JONATHAN GREENING has set Middlesbrough a target for their last nine games - at least 14 points. Boro lie 11th in the Premiership as the season reaches its final hurdle and Greening is determined to help his side claim their highest ever top-flight finish
It might be a few days back now, but the last derby at Feethams will be remembered for all the right reasons. I felt we dominated the first half and could have been 3-0 up - but credit to them as they stepped up a gear in the second half and showed why
It might be a few days back now, but the last derby at Feethams will be remembered for all the right reasons. I felt we dominated the first half and could have been 3-0 up - but credit to them as they stepped up a gear in the second half and showed why
A drop has been recorded in the number of people waiting for admission to Darlington Memorial Hospital. Figures from the primary care trust show that the number of patients waiting for admission fell in January by 39. The number of people waiting more
POLICE are hunting two burglars who trapped a pensioner in her kitchen before raiding her home. The 75-year-old allowed the men into her house in Darlington after they posed as water company officials. One of the pair asked the woman to loosen the u-bend
DO NOT blame Howard Wilkinson for Sunderland's current malaise. For all of Wilkinson's mistakes, plus the bad luck that plagued his ill-fated reign, he barely stood a chance of turning around the club's fortunes. Few managers could have seized the poisoned
MUSICIAN Paul Croft is to give a classical guitar concert to help raise funds to redevelop Witham Hall in Barnard Castle. The proceeds will help the redevelopment fund to carry out extensions and improvements to the 19th Century building. Mr Croft performed
TWO senior posts have been filled at Teesdale District Council. Susan Reay has been appointed as director of corporate services and Mark Ladyman, director of community services. Both have extensive local government experience. Ms Reay started her career
POLICE called to a suspicious suitcase found on a North Yorkshire roadside found hair and blood leaking out, the Old Bailey heard yesterday. Inside, they discovered the body of 21-year-old Jin Hyo Jung, who had suffocated after being bound with tape.
A POPULAR weekend bus service between Durham and the Lake District is to be stopped, depriving people of a day trips and holiday transport link. Every Saturday morning in the summer for the past few years Arriva's x85 bus has left Durham bus station for
A POLICE helicopter was called out to Ferryhill after an injured man fled from paramedics. The man, who is believed to have harmed himself, escaped from paramedics and went on the run in Ferryhill, at about 4.20pm on Sunday. The helicopter was called
THE latest operation in a crackdown on untaxed vehicles in Wear Valley has led to 26 illegal vehicles being taken off the road. The move was the third to be carried out under Operation Clampdown, a joint scheme launched by Wear Valley District Council
MANY of Darlington's shops made record sales during the Christmas period, a report to the town centre forum shows. The forecast for December 2002 was bleak, with retailers expecting a slump in sales, but Darlington bucked the trend to perform extremely
How To Rob A Bank (C4); The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (BBC1) IF you dated a bankrobber in the 1950s, the chances are you'd have safe sex. Such unlawful types always carried a condom - one of the tools of their criminal trade, along with a stick of gelignite
EMILY SARSFIELD, 19, from Durham, has represented East Midlands Universities Officer Training Corps in the British Army's UK Ski Championships at Aviemore, Scotland. Earlier this year, she competed in the Army's Alpine Championships in Serre Chevalier
A PENSIONER is urging police to put a stop to harassment which she says she has suffered for eight years. Joyce McGurk has lived at her Bedale Avenue home in Billingham for 30 years with her daughter, Carol, but says that over the past eight years, she
TWO of North Yorkshire's county courts have been awarded Charter Marks, in recognition of their "excellence" in public service. Harrogate and Scarborough County Courts won the accolade by consulting with users and catering for people with special needs
POLICE are helping put youngsters on the right road by giving them hands-on experience working with motorcycles. Hylton Red House Comprehensive School, in Sunderland, is offering projects to encourage pupils with poor attendance or behaviour. One is a
EMILY SARSFIELD, 19, from Durham, has represented East Midlands Universities Officer Training Corps in the British Army's UK Ski Championships at Aviemore, Scotland. Earlier this year, she competed in the Army's Alpine Championships in Serre Chevalier
A YORKSHIRE artist has agreed to contribute work to an exhibition which is helping to raise money for research into the decline in the number of swallows visiting Britain in the summer. The British Trust For Ornithology is worried the birds' feeding grounds
A CINEMA in Northallerton was one pupil's idea when asked what facilities should be made available for youngsters across Hambleton. Pupils from five schools in the district were asked to give their views and ideas about services for young people in a
MORE than 200 villagers have written to North Yorkshire County Council objecting to proposals of a nearby waste site. Residents have joined forces and voiced concerns about proposals from Yorwaste to develop an integrated waste management facility at
A GROUP of youngsters from the Northallerton area are planning to take the trip of a lifetime this summer. Along with two youth workers from their local community education service, the eight youngsters will be attending a youth camp in Mongolia. They
EMILY SARSFIELD, 19, from Durham, has represented East Midlands Universities Officer Training Corps in the British Army's UK Ski Championships at Aviemore, Scotland. Earlier this year, she competed in the Army's Alpine Championships in Serre Chevalier
ANNUAL MEETING: At the annual meeting of the Crook Community Partnership Peggy Manuel was elected chairman, but the positions of secretary and treasurer remain unfilled. The partnership office in 79 Hope Street is advertising daily job vacancies or training
A MUSICAL trio from Teesside Preparatory School, in Eaglescliffe, are another step closer to success in a national competition. The recorder trio of Hannah Peerless, 11, Annabelle Wright, ten, and Sarah Braithwaite, 11, won their section in the Edinburgh
A PROJECT to help protect endangered newts in Darlington has received a £5,000 grant. The Darlington branch of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) has been working at Brinkburn Pond and the nearby Black Path area to improve habitats.
A TEESSIDE university tutor is planning to trek nearly 90 miles across Iceland to raise £8,000 for cancer relief at the age of 62. Eric Smalley will be strapping on his well-worn walking boots in July for the challenge. A programme support tutor for graduate
A POPULAR bus service from Durham to the Lake District is to be axed, depriving many of day trips and holidays to the area. For several years, the X85 has run from Durham bus station to Kendal every Saturday, from late May until late September. Setting
BRIGHT sparks Jodi Crowther and Steven Fairish were hailed as the engineers of the future at an industry conference. The pair, both pupils at Tanfield School, Tanfield, near Stanley, won the Derwentside Young Engineering competition. They were hailed
DEVELOPER Terrace Hill has sold its Advance Building at Teesdale Business Park in Stockton for £2.4m to a private investor. The building, in the St Mark's Basin area of the park, houses the Probation Service and the National Car Standards Commission.
The families of soldiers preparing for war have hit out at the "extortionate" postage costs to send morale-boosting parcels to their loved ones. Relatives yesterday begged the military to scrap the charges which are double those paid by US families. British
A drop has been recorded in the number of people waiting for admission to Darlington Memorial Hospital. Figures from the primary care trust show that the number of patients waiting for admission fell in January by 39. The number of people waiting more
Durham County Council was accused last night of wasting up to £1m in public money after losing a bitter six-year legal battle. But the dispute now looks likely to return to the courts -- meaning the cost to taxpayers will soar yet again. The Northern
WHILE the world's attention is focused on the Gulf, soldiers from North Yorkshire have been deployed to another trouble spot. Rebels are reported to be massing on Sierra Leone's border with Liberia, prompting civilians to flee. A 300-strong task force
A FORMER boxer who attacked a teenager in the street - stamping on his head when he was unconscious - was jailed for 21 months yesterday. Stephen Bird, 22, gave police a chilling description of the beating he gave to Daniel Duke,17, in Redcar, east Cleveland
Thieves have taken a large amount of timber from a builders' merchants. The gang struck at Jewsons, in Consett, County Durham, on Thursday, some time after 6.30pm. They stole 30 12ft pieces of the five-by-two-inch timber. A police spokesman said they
THE plan was the Golden Lion hotel in Northallerton, enjoying one of its perennial reincarnations. It didn't roar. Once it was familiar territory, especially to The Boss who worked above a butcher's in the Echo's Northallerton branch office and still
STUDENTS from the region will join young people from across the country to protest over plans for top-up fees. Thousands of students from the North-East and North Yorkshire will gather at Millennium Square, in Leeds, on March 25, to convey the message
BORO supporters have two days to register for the chance to play at the Riverside Stadium in a charity match. Former Middlesbrough stars Bernie Slaven and Mark Proctor will be captains for the Football Aid event for Teesside Hospice, the club's chosen
A WOMAN whose late husband lost three generations of his family in wars is using her home to protest against an attack on Iraq. Hilary de Birch has displayed a huge banner from the roof of her house bearing the message "War No! War No!" Her husband, Fred
STRICTLY speaking Saddam Hussein is in violation of Resolution 1441. As the latest Blix report confirmed on Friday, Iraq is not undertaking full and unconditional disarmament. Nevertheless the progress made by the weapons inspectors has been substantial
Five North-East people accused of money laundering have appeared in court. Mary Blair, 53, of Summerhouse Grove, Darlington is accused of stealing more than £200,000 from PMB Motors and South Cleveland Garages. Beverley Grimes, 42, and Edward Grimes,
She's done a lot of acting, but it's soaps that bring you to the public's attention, Christine Cox tells Steve Pratt. EVEN 25 years of theatre didn't prepare Christine Cox for the effect of appearing in a high profile TV soap. "You work hard, doing enjoyable
THE plan was the Golden Lion hotel in Northallerton, enjoying one of its perennial reincarnations. It didn't roar. Once it was familiar territory, especially to The Boss who worked above a butcher's in the Echo's Northallerton branch office and still
Steelworkers were today facing the prospect of fresh job cuts and plant closures after a grim warning by steel giant Corus of a "significant" reduction in capacity. The Anglo-Dutch steelmaker, which has axed 10,000 jobs in the past few years, said it
VILLAGERS have written more than 200 letters to North Yorkshire County Council objecting to plans for a waste centre. People have voiced a number of concerns about proposals by Yorwaste Ltd to develop an integrated waste management centre at the Scorton
A NEW scheme offering subsidised taxi fares to disabled people is being launched in Hambleton. Vouchers will be issued, the value of which is dependent on where residents live, which will enable users to receive half-price travel from Tuesday, April 1
A TRICKSTER who took hundreds of pounds off old people by promising them cheap cigarettes, whisky and pet food was traced through his dog and jailed yesterday. Shaun Bate, 36, took the brown mongrel with him on his door-to-door activities in Hartlepool
Police investigating the death of a dog owner under mysterious circumstances arrested two people on suspicion of murder today. Officers from Durham Constabulary's major crime team, which has been investigating the death of George Button, called at a house
A MOTHER and her family have been evicted from their home after failing to keep up with rent payments. The front door of the house, in Dover Road, Stockton, was broken down on Friday after a court ordered the Nunn family's eviction. Pamela Nunn, 47, and
A DALES festival has confirmed the first dates in a fortnight-long programme, which begins in May. Renowned soprano, Emma Kirkby and jazz legend Digby Fairweather have agreed to perform at the Swaledale Festival this year. Local artists will also be centre
MOT 02 mechanic/MOT tester, Bishop Auckland. NMW, 44hpw. Must have previous experience and be qualified MOT Tester. Ref: BIS12446. Sales advisor, Darlington. NMW, 24hpw. Experience essential. Working in flooring warehouse advising customers on flooring
TWO 14-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire at a North-East school. The teenagers, who are from Middleton St George, near Darlington, were arrested on Friday night and have been released on police bail until March 24
Barry Sheene's death at 52 is a massive blow to the sport he loved. Motor Sport Correspondent Nigel Burton reflects on the last Brit to win the Grand Prix motorcycling crown. BARRY Sheene always did things his way - or not at all. So when doctors told
SELECTED schools in North Yorkshire will receive help in a £250,000 scheme designed to provide extra support in areas with particular difficulties. Although the county boasts high educational standards it is still expected to meet Government improvement
A publicity campaign is warning that smuggled cigarettes could encourage North-East children to take up smoking. The North-East Alliance Against Tobacco plans to highlight the danger of youngsters starting to smoke after buying cheap cigarettes brought
A FATHER-OF-THREE died under the wheels of a 17-tonne truck when a drunken businessman decided to drive it home after a night out. Thomas Armstrong, 37, crashed the lorry into Billy Bell's Ford Escort, crushing the car. Armstrong, a self-employed plant
RON Sandler, who wrote a critical report on the UK savings industry, has turned his attention to improving the financial knowledge of students. Mr Sandler was appointed chairman of the Personal Finance Education Group, replacing Daniel Godfrey who is
DUMPED and abandoned cars are becoming a serious problem for the organisation charged with caring for the North York Moors. Hundreds of vehicles have been left on the North York Moors in recent years leaving local authorities to pick up the bill for their
TWO doctors will test themselves to the limit in an effort to raise more than £5,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind. John Waldron and Duncan Rogers have pledged to cycle 235kms in ten days across the South Island of New Zealand. The men work together at
A North-East hospice has hit its target of raising £5.1m to launch a children's service. St Oswald's Hospice, in Gosforth, Newcastle, is opening a purpose-built facility that will provide specialist short breaks to children from North Durham, Tyne and
A FIRST aid group is to widen its range of services following work to extend its headquarters. A 1,200sq ft extension is being built at the Thirsk base of the North Yorkshire and Teesside St John Ambulance, the leading voluntary first aid service and
A NORTH college principal is to play a vital role in the development of the school curriculum. Jennifer Slater, from Northallerton College, will be the only state secondary school head on the Department of Education's 14-19 working group. Headed by former
Playworkers (after school), Thornaby. £6,525pa pro rata, 15hrs pw, term-time, 37.5hrs pw during school holidays. Required to look after children with special needs. NVQ 2 in Playwork required. Ref: THN 7373. Play leaders (after school), Thornaby. £6,210pa
We have been told to move. Specifically, the Ministry of Defence is to conduct an emergency procedure based at Bank underground station here in the City of London, and this will mean that we shall not be able to get into St Michael's church for the Sunday
A SETTLEMENT hearing is to begin next month into a compensation claim by relatives of four dead bridge workers. Families of the men are pursuing civil action against Darlington engineering group Yarm Road Ltd - formerly Kvaerner Cleveland Bridge - and
THE future of a struggling engineering firm remained in the balance last night. Sloman Engineering, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, laid off 35 of its 126 workers earlier this year. But the troubled firm, now in the hands of receivers, could be wound
A LAWNMOWER company's brand presence has helped it join the celebrity ranks alongside stars such as Madonna, David Bowie and Bruce Willis. Flymo, based in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, has become the latest to own a unique piece of artwork by exclusive
A clerk at a residential homes group stole £40,000 by claiming refunds that were due to relatives of people who had died, a court was told. Paul Galloway was jailed for nine months after he admitted sending the refunded fees to his relatives, claiming
Both believers and sceptics are welcome to join an audience with a renowned clairvoyant who writes a regular column for the Northern Echo's website. John Bland claims he can communicate with spirit "helpers'' who can bring news from beyond the grave,
A SCHOOLBOY witness yesterday told of the mayhem on a double-decker bus journey which ended in the death of his friend. The 12-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was giving evidence in the trial of bus driver Deborah White, 41, of Hollinside
POLICE last night retraced the last walk of a dog owner in an attempt to jog memories of passers-by and discover what happened in his "missing final minutes". Exactly a week after George Button was found lying unconscious on a grass verge in a country
NINE teachers at a North-East school will be locked in a classroom today at the start of a fundraising challenge. Children and parents will decide who will be evicted from the room at Yarm School, near Stockton, tomorrow. Inspired by television's I'm
POLICE forced a radio presenter to abandon a publicity stunt at a busy North-East roundabout yesterday because it was distracting drivers. Rush-hour motorists approaching the roundabout at Morton Park, Darlington, found TFM breakfast show host Mini Mojo
PAUL COLLINGWOOD was last night anointed as England's one-day captain-in-waiting by Steve Harmison. As Collingwood shrugged off talk that he is in contention to replace Nasser Hussain as the country's limited-overs leader, Harmison insisted his Durham
A SCHEME to answer patients' queries about the health service in Darlington has been hailed a success. The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (Pals) has been operating since November. The Pals service consists of a manager based at the community health
TRAINING sessions under which doctors' surgeries are shut for half-days are to be rearranged. The Time In sessions were introduced in Darlington last year. The scheme allows each of the town's 12 surgeries to close regularly for paid training sessions
RICHMOND'S musical youth will be contributing to good causes when the town holds its first Music Day next week. The Mayor, Councillor Stuart Parsons, challenged young people to come up with something which would help him raise money for his chosen charities
A GERMAN shepherd-cross left alone in a house for five days after its owner died needs a new home. Ali was taken to the National Canine Defence League (NCDL) kennels at Sadberge, near Darlington, after being found by dog wardens. Instead of being in council
TAXI chiefs are to meet council officials and police later this week to address the problem of the growing shortage of cabbies in the town. Darlington Borough Council has invited taxi firm bosses to the private meeting on Friday afternoon because of concern
YOUNGSTERS from Newton Aycliffe and Shildon have been working with a team of professional musicians and performers as part of a national project. Sound Inventors is a programme of composition and song-writing projects for young people. A group of 20 youngsters
A £450,000 plan to tackle flooding problems in east Cleveland has been announced. The plan will tackle drainage problems at three sites across the district. Work will be carried out at the closed landfill site at Deepdale Road, Loftus, the culvert grille
STOKESLEY Local History Study Group has begun work on a project to help researchers learn about the town's past. Twenty members have already become involved in searching archives from as far back as 1783 to extract valuable historical information on people
DAY release student Scott Baker is forging a name for himself in the sheet metal world after picking up a regional award. The 19-year-old, who is taking a three-year City and Guilds course at Darlington College of Technology, beat opposition from universities
MANY of Darlington's shops made record sales during the Christmas period, a report to the town centre forum shows. The forecast for December 2002 was bleak, with retailers expecting a slump in sales, but Darlington bucked the trend to perform extremely
HEALTH promotion officers in Hartlepool are hoping that National No Smoking Day tomorrow will prompt local smokers to kick the habit. Hartlepool Borough Council and Hartlepool Primary Care Trust (PCT) have teamed up to warn people of the dangers of smoking
A GIRL was recovering yesterday after being knocked off her bike in a hit-and-run. Carrie Louise Gibson, 13, was cycling with four friends at Red Briar Bank, between Bowburn and Quarrington Hill, near Durham, on Sunday afternoon, when she was struck by
A REMOTE community has united to condemn a bus company over its services in their area. Community leaders in North Skelton, near Saltburn, say bus company Arriva should lay on a bus route from North Skelton to Saltburn. They also demand that an express
HIGH oil prices have pushed manufacturers' raw material costs up by the highest annual rate for nearly two years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said input prices rose 5.9 per cent in the 12 months to February, with the figure up 1.4 per cent
CHILDREN and families are helping light up a magical lantern procession. They have been making lanterns out of willow branches and tissue paper to take part in the tenth Springwell and Wrekenton Happy Hearts Lantern Procession, on Friday. Lantern-making
POLICE are appealing for the relatives of two elderly women who have recently died to contact them. Doris Evelyn Moss, 88, was found at her home in Redcar, east Cleveland, on Saturday. There were no suspicious circumstances. The coroner believes she may
POLICE are hoping the public can help trace a caravan, stolen from a Marrick farmyard over the weekend. It is thought the Elddis Typhoon, worth £6,000, was spotted being towed by a silver Ford Sierra in the Fremington area soon after it went missing.
A MUSICAL trio from Teesside Preparatory School, in Eaglescliffe, are another step closer to success in a national competition. The recorder trio of Hannah Peerless, 11, Annabelle Wright, ten, and Sarah Braithwaite, 11, won their section in the Edinburgh
A WORLDWIDE sweep of Internet users buying and downloading child pornography netted an unemployed man in the North-East, a court heard. David Shepherd, 42, was found to have 381 images downloaded on to his computer - as well as other material - at his
A NEW kind of call centre is set to create 60 jobs in County Durham. Voicentric is a customer services contact centre, specialising in outbound calling for the financial services and utilities sectors. It has been established to support the customer acquisition
TELECOMS, IT and computer installations company Clearline Communications has a key contract at South Tees Acute Hospital in Middlesbrough. Clearline installed 500,000 metres of Category5 low smoke, zero halogen structured cabling. An additional 30,000
EMILY SARSFIELD, 19, from Durham, has represented East Midlands Universities Officer Training Corps in the British Army's UK Ski Championships at Aviemore, Scotland. Earlier this year, she competed in the Army's Alpine Championships in Serre Chevalier
A MAN who a few months ago was living rough and who is now being helped to set up his own business by the Prince's Trust, avoided jail yesterday after admitting a third drink-drive offence in seven years. Mark Allan was told by magistrates nobody would
HIDDEN deep in the hills, the gates to a secret garden have been unlocked once again to allow the public to see the treasures that are kept within. Covering nearly 130 acres, the Castle Howard Arboretum, near Helmsley, boasts an outstanding collection
CALLS are being made for French company Lafarge and Government agency One NorthEast to reveal plans for a redundant cement works. Disillusioned Weardale business people have formed an action group to bring jobs to the dale after the closure of the Lafarge
PUPILS paid a silent tribute yesterday to a teacher who died in a weekend car crash. An assembly was held at Staindrop Comprehensive School where food technology teacher Jennifer Askew, 54, had worked for 13 years. The mother-of-two, from School Street
A £30M development in Durham has won an award from local conservationists. Millennium Place, which was built with Millennium Commission funding, has been given the City of Durham Trust's architectural commendation for 2002. The Claypath complex was designed
A YOUNG actor from Yarm is about to go on tour in a production of Macbeth. Adrian Coates is a member of the Shakespeare 4 Kidz cast, which has been performing Macbeth at Middlesbrough Theatre. The ten-year-old plays the son of MacDuff, stabbed by soldiers
LONDON'S benchmark FTSE 100 Index hit a seven-year low yesterday as fears of a looming conflict in Iraq deterred investors from the market. The Footsie closed down 55.6 points at 3436, its fifth day of consecutive falls. The losses mean the FTSE has lost
DAY-RELEASE student Scott Baker is forging a name for himself in the sheet-metal world after winning a regional award. Scott, 19, who is taking a three-year City and Guilds certificate at Darlington College of Technology, beat opposition from colleges
A SUSPECTED thief more than met his match when he tried to ply his trade at a city sports ground. When he tried to make his escape he was brought to a halt - by a full squad of rugby players. The York Railway Institute's under-16s rugby union side was
YOUNGSTERS learned the ropes of working backstage at a theatre as part of an educational visit. Year six children from St Mary's RC Primary School, in Wingate, visited the Gala Theatre, in Durham, through a learning programme organised by Peterlee Education
CAST members of a musical are hoping to score a hit with North-East audiences this week. Fame The Musical is being staged at The Sunderland Empire Theatre until Saturday. It is set over four years and charts the successes, struggles, talents and enthusiasm
HINDSIGHT is a wonderful thing, but the vast majority of supporters will not be the slightest bit surprised that Howard Wilkinson failed to be the club's saviour. Surprised at the timing of the announcement, perhaps, but not by the end result. They viewed
A LAW firm is holding a series of free breakfast presentations to tell local businesses about impending changes in employment law. The events, this month and next, have been designed to help employers and employees understand the new laws coming into
THE region's newest falconry centre got off to a flying start after attracting more people on its opening day than anticipated. As many as 200 people went to see Lightwater Valley's newest attraction, which can boast a golden eagle as well as a collection
POLICE are appealing for the relatives of two elderly women who have recently died to contact them. Doris Evelyn Moss, 88, was found at her home in Redcar, east Cleveland, on Saturday. There were no suspicious circumstances. The coroner believes she may
BUS driver Tracy Capper will swap four wheels for eight when she and friend Michelle Strong attempt to rollerblade from Catterick Garrison to Richmond for Comic Relief. Mrs Capper, 39, said: "I've always been up for a challenge or laugh so when we were
A FARMER has spoken of his regret after slurry from his dairy farm spilled into a river, killing hundreds of fish. Thomas Kemp appeared in court yesterday after pleading guilty to polluting the River Skerne, in Darlington, last May, killing 520 fish including
Nursery nurse. £4.50 to £5.25ph, 4 days out of 5, between 7.30am and 6pm, various shifts. Must have NNEB or equivalent. Experience essential. Ref: DUR 35425. Care assistant. £4.20ph, between Mon-Sun, full or part-time shift work. Experience preferred
STAFF at one of the region's leading attractions are delighted at their latest acquisition. Its full military name was the Telescope Identification Ack-Ack Mark III, but those who used it knew it more simply as a rangefinder-heightfinder. During the war
MICK McCARTHY was last night on the verge of replacing the sacked Howard Wilkinson as Sunderland manager. As the club began to come to terms with the shock departure of Wilkinson and Steve Cotterill after just five months in charge, it emerged that McCarthy
DRUNKEN vandals are thought to be behind a series of pranks that caused thousands of pounds' worth of damage to cars. Four cars were found tipped over early on Sunday, in Dipton, near Stanley, County Durham. Detectives said the incidents took place shortly
A NORTH-EAST mother is preparing to fly to the US for revolutionary treatment she hopes will save her leg. Fundraisers for Ann Teasdale have announced they have banked enough money for her to receive specialist care from a doctor in Texas. Although still
HOWARD WILKINSON was last night sensationally sacked after only 152 days as manager of sinking Sunderland. And The Northern Echo can reveal that former Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy is poised to take over at the Premiership's bottom club.
A MOTORCYCLIST is recovering after crashing into trees on a deserted country road. The 33-year-old, from South Moor, Stanley, County Durham, had been riding a Suzuki 600 bike on the B6296 from Satley to Lanchester, when it left the road. The man, who
FIRE DISPUTE: THE only time the public are made aware of the dispute between the firefighters and their employers is when there is strike action or the threat of it. What would make everyone look up and support pay and conditions that would attract men
Local taxation inquiry assistant, Northallerton, £6,875 to £7,208pa, 9am to 1pm Mon-Fri, good level of education and office experience an advantage. Ref: NOE 18549. Benefits investigations assistant, Northallerton, £15,372 to £16,944pa, 8.45am to 5.15pm
A PUB landlady says a road closure in her village will threaten trade and could ruin her business. Barbara Walker, who runs the Bay Horse in Great Smeaton, is dreading the next two weekends, when road resurfacing work could discourage people going to
THE relaunch of one of the region's most historic theatres has been postponed until September after building work on an extension was delayed a second time. Harrogate construction firm Walter Birch won the tender to pull down the crumbling annex at the
POLICE yesterday unveiled a cannabis haul worth more than £100,000 seized from a remote North-East farmhouse. Officers found more than 100 cannabis plants when they answered a routine call to the house in Greencroft, near Stanley, County Durham, on Friday
VISITORS to the Angel of the North can now take home a miniature version of the popular artwork. DJH Engineering, of Consett, County Durham, is manufacturing tiny angels at a scale of 1:500. The souvenirs, cast in pewter, are given a special finish at
ALAN SHEARER briefly swops the Champions' League for the Champion Hurdle this afternoon when the horse he part-owns, Intersky Falcon (3.15), lines up for the £300,000 Smurfit-sponsored feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival. The Magpies' skipper
Darlington skipper Craig Liddle leads his side out at home to Cambridge tonight declaring: "We have a point to prove." Quakers are just seven points clear of the relegation zone after Saturday's disappointing defeat at Bournemouth. And Liddle is in defiant
INTER MILAN defender Fabio Cannavaro has warned he will resort to every trick in the book to get Newcastle United skipper Alan Shearer sent off in tonight's Champions League showdown at the San Siro. The Magpies must avoid defeat, and realistically pull
STUNNED Sunderland fans were last night coming to terms with the shock news that the club had parted company with a manager for the second time this season. But there were few tears of sadness for Howard Wilkinson and Steve Cotterill, whose arrival in
CRIMINALS will be able to watch television while they wait to be sentenced under plans for North-East courts. County Durham Magistrates' Courts Committee is to buy TVs for the waiting areas in all its courts, for use by defendants and the public, at a
MORE than 80 youngsters have been proving there is more to school than just maths and English. Pupils from Sowerby Community Primary joined the Royal British Legion training band for a concert at the school. Parents and friends were treated to an exciting
A sparkling sesquicentennial, as the long wordsmiths would have it, Bishop Auckland Cricket Club marked its 150th anniversary with a dinner in the town last Thursday. The Bishop of Durham was chief guest, blessed us with an appropriate grace - "Give thanks
A North police force welcomed its first Sikh recruit yesterday as part of its largest intake of officers to date. Jagjeet Bura was among the 51 new North Yorkshire probationary constables that were sworn in at the Attestation Ceremony in County Hall,
NEWCASTLE United centre-back Titus Bramble is desperate to banish the spectre of striker extraordinaire Christian Vieri in the crunch Champions League meeting with Inter Milan. Bramble is sure to be at the business end of the Group A encounter as he faces
UNIVERSITY academics are stepping out of their "ivory towers" to turn research into viable business opportunities, according to a report. Science and business parks, sponsored by universities, and manufacturing centres of excellence are leading the way
PUNTERS gambling on the football World Cup helped bookmaker William Hill score a 26 per cent boost in underlying profits. The tournament in Japan and South Korea last summer brought in £13m of "gross wins" for the high street bookies. David Harding, chief
TONY BLAIR'S position in the Iraq crisis looked ever more desperate last night, with his party in turmoil and Russia and France refusing to back a second United Nations resolution. Following Cabinet minister Clare Short's threat to resign, there was more
A TEENAGER has been charged with the murder of a schoolgirl who was stabbed to death while spending a day off school ill. Ronald Pattinson, 18, was remanded in custody for a week by Newcastle magistrates charged over the death of Natalie Ruddick, 12.
A SWIMMER in a bright blue wig stood out from the crowd when she took the plunge for charity. Ann Hutchinson, left, from Morton-on-Swale, who suffers from severe arthritis, swam 1 miles at Bedale Leisure Pool and raised £200 for the Northallerton Breast
HUNDREDS of people said their final farewells to one of Northallerton's best-known and best-loved personalities. The town's official historian, Michael Riordan, who was known as Mick, finally lost a long battle against cancer last week, at the age of
Time is running out for the holder of winning Lottery ticket worth more than £2.9m - he or she must get in touch by 11pm on Thursday. The ticket for the draw on September 14 last year was bought in the Castle Morpeth or Tynedale areas of Northumberland
