TWENTY speed cameras are to be installed at North-East accident blackspots, in a bid to cut road deaths. Two fixed cameras will be set up in Gateshead, with mobile cameras proposed for a further 18 sites across the borough. The fixed cameras will cover
Budget airline bmibaby is to fly from the north of England from October in a move that will create 50 new jobs. The no-frills carrier will operate from Teesside airport in Darlington, County Durham, - its fourth UK base. Routes to be flown from the airport
AS if having four kids of my own isn't enough, I've become a godfather. Yes, Albert Savage has me to look up to for spiritual guidance, and I hereby vow to do my best. We'd bonded in a pub - at a mutual friend's 40th birthday party. I'd given Albert's
Joe McCarthy, who is credited with playing a major role in reviewing and modernising the delivery of council services at Middlesbrough, has been appointed chief executive of the Cleveland Police Authority on a salary of just over £98,000. Mr McCarthy
THE council's litter squad will inspect a Darlington car park after complaints by residents. People living near Chesnut Street lorry and car park have complained that the area is often strewn with food takeaway boxes and rubbish left behind by lorry drivers
BABY resuscitation courses are being run from a Durham swimming baths. The special lifesaving courses geared towards saving babies' lives are being run from Durham City Baths. A free pilot course is to be run for Durham City Council staff who work with
SUNDERLAND chief executive Hugh Roberts last night quit the club as they reported spiralling debts of more than £26m - but insisted: "I'm not a scapegoat." Roberts revealed yesterday that he will bring his two-year association with Sunderland to an end
A MAN who exposed himself to a pair of girls days after his release from prison has had his sentence reduced. Michael Croney, 36, of Deneside, Consett, County Durham, was jailed for four years at Newcastle Crown Court in August, after admitting gross
Olympic triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards is to take on a new role overseeing standards of taste and decency on television, it was announced today. The gold medal-winning athlete turned presenter of BBC's Songs Of Praise is joining the content board
DEVELOPERS of a proposed "eco-village" are to meet objectors in an effort to allay fears. People living on the Cobblers Hall Estate, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, have set up a committee of 12 to fight plans for a self-sufficient village they have
Darlington caretaker boss Mick Tait has stressed the importance of securing their League status sooner rather than later. With five games remaining, Quakers hold a six-point lead over the bottom two and still have games against other teams fighting for
THE campaign that will urge referendum backing for a North-East Assembly will be based in Durham City. The Campaign for North-East Regional Government hopes to open offices in the city centre soon. The city is regarded as being in the centre of the region
THE sun shone, Yorkshire made hay and there was little at the Riverside yesterday to detract from the theory that bowlers are a threatened species. They are threatened partly by global warming, which in a spring like this produces the sort of pitches
A CHARITY shop is the first in the region to display an international peace prize awarded last year. Oxfam was presented with the Seoul Peace Prize in September in recognition of its work both at home and overseas. The citation says the charity - chosen
A DARLINGTON athlete scooped four regional running prizes. Julia Orr, 16, a pupil at Hummersknott School, began the cross-country season with her fifth consecutive victory in the Darlington schools cross country. She then picked up gold in the North-Eastern
YOUNG families will get a helping hand from the Government to start saving for their children's futures, it was announced in yesterday's Budget. Chancellor Gordon Brown said that trust funds will be started for all new-born babies, with up to £500 invested
A COLLECTION by firefighters for a brave youngster touched the hearts of shoppers. Retained firefighters based at the County Durham and Darlington brigade's headquarters spent Saturday in Durham City collecting for 11-year-old Rachel Spence. Rachel, of
BBC: ONE of Tony Blair's buzz phrases is 'improving choice'. His vision is to give consumers a choice of schools, hospitals, services, etc, etc. My choice, which is supported by millions of other voters, is not to be subject to the compulsory purchase
THE Budget lived up to its expectations. It was low key, perhaps appropriate when our nation is at war. The Chancellor's reputation will not be made by yesterday's Budget but by last year's, which increased National Insurance to pay for extra spending
Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of saying a few words at the opening of the newly extended and refurbished Mermaid Chiropractor Practice in Hartlepool and it was a revelation. To be honest, I'd been quite ignorant about what such facilities can do.
Q Who was the Machiavelli who gave rise to the term Machiavellian, meaning a corrupt or unscrupulous politician? - C Parker, Peterlee. A The word derives from the name of Niccolo Machiavelli, a 16th century Italian political philosopher who has been greatly
Up to £10,000 worth of damage was caused to a swimming pool after vandals wedged an old three-piece suite under the building and set it alight. The incident happened at Thornaby Baths on Tuesday afternoon and as the fire alarms started to go off, staff
Witton Gilbert WI : THE meeting which took place on Monday, March 10, was attended by 38 members and two visitors. Bob Anderson gave a very interesting illustrated talk about the Karen people of Burma who stayed loyal to Britain in World War Two. The
WHAT were George Bush and Tony Blair doing meeting up in Belfast, of all places, discussing the finer points of the Good Friday Agreement this week? Haven't they got a war to run? With his own troops slugging it out on the streets of Iraq, it seems a
THE FAMILY: Black & Decker worker Bob Warren lives in Spennymoor, County Durham, with his wife, Susan, 43, and two children, Becky, 11, and five-year-old Scott "As a family man, education and health are most important. Providing the best possible
The long-awaited and controversial inquiry into the Richard Neale scandal will get underway next month, it was revealed last night. While an exact date has not been given, officials say the inquiry into how the NHS handled complaints against the disgraced
TEESSIDE Airport is due to unveil a potentially lucrative tie-up with low fares airline Bmibaby, The Northern Echo can reveal. The deal, expected to be announced later today, will see Bmibaby establish a base at the region's second biggest airport following
LONDON'S leading shares finished the session back in the red after a day in which Saddam Hussein overshadowed Gordon Brown. There was a muted reaction to the limited number of new measures in the Budget, and a degree of scepticism in the City to the Chancellor's
THE good news for Sunderland is that Leicester City should return to the Premiership on Saturday. The bad news for Sunderland is that Derby County could take another giant step towards the Second Division on the same day. The differing fortunes of the
THREE of the region's five centres of excellence have signed up as sponsors of Intertech 2003. The specialist centres of nanotechnology, life sciences and digital technology are committed to taking part in the international business partnering event for
THE days of draughty, old mobile classrooms are numbered - according to North Yorkshire-based firm Portakabin. The company, based at Huntington, York, is launching a tailor-made classroom building, designed for primary and secondary schools. With the
A pensioner found unconscious at the side of a Hartlepool road has died. The 72-year-old man was found on Kendal Road at around 3.10pm on Wednesday. Police are unsure as to how he was found at the side of the road, but have said they cannot rule out he
THE boss of troubled paints and chemicals group ICI yesterday fell on his own sword after falling foul of the City. Brendan O'Neill stepped down after he had previously assured investors that the company was performing well, but was forced to admit things
A REVOLUTIONARY skatepark using top-of-the-range equipment has been launched by Sedgefield Borough Council. The council had been inundated with requests for skate boarding facilities and its solution was unveiled last weekend. Working on a mobile skateboard
Oscar Pepper, who proved he was better than ever on the all-weather this winter, can take advantage of a considerably lower turf rating in the seangraham.com Handicap over a mile at Musselburgh this afternoon. David Barron's stable has been in tremendous
FEAR of flying sparked by the war in Iraq has led to four countries pulling out of a well-known Youth Music Festival over Easter. Initially, Swedish and Canadian bands pulled out of the event at Harrogate, but yesterday it was announced that groups from
A woman who killed her father and torched his home in the deluded belief that he had caused her mother's death today failed in her Appeal Court bid to have her life sentence overturned. Ann-Marie Pyle battered 77-year-old William Pyle with a poker and
A SCHOOL plans to proceed with a diocese inspection just days after part of the building was gutted by fire. About £60,000 worth of equipment was destroyed in a fire at St Anne's CE Primary School, Bishop Auckland, on Sunday. The school's reception classroom
COUNCILLORS have approved a bus scheme to serve deprived areas of Darlington. A £1m grant from the Government's Urban Bus Challenge scheme has been secured by Darlington Borough Council to improve routes and transport links to areas offering employment
RUGBY players are swapping their rough and tumble sport for a more graceful alternative. Members of Shildon Town Rugby Football Club are donning pink tutus as they take to the streets dressed as 'pink fairies' and 'lavender luvvies' in the name of charity
WEAR Valley Community Network will report on a successful year at its annual meeting tonight in Howden-le-Wear Community Centre at 6pm. Co-ordinator Dave Craggs said the network had supported community and voluntary groups with business planning, project
FEARS are growing for two missing teenagers. Sixteen-year-old David Mark Fellows has not been seen since lunchtime on Monday, when he left Benfield School, in Newcastle. He is described as 5ft 10in tall, of stocky build, with short, fair or brown hair
THE DURHAM Beer Festival is heading back to its former home in an attempt to return to prominence in the real ale calendar. A shortage of volunteer helpers had made the Durham branch of the Campaign for Real Ale abandon its major summer festival venue
BOSSES have denied that a concert venue is in financial difficulties, following the start of a court battle to close down the company behind it. Infonow, which runs Newcastle Opera House, is the subject of a petition for a winding-up order. A preliminary
STUDENTS have organised a fitness challenge in memory of a young sports lover who was murdered. It is almost three years since Northumbria University student Sara Cameron, 23, was killed as she made her way home from a party. Finnish-born Sara's body
A MASSIVE scrapyard fire on Teesside has left a £500,000 trail of destruction. Firefighters fought the blaze at the premises of CL Prosser, in Skippers Lane, Middlesbrough, for more than five hours yesterday. A 20ft car crushing compressor was wrecked
A CONTROVERSIAL author and broadcaster will talk about the execution of three Durham Light Infantry soldiers during the First Worl War. Julian Putkowski will be speaking at the dli, formerly the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery, on
A RETIRING doctor has been given a grand send-off by medical staff after 21 years at a surgery. Dr Mohammad Abul Quasem, 65, of the Stanley Health Centre, in Stanley, moved to Derwentside after working as radiologist at Leicester General Hospital. He
POLICE are hunting arsonists who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage when they set fire to a building at Bankfields Primary School, in Middlesbrough. The temporary office was being used by builders who are working on a £450,000 extension to the
A charity worker has been stopped from leaving Britain, because he does not have a passport. Twenty-two tons of essential aid is being taken to Romania this weekend, but Rod Jones, the founder of Teesside-based Convoy Aid who organised the load, will
A STATELY home is to provide the historic setting for wedding and baby-naming ceremonies. Preston Hall, near Stockton, is being offered for civil ceremonies by Stockton Borough Council. The first couple to use the hall will be parents Andrew Duckling
IRAQ * £3bn special reserve set aside for the Armed Forces following the war in Iraq * £330m for additional counter-terrorism measures at home * £240m for humanitarian aid in Iraq * £50bn for education for the world's poorest children * Euro aid budget
PLANS for Durham's congestion-busting park and ride scheme are being unveiled to the public. Durham County Council plans to build three car parks on the outskirts where people can park and ride by bus into the city centre. The £8.3m Government-funded
POLICE are increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 57-year-old man who may be somewhere in North Yorkshire. John Griffiths, originally from Rugby, Warwickshire, was reported missing from a care home in Rochdale last Thursday, where he was last seen
Police are investigating a suspected arson at a scrapyard that caused about £1,500 of damage. Firefighters from High Handenhold station were called out to the yard in Durham Road, Annfield Plain, near Stanley, at about 12.10am last Thursday. They extinguished
A MAJOR traffic management strategy is being drawn up for North Yorkshire's county town, with improvements for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians over the next five years. Thousands of pounds will be spent on developments in and around Northallerton,
THE family of the horse and trap driver who died in a hit-and-run accident have urged the other driver to come forward. Wayne Walker, 33, of Springwell Village, Washington, Wearside, was driving his horse and trap on Washington Highway on Sunday, when
A pensioner was treated for burns following a fire in the airing cupboard of her home, in Sandmoor Road, Redcar, on Monday night. The 60-year-old unnamed woman received her injuries while trying to salvage her belongings and was taken to hospital for
GORDON Brown paved the way for North-East devolution yesterday by delivering a Budget for the regions. The Chancellor unveiled a series of reforms designed to close the North-South divide and give the English regions a say in their economic future. Developing
DURHAM University's former assistant librarian Richard Caddel has died. Mr Caddel, who joined the university in 1972, was known for his work in the university's Documentation Centre. Mr Caddel's funeral will take place this Friday at 11.30am at the city's
RESIDENTS left with a hefty council tax bill in the wake of a parish council's legal battle over village allotments seem unlikely to get any help from the district authority. Campbell Dawson, ward councillor for Barton, near Darlington, asked Richmondshire
STUDENTS at a Chester-le-Street school are to be rewarded for their hard work at an awards ceremony tonight. Roseberry Sports and Community College, formerly Roseberry Comprehensive School, is due to hold its annual awards ceremony, at 7pm, when A-Level
A CARDBOARD policeman has been recruited to help tackle a rise in sneak-in burglaries. But the life-size cut-out isn't the desperate move of a cash-strapped force low on real bobbies. Senior officers in County Durham hope that the six replicas of crime
TV star Lisa Riley enjoyed having the whip hand at Darlington Civic Theatre when she was confirmed as the ring mistress in this year's pantomime, Goldilocks And The Three Bears. The 27-year-old, famous for playing Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale and hosting
A TEACHER in only her second year in the job has helped a primary school pick up a national award. Rossmere Primary School, in Hartlepool, is one of only 106 nationwide to receive the Activemark Award from Sport England for its work keeping pupils active
A CHARITY is £50 better off thanks to the vigilance of community wardens in Hartlepool. Wardens working in the town's New Deal for Communities (NDC) are believed to have prevented a crime when they discovered an envelope containing a credit card in an
TRIBUTES have been paid to a respected Newton Aycliffe war veteran who died the day before his 50th wedding anniversary. Joe Burke, 79, was one of the founder members of the Newton Aycliffe branch of the Royal British Legion and was a well-known and popular
More than 500 telephone engineers in the North-East are expected to strike on Monday in protest over a controversial new performance bonus system. It means that no phone repairs will be made should anything go wrong and no new lines will be fitted for
A YOUNG soldier fighting for his country in Iraq has been convicted of speeding - even though the case should have been put on hold until he gets back. Gunner Kevin Uttley, who is normally based at Catterick, was fined £60, ordered to pay £45 costs and
THE region's newest shopping development opens today. Socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson will open Dalton Park, in Murton, this morning, a £50m development set in 55 acres of land, containing 75 shops, cafes and restaurants. It is set to be the region's
TRANSPORT company boss Peter Cook has taken up an historical ceremonial role to add to his busy workload in the coming year. The 49-year-old Durham businessman was last month selected to serve as the county's latest High Sheriff. In keeping with tradition
THE family of the horse and trap driver who died in a hit-and-run accident have urged the other driver to come forward. Wayne Walker, 33, of Springwell Village, Washington, Wearside, was driving his horse and trap on Washington Highway on Sunday, when
THE CIVIL engineer responsible for many distinctive buildings of the 20th Century will be permanently remembered next to his favourite structure. A copy of a bronze portrait head of the late Sir Ove Arup, and an accompanying plaque, will be unveiled at
When bald is a four-letter word. A BUSY night on the telly, Tuesday. The start of a new series with people agonising about being 40 (been there, done that), and another about discarding First Wives (still got the original, no interest there). All of which
DRIVERS who fit novelty lights to their vehicles are breaking the law, police have warned. A 30-year-old man from the Durham City area has been ordered to pay £105 in fines and costs for fitting tiny blue light-emitting diodes to his car's windscreen
YOUNGSTERS are being taught all about the countryside after the launch of a fishing and ferreting club. The club was launched by the Shildon and District Countryside Movement and the New Shildon Angling Club to give young people in the County Durham town
PEOPLE in the region are being asked to give blood in the Easter holiday period. The National Blood Service (NBS) needs to ensure enough donations are banked to cover the Easter break, and in the North-East alone 1,100 units are needed every day. Laura
Yorkshire and England all-rounder Craig White yesterday had an operation to remove two inches of bone from his lower rib and it could be up to three months before he is fit to bowl again. The operation followed a scan which White had last week on the
WORK on a new science and technology park in County Durham will start this month after the final hurdles for the development were cleared. The Council of the University of Durham has approved the location of two university technology projects in a dedicated
HOSPITAL officials have defended a decision not to carry out an immediate blood transfusion on a five-year-old girl. Lauren Hall was born with a rare blood condition which means she needs a transfusion every four weeks and drug treatment at home six days
A SPECIALIST earthworks company has collapsed with the expected loss of more than 100 North-East jobs. Just months after moving into premises in Peterlee, County Durham, Greenfield Excavations closed for business and went into receivership last week.
THOUSANDS of people will gather for one of the region's biggest flower shows this weekend. The Gateshead Spring Flower Show will be held at the Central Nursery, Whickham Highway, Lobley Hill, from 10am to 5pm, on Saturday and Sunday. Organised by Gateshead
The two Teesdale telephone operators who never became engaged... FOR 32 years at the tiny telephone exchange in Forest-in-Teesdale, it was either Hello from her or Hello from her. Dorothy and Ailie Redfearn served the 39 subscribers between them. For
The Regions: MORE than ever before, there was a regional flavour in this Budget. For the first time, regional development agencies, including One NorthEast and Yorkshire Forward, were consulted as part of preparations for the Budget on key issues of innovation
THE UK mental health tzar has opened a £2m hospital development in the region. Professor Louis Appleby, national director for mental health, is pressing hospital trusts around the UK to modernise out-dated facilities. Yesterday, he came to the North-East
TALENTED young actors and a group of teachers who help educate child refugees, have benefited from the proceeds of a bonfire celebration. Last year's bonfire and fireworks display staged by police and the fire brigade in Durham generated £4,500 for local
A scout leader has been jailed for 11 years after a court heard he filmed himself abusing young people. Cleveland Police discovered pornogrpahic videos and Internet images at the Middlesbrough home of Paul Woodruff. A London scout master referred to as
A North-East MP has called for changes in the way deaths in custody are investigated following a study. Vera Baird QC, Labour MP for Redcar, in east Cleveland, chaired a committee which produced the study for the human rights group Liberty. The report
THERE can barely have been a thinner Budget. Despite the parlous world economic situation and Britain's large spending plans, there will be no tax double whammy. There won't even be the slightest of tickles in your pocket. But this Budget was not about
Catherine Cookson is still top of the pops for North-East readers. Latest figures on library borrowing in the north shows that more readers borrowed the South Tyneside-born author's books than any other. That's despite the fact that in the UK overall
Chairman Pauline Myers welcomed delegates and members to the March meeting of Darlington and District Federation of Townswomen's Guild. Minutes were read by secretary Sue Alderson and treasurer Honor Hunton gave the financial statement. Guild reports
A BIZARRE custody battle involving 100 rare parrots began in a North-East court yesterday. Harry Sissen - an acknowledged world expert on rare species - is hoping to win the return of his birds, seized after he was convicted of smuggling three years ago
A MAN who attacked a couple with a claw hammer walked free from court yesterday. Carl MacPherson, 41, of Tynedale Crescent, Houghton, County Durham, joined in a fracas outside Flares in Crowtree Road, Sunderland, after a call from his sister saying she
THIRTY workers yesterday downed tools at a North-East pharmaceutical plant to help safeguard better pay for the 10,000 construction workers in the region. Avecia, based in Billingham, Teesside, is building one of the biggest bio-pharmaceutical plants
THE TV programme Songs of Praise is putting the spotlight on the rejuvenation of Sunderland's fortunes. Fronted by Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards, the BBC crew moved into the city to start filming this week. A BBC spokesman said the production
GORDON Brown's budget was last night given a cautious welcome by the region's business leaders amid suggestions it was "thin" on substance. Despite announcing a range of measures aimed at slashing red tape, cutting taxes and improving business start-ups
BRITAIN'S trade deficit widened in February due to a sharp decline in the export of goods. Excluding oil and other erratic items from the figures, the trade deficit was the worst since records began. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that
WORK on a new science and technology park in Sedgefield will start this month after the final hurdles for the development were cleared. The Council of the University of Durham has approved the location of two university technology projects in a building
KEVIN PHILLIPS and Thomas Sorensen will lead a mass summer exodus from Sunderland after Mick McCarthy was ordered to dump around 15 players. Phillips and Sorensen are to be the biggest casualties of a cull aimed at alleviating debts of over £26m as Sunderland
FEARS are growing for two missing teenagers. Sixteen-year-old David Mark Fellows has not been seen since lunchtime on Monday, when he left Benfield School, in Newcastle. He is described as 5ft 10in tall, of stocky build, with short, fair or brown hair
A DURHAM University college now has something in common with a hospital in Africa, a hotel bar and school in Germany, plus a West country theatre. The former Graduate Society at Durham has been officially re-named after the university's chancellor Sir
THE vice-president of a pharmaceutical company flew into the North-East yesterday to attend an industrial tribunal. John Box, of GlaxoSmith-Kline, arrived from Puerto Rico to give evidence in Newcastle. A worker, who cannot be named for legal reasons,
LEADING members of Durham County Council could get inflation-busting pay rises of up to £6,000. An independent panel, which includes Durham University vice-chancellor Sir Kenneth Calman, has recommended the rises for the Labour council's ten-strong cabinet
IT was a moment heavy with symbolism. US marines united with Iraqi civilians and toppled Saddam. It may only have been a statue that fell, one of thousands in the dictator's honour scattered all over Iraq, but it was in the centre of his capital city
FORMER football star Niall Quinn has presented young players with awards at their school assembly. The retired Republic of Ireland and Sunderland player visited Eastbourne Comprehensive School, in Darlington, to give certificates to the year seven girls
AN application to build a housing estate could be refused after the developers were warned that they should consider brownfield sites. Members of Wear Valley District Council are being asked to reject plans for the development at St Helen Auckland, near
SENIOR officers at Durham Constabulary have been told to rethink controversial plans to shake up policing boundaries. The force's chiefs clashed with council officials in Darlington over proposals which would lead to a North-South divide in County Durham
SENIOR officers at Durham Constabulary have been told to rethink controversial plans to shake up policing boundaries. The force's chiefs clashed with council officials in Darlington over proposals which would lead to a North-South divide in County Durham
MONTHS of speculation over which high street retailer will take over the former Asda store in Bishop Auckland ended yesterday. Homes and gardens chain Wilkinson's has announced that it will be moving into the Newgate Centre, in Bishop Auckland, in August
A DARLINGTON resident who has helped keep his neighbourhood clean and tidy has been rewarded for his efforts by the council. Dave Ward, from the Firthmoor estate, has supported Darlington Borough Council's anti-litter campaign by keeping officers informed
THE campaign to clean up the streets of Darlington has received a £75,000 boost. Darlington Borough Council chiefs are investing the money in providing litter bins across the town over the next six weeks. The authority is reviewing the best locations
RESIDENTS who have been left with a hefty council tax bill in the wake of a parish council's legal battle over village allotments look unlikely to get any help from the district authority. Ward councillor for Barton, near Darlington, Councillor Campbell
POLICE in Darlington are hoping to revive interest in a confidential website launched last year to snare drug dealers. So far this year, www.nettherat.org has received just three emails from people with information about drug dealing activities in the
POLICE in Darlington are hoping to revive interest in a confidential website launched last year to snare drug dealers. So far this year, www.nettherat.org has received just three emails from people with information about drug dealing activities in the
WEAR Valley Community Network will report on a successful year at its annual meeting tonight in Howden-le-Wear Community Centre at 6pm. Co-ordinator Dave Craggs said the network had supported community and voluntary groups with business planning, project
A MAN died last night after fire swept through a house in Fenham, Newcastle. Four fire engines attended the blaze at the house in Lindale Road, at 6.50pm, which started in a rear bedroom on the first floor and spread to a front bedroom and the living
A COMMUNITY group has launched a campaign to save a park building which has fallen prey to vandals and drug abusers. The Friends of North Lodge Park says the park's 100-year-old bandstand is in desperate need of repair after being severely damaged by
YOUNG people from one of Easington's most deprived wards yesterday staged a show for elderly residents, to build bridges between the generations. About 45 young people aged from 11 to 19, from the Eden Hill area of Easington, were involved in performing
A SCOUTMASTER was found guilty last night of two indecent assaults on a scout. Paul Woodruff, 41, of Lowfield Avenue, Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough, had earlier admitted another indecent assault on the same boy and also to downloading Internet child pornography
FIRE services are being stretched to breaking point, as officers are forced to deal with hundreds of arson attacks by children. The past few weeks of sunshine has dried out the grasslands of north Durham, making them easy targets for young firestarters
AS if having four kids of my own isn't enough, I've become a godfather. Yes, Albert Savage has me to look up to for spiritual guidance, and I hereby vow to do my best. We'd bonded in a pub - at a mutual friend's 40th birthday party. I'd given Albert's
MIDDLESBROUGH Mayor Ray Mallon says he is making good on his promise to clean up the streets with a reduction in crime and a forthcoming blitz on litter. Yesterday, Mr Mallon - nicknamed Robocop for his no-nonsense attitude to policing - said crime in
STAFF at a North-East factory staged a madcap fundraising day to help a young mother get urgent medical treatment. Flymo in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, encouraged staff and suppliers to don large orange noses to raise both a smile and some money for
Homes are likely to be built in a North Yorkshire suburb - 30 years after they were first sanctioned. Bovis Homes is seeking planning permission for 42 houses in Starbeck, on land off The Avenue and Diamond Place, an area which is overgrown and derelict
THE TV programme Songs of Praise is putting the spotlight on the rejuvenation of Sunderland's fortunes. Fronted by Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards, the BBC crew moved into the city to start filming this week. A BBC spokesman said the production
FOREIGN students at North-East schools are facing the prospect of missing months of study because of fears over the deadly Sars virus. Pupils from Hong Kong, where there have been more than 700 cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, will have to
WORK has started on plans to give a Durham landmark a new role in the city's night-time economy. The nineteenth Century Brown's Boathouse, on the banks of the River Wear next to Elvet Bridge, is to be transformed into a cafe bar. Ultimate Leisure is spending
Police are investigating a suspected arson at a scrapyard that caused about £1,500 of damage. Firefighters from High Handenhold station were called out to the yard in Durham Road, Annfield Plain, near Stanley, at about 12.10am last Thursday. They extinguished
BLUE Peter, one of the country's most famous steam locomotives, was due to arrive in Darlington this week. One of the most powerful passenger locomotives of its time, Blue Peter is a huge favourite among railway buffs and should prove a major attraction
A TOW Law couple have been the perfect double act on the tennis court and on the dance floor during their 60 years of marriage. A tribute from the Queen was among the many cards, flowers and presents sent to Newrick and Lily Grant's bungalow in Alpine
A SCHOOLGIRL has been rewarded for her innovative hand-made poster that will be used to spearhead a litter awareness campaign across the Harrogate district. Ten-year-old Cara-Jane Feingold is this year's winner of a poster competition for primary schoolchildren
THE community group behind the bid to have Richmond's old railway station run by a trust has been given the elbow room it wanted to flesh out its proposals. The Friends of Richmond Station were worried they could put hard-won cash into a feasibility study
TOP brass at Durham Constabulary have been told to go back to the drawing board with controversial plans to shake up policing boundaries. Senior officers clashed with council chiefs in Darlington over proposals which would lead to a north-south divide
A FOOTBALL team from North Yorkshire are celebrating after winning the county's inter-school equivalent of the FA Cup on Monday night. The under 14s from Leyburn's Wensleydale School made it through to the final of the competition to play Tadcaster Grammar
LEISURE facilities across Hambleton could soon have their own mascot - thanks to the imagination of ten-year-old Clare Lake. She has won a competition to find ideas for a mascot from local schoolchildren and users of the district council's leisure facilities
The Great North Air Ambulance will be landing in the grounds of Richmond Castle next week to allow the team an opportunity to thank local people who have supported the service. All are welcome to meet the crew at noon on Wednesday and special guests include
YOUNGSTERS at schools in the area have helped to improve their environment by collecting Yellow Pages directories in a recycling initiative. The Yellow Woods Challenge, run by Yellow Pages, The Directory Recycling Scheme and the Woodland Trust, offered
A pensioner was treated for burns following a fire in the airing cupboard of her home, in Sandmoor Road, Redcar, on Monday night. The 60-year-old unnamed woman received her injuries while trying to salvage her belongings and was taken to hospital for
Police are investigating a suspected arson at a scrapyard that caused about £1,500 of damage. Firefighters from High Handenhold station were called out to the yard in Durham Road, Annfield Plain, near Stanley, at about 12.10am last Thursday. They extinguished
THE Margrove Heritage Centre near Guisborough reopens for the summer season on Wednesday with a new exhibition and opening times. The exhibition, Castles, will be based on life in medieval Kilton Castle, including aspects of food, entertainment, fabric
DURHAM University's former assistant librarian Richard Caddel has died, aged 53. Mr Caddel was well-known for his work in the university's Documentation Centre, set up for both business and academic use. Mr Caddel, who was also a poet, was a prime mover
AN animal rescue charity has been inundated with abandoned greyhounds which need a home. One of the team of volunteers at The Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (Sara), Pat Smith, of Newby, near Stokesley, has 14 of the dogs and has another two to come
FUNDRAISING on doctors' orders has produced a £1,800 tonic for Zoe's Place. A total of 80 men and women have taken part in the three-week sponsored exercise on behalf of the baby hospice, based in Normanby. The eight teams of ten have gone on walking,
