GOVERNMENT pledges to back a jobs drive in a hard-hit corner of the region still stand, despite a last-minute blow to regeneration efforts. Hours after chairing emergency talks in Wear Valley, County Durham, on Friday, Work Minister Nick Brown found himself
A SKATEBOARDER hopes to turn his hobby into a business by establishing an indoor facility for the pastime. Andrew Laidler, 26, from Durham, believes there is a demand for a purpose-built indoor skate park serving the city and surrounding area. While Sunderland
It's amazing that generations of seasoned politicians have never come to terms with the fact that the vast majority of the general public have much more sense than they presume. The classic current example is the government's bemusement that the country
SOUTHAMPTON yesterday ruled themselves out of the race for Middlesbrough target Trevor Sinclair. The England winger has pledged himself to West Ham's fight for promotion next season. But the financial implications of relegation could force the Hammers
PETER Mandelson makes a couple of very pertinent points in his article about regional government on this page. Firstly, he notes: "Unless we can show how regional government will make the lives of North-East people genuinely better in the long term, they
The first step has been taken on a road which could lead to a derelict North-East cement works being transformed into a renewable energy centre. Planners have approved the erection of a 150ft-high wind-monitoring mast at the Blue Circle Cement works at
Yesterday the Government announced that the North-East will be one of the first regions to vote on whether to have an elected assembly. Today, Hartlepool MP and former Cabinet minister Peter Mandelson puts the case for regional devolution. AT last. The
Former Cosmopolitan editor Mandi Norwood's new book lifts the lid on modern marriage. She talks to Women's Editor Christen Pears. FROM the sassy women of Sex and the City to Chardonnay-swigging Bridget Jones, we are obsessed with the single girl. We have
DETECTIVES hunting the gang which shot an IRA informant have reissued a phone message they believe could hold vital clues. Martin McGartland was shot with six bullets four years ago today, in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside. He survived thanks to neighbours
Last Tuesday's column chiefly reflected a week in Wales. Extraordinary even by Backtrack's serendipitous standards, there proves to have been a direct connection between the first two items. The first reported the funeral, near Swansea, of former Sunderland
Thunderstorms brought chaos to the North-East early this morning as houses were struck by lightning and the East Coast mainline brought to a standstill. Lightning hit train tracks just north of Darlington, at about 5am, bringing GNER, Arriva and Virgin
THE world's biggest dress will be on show in Durham on Friday. The dress will be on show at Durham Town Hall as part of The Alternative Model Fair Trade Fashion Show, which aims to raise awareness of exploitation in the clothing industry. Local schoolchildren
Phil Donegan, 49, lives in Stockton with his wife and children. He was diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis six years ago and had to retire from teaching. If there is a town or attraction you would like him to try out for disabled access, please write
RESIDENTS are angry with environmental health officials after they failed to respond to an appeal to deal with a large swarm of bees in a Darlington street yesterday. The swarm was buzzing around Witton Crescent, in Darlington, yesterday and concerned
AN unusual golf competition raised hundreds of pounds for charity. The competition, organised by Lesley Mullen of the ladies' section, attracted 40 players for the event at Woodham Golf and Country Club, in Newton Aycliffe, near Darlington. After completing
DAVID NICHOLLS has good cause to rue his ill luck at Royal Ascot having had to endure the misery of sending out 38 straight losers at the meeting since 1998. Neither will two seconds during the 2002 fixture have humoured the Sessay-near-Thirsk-based trainer
NEW off-roaders are a bit like the local bus service. You don't see one for a while, then three turn up at once. It's certainly true of the luxury end of the four-wheel-drive market. Volvo's award-winning XC90 now has quite a name in the premium sports
THREE vehicles parked in a pub car park have been severely damaged after being hit by an overturned lorry. The accident at the bottom of one of North Yorkshire's steepest banks caused chaos yesterday as tar and diesel spilt across the road. The driver
Sunday lunch for two for a fiver - and it's good food too. What more could you want on the Sabbath? Surreal Neil is a Marske United supporter, is familiar on many North-East cricket grounds and collects telephone exchanges - those little brick outhouses
Sunday lunch for two for a fiver - and it's good food too. What more could you want on the Sabbath? Surreal Neil is a Marske United supporter, is familiar on many North-East cricket grounds and collects telephone exchanges - those little brick outhouses
A DRIVE to attract more tourists to Richmond is being hailed a success. More than 100 guests from the North gathered for Richmond Heritage Day. Just over half were civic dignitaries from councils as far afield as Carlisle and Gateshead. The remainder
FARMERS are being urged to tighten up security following a series of break-ins and thefts. Some properties have been ransacked with thieves taking everything from farming machinery and tools to trailers and quad bikes. Thousands of pounds of equipment
New Technology Institutes are officially launched tomorrow as part of a national network to provide information and communication technology knowledge, training and consultancy services to business. Business Correspondant Jonathan Jones reports. AN organisation
DURHAM police have employed a new director of finance, who will help steer a drastic, countywide restructuring of the force. When Patrick Melia takes up his role as Durham Constabulary's new director of finance and administration on September 1, one of
A GROUP of Darlington schoolchildren are holding their breath as their pioneering wildlife project is put to the test. The children from Harrowgate Hill Junior School have been working with staff, parents and grandparents to create nest boxes for endangered
HUNDREDS of pensioners have taken up a free smoke alarm offer under a local authority scheme. Easington District Council's community-based Handyman project aims to reduce falls and admissions to hospital, and promote independent living among older people
THEY are "good for democracy" according to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. But few people exercised their democratic rights during the Government's recent consultation on whether to hold a referendum on regional assemblies. According to Conservative
A CHURCH service celebrating older people takes place this weekend. St Cuthbert's Church, in Church Bank, Shotley Bridge, near Consett, will hold a thanksgiving service for older people on Sunday, at 3.30pm. Rosie Junemann, organiser of the service, said
POLICE seized 24 cannabis plants from a home in Darlington after an email tip-off. A message was sent to officers via the Net the Rat website, which was set up to snare drug dealers. The site attracted a flurry of responses when it was launched last March
A WEBSITE covering all aspects of crime and safety in Darlington is launched today. The site -www.darlingtoncommunitysafety.org.uk - is designed to help residents step up security in their homes and find out more about policing in the town. It is a joint
POLICE have released an e-fit likeness of a man they are seeking in connection with the theft of a pensioner's life savings. As reported in The Northern Echo on Saturday, the Darlington woman was robbed of thousands of pounds after three bogus callers
THE chance to dig for ancient remains is being opened up to the public during a series of training excavations. York Archaeological Trust is running its third series of open excavations at St Leonard's Hospital, in York, from July 8 to September 28. The
WORK is under way to encourage a new generation of scientists to step forward. The weird and the wonderful are on hand at the touch of a button for classes of curious children. Science is Great Week will culminate at the University of Teesside, in Middlesbrough
A COMPANY director was left upside down for an hour and a half inside his £24,000 sports car after it crashed and overturned. Jonathan Houlston was trapped in his BMW Z3 for 90 minutes before firefighters cut him free. He was then arrested for drink-driving
STARS of the West End and businesses from the Northallerton area have helped ensure an auction in the North Yorkshire town next month will be a success. Tickets to see Cleo Laine and John Dankworth at the Harrogate International Festival on Friday, July
A NEW environmental team has declared war on fly tippers. In a bid to make Hartlepool a cleaner and safer place, the local council has created an environmental action team that can help enforce heavy fines or even imprisonment for people caught dumping
A FORMER supermarket is poised to reopen as a pub following a £1.2m makeover. National pub chain JD Wetherspoon has spent the past four months converting the disused Asda building, in the Castle Dene Shopping Centre, Hailsham Place, Peterlee, into its
THE sister of a County Durham man found hanged has spoken out about her fears that his withdrawal from a controversial drug may have changed his personality. Steve Sanders, 38, a former chef from Logan Street, Langley Park, was prescribed the anti-depressant
THE Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was accused of being cruel to its staff over plans to axe 200 jobs in a £7.6m cost-cutting plan. The animal charity is cutting its regional centres from ten to five and said it had been forced
Learning about dangerous play More than 2,500 children will learn the hazards of venturing into building sites during the summer holidays at the eighth annual Zone Rangers Challenge, which started yesterday at the Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade premises at
ANGRY dog walkers said they resent being fined for failing to clean up after their dogs when the bin provided by the council is overflowing and inaccessible. Residents in Catterick Village are fed up of seeing the dog waste bin on a popular walk full
ATHLETES of the future are to have their exploits beamed round the country on national television. Sky Sports TV will have its cameras trained on budding sports heroes battling for gold medals at this weekend's Teesside Youth Games. The event takes place
STRESS-busting techniques including herbal infusions and massage are on offer in a new course in Stockton. The Total Well-Being course, which concentrates on various relaxation techniques, starts today at 5.30pm at the new Thornaby Flight's Training Centre
evidence that threatens to turn the history of hunting on its head has been uncovered by an eminent North-East historian. Author Richard Almond has discovered that throughout the Middle Ages, hunting - long assumed to be a pursuit reserved for aristocratic
THE North-East and North Yorkshire will be the first to cast their votes in an historic referendum on home rule. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced yesterday that there was enough interest for the two regions and the North-West to vote for
THE new Bishop of Durham has given his blessing to a football club's controversial choice of player. Canon Tom Wright, who arrives in the diocese next month, said he backed Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson's decision to sign Lee Bowyer to the club
GREWGRASS Lane, in New Marske, will be closed for five weeks from Longbeck Lane to the north of Grewgrass Farm. Work is being carried out on the road's drainage and the carriageway will be resurfaced. Water Lane, in Loftus, is closed for five weeks from
GRAEME Lee last night confirmed Hartlepool United's worst-kept secret when he announced he is leaving the club. On the day chairman Ken Hodcroft started interviews for the vacant managerial position, the 24-year-old finally confirmed he is rejecting the
CAMPAIGNERS battling to save an historic mill chimney are delighted that its owners have decided to hold off its destruction. Six days before the 150-year-old chimney in Brompton was due to be demolished, owner Felicity Bonaventura called a halt to the
TWO men have admitted carrying out an unprovoked attack outside a town centre nightspot. George Matthew Daniel and Lawrence Bainbridge attacked George Edward Watson as they left the Mardi Gras nightclub, in Gladstone Street, Darlington. Mr Watson suffered
A NORTH-East MP is calling for the Ministry of Defence to put more effort in preventing bullying in the armed forces. Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP Ashok Kumar believes bullying and violence is on the increase with many acts of brutality
A COMPANY is set to lead the world in turning waste into energy, with the potential to create jobs and boost the local economy. Bioflame, which makes eco-friendly waste burners and gasifiers, could play a key part in aiding the diversification of Yorkshire's
THOUSANDS of Hambleton homes will soon have their own life-saving message in a bottle. Residents will be encouraged to conceal emergency information inside a special container stored in the fridge for safe keeping to help the emergency services to carry
I'VE just had a good cry. You see, 18 months ago I came in from church to find my wife giving tea and sympathy to a young couple whose three-month-old child had died. They wanted a funeral for her. Ellie, she was called. These things are barely manageable
THE first stage of defence works to prevent further flooding in the county town of North Yorkshire has been completed. An old bridge which impeded the flow of water through a beck at Romanby, Northallerton, has been removed and replaced with a temporary
A TWO-STOREY teaching block is to be built at Richmond School, despite objections. The plan was approved by North Yorkshire County Council. Chairwoman of the planning committee Heather Garnett had to intervene because of interruptions from the public
SOME of the biggest names in pop have signed up to play at an open-air concert. Chart-topping bands Sugababes will be headlining the TFM Live concert at Stockton's Riverside, which will open the week-long annual Stockton International Riverside Festival
A UNIVERSITY graduate is seeking compensation from the Government, after its handling of her Working Tax Credits claim cost her business hundreds of pounds. Sue Devey-Humpleby, 36, from Hartlepool, established her hand-crafted greetings card and supplies
THE Hartlepool Countryside Warden Service is, perhaps not surprisingly, wild about its town. The service produces a leaflet "Wild About Hartlepool" which appears twice yearly. It promotes the countryside events programme in and around the area. The current
A VICAR said yesterday the Government must shoulder some of the blame for a road accident that claimed the lives of a father and his six-year-old son. Stuart Nicholson and his son, Connor, were returning from Appleby Horse Fair, in Cumbria, last Tuesday
POLICE chiefs are getting tough with tearaway teenage cyclists by threatening to punish them under a 168-year-old law. Officers in Darlington have warned the youngsters, who are causing chaos for shopkeepers and residents in the Cockerton area, that they
SUSTAINABILITY, energy-efficiency and recycling are buzzwords, usually used as descriptions for modern architectural developments. Riverside House part of the UK Land Estates' Waterfront Development at Newburn Riverside embodies these concepts, with the
Roman Catholics in a community are to lose their place of worship. Catholic residents of Hemlington, near Middlesbrough, have attended Sunday mass at the St John of God Pastoral Centre in Hemlington for the past ten years. But the building is to be closed
THE threat hanging over one of the region's most gruelling sporting events has been lifted. With less than a week to go before the closing date for applications for the annual Lyke Wake Race, across the North York Moors, organisers say it is definitely
A NEW standard is being set by County Durham and Darlington Fire Brigade to save more lives and reduce injuries. The changes, which will respond to particular needs in the area, will be the most radical in the fire service in more than 50 years. The plan
A WOMAN who starved a dog to such an extent that it resorted to cannibalism was behind bars last night. Marie Connelly was jailed for three months and banned for life from keeping a pet after pleading guilty to two charges of causing cruelty to animals
A JUDGE yesterday expressed his astonishment that a heroin addict had been bailed three times - allowing him to break into 22 homes. Jailing professional burglar Anthony Knighton for five years, Judge Michael Taylor said: "It defies belief." The 30-year-old
LATE buses will take to the road next month to help transport revellers home once a large entertainment venue opens. The innovative scheme, backed by the police, is being introduced to coincide with the opening of the Walkabout, an Australian theme bar
INITIAL plans for a big environmental improvement scheme on a Ferryhill estate are being finalised this week. The Dean Bank Gateway project follows the success of a similar scheme in nearby Ferryhill Station which is almost complete. It will involve planting
RELEGATED Sunderland, facing stiff competition from Aston Villa for Celtic midfielder Colin Healy, have been told they are in the running for the new Roy Keane. Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy is hoping to secure the services of free agent Healy, as revealed
NEWCASTLE believe their package to prise Ronaldinho away from the clutches of Manchester United is worth £14m - £2m more than the Premiership champions' offer for the Brazilian superstar. Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd is booked for talks with the World
A LOCAL authority has been recognised with an award for boosting business. South Tyneside Borough Council has won the 2002 to 2003 Best for Business Award from the North-East Chamber of Commerce. It was one of four local authorities short-listed for the
RAILWAY DISPLAY: Snaps of the last days of the Weardale Railway and reminiscences from people who travelled on the last train, on June 27, 1953, are included in an exhibition by the Weardale Railway Trust shown in Crook library. Also available are copies
Last Tuesday's column chiefly reflected a week in Wales. Extraordinary even by Backtrack's serendipitous standards, there proves to have been a direct connection between the first two items. The first reported the funeral, near Swansea, of former Sunderland
THE search is on for Darlington's best gardeners as the town hosts its annual flower competition. Nominations are invited in four categories in the Darlington in Bloom competition - best residential garden, best business premises, best pub and best school
A MAJOR marketing strategy has been launched to entice more people to York. Streets Ahead is aimed at bringing shoppers to the city, with three trails for them to follow. The idea is to help visitors get to grips with the range of independent and unusual
AN anti-bullying network in North Yorkshire has won a national award for its innovative use of technology. Bullying Online, a registered national charity helping parents and pupils deal with school bullying, won the Digital Inclusion category of the eWell-Being
A MIDDLESBROUGH pub has been granted its first public entertainments licence. The move means the Halfpenny in Easson Street, Middlesbrough, can now hold karaoke sessions, and Northern Soul nights. Landlady Debra Moloney said: "The new licence means we
AN action-packed festival of walking and cycling enthusiasts has been organised in east Cleveland for the coming weekend. The Walking and Cycling Festival runs from Friday to Sunday and has walks, bike rides and even a teddy bears picnic. Starting with
CABINET RESHUFFLE: TONY Blair promised reforms to the House of Lords as part of his manifesto leading up to the last elections and most people thought that meant a reduction in their present powers followed by making it into an elected chamber. He's making
AUSTRIAN students saw a city's sights yesterday as part of an educational visit to the area. A group of 28 students and two teachers from Baki School for nursery nurses, in Oberwart, is staying in Durham with local families. The school's annual visit,
CHILDREN made a whistle-stop tour of some exotic parts of the world in a day. The youngsters from Oxclose Nursery School, Spennymoor, visited America, India, China and Africa on their bikes. They also pedalled through the Netherlands, Spain and Greece
PUPILs at three Billingham schools will soon be able to read the new Harry Potter book in their school library. Roseberry Junior School, Pentland Primary and St John's The Evangelist RC schools will receive their copies donated by Asda Billingham. The
A PLAYGROUND was turned into a street for the sake of a party at a primary school yesterday. The street party was part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Newcomen Primary School, in Redcar. The children also enjoyed Punch and Judy, a bouncy castle
EIGHT local authorities have worked together to achieve national recognition for the quality of their food safety service Environmental Health Sections throughout North Yorkshire have been awarded ISO 9002 registration for not only raising standards,
FLOORING retail and wholesale company CreateCity has broken with tradition and appointed a non-family member to its board of directors. The company is owned by the Maguire family, of Darlington, and has become a major force in the UK carpet and flooring
Frustrated Darlington goalkeeper Andy Collett last night revealed he is still waiting to hear whether he has a long-term future at the club. The highly-rated No 1 held talks with manager Mick Tait and chairman George Reynolds at the end of last season
Real Life: Love On The Run (ITV1): Two weeks after her 16th birthday, Wendy Kelly ran away with married father-of-three Adrian Bristow, a man more than twice her age. Now 17 and a mother, Wendy said: "We are happy. I don't understand why people can't
PARENTS are being warned not to buy second-hand car seats for their children amid fears they may no longer meet European safety standards. North Yorkshire County Council is leading a campaign highlighting the fact that many car seat models manufactured
A CEREMONY attended by 150 civic dignitaries marked the handover of 22 miles of railway to a company. Councillors, mayors and council chairmen were among those celebrating with Wensleydale Railway plc at Leeming Bar station. The occasion saw a token,
A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (h/b Doubleday, £20) IF you mention Bill Bryson's name, most people think of wry asides and wide-eyed wanderings around everywhere from Aberdeen to Australia. But now the hugely successful travel writer
