FANS may have stopped singing at Darlington Football Club's former ground, but the stadium will be filled with song once again at a charity concert this summer. The country's leading gospel group, the London Community Gospel Choir, has agreed to appear
A CONTROVERSIAL Roman Catholic Bishop who once apologised to divorcees shunned by the Church is to step down. The Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, the Right Reverend Ambrose Griffiths, 75, has told Pope John Paul II he wants to retire after his birthday
A WOMAN took over the identity of her friend to steal more than £12,000, a court heard yesterday. Michelle Chadwick used her former flatmate's personal details to obtain loans and purchases on credit. Darlington Magistrates' Court was told the 20-year-old
THE wife of a man left brain damaged after he was felled by a single punch left court in tears yesterday after recalling their last night out together. Carole McMillan was giving evidence at Newcastle Crown Court in the trial of John Beresford, 43, a
ORGANISERS are promising a secure future for a popular family music festival back this summer after a three-year absence. The Allensford Festival, traditionally held in the Derwent Valley in August each year, was cancelled in 2001 due to the foot-and-mouth
Reality Check (C4); WestEnders (Tyne Tees) "You might say the lunatics have taken over the asylum," concluded Kate Marlow, acting coach with a difference as the tension grew in Mowgli hairdressing salon in London's Primrose Hill. Hairdressers might seem
NORTH-EAST doctors and nurses are being vaccinated against smallpox so they can provide a first response medical team in the event of a terrorist attack. The 25-strong team of health professionals are being given anti-smallpox jabs as part of homeland
BOSSES visited a North-East prison yesterday as part of national scheme to turn criminals into workers. Leading local employers took a tour of Stockton's Holme House Prison to meet prisoners and talk about the benefits of setting up job opportunities
I've just made a short visit to Manchester, and there really was a buzz about the place. It's a while since I've been in the city centre itself, and it oozed life and vitality. There was loads of street life with the Lord Mayor's Parade going on, and
A TEENAGER's design has been chosen to publicise a show later this month. Judging the competition to design a poster for the Great Aycliffe Show proved difficult because of the number and quality of entries was high. The Mayor and Mayoress of Great Aycliffe
A VET has told how she recommended exotic animals be removed from their pens after finding them in appalling conditions. Hannah Bold said that some of the animals kept by 41-year-old Colin Shaw were in danger of getting serious infections if they stayed
HUNDREDS of people celebrated the official opening on Saturday of a sensory garden that has been created for the whole community. The garden, in Willington, has been created by Rosedale and Victoria Allotment Association with the help of volunteers and
OLD invaders are coming back as a city prepares to host its first Roman Festival. The streets of York will be filled with Roman soldiers practising their military skills, exhibitions showing Roman culture, and displays of dancing. The statue of Constantine
RICHARD JOHNSON, England's nearly man for the last eight years, has vowed to "make his mark" if he is finally given his Test debut tomorrow. Somerset seamer Johnson has been included in numerous England squads since 1995 but is yet to win his first cap
THERE are those who claim to be the top of the class when it comes to local knowledge, but now they can prove it as a university prepares to launch a degree course in North-East Studies. The University of Sunderland course will look at every aspect of
A NEW centre providing education and childcare needs for parents in the Roseworth area of Stockton will be unveiled today. The SureStart Redhill Centre will be opened by two residents from the area, at 10am. It is the first stage of the new facility for
A GRANDFATHER who accused the council of bias against the travelling community has won an appeal for a private gipsy site. Geoff Watson applied to Darlington Borough council to use land at Oakwood Farm, Hurworth, as a site to accommodate his family. He
AN interactive CD Rom has been created which allows people to view the landscape of the Tees Valley and shows how virtual woodland can be created with a click of the mouse. The Tees Forest and the Virtual Reality Centre at the University of Teesside have
PUPILS are getting inside knowledge about the growing e-commerce industry from a County Durham firm. Youngsters from St Johns RC Comprehensive, Bishop Auckland, visited Holiday CD, based in the E-Business Centre in Consett. The company turns holiday brochures
US TRIP: Rebecca Nicholson, 14, from Billy Row, Crook, has been awarded a place in the A1 Entertainments England team which will take part in a dance festival in Hollywood and Disneyland, next year. She is seeking sponsorship to help fund the trip. Anyone
A project to help homeless people has won Government backing. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has awarded a £3,500 grant to develop a support group for homeless people in the Harrogate area. The scheme, run by community health worker Eryl Walton
AN angry resident has complained to a police authority about the way she was treated after her window was smashed during the night. The woman, who asked not to be named, lives in one of four houses in Quaker Lane, Northallerton, which had their windows
NHS officials will be able to check the health of Darlington's population at the press of a button thanks to a computer system being pioneered in the town. Darlington Primary Care Trust has agreed to become a pilot site for a computer system that will
The newly-formed Macmillan Art Group, in Newton Aycliffe, is holding its first display of work in the foyer of the town's leisure centre. The show will be staged on Tuesday. A percentage of the profits from sales will be donated to St Teresa's Hospice
The newly-formed Macmillan Art Group, in Newton Aycliffe, is holding its first display of work in the foyer of the town's leisure centre. The show will be staged on Tuesday. A percentage of the profits from sales will be donated to St Teresa's Hospice
THE North-East's only Tory Euro MP is calling for a referendum on the proposed EU constitution. Martin Callanan, a former Gateshead councillor, said that if people can be given a vote on regional government, there should be one for a much bigger issue
FOR more than 400 years, the old King's Head Hotel had been a Darlington landmark. Some of the richest people in the land had lain their heads on the pillows of its four-poster beds; some glittering society balls had been held within its walls. But very
FIRE SERVICE: IN response to the letter from Jim Baker (HAS, June 2) regarding the firefighters' dispute, it never fails to amaze me how ill informed some people are and they really shouldn't put pen to paper until they are fully aware what exactly is
FURIOUS residents have condemned council chiefs after plans to pull down scores of trees in a popular Darlington park were revealed. The first phase of a £3.9m scheme to restore South Park to its former Victorian glory started on Monday. Preparatory work
POLICE have warned people to keep doors closed after the recent hot weather brought an increase in burglaries. Officers said a rise in burglaries in Chester-le-Street that has accompanied the hot spell is partly because people were forgetting to keep
A TENNIS club is hoping to go from strength to strength now its new facilities are complete. Sedgefield Tennis Club, which now has 100 members, started in 1994 using courts at the former Winterton Hospital, but there were no changing rooms or toilets.
A NORTH-East diva is gearing up for one of the most sparkling performances of her career. Suzannah Clarke, who has been asked to sing at next week's England versus Slovakia match at the Riverside, has had her teeth whitened for the occasion. With the
THE troubled aviation industry was yesterday lifted by two sets of company results. Ryanair, the world's third largest airline on market capitalisation, recorded a 59 per cent rise in profits last year. The Dublin carrier's report to the City was complimented
WHEN David Husband was at school, his favourite pastime was to squeeze through a fence into a busy ironworks and watch steam locomotives chugging around pulling long lines of wagons. "I never tired of looking at those wonderful engines and dodging in
REWARDS for businesses that recycle could soon be stopped by a council. Darlington Borough Council cabinet will decide next week whether to stop paying recycling credits to private business as it starts to introduce its own kerbside recycling system across
A MECHANIC crashed his car into a house after a catalogue of personal problems drove him to drink. David Harrison, 22, of Fen-by Avenue, Darlington, lost control of his car, causing him to hit a house in Harris Street, in the town, on Saturday, February
LEAVES on the line, the wrong kind of snow, sun on the tracks, too many people wanting to travel. Our rail network never ceases to amuse and annoy. It is extraordinary that Middlesbrough station should be closed after the England versus Slovakia game
LATEST estimates suggest 40 teaching redundancies will be made at schools across County Durham. The Government set a deadline of last Friday for latest figures for numbers of teachers to be axed. A spokeswoman for Durham education authority said: "It's
STEVE HARMISON last night asked Nasser Hussain to bow to Geordie sentiment and let him make Riverside history. Harmison, the only North-East player in the England squad, is desperate to bowl the first ball in a Durham Test match. The Ashington Express
A CITY is staging a Noise Action Day today in a bid to cut the number of complaints it receives every year. Sunderland City Council says the vast majority of the 800 or so complaints it receives each year are due to inconsiderate neighbours and is promoting
ENTERTAINER Karl Myers is finally going to make a name for himself in his home town by appearing in a musical - even if he has had to change his surname to achieve the ambition. Now called Karl Clarkson, the 27-year-old, of Cleveland Terrace, Darlington
An event highlighting the most promising young art talent on Teesside is taking place at Cleveland College of Art and Design, in Hartlepool. The college will hold shows, called A New Breed of Individuals, to exhibit the work of its students from June
A STUDENT found himself suspected by a building society of having forged money - even though it came from the company's own cash machine. Chris Wharrad, 20, who is studying law at Durham University, withdrew £300 from his HSBC bank account at the cashpoint
A COAL merchant was caught carrying short measures in bags of solid fuel on his delivery round, a court heard yesterday. Trading standards officers made a spot check on the delivery vehicle driven by John Jolly, trading as JJ Fuels and Haulage, and found
THE memories of Robert Key's first visit to the Riverside are as vivid as ever, almost a decade after he played there as a starry-eyed teenager. Imprinted on Key's mind are the Chester-le-Street stands, the seemingly huge dressing rooms - and the Arctic
A COUPLE who thought they would have to postpone their wedding plans because of the war in Iraq are preparing for their big day. Mark Schofield and Natalie Wilson-Lee had planned to have their dream wedding in Sri Lanka next month. But the couple, who
ON holiday in the Lake District recently, I provoked a slight altercation at a petrol filling station. Unforgivable really. And yet... well, I think I'd do the same again. I filled up at a garage on the shores of Windermere. Facing me at the cash desk
AN elite cancer centre in the North-East is the only place in the UK to be selected for a major international drug trial. It will mean women in the region will be the first in Britain to try a promising new treatment for ovarian cancer. The "magic bullet
A BURGLAR who raped an 87-year-old wheelchair-bound widow in her bed was finally behind bars last night - 14 years after the attack. The victim's family told for the first time of their trauma after watching rapist David Grady being sentenced to 12 years
AN 11-year-old girl grabbed around the throat by a man was saved when her attacker was disturbed by a dog walker. A police spokesman said the girl had become separated from friends she had been playing with in Wallsend, North Tyneside, at 12.35pm on Monday
DEMOCRACY demonstrators were last night urged not to rain on the North-East's big parade as Test cricket comes to the region for the first time. Durham County Cricket Club revealed that no form of protest will be allowed inside the Riverside ground when
The North-East is very much a part of the RSC's new artistic director's ambitious plans for the company. Christen Pears reports on the launch of this year's season. MICHAEL Boyd has a daunting task ahead of him. When Adrian Noble, his predecessor as the
A REWARD of £1,000 is being offered after three rare peregrine falcon chicks were shot dead before they had even learnt to fly. The birds, an officially protected species, were blasted to death in their nest perched 70ft high on a rock face in a working
Hooray for old bats! They are the ones who have the courage to say what the rest of us chicken out of. Old bats are women of a certain age - brought up in days when older women had a right, nay, a duty, to interfere in lives of people around them - especially
ONE of the most successful musicals of all time has opened in the region. Blues Brothers Jake and Elwood - alias actors Brad Henshaw and Mark Lawson - are captivating audiences at Darlington Civic Theatre with performances which run until Saturday. The
A BUSINESSMAN has opened a hospice he helped build in Eastern Europe to house children suffering from Aids. Duncan Bannatyne, chairman of Bannatyne Fitness, attended the opening of the home in Romania with representatives from Scottish International Relief
BLESSED with a magnificent set of hindquarters, La Corujera (2.45) has the power to brush aside her rivals at Newcastle today. Built more like a colt than a filly, La Corujera has had the misfortune to finish runner-up up no less than four times over
A WELCOME break is on offer to carers at an activity day which will include relaxation tips and aromatherapy. Wear Valley has an estimated 11,000 carers. Vital support and information will be on offer to them at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Monday from
ENGLAND fans heeded a plea from captain David Beckham and behaved themselves last night before the match against Serbia-Montenegro. There was no repeat of the disrespectful booing of a visiting team's national anthem which marred the last home international
EVEREST conqueror Chris Brown is savouring golden memories of a royal occasion marking the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest. The event, at the Odeon, in London's Leicester Square was attended by the Queen and an audience who all had links
MANAGERS at Darlington's Lingfield Point have made a presentation to one of the site's longest-serving employees. Ivy Kennedy began work as a cleaner at Lingfield Point in 1972, when Patons and Baldwin's owned the site. She has continued to work at the
A SEDGEFIELD couple whose romance blossomed during the Second World War have celebrated 60 years of marriage. John Hill, originally from Warwickshire, was stationed at the military base in Sedgefield from 1941, and met Rachel Stubbs at a camp dance. The
A SEDGEFIELD couple whose romance blossomed during the Second World War have celebrated 60 years of marriage. John Hill, originally from Warwickshire, was stationed at the military base in Sedgefield from 1941, and met Rachel Stubbs at a camp dance. The
Sally Fordy, 34, is a fundraiser who wanted to meet new people and have fun while raising money for a good cause. It was six years ago that Mrs Fordy, of Coxwold, first became involved with Macmillan Cancer Relief and she has since formed a committee
AN interactive CD Rom has been created allowing people to view the landscape of the Tees Valley and showing how virtual woodland can be created with a click of a mouse. The Tees Forest and the Virtual Reality Centre at the University of Teesside have
POLICE are growing increasingly concerned about a Middlesbrough teenager who has been missing from home since Friday. Tyler Rochelle Ivison, 16, from the town's Carlow Street was last seen on Friday evening by her mother and was apparently at a friend's
DRIVER trainers BSM in Bondgate, Darlington, has won the company's Centre of the Month award for the second consecutive month. Measured by the number of recorded customer inquiries and the number of lessons booked, the Darlington centre outperformed more
The following cases were heard at Darlington Magistrates' Court, yesterday. MAN FINED: Sean Horner, 29, of Sherborne Close, Darlington was fined £100 and ordered to pay £25 costs after pleading guilty to being drunk and disorderly and possessing cannabis
A sub-post office has opened in Upper Teesdale, which has been without one since the office at Forest shut 18 months ago. The service, which is based in a small shop at High Force, will be useful for visitors to the waterfall and hotel as well as local
A SMALL North-East firm has the opposition licked after launching a Newcastle Brown Ale ice cream. Neill and Jackie Maxwell started their ice cream sideline because they were struggling to make ends meet on their dairy farm. Sales of the couple's Doddington
Drummers from a primary school in Darlington will take part in its first international event later this month. Pure Drumming, a group of 15 children from Skerne Park Primary School, has been invited to perform at the fete de ville in the French town of
A supermarket could be built in place of an empty filling station in a Weardale village if plans are approved this week. Leathleys Quality Fare Limited hopes to create a shop on the site of the former A68 Services in High Street, Tow Law. The store and
YOUNGSTERS from Darlington were given the chance to test the latest equipment at a free two-day skateboarding event. Staff from Darlington Borough Council organised the half-term event at the Eastbourne Sports Complex in Darlington, for the many young
THE company behind Newcastle Falcons' new stadium has signed £15m in contracts for the year with the agreement of a £3.7m joint venture in County Durham. Metnor Construction, of Killingworth, Northumberland, will be working with City and Northern on a
A CITY is staging a Noise Action Day today in a bid to cut the number of complaints it receives every year. Sunderland City Council says the vast majority of the 800 or so complaints it receives each year are due to inconsiderate neighbours and is promoting
WHEN David Husband was at school, his favourite pastime was to squeeze through a fence into a busy ironworks and watch steam locomotives chugging around pulling long lines of wagons. "I never tired of looking at those wonderful engines and dodging in
FOR more than 400 years, the old King's Head Hotel had been a Darlington landmark. Some of the richest people in the land had lain their heads on the pillows of its four-poster beds; some glittering society balls had been held within its walls. But very
Reality Check (C4); WestEnders (Tyne Tees) "You might say the lunatics have taken over the asylum," concluded Kate Marlow, acting coach with a difference as the tension grew in Mowgli hairdressing salon in London's Primrose Hill. Hairdressers might seem
A PILOT'S attempt to fly around the world in an autogyro next month has been postponed after he broke three ribs in an accident. Warrant Officer Barry Jones, a helicopter pilot at Dishforth Airfield, North Yorkshire, crashed while training for the 80-
WORK has begun to improve a village primary school. The Secretary of State has backed plans to redevelop St Helen Auckland Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, which is a grade II listed building. A single-storey 25mx10m extension is to be built to the
A PREGNANT mother is to take part in a race to raise money for cancer research after losing four members of her family to the disease. Jennie Willis and her five-year-old daughter, Hollie, will take part in the Race for Life, in aid of Cancer Research
A DARLINGTON woman celebrated her 106th birthday at the weekend. Lillian Bell, of Moorlands Care Home, Darlington, celebrated on Saturday with her three children, Barry, 64, Nancy Hutchinson, 72, and John, 76, who flew from his home in New Zealand. Staff
MORE than 5,000 power workers were left fearing for their futures last night after British Energy announced losses of £4.3bn in the past year. The troubled energy generator was forced to slash £3.6bn off the value of its eight UK plants and warned it
A WOMAN soldier who was seriously injured while serving in Iraq was last night overwhelmed by her welcome home. Jane McLaughlan, a corporal with the Military Police, suffered severe head injuries, a punctured lung, broken leg, ribs and pelvis, and damaged
A SMALL North-East firm has the opposition licked after launching a Newcastle Brown Ale ice cream. Neill and Jackie Maxwell started their ice cream sideline because they were struggling to make ends meet on their dairy farm. Sales of the couple's Doddington
Liverpool has been chosen to be the European Capital of Culture in 2008. The North-West city has nudged out the Newcastle-Gateshead bid, which was a favourite to win. Liverpool has won over five other cities -- Newcastle-Gateshead, Birmingham, Bristol
PEOPLE of all ages took part in a host of sporting activities at a Sports for All event in Wear Valley last week. Organisers 2D, a support group for the voluntary and community sector in Wear Valley and Teesdale, and the district council, aimed to promote
THE Government has begun a consultation exercise to look at ways of stamping out the so-called fat cat pay culture of big business. A document, entitled Reward For Failure, was yesterday published by Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt, looking
A SERIES of summer walks will be launched by a national leader of the Ramblers' Association in County Durham this weekend. Nick Barrett, the association's chief executive, will join a three-mile trek through Beamish Woods, near Stanley, the first of the
DURHAM are considering former Pakistan Test paceman Mohammad Akram as a replacement for Dewald Pretorius, whose final championship game starts against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl today. Akram, 30, who played the last of his nine Tests in 2000, had a season
A decision on a revolutionary new rapid transport system linking Darlington and Teesside has been delayed until the autumn at a cost of £30,000, it was revealed today. Consultants were this week due to make recommendations on whether a metro, trams or
AN inquest opened yesterday into the death of a teenager killed in a high-speed crash with a stationary Army truck. Liam Amos, 15, was a passenger in a Ford Sierra which was being pursued by police on the A68 in the early hours of May 23. The car collided
A TEAM of uniformed street wardens which covers parts of south Durham is the first of its kind to win an award for handing out sound legal advice. The Street Wardens' Scheme was launched by Wear Valley District Council in November last year to tackle
AN elite cancer centre in the North-East is the only place in the UK to be selected for a major international drug trial. It will mean women in the region will be the first in Britain to try a promising new treatment for ovarian cancer. The "magic bullet
A TOWN in the Dales has been described by some as one of the most beautiful historical places in England. To celebrate, a Heritage Day is taking place in Richmond next Tuesday, when visitors will be offered a choice of tours to see the attractions the
THIEVES who took two large caravans from a North-East holiday park used specialised equipment, say police. The caravans were taken from the Hetherick Grange site, at Eggleston, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, after burning equipment was used to remove
A MILLIONAIRE has stunned a football league by revising his will to guarantee it will be financially secure long after he is dead. Officials of the Albany Northern League thought they were dreaming when self-made entrepreneur Brooks Mileson got to his
THE North-East's only Tory Euro MP is calling for a referendum on the proposed EU constitution. Martin Callanan, a former Gateshead councillor, said that if people can be given a vote on regional government, there should be one for a much bigger issue
MARTIN SCOTT and Colin Todd are the latest hopefuls to announce their intention to take control at Hartlepool United. Mike Newell was axed by chairman Ken Hodcroft on Friday and, after Tony Mowbray admitted he wants the job, he was joined by two more.
A NEW centre for people with sight and hearing impairments is opening in Darlington. The centre, which will be at Darlington Arts Centre, is currently being used by Darlington Borough Council's social services department as a drop-in for people with learning
PLANS to create a wildlife haven near Ferryhill are expected to move a step closer this week. Bishop Middleham, near Ferryhill, was the focus of national attention last summer when a pair of rare bee-eater birds became the first to breed successfully
A COMPANY has admitted breaching health and safety regulations after a young man was crushed by falling steel. James West, from Shildon, County Durham, died from serious chest injuries after steel stillages fell on him. The accident at Northern Engineering
AN Army regiment has reinforced its ties with a fire-damaged church by launching a £6,500 stained glass window appeal. The disbanded Durham Light Infantry (DLI) began the appeal to raise money for two stained glass windows at St Brandon's Church, Brancepeth
FLY tippers who have been littering the alleyways and back lanes of Darlington have been fined by uniformed wardens. In the last two months, Darlington Borough Council's wardens have issued £50 fines to 125 people caught dumping rubbish. The fines are
Hooray for old bats! They are the ones who have the courage to say what the rest of us chicken out of. Old bats are women of a certain age - brought up in days when older women had a right, nay, a duty, to interfere in lives of people around them - especially
THOUSANDS of England fans could be left stranded in Middlesbrough after police ordered the closure of the town's train station. England supporters reacted with anger after British Transport Police revealed they will close the station at 9.45pm on the
MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren is weighing up a £2m bid for West Ham winger Trevor Sinclair. McClaren is desperate to add more width and creativity to his midfield and England international Sinclair fits the bill. The 30-year-old is predominantly
PLANS for a business park in Darlington have taken a step forward. An outline planning application has been submitted to Darlington Borough Council for the Faverdale East business park. The 21 acre site on the northern edge of the town is expected to
FLAGSHIP car company Ramseys of Newton Aycliffe has celebrated ten years in business. Brothers Jeff and Ian Ramsey started the company in May 1993 after finding a prime location at Aycliffe Industrial Park. The brothers are already looking forward to
AN activity and information day for the over-50s is being held in Darlington tomorrow (Friday). Darlington, Active, Independent, Staying Young (Daisy) will give people the chance to get involved in new activities, try their hand at new skills and get
HUNDREDS of people helped celebrate the opening of a sensory garden that has been created out of wasteland. The garden, in Willington, has been created by Rosedale and Victoria Allotment Association with the help of volunteers and schoolchildren. It is
A LOCAL initiative has helped to highlight a growing national problem by contributing to a television series. Representatives of the Action on Elder Abuse scheme in Sunderland collaborated with the BBC on the production of five recently aired programmes
GAY couples will be allowed to "marry" in a North-East borough. The first same sex commitment ceremonies in the region took place in Darlington last month. Yesterday, councillors agreed to allow the ceremony, which has no legal status, to take place in
A NEW council regime agreed to stay in the North-East Assembly despite protestations that the area had closer connections with Yorkshire. Councillors at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council had considered leaving the North-East Assembly which aims to
THE generation gap has been bridged at a North Yorkshire pub which has joined a scheme taking computers to the community. At the Ship Inn, Bondgate, Ripon, youngsters are helping grandparents learn keyboard skills. Operating a drop-in centre with free
A COUPLE from the Yorkshire Dales have been struck off the professional nursing register because of their lack of care for an elderly patient. The husband-and-wife team, who ran a nursing home in Leyburn, were removed from the register following a hearing
A POSTMASTER whose post office was firebombed by vandals says he is trapped on a crime-hit Teesside shopping estate. David Whitehouse, postmaster at Eston shopping precinct, says no one is interested in buying his post office because vandals put off potential
PEOPLE are being encouraged to put their rubbish to good use as part of a recycling initiative. To encourage people to recycle their green waste at home, local authorities throughout County Durham are working in partnership to offer free, 60-day trials
A WOMAN who overcame sight problems to take part in a fundraising race for cancer charities is urging others to follow her lead. Dawn Ferguson, 42, of Rowlands Gill, who is registered blind, took part in the Cancer Research UK Race for Life, in Gateshead
A five-storey mill building which has been causing arguments and protests for more than 30 years looks likely to have its future decided today. A plan to convert Thorngate Mill, in Barnard Castle, into 16 flats is to go before members of Teesdale District
A sub-post office has opened in Upper Teesdale, which has been without one since the office at Forest shut 18 months ago. The service, which is based in a small shop at High Force, will be useful for visitors to the waterfall and hotel as well as local
A WOMAN robber who was wrestled to the ground by witnesses to the crime was jailed for 18 months yesterday. Kerry Graham, 26, snatched a woman's handbag at a pub car park in Middlesbrough and ran off. But two men who saw the robbery gave chase. They caught
THEY are a remarkable group, knowledgeable about literature, eager to discuss the books they read and always keen to discover new writers. What makes them different is that the members of the Crown Street Reading Group, in Darlington, can hardly see.
THE manager of a Darlington nightspot was punched in the face during a late-night altercation. Steven Moules was assaulted by a drinker while he was working at Flares pub, in Skinnergate, on a Saturday night in April. Darlington Magistrates' Court heard
THERE are those who claim to be the top of the class when it comes to local knowledge, but now they can prove it as a university prepares to launch a degree course in North-East Studies. The University of Sunderland course will look at every aspect of
THE funeral takes place tomorrow of an Army cadet who died in a swimming tragedy last week. Family and friends of 12-year-old Liam Robinson gather for the service at Holy Trinity Church in West Cornforth, County Durham. Liam, of Willow Road, Ferryhill
AN 11-year-old girl grabbed around the throat by a man was saved when her attacker was disturbed by a dog walker. A police spokesman said the girl had become separated from friends she had been playing with in Wallsend, North Tyneside, at 12.35pm on Monday
A TOWN has succeeded in its campaign to bring broadband internet access to its residents and businesses. People living in Shildon feared that they would be left behind in the world of technology after surrounding towns were given faster access to the
CAT owners are worried a killer may have struck again in a village where nine pets have been deliberately poisoned in the past. Two more cats have disappeared from one street and the feeling is that they have become the latest victims of a mysterious
THE 80th birthday of parish priest Father John Caden will be celebrated this evening with a Mass of Thanksgiving at Sedgefield St John Fisher RC Church. Father Caden has been a priest for 54 years, 37 of which have been spent in Sedgefield, where he has
THE 80th birthday of parish priest Father John Caden will be celebrated this evening with a Mass of Thanksgiving at Sedgefield St John Fisher RC Church. Father Caden has been a priest for 54 years, 37 of which have been spent in Sedgefield, where he has
In the second of his monthly columns Detective Chief Inspector Andy Reddick considers the roles of the police, wardens and community support officers. MY second month as Darlington's Detective Chief Inspector has been a busy one. The Darlington team has
A COUNCIL worker is preparing for a gruelling cycle ride in aid of charity. On Friday, 49-year-old Ian Smithson will cover the 70-mile route from Bowness to Northallerton on his old sit-up-and-beg bicycle. Mr Smithson, who works at County Hall in Northallerton
THIEVES drained 100 litres of diesel oil from a lorry while the driver slept in the cab after parking for the night in a layby on the A66 road west of Bowes, County Durham. A police spokesman in Barnard Castle said yesterday: "It must have been a shock
A NEW mini-supermarket could be built at an empty filling station in a Weardale village if plans are approved this week. Leathleys Quality Fare Ltd hopes to create a new shop on the site of the former A68 Services on High Street, Tow Law. The store and
A CONTROVERSIAL Roman Catholic Bishop who once apologised to divorcees shunned by the Church is to step down. The Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, the Right Reverend Ambrose Griffiths, 75, has told Pope John Paul II he wants to retire after his birthday
IT'S not much more than a hole in the ground - albeit a hole with reinforced concrete walls built to withstand an atomic bomb. But to someone, somewhere, it represents the ideal home - and they have snapped it up for £17,100. The old nuclear bunker on
Darlington chairman George Reynolds last night assured fans skipper Craig Liddle has a long-term future at the club. The Quakers chief has reacted angrily to suggestions the defender could quit the club when his current contract expires at the end of
Today marks the 90th anniversary of the death of Emily Wilding Davison, and this year the Suffragette movement celebrates its 100th anniversary. North-East Women's Writer of the Year Christen Pears looks at their legacy. JUNE 4, 1913, Derby Day. As the
A group formed to look at ways of catching more offenders was launched this week. The County Durham and Darlington Criminal Justice Board (CJB) met at Hardwick Hall, near Sedgefield. Representatives of the police, courts, probation service and other bodies
THE first phase of a £415,000 hospital redevelopment has opened, offering intensive nursing and medical care for patients who are in need of psychiatric treatment and support. The Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit at Bootham Hospital, York, is part of a
GAY couples will be allowed to "marry" in a North-East borough. The first same sex commitment ceremonies in the region took place in Darlington last month. Yesterday, councillors agreed to allow the ceremony, which has no legal status, to take place in
Talented Lawrence Staley is in big demand day and night, thanks to his two special skills which are in total contrast. Most days he is out on farms and moors all over County Durham, building sturdy dry stone walls which will last for up to 100 years.
HEALTH workers have won top marks for striving to improve communications between deaf and hearing people. Christine Whitwood, development worker for the Deaf Project in Stanley, ran a course on deaf awareness training for staff from Derwentside Primary
AN initiative aimed at teaching fire safety issues to asylum seekers who cannot speak English has been launched at a Teesside college. The sessions, hosted by Cleveland Fire Brigade and Stockton Riverside College, have been organised following recent
Graham Norton fans in York can win a jacket worn by the flamboyant television presenter. The Mind shop, in Goodramgate, is raffling one of two jackets donated to them. Anyone who spends £5 at the shop will be given a ticket for the raffle, which will
WORK by an amateur painter from Durham has been selected from 10,000 entries to appear in a London show. Irene Clarkson, 84, from Belmont, has had a painting accepted for The Daily Mail - Not the Turner Prize exhibition, which opens at The Mall Galleries
MYSTERY WALK: A ten-mile Tales of Murder and Mystery walk is being led by Steve Shippen at 10.30am on Saturday, from the Ebchester Station picnic area. BRASS CELEBRATION: Durham Brass Festival with White River Brass and Consett Junior Brass Band will
An event highlighting the most promising young art talent on Teesside is taking place at Cleveland College of Art and Design, in Hartlepool. The college will hold shows, called A New Breed of Individuals, to exhibit the work of its students from June
A theatre club in County Durham is serving up a double bill of comedy. The Glenholme Theatre Club, Crook, is staging the two plays because they will provide "a complete evening of entertainment". One of the comedies, Let's Break a Leg, is by local writer
A RIDING centre is looking for people who are interested in horse care to apply for places on summer courses. The Unicorn Centre, at Stainton Way, Hemlington - a member of the Riding for the Disabled Association - provides riding and therapy for disabled
