A SPECIALIST team could be set up to clamp down on noise nuisances and provide a better deal for homeowners whose lives are blighted by noisy neighbours. Council bosses in York are to consider improvements to the way noise problems are dealt with, six
A kerbside recycling scheme will be launched in Darlington next week. The long-awaited system, which aims to encourage residents to recycle more domestic waste, is to be rolled out across the borough in three phases. Green recycling boxes have already
COUNCILLORS have blocked plans to build a detached home in a village near Fountains Abbey for the second time. Members of the Ripon area planning committee of Harrogate Borough Council refused to allow the plan. The scheme would have seen the home built
THE Royal Agricultural Society of England has announced the line-up for the agricultural conference, the Great North Meet. The conference on agriculture, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, takes place on November 7, at Camp Hill, Kirklington, near
CHILDREN may have to cross busy roads to find somewhere to play if plans to build on their green area are approved. A housing developer wants to build 25 homes on a public open space at Parkgate, in Eston, near Middlesbrough. But people living in the
SIR BOBBY ROBSON'S 200th game in charge of Newcastle proved a disaster as a dramatic sudden-death penalty shoot-out defeat destroyed their Champions League dreams. For Robson, it was Turin and the World Cup of 1990 all over again as Partizan coach Lothar
TROUBLEMAKERS picking on street wardens face prompt action in the courts, they were told last night. The warning was issued by Middlesbrough Council after the local authority successfully applied through the county court for a year-long injunction against
ADVICE workers are setting out their stall in a supermarket to shop for volunteers. The Wear Valley Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is marking Advice Week from Monday by holding daily sessions in Bishop Auckland's Asda store, in keeping with its theme -
A DREAM came true for Carla Morris when she enjoyed a day out at the zoo yesterday. She was given a chance to take a closer look at her favourite animals and feed them herself. Carla, 13, from Pontefract, was spending a day at Flamingo Land zoo and theme
INSEPARABLE Yorkshire Terriers Max and Lucy are looking for someone to offer them a loving home. The National Animal Sanctuary Support League (NASSL) in Darlington is hoping to re-home the pair together after their owners decided they could no longer
INSEPARABLE Yorkshire Terriers Max and Lucy are looking for someone to offer them a loving home. The National Animal Sanctuary Support League (NASSL) in Darlington is hoping to re-home the pair together after their owners decided they could no longer
A MAN who has been missing from home for almost six weeks may be in the North Yorkshire area, police believe. Paul Anthony Mulhall, 65, was last seen in his home town of Morecambe, Lancashire, on July 5, and fears are growing for his safety. He is 5ft
PLANS for a horse isolation unit for sick and imported animals near a Ripon village would seriously harm an area of outstanding natural beauty, a planning officer has said. Mike Warden recommended that Harrogate Borough Council turn down the application
A PROGRAMME of summer holiday activities at the central library in Hartlepool ended yesterday. Face painting, craft activities, painting and drawing were some of the events offered at the library during the school holidays. The project has been a success
One Over the Eight Jazz will be performing at Saltburn bandstand on Saturday, from 6.30pm to 8pm. In the event of bad weather the concert will be held at the Community Theatre in Saltburn. Redcar Silverwood will be performing at the bandstand on Sunday
A SCHEME to help children from Belarus enjoy a better life could be scrapped unless more North-East families can be found to help. Children from the region, which was devastated by the Chernobyl explosion in 1986, have been given breaks in the Barnard
I've had a lifetime's attachment to Trafalgar Square which dates back to early childhood and my favourite jigsaw featuring Nelson's Column and the famous lions. Long before I ever visited the capital, I had a clear vision in my head of one of the most
A woman who died in a house blaze, which also claimed the lives of two members of her family, was questioned on suspicion of arson only weeks earlier, it was revealed last night. Joanne Yates, 22, died in the fire at Pelham Street, Middlesbrough, along
TWO children's charities are thousands of pounds better off thanks to a mayor's year in office. Councillor Eileen Rochford, who was Durham's mayor in the year to May, chose the Butterwick Children's Hospice, in Stockton, and the Round Table Children's
A DARLINGTON man will run in the Moscow Marathon to raise money for a cancer charity. Steve Coupland began raising money for Breast Cancer Care after his wife, Christine, was diagnosed with the disease in June 1998. He decided to raise £10,000 by taking
A DARLINGTON man will run in the Moscow Marathon to raise money for a cancer charity. Steve Coupland began raising money for Breast Cancer Care after his wife, Christine, was diagnosed with the disease in June 1998. He decided to raise £10,000 by taking
MEMBERS of a Darlington church have joined forces with a charity that helps people in debt. Parishioners at Kings Church are supporting the work of the charity Christians Against Poverty (Cap), in Newton Aycliffe. Cap offers counselling, practical services
Visitors to Durham and Northumberland Fuchsia Society's annual show this weekend may be confused over the season when they see one of the floral creations on offer. Ray O'Brien, a leading member of the society, decided to produce a winter fuchsia theme
One Over the Eight Jazz will be performing at Saltburn bandstand on Saturday, from 6.30pm to 8pm. In the event of bad weather the concert will be held at the Community Theatre in Saltburn. Redcar Silverwood will be performing at the bandstand on Sunday
Youngsters who have volunteered to help clean up their area in twice-weekly two-hour litter picks during August are being rewarded with a party today. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's community safety wardens, Dave Grimwood and Michelle Nicholls
EIGHTY volunteers who give up their spare time to serve lunches to elderly people will be treated themselves when the tables are turned next week. The volunteers act as unpaid waitresses, handing out hot meals to senior citizens at nine day clubs which
EIGHTY volunteers who give up their spare time to serve lunches to elderly people will be treated themselves when the tables are turned next week. The volunteers act as unpaid waitresses, handing out hot meals to senior citizens at nine day clubs which
A RECRUITMENT event is takes place in Hartlepool this weekend in an attempt to fill 42 posts at a new Morrisons supermarket in the town. A two-day recruitment fair will be held at the Grand Hotel, in Swainson Street, Hartlepool, on Sunday and Monday.
A 17th Century stately home should not be divided up, councillors have decided. North Yorkshire County Council is keen to see Grade II-listed Grantley Hall, near Ripon, which it owns, remain in public ownership if possible. Members of the Ripon area planning
Scientists and medical staff are hoping to run the length of Hadrian's Wall in aid of charity. The group, from the Institute of Human Genetics, at the Centre for Life, in Newcastle, will run a 14-hour relay along the wall on Sunday, to raise funds for
A conman tricked a 96-year-old woman out of hundreds of pounds after posing as a council official. The man called at the pensioner's home on Tuesday saying he was a council worker who had come to repair her windows. She let him in and went to make a cup
BISHOP Auckland, of the Unibond League first division, have signed Northern Ireland under-19 international Carl Heiniger on his return to the region from Germany, where he had been playing for KSV Hessenkassel in one of German football's lower divisions
A SCHEME to help children improve in the classroom as well as on the football pitch began this week. Sunderland Football Club has teamed up with 15 schools in the Deerness Valley to launch a weekly programme of educational and sporting activities. It
MEMBERS of a church community have paid their final respects to a semi-retired priest who became a familiar figure in their parish. Father Michael McGovern spent recent years helping Father Michael Corbett, at St Joseph's RC Church, in Gilesgate, Durham
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon insisted yesterday he had not been part of any strategy to publicly name David Kelly as he sought to escape the political fall-out from the scientist's death. In his keenly awaited appearance before the Hutton Inquiry, Mr
A DOCTOR who is running 500 miles to improve the lives of young diabetics has been spurred on by his first success. Dr Bill Lamb's marathon effort aims to raise thousands of pounds to buy the latest treatment for his patients at Bishop Auckland and Darlington
A STRONGMAN competition to raise money for charity is being staged by four-times Mr Universe Eddie Ellwood. Mr Ellwood, who is flying out to take part in the World's Strongest Man competition in Zambia next month, is putting on a show before he goes.
THE hierarchy of regional development agency One NorthEast is about to change with a number of appointments. The contest for the agency's chief executive's post had its casualties, with director of operations Mark Henderson and director of strategy and
A MAN accused of indecently assaulting a six-year-old girl sent a letter of apology and £100 to her parents, a court was told yesterday. Alan Candlish, 53, of Hertford, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, met the girl, who cannot be named, when she asked to walk
FIREFIGHTERS watched yesterday as dozens of tonnes of hay were allowed to burn out. A suspected arson attack destroyed 145 tonnes of baled hay in a field on the road between Sedgefield and Great Burdon, on the outskirts of Darlington. Fire crews were
One NorthEast has a new man at the helm. Business Editor Mike Parker met the Liverpudlian whose first visit to the region sparked a 27 - year love affair. A BELOVED Ford Anglia, a record player and an inflatable lilo were the sum total of Alan Clarke's
KIEREN FALLON'S booking for Horner (2.15) may have significant overtones as far as today's opening two-year-old race at Chester is concerned. One of the principal advantages of regularly attending race meetings is the potential to assess the horses "in
FEARS have been raised that extra beds may not be provided at a new £97m hospital. The University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham city, has fewer beds than the hospital it replaced - Dryburn - and there have been calls for more. The Liberal Democrats
A NORTH-EAST woman has celebrated her 105th birthday. Eunice Bowman was born in 1898 in Lancashire, the second eldest of 11 children. The family moved to Gateshead when she was seven, when the cotton mills closed and her father travelled to the North-East
DOCTORS will continue to battle over the next 48 hours to save the leg of a woman who was crushed between two parked cars. The 45-year-old was standing between the cars when a purple Renault 19 lost control on a bend and mounted the footpath - hitting
MOTORISTS planning to appeal against speeding convictions because of illegal signs have been warned that courts do not have the power to re-open such cases. The move follows the cases of two police officers who escaped prosecution after they exceeded
Postal workers are on the verge of their first national strike for seven years. Nick Morrison looks at what the dispute is all about, and what it means for the future of the ailing Royal Mail. A GENERATION ago it was a source of national pride, a byword
PERHAPS it has something to do with the years of getting up and down all night to deal with crying babies. The constant bed-hopping. The worry of how much it's going to cost to get four of them through university. The mid-life crisis. Whatever's causing
RELIGIOUS tolerance and harmony was the main theme at a day-long series of events held in Darlington at the weekend. The second Khalsa Day, at the Darlington Gurdwara Sahib temple in Louisa Street, aimed to raise awareness of Sikh culture and was organised
A man was arrested on suspicion of murder today after the body of a pensioner was discovered. Police were called to Blackthorn Road, in Witham, near Chelmsford, at about 1.30am this morning after paramedics found the man, 68, during an emergency call.
Future aircraft carrier project: "I hope Swan Hunter and other companies secure as high a proportion of the work as possible. There is a great deal of confidence around but I do not think the final decision has been made about what proportion of that
THIS week's column comes to you all the way from Hell. Well, something pretty close. I'm in a shoe shop. Children's department. One-and-a-half weeks before the new school year starts. Empty boxes and tissue paper are strewn all over the floor. Children
A POLITICAL row has erupted following the arrest of an Iranian studying at Durham University in connection with a terrorist bombing in which 90 people died. Hade Soleimanpour, 47, was arrested at his flat in Gilesgate, on Thursday last week after a formal
DRINKERS raised more than £600 to help a mother-of-three receive urgent medical treatment after a fundraising stunt with a difference. A group of about 20 people donned their best Seventies gear and set off on a fancy dress pub crawl around Newton Aycliffe
EXPORTERS in the North-East are among the best in the country when it comes to generating overseas sales growth. According to the Business in Britain Report, by Lloyds TSB Corporate, 48 per cent of North-East firms have reported an increase in overseas
EUROPE: THE European Union is designed to meet the needs of all citizens locally, regionally, nationally and across the Union as a whole (HAS, Aug 23). The EU works using the principle of subsidiarity, meaning that problems are best resolved as near to
A cycling paramedic service is to be extended after proving to be a runaway success since its launch. Since May 2001 the service has dealt with around 2,000 emergencies in the congested centre of York. Most patients have been reached inside two minutes
IT is testament to Newcastle United's current frailty that Jonathan Woodgate looked ever so slightly ruffled last night. He always has an air of superiority about him on the pitch, as befits an elegant centre-back. While other Newcastle defenders show
YORKSHIRE were sufficiently competitive to stop Glamorgan running away with the game at Colwyn Bay yesterday, but they will have to bat superbly to achieve the win they need to stay in the promotion hunt. They did well in the morning to reach 422 and
PIONEERING wireless technology developed by a company in County Durham is attracting attention from around the world. Castle Auto ID, based in Barnard Castle, is gaining a reputation for its expertise and innovative products, which use the latest in wireless
A former policeman who drove a schoolgirl to the brink of suicide with sick text messages skipped court yesterday, because it interfered with his holiday. Former police constable Keith Miller, 33, is facing a prison sentence of up to six months for targeting
A MOTHER fought back tears this week as she told how she has been robbed of celebrating her eldest child's 21st birthday. Fifteen years ago, Margaret Lowther was murdered by her cousin, John Johnston, in an attack described by the trial judge as "revolting
Looking For Dad (C4): Watching The Detectives (BBC1): TRYING to find your long-lost father and dealing with the violent death of a loved one are difficult enough, emotionally, without having cameras peering over your shoulder. But there seems no shortage
AN innovative scheme to help disabled people in the Darlington area to get back into work could be extended after proving a big success. The Morrison Trust Job Brokering Service, based at the Morton Park Business Training Centre, is currently supporting
The prison service says it has no plans to change its policy after a convict was allowed to leave jail without a guard only to commit armed robberies. Politicians have demanded an inquiry after burglar Darren Williams was freed without supervision for
EVERTON will pull out of the race for Sunderland's Claudio Reyna if they sign Scottish midfielder Barry Ferguson. The Toffees have made a renewed £6m bid for Rangers star Ferguson as they seek a new middle-man following the breakdown of Sean Davis' switch
FORMER Darlington Harrier Mike Trees, 41, will represent Great Britain in the ITU World Duathlon Championships in Switzerland on Saturday. This is a gruelling event in which competitors must run ten km, cycle 40km and run 5km in mountainous conditions
Looking For Dad (C4): Watching The Detectives (BBC1): TRYING to find your long-lost father and dealing with the violent death of a loved one are difficult enough, emotionally, without having cameras peering over your shoulder. But there seems no shortage
MIKE Carr describes vividly the moment when he thought his wife had died, the joy of realising that she was getting better and the case that made medical history. As he had done every day for a fortnight, he'd rung the bell at the intensive therapy unit
AN advanced "robot" genes laboratory which will automatically process hundreds of blood samples for signs of disease may be built in the region. Scientists at the Teesside Genetics Unit hope to set up one of the first automated laboratories in the UK.
THE tragedy of Iraq hit home in Wear Valley communities this week with the death of a Royal Military Policeman in Basra. Warrant Officer Colin Wall, who grew up in Crawleyside, Weardale, was one of three military policemen killed in an ambush on Saturday
THE RURAL craft of ploughing was revived at the weekend. Competitors travelled from across the North of England and the Scottish Borders to take part in the annual Beamish Ploughing Match at the open air museum. Visitors were given a glimpse of a farming
A PROPOSED shake-up that could see 23 schools being closed in County Durham has attracted some positive feedback, according to the council's leader. A £300m plan to re-shape education in the county over the next 20 years has attracted 'great interest'
AN innovative scheme helping disabled people in the Darlington area get back into work could be extended after proving a big success. The Morrison Trust Job Brokering Service, based at the Morton Park Business Training Centre, is supporting 175 people
A PARAGLIDER had to be airlifted to hospital after being rescued on the Yorkshire Dales. Bill Bankes-Jones, 48, crashed on a hillside near Addlebrough after accidentally releasing his emergency parachute. Emergency teams had to abandon their vehicles
ONE of the country's best-loved actors will be celebrating the birthday next week of the renovated and extended Georgian Theatre Royal, in Richmond. Robert Hardy, whose roles have included Siegfried in All Creatures Great and Small, has supported the
ADVICE workers are setting out their stall in a supermarket to shop for volunteers. The Wear Valley Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is marking Advice Week from Monday by holding daily sessions in Bishop Auckland's Asda store, in keeping with its theme -
A COMMUNITY fun day brought scores of families together at the weekend. A procession travelling through the centre of Cockfield, in Teesdale, started the village's family fun day. Barnard Castle Youth Band led the parade, which carried banners and wore
The first pint is pulled at the 23rd Durham Beer Festival today. Organisers from the city's branch of the Campaign for Real Ale hope to revive the event, among the biggest in the North at its peak, to its former glory. Following smaller events at pubs
PERHAPS it has something to do with the years of getting up and down all night to deal with crying babies. The constant bed-hopping. The worry of how much it's going to cost to get four of them through university. The mid-life crisis. Whatever's causing
INTERNATIONAL swimmers Caroline Saxby and Chris Alderton met up with young stars of the future at development camps encouraging children to excel at the sport. Caroline, a double Commonwealth Games finalist, and Chris, who holds a European Youth Olympic
COUNCIL officials are urging residents to support a scheme that will see their district authority cease to exist. The Government is proposing to set up a regional assembly in the North-East. If this is approved, there will be a huge shake-up in local
SCHEMES where firefighters work with youngsters can greatly reduce the number of hoax 999 calls made, according to a report. The report provides the fire and rescue services with a directory of schemes that aim to educate young people in community fire
ONE of the region's popular attractions had some unusual overnight guests - two of the country's most famous aircraft. The former wartime bomber station at Elvington, near York, now houses the Yorkshire Air Museum and is no stranger to famous aeroplanes
TWO children's charities are thousands of pounds better off thanks to a mayor's year in office. Councillor Eileen Rochford, who was Durham's mayor in the year to May, chose the Butterwick Children's Hospice, in Stockton, and the Round Table Children's
SPORTY youngsters took to the field last night as part of a summer soccer school bringing the youth of Darlington together. More than 100 people have taken part in the Football in the Community programme, organised by the town's youth offending and community
ART DAYS: An art exhibition by users of the Durham Day Service will be held from Friday, September 5, to Wednesday, October 1, in the Lamplight Arts Centre, Stanley. CHARITY SHOW: Frank Wappat will compere a grand charity show in aid of Willow Burn Hospice
ORGANISERS of a sponsored dog walk hope they have raised more than £4,000 for an animal rescue charity. Five dogs were also re-homed at the fourth annual dog walk held by the Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (Sara), on Monday, at the Valley Gardens,
A MILLENNIUM project that was four years in the making is putting people in touch with the past. A dedicated team of enthusiasts have created 38 intricately stitched boxed-cushions that now have pride of place in the nave of Ripon Cathedral. Half of them
Hartlepool College Abbott A 1; Agapiou H 2; Ahmed Murad 2; Allan F 1; Anderson V 1; Barker T 1; Barron J 1; Bates V 2; Bennett A 1; Bennison C 1; Bell D 2; Best J 1; Blakelock P 1; Blaney A 1; Bone A 1; Boylan C 1; Brodie D 1; Burke-Leighton A 2; Buttriss
MEMBERS of a Darlington church have joined forces with a charity that helps people in debt. Parishioners at Kings Church are supporting the work of the charity Christians Against Poverty (Cap), in Newton Aycliffe. Cap offers counselling, practical services
Visitors to Durham and Northumberland Fuchsia Society's annual show this weekend may be confused over the season when they see one of the floral creations on offer. Ray O'Brien, a leading member of the society, decided to produce a winter fuchsia theme
BORN-AGAIN biker Paul Vause could not resist the lure of the open road when he took his 1000cc Honda for a Sunday morning ride on the A1(M) in North Yorkshire, a court heard yesterday. But as he headed north at Marton-le-Moor, near Boroughbridge, his
DANCING DEBUT: Rebecca Nicholson, 14, from Billy Row, Crook, makes her debut today as a dancer when she performs in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar at the Gala Theatre, Durham, at 7.30pm. COFFEE MORNING: A cultural diversity coffee morning, with food
ONE of the region's most successful women's rugby teams has been given a great start to the new season. The Thirsk Sharks have secured a sponsorship deal with specialist vehicle manufacturer Multidrive. "This is fantastic for the club," said team sponsorship
COLOUR-CODED areas are to be introduced in a recently revamped park. Albert Park, in Middlesbrough, is being divided into red, amber and green areas as part of a 12-week experiment. Dog owners will be asked to keep their dogs out of red areas, covering
POLICE were last night hunting a man who indecently exposed himself to two children. The incident happened near Brinkburn Avenue, Darlington, in an area known as the black paths. The man, in his 20s, exposed himself to the youngsters at about 6pm last
IT WAS billed as the biggest celestial event for 60,000 years. Astronomers across the country were polishing their telescopes in anticipation of the closest encounter with Mars than at any time since the Ice Age. Stargazers could make out surface markings
AFTER a £500,000 refurbishment, a nightclub has planned a gala reopening tomorrow. Fire eaters, stilt walkers and dancers will all ensure that the club, DH-1, in Durham City opens in style. Vimac Leisure, which owns DH-I and neighbouring Caf Rock in the
A TEAM of consultants is drawing up plans to regenerate the centre of a former mining town. Derwentside District Council has appointed Durham firm RPS to conduct a town centre study in Stanley. The brief includes preparing a redevelopment masterplan and
Sunderland High School The following pupils gained 11 GCSE passes: HD Bennett; AL Carter; M Dhillon; S Dhillon; SL Hardy; C Hutchinson; M Lowden; T Patel; LA Pattison; M Porter; R Rooks Scott; RWJ Temple; JJ Wills; DC Winter. The following pupils gained
TWO children's charities are thousands of pounds better off thanks to a Mayor's year in office. Labour councillor Eileen Rochford, who was Durham's mayor last year, chose the Butterwick Children's Hospice at Stockton and the Round Table Children's Wish
Forgotten man Mark Convery will be hoping to force his way back into Mick Tait's plans after impressing in last night's reserve defeat at home to Lincoln City. The 22-year-old enjoyed a lively outing at the Reynolds Arena despite Martin Gray's men succumbing
TWO teenagers are being quizzed by police after a stolen car crashed and burst in flames. The car careered into traffic lights and bollards in Middlesbrough after failing to stop for police officers, before it caught fire, early yesterday. The stolen
SCHEMES where firefighters work with youngsters can greatly reduce the number of hoax 999 calls made, according to a report. The report provides the fire and rescue services with a directory of schemes that aim to educate young people in community fire
CUSTOMS officials said they had no evidence of a organised bootleg cigarette racket involving Newcastle United fans, despite a number of recent seizures. It emerged last night that supporters on a flight from Belgrade earlier this month had abandoned
THIS is the face of the man detectives believe is responsible for the rape of a teenage girl. The sex attacker struck at about 9pm on Tuesday, July 22, after the teenager travelled by bus from Newcastle to Washington, getting off at Albany Way, opposite
THE widow of a soldier killed in Iraq has launched a bitter attack on the British Government. Sergeant Steven Roberts, an instructor at the Army Foundation College, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was one of the first British soldiers to die in the war
RESEARCH has revealed that many North-East students are not aware of funding to help them stay on at school. The Association of Colleges (AOC) has found that a high number of 16 to 18-year-olds do not sign up for education maintenance allowances, despite
VOLUNTARY groups in the North-East are urged to pick up copies of a guide to safe driving produced by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). The charity produced the guide to remind organisations that they have the same duty of care
THE sound of wedding bells could be heard in Soapland soon - as the happy couples beat each other around the head with them. In Coronation Street (ITV1), Mick the bent copper is down on one knee, a position which ensures he can't follow his usual practice
A DISABLED pensioner suffered a 'sickening' ordeal at the hands of a group of bullying youths. Detectives have appealed to witnesses, who went to the aid of the defenceless man, to come forward. The victim, in his seventies, who is confined to an electric
RESIDENTS fear children are in danger in a Darlington road that has become a well used route for heavy goods vehicles. People living in Lodge Street, near Haughton Road, are demanding that action is taken to to stop the road being used by so many heavy
BORED soccer fan Adrian Carr landed himself in court - after nodding off watching his team's defeat by Arsenal. The engineering machinist was arrested by police after Middlesbrough were hammered 4-0 by the North London side. Mr Carr, 28, of Caithness
A CHARITY wants to hear from disabled people in the region who use cannabis for medical purposes. Disability Now is conducting a survey into how widespread the use of the drug is as a pain reliever. It will consider whether disabled people should have
THE sound of wedding bells could be heard in Soapland soon - as the happy couples beat each other around the head with them. In Coronation Street (ITV1), Mick the bent copper is down on one knee, a position which ensures he can't follow his usual practice
PROPERTY developer Hammerson said demand for space in its shopping centres has remained strong, despite the slowdown in retail sales growth. The group described the first six months of this year as a period of progress, with pre-tax profits up to £47.4m
DEFENCE Secretary Geoff Hoon's defence of himself yesterday made fascinating watching as he muddied the waters. Quite deliberately, he denied making Dr David Kelly's name public but at the same time he said Downing Street had approved his every move.
A GAS company engineer was in a serious condition in hospital last night after suffering horrific injuries when a scaffolding platform he was working on crashed to the ground. The 47-year-old and his 24-year-old colleague were working on a building being
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren is keeping his fingers crossed that he does not miss out on another transfer target this week. Chelsea winger Boudewijn Zenden remains top of McClaren's wanted list before the closure of the transfer window on Sunday,
WEST Auckland Parish Council, in County Durham, is asking for views on a village bypass, and has called a public meeting at the Methodist Church on Monday at 7pm. Views will be passed to Wear Valley District Council.
BOOK lovers queued in the region yesterday to get their hands on a signed copy of one of this year's literary sensations. Reverend Graham Taylor, the vicar of Cloughton, near Scarborough, visited Ottakar's bookshop, in Darlington, to sign copies of his
THE prison service was last night under pressure to order an inquiry into how a convict was able to carry out a string of armed robberies after being allowed out of jail without a guard for a hospital appointment. Politicians demanded answers after hearing
NEWCASTLE boss Sir Bobby Robson last night admitted that his players were "distraught'' after their crushing Champions League exit. The Magpies' failure to qualify for the competition proper has cost them a £12m windfall. That is certain to impact on
DETECTIVES last night renewed their appeal for witnesses to the death of a takeaway owner. Ching Leung, 64, who lived next to the Blaydon Chop Suey House, in Clavering Road, Gateshead, was found dead in his takeaway at lunchtime on Monday. Police found
POLICE believe a teenage cyclist who died after he collided with a double-decker bus may not have had brakes on his bike. Andrew Atkinson, 15, of Villette Path, Sunderland, suffered serious head injuries when he was hit by the bus in Deptford Terrace,
VILLAGE residents are reclaiming their back streets through a new crimebusting initiative locking out people who blight their lives. An 18-month trial due to start in Coundon will see lanes behind terraced homes blocked off with gates to keep out people
A RESEARCH student at a North-East university goes back before a court tomorrow for his alleged involvement in a terrorist bombing which killed 90 people. The arrest of former Iranian diplomat Hade Soleimanpour, in Durham last Thursday, has sparked a
COMMUTERS had to find other forms of transport yesterday when bus drivers walked out in pursuit of a pay claim. But fears that roads in York would be gridlocked failed to materialise with some travellers opting to stay at home and many people deciding
