grit as he faced a nightmare journey home in the blizzards battering Teesside on Thurdsay. After clocking off for the eveining, he joined the thousands of drivers struggling home. This is what happened
BOSSES at the North-East's first baby hospice have been inundated with public support in the wake of a major setback. Plans to open the Zoe's Place Hospice for Special Babies, on Teesside, were thrown into confusion when a bid for £501,000 of National
A THEATRE has generated "significant" costs since a council took over its running, an auditor has found. A report by the District Auditor into Durham City Council highlighted the costs of running the year-old Gala Theatre. The council originally appointed
Action against Iraq will be in weeks not months, George Bush said last night. After meeting Prime Minister Tony Blair, the US President said they were both agreed on the matter. Earlier, Mr Bush said he backed the use of nuclear missiles in retaliation
Award-winning British choreographer Matthew Bourne's production of Nutcracker! will be performed at Newcastle's Theatre Royal, from February 18 to 22. Tickets for the acclaimed adaptation are available from the box office, on 0870-905 5060.
Police are searching for a man who started two fires at nightspots in a North-East resort. Both incidents happened on Friday, January 17. At 9.45pm, in the men's toilets of the Havanna pub in South Parade, Whitley Bay, a plastic toilet roll holder was
A SCHEME to attract more people from minority ethnic groups into the planning profession in the North-East has been launched. Recruitment for the traineeships starts in the spring with the first candidates in place by the autumn. As well as a postgraduate
COUNCILLORS have pledged to do all they can to help rural shops and pubs stay open. Following months of detailed reviews, Hambleton District Council has now defined its role in the battle to maintain public services in villages. A list of recommendations
A NEW charging scheme for non-residential social services such as day care and meals has been approved this week. Detailed consultation with service users helped North Yorkshire County Council develop a scheme that takes account of people's ability to
More than 130 riders are due to compete in the Old Raby Hunt's first point-to-point race of the season tomorrow. Six races are scheduled on the card at Witton Castle, near Bishop Auckland, starting at 12.30pm. Magic performer is the hot tip for the first
FIREFIGHTERS from the region have been getting first-hand experience of how to deal with a possible fire in the Tyne Tunnel. Teams from Cleveland and Durham brigades were at the Darchem Flare Facility, at Darchem Engineering, in Stillington, Teesside,
RYANAIR laid down the gauntlet to its budget airline competitors by snapping up rival Buzz in a £15m deal. The Irish carrier, which operates out of Teesside and Newcastle airports, further stamped its intentions on a congested marketplace by announcing
LITTER louts will be targeted again today as a campaign to clean up the streets presses ahead. Sixteen people have been given £50 on-the-spot fines for litter offences on the last two Saturdays by plain clothes wardens in Darlington. The enforcement teams
A TEAM of experts is working to tackle the problems of youth crime in Darlington. Police, members of the town's community safety team and housing department staff are holding weekly meetings to share information about the worst known young offenders.
A PENSIONER was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life yesterday as he was jailed for three years for sexually abusing a six-year-old girl in his home. During his trial, Thomas Meldrew Horseman, 68, denied the offence and several
A NUMBER of people have appeared in court accused of money laundering. Christopher Grimes, 24, of Bousfield Crescent, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is accused of two counts totalling more than £580,000. His case at Darlington Magistrates' Court was
FAMILY and friends gathered to pay an emotional tribute to a 13-year-old boy yesterday. Liam Richardson, known affectionately as Roly, died two weeks ago when the stolen car he was in with three other teenagers careered out of control and crashed into
A GROUP set up to investigate the closure of Guisborough Hospital's Maternity Unit has begun compiling a report to decide its future. Work began yesterday after the final session of interviews was completed, at which a midwife supervisor shared her views
PEOPLE in the village where police uncovered a DNA link to murdered schoolgirl Millie Dowler are living in fear of a "killer in our midst". A male DNA sample taken from an item of Millie's clothing has been matched to one found after a theft at a church
A YOUTH disco launched by police officers has resulted in a dramatic drop in anti-social behaviour. Officers in Peterlee came up with the idea for Club Envy, based at Peterlee Leisure Centre, in response to escalating problems caused by local youngsters
ONE of the region's top brass bands is to record a CD to help it pay for expensive running costs. Fishburn Band, one of only three North-East bands in the national premier division, is planning to cut a disc to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year
EFFORTS to beat bullying and improve the lives of vulnerable youngsters in County Durham have earned a national accolade. The county council's anti-bullying service was this week rewarded for its work in schools as part of a multi-agency approach to the
A POEM called Sexy Baz's Birds has helped a college lecturer become the official poet for his home town for a year. Andy Willoughby, a lecturer in performing arts and higher education at Darlington College of Technology, is the official poet for Middlesbrough
Q I read your column each week and am amazed at the handouts people get. My granddaughter lives on her own, paying a mortgage and finds it very difficult to manage. Is there no help for her? A The benefit system is more generous to the elderly and disabled
More than 130 riders are due to compete in the Old Raby Hunt's first point-to-point race of the season tomorrow. Six races are scheduled on the card at Witton Castle, near Bishop Auckland, starting at 12.30pm. Magic performer is the hot tip for the first
It's been a busy time for former Rovers Return landlady Denise Welch since quitting the soap. Apart from acting and presenting, she's now started her own production company. DENISE Welch was having a busy day, coping with problems thrown up by "a two-year-old
OFFICE workers on their lunch breaks stopped to watch firefighters tackle a blaze at Richmond's King's Head Hotel yesterday. Smoke driven by high winds blew across the market place while crews from two appliances extinguished flames in a chimney flue
POLICE are appealing to motorists to help catch thieves who stole Christmas presents from an isolated house near the A66. The intruders forced their way into the property sometime between noon and 6.45pm on Thursday, and took a PlayStation 2, videos,
COUNCILLORS in the Hambleton area have re-endorsed their commitment to a crackdown on drinking in public areas. Cabinet members have confirmed that three designated public places will be created in the Applegarth and Bullamoor park areas of Northallerton
Organisers of this year's Redcar Half Marathon are encouraging runners to step up their training in readiness for the run. This year's event was officially launched by first-time sponsors Somerfield Supermarket, in West Dyke Road, Redcar. Store staff
THE drive to have Thirsk added to the Broadband computer network is gathering momentum, with campaigners confirming they already have half the signatures they need to bring the technology to the town. British Telecom said 400 people needed to sign before
FREEMASONS in Northallerton are helping to give a voice to youngsters who find it difficult to express themselves. They have provided equipment worth £500 to the Children's Centre in Brompton Road. The equipment consists of three communication aids, allowing
NORTH-EAST cricketers are being urged to donate unwanted equipment to help poor African youngsters. Durham University's Combined Colleges cricket squad visited the mountain kingdom of Lesotho during a three-week visit to southern Africa. While in Lesotho
THE region's oldest housing association, for ex-miners, has spread its wings and is looking after old sailors. The Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association (DAHMA), set up more than 100 years ago, has moved north of the Tyne to take over 30 homes in
RESIDENTS of Gateshead will benefit from a £2.7m scheme to bring recycling to the doorsteps of 150,000 homes. The Kerb-it recycling scheme will allow residents to store paper, glass and cans in a box that will be collected from the kerbside every fortnight
A TEAM of environmental wardens will have an extra weapon in their fight against litter. From today, the six-man team covering Easington district will be able to issue £50 fines to people caught dropping litter. The group was set up by Easington District
A HEALTHY mayor is encouraging his residents to keep fit and fight the flab. Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon likes to work out each day. Together with children's TV presenter Kirsten O'Brien and public health director Professor Peter Kelly, he launched
AN empty strip of land at a Hartlepool school is being transformed into a garden for youngsters. Work has been launched on land at St John Vianney Primary School, in King Oswy Drive. A garden with two themes will be created on the land between the school
A LOCAL council is one of the country's most efficient in dealing with planning issues, according to a report. The Audit Commission's best value performance indicators for the 2001/2002 financial year show that Easington District Council's planning service
A LIBRARY is attracting people from ethnic minorities for the first time after introducing books in their languages. When Durham City Library was at its old site on South Street, it seldom saw visitors from other cultures. So when the new Clayport Library
US space agency Nasa has enlisted a County Durham firm's ground-breaking technology to enable it to control a moon buggy at the touch of a textile button. A joint venture between Darlington's Peratech and Ronz Eurolab, of West Yorkshire, created an electronic
YOU can't help but feel sorry for Sunderland, unless you are a Newcastle United fan that is. Considering the situation of all three of the North-East's Premier clubs, it is fair to say that the trio's managers - Sir Bobby Robson, Howard Wilkinson and
BRAVE ten-year-old Kate Stobbs is recovering after surgeons extracted the bone marrow she hopes will transform her sister's life. Kate's older sister, Kimberley, 14, of Burnhope, near Consett, has been battling leukaemia. Consultants tested the family
HARTLEPOOL boss Mike Newell is so desperate to see this afternoon's game beat the freeze he joined in yesterday's clear-up operation. The Victoria Park surface was covered in six inches of snow yesterday morning, but a day of hard work has increased the
A STRANGER is amidst our congregations, announcing his presence only by a visiting card dropped "discreetly" into the collection plate. "You have been visited by the Mystery Worshipper," says the card, though whether the Mystery Worshipper also drops
A team of firefighters face the sack after they refused to continue with a life-saving service. The rope rescue team based at Peterlee Fire Station, in County Durham, has stopped responding to incidents requiring rescues from places such as high-rise
DURHAM City baker Terry Wall, who led Morpeth Harriers to team silver medal position in last week's North of England Cross Country Championships, will be aiming to maintain his pole position in tomorrow's fourth Durham Pine North-East Harrier League fixture
DARLINGTON must rearrange yet another fixture after this afternoon's Third Division clash with Cambridge was called off due to a frozen Feethams pitch. The surface was yesterday deemed unplayable after an early-morning pitch inspection, although caretaker
GULLIBLE, nave and a poor judge of character: I may be all those things, but in the ten years since I first met Tony Blair I have always believed that he is a decent, honest and trustworthy human being. Admirable, even. You may scoff, but in person he
SUNDERLAND manager Howard Wilkinson last night insisted he isn't envious of rivals Newcastle United following their £9m swoop for Jonathan Woodgate. While England centre-back Woodgate yesterday completed his move to Tyneside from Leeds, former Elland
CHILDREN at a Bishop Auckland primary school brought an oriental dragon to life to celebrate the forthcoming Chinese New Year. After painting the second eye on the head of a 30ft paper dragon in a traditional Chinese ceremony, pupils at Cockton Hill Infant
IT'S A big day for Newcastle Falcons as they officially open their West Stand before the first of what Rob Andrew has described as "eight cup finals." They face Harlequins in front of the Sky TV cameras today (2pm) knowing that defeat will leave them
ANGRY Sir Bobby Robson last night accused Middlesbrough of wanting today's Riverside derby to be postponed, writes Clive Hetherington. Newcastle's visit was called off yesterday on safety grounds after an 11.15am inspection of the terraces and stadium
THE spate of scandals which has tarnished the health service in recent years has seriously undermined public confidence in whether the voice of the patient is truly heard. The likes of Alderhay, Bristol, Harold Shipman and - much closer to home, the Richard
COLLEGE representatives attended the launch of a promotional website yesterday. Members of St John's College, in Durham, travelled to Bishopthorpe Palace, in York, for the launch of the theological college website. Spearheaded by the Archbishop of York
VILLAGERS have vowed to fight a waste company plan to site rubbish skips yards from a caravan park. Durham County Waste Management wants to open a recycling depot in a compound behind the Oakleaf caravan park at Wolsingham, on a bridleway known as Sawmill
TEENAGERS will get a first taste of life in the driving seat on Monday, when they get behind the wheel of a car simulator. Pupils at Harelaw School, in Catchgate, near Stanley, will be put through their paces in a £500,000 simulator based on a Vauxhall
COMMUNITY groups are to share £285,000 in Government cash, Home Office Minister Beverly Hughes announced yesterday. Middlesbrough Council and voluntary organisations will receive the money for schemes to help transform the town. Ms Hughes said: "We know
CHILDREN as young as five found themselves on a nine-hour school bus journey as snowstorms paralysed North-East roads. Pupils from Yarm School and Teesside High School, at nearby Eaglescliffe, near Stockton, were picked up as normal at 4pm on Thursday
A SOBERING warning has gone out to road users after an alarming number of motorists were found drink-driving. Between last Friday and Saturday, eight people were arrested in Stockton following positive roadside tests and a ninth driver was arrested on
CHILDREN'S favourite Walt Disney will be hoping its latest cinematic venture, a sequel to the hit animation The Jungle Book, will help its business get back on track. The US entertainments firm watched profits fall 42 per cent in the first quarter despite
A NEWTON Aycliffe nursery has become the first in the county to be awarded a new quality mark. The Quality Counts mark has been established by the National Day Nursery Association in conjunction with the Department for Education and Skills and early years
Award-winning British choreographer Matthew Bourne's production of Nutcracker! will be performed at Newcastle's Theatre Royal, from February 18 to 22. Tickets for the acclaimed adaptation are available from the box office, on 0870-905 5060.
PENSIONERS in the Pickering area are to benefit from a taxi voucher scheme to be launched in April. A total of £19,000 has been allocated to the town to fund the initiative, said Mayor Natalie Warriner. "We hope to expand the initiative in the future
Northern League chairman Mike Amos has warned clubs not to be too hasty in calling games off. Speaking before the current bad weather swept the region on Thursday, Amos says that some games have been postponed by clubs without using the correct procedure
A POEM called "Sexy Baz's Birds" has helped a college lecturer to become poet laureate in his home town for a year. Andy Willoughby, a lecturer in performing arts and higher education at Darlington College of Technology, is the new poet laureate for Middlesbrough
Staff foiled a raid at a North-East post office. Three men in balaclavas and dark clothing burst into the post office in Front Street, Hetton-le-Hole, Wearside, on Thursday at 5.30pm. When one smashed the counter glass with a baseball bat, staff raised
Staff foiled a raid at a North-East post office. Three men in balaclavas and dark clothing burst into the post office in Front Street, Hetton-le-Hole, Wearside, on Thursday at 5.30pm. When one smashed the counter glass with a baseball bat, staff raised
AN elephant seal - named Blob by scientists - swam more than 4,500 miles to sow his wild oats, according to the North-East-based researchers. Blob's dedication to passing on his genes to future generations saw him leave the South Pacific island of Macquarie
REVELLERS are gearing up for colourful celebrations to mark the Chinese New Year. Newcastle's Chinatown district will see firecrackers and dances to herald the Year of the Ram. For the first time this year, there will be three Chinese animals taking part
A FARMER'S decision to return some of his land to nature has won him an award and the full support of conservation organisations, which have hailed his far-sightedness. George Westgarth accepts that the rural way of life is changing and he has sold his
PEOPLE in Hartlepool are invited to a meeting next week to discuss possible improvements to the town's Burn Valley Gardens. Residents in the surrounding area will be asked if they want to apply for National Lottery money to fund a study into what can
FOOTBALLERS playing in one of the region's amateur leagues face instant bookings if they are caught urinating beside the pitch. Referees in York have been told to clamp down on the problem following complaints from residents living near grounds. Players
A PROVISIONAL map outlining land in the region which the Government plans to open up to walkers in its "rights to roam" law will be on display in March. As part of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which became law in January last year, farmers
POLICE were carrying out tests last night on a man's body found in Darlington town centre - to find out whether he had frozen to death. The 53-year-old was found behind Wilkinson's department store, in East Street. It was discovered by a shopper at about
A QUIET North-East village is preparing for its 15 minutes of football fame. Residents of Hurworth, near Darlington, are bracing themselves for the full glare of the media spotlight in June, when England's Euro 2004 bandwagon rolls into the region. Although
THE refurbishment of Darlington's Crown Street library took another step forward yesterday. Health Secretary and Darlington MP Alan Milburn visited the new £72,000 e-library, which has 28 computers and will make the latest communications technology available
A death crash driver was jailed for 11-and-a-half years yesterday. Ian Carr, 27, killed six-year-old Rebecca Sawyer and left her 18-month-old sister, Kirsty, fighting for life when he smashed a stolen Vauxhall Astra into their family car. The tragic death
SUPERMARKET workers in Darlington donned garish ties yesterday to raise cash for bowel cancer sufferers. Staff at Asda, in Whinfield Road, wore loud ties and invited customers to give generously throughout the day. Staff member Neil Atkinson said: "We
FEARS are growing for a man missing from his home since yesterday morning. Martin Young was depressed when he was last seen by his family at 4.30am. Described as stocky, about 5ft 8in, with blue eyes, a moustache and black, receding hair, he has BCFC
GARDEN shed crime is on the rise in North Yorkshire villages and is expected to increase in the next few weeks with the arrival of spring, warned Inspector Neil Burnett, of the force's Eastern area. He said that 13 sheds were broken into during a three
TWO health clinics are opening in Redcar to cater for the needs of people with full-time jobs. Health workers are opening an evening and weekend clinic at Redcar Health Centre. They will be held from 8.30am to noon today and on every alternate weekend
A THOUGHT-PROVOKING play will be touring eight secondary schools in Stockton borough next week to warn pupils not to play near roads. Stockton Borough Council, in partnership with theatre company Stopwatch, will present Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road
SIR Ken Morrison has appealed to Safeway shareholders to get on board with his supermarket group's £2.4bn offer. The executive chairman of Morrisons wants to draw a conclusion to the bidding war he sparked last month with a pre-emptive strike to buy its
A WOODLAND regeneration scheme is to begin on a roadside embankment. Easington District Council will clear a large group of trees growing on the embankment near Dalden Tower next month. As a result, the road through Dalton-le-Dale will be closed from
There was a time when the presence of a top star could guarantee a movie's success - but not any longer. Film writer Steve Pratt says it is now marketing, not talent, that sells tickets. ARNOLD Schwarzenegger used to be able to do it. The two Toms, Cruise
CONSUMER watchdogs are warning businesses to be on their guard against an official-looking letter requesting a £95 registration fee. The trading standards department at Hartlepool Borough Council is urging companies to be wary if they receive a letter
UNDER-FIRE chairman Bob Murray last night hailed Howard Wilkinson and Steve Cotterill as the right men to take Sunderland out of their crisis. The Black Cats are staring down the barrel of relegation after just two League wins since the managerial team
A PENSIONER is lucky to be alive after a blaze broke out in his home, say firefighters. William Blackford, 79, was asleep at his home in Marlborough, Seaham, east Durham, when he was woken by his smoke alarm going off in the early hours of yesterday.
POLITICS students from a Stockton college will be greeted by a local MP when they make a visit to Westminster next week. When they arrive, the students from Stockton Sixth Form College will be welcomed by Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton South, who will take
FARMERS from all over the North will converge on a dales village tomorrow to sniff bales of hay. They will be competing for more than £400 in prize money at the 11th annual hay show to be held at the Cross Keys pub at Eastgate, in Weardale, County Durham
FERDY MURPHY is on course to land the Singer & Friedlander National Trial for the second year in succession courtesy of Historg (1.50) at Uttoxeter this afternoon. Twelve months ago Streamstown stormed to victory in the £80,000 race and if anything
THE Government has praised South Tyneside Borough Council's housing service. The authority scored the highest marks in the North-East for housing and is one of only 30 councils in the country to be given a level-four rating. QUEEN ACT: Freddie Mercury
PEOPLE in Hartlepool are invited to a meeting next week to discuss possible improvements to the town's Burn Valley Gardens. Residents in the surrounding area will be asked if they want to apply for National Lottery money to fund a study into what can
THE Government has praised South Tyneside Borough Council's housing service. The authority scored the highest marks in the North-East for housing and is one of only 30 councils in the country to be given a level-four rating. QUEEN ACT: Freddie Mercury
THE final curtain could fall on Richmond Dance Centre next week. In September, Richmondshire District Council's planning committee rejected a scheme that proposed nine homes be built at Garden Village, within the walls of the old barracks off the town's
A CRIME crackdown in a North-East city is continuing to pay dividends for police, with 52 arrests in the first week. During the first seven days of Operation Rolling Thunder, in the Sunderland West Area Command of Northumbria Police, officers have seized
PEOPLE in Richmondshire are being urged to ensure they are on the electoral register before the local elections on May 1. Anyone who has moved to the district or moved house since October 15 should have notified the council. Only those on the register
ANTI-WAR protestors took their campaign to the Prime Minister's constituency at the weekend. More than 100 demonstrators descended on Sedgefield to show the strength of their opposition to military action against Saddam Hussein. And they held a vigil
VOLUNTEERS celebrate ten years of opening their homes to young people living on the streets this weekend. The North-East Nightstop group, based in Saville Row, Newcastle, was the second branch of the national service to open in the country. It works through
BRAVE ten-year-old Kate Stobbs is recovering after surgeons extracted the bone marrow she hopes will transform her sister's life. Kate's older sister, Kimberley, 14, of Burnhope, near Consett, has been battling leukaemia. Consultants tested the family
THE Government has praised South Tyneside Borough Council's housing service. The authority scored the highest marks in the North-East for housing and is one of only 30 councils in the country to be given a level-four rating. QUEEN ACT: Freddie Mercury
JONATHAN WOODGATE last night wrapped up his £9m move to Newcastle and declared: "We can win the title this season.'' The England centre-back was also quick to defend his reputation in the wake of his December 2001 conviction for affray following an attack
EXPERTS have issued a health warning after a rise in cases of mumps. Public health officials from Tyneside to North Yorkshire have seen a steady rise in cases of the infection in recent months. Now, GPs on Teesside are on alert after four cases were confirmed
A VETERAN broadcaster who helped to set up Classic FM is behind the latest bid to establish Durham's own radio station. Nigel Reeve, who was one of a team of three who set up the national station, is launching the bid with his partner Nick Jordan through
SMALL BUSINESSES: I HAVE recently returned from a visit to Boston, in the United States. Whilst I was there three things occurred to me. One, people were very polite and cheerful. Two, it was obvious that most small businesses were prospering. And three
MIDDLESBROUGH last night raced against the clock to finalise a £3.5m deal to bring England striker Michael Ricketts to the Riverside. The Bolton Wanderers frontman agreed personal terms with Boro 30 minutes before the midnight transfer deadline. Ricketts
It's been a busy time for former Rovers Return landlady Denise Welch since quitting the soap. Apart from acting and presenting, she's now started her own production company. DENISE Welch was having a busy day, coping with problems thrown up by "a two-year-old
