The family that slays together Family (ITV1) PERHAPS ITV schedulers thought they were being clever screening the opening episode of their new London gangster drama on the same night that the godfather of Walford, Dirty Den, returned to EastEnders. All
Drivers LGV Class 1 and 2, Darlington, £16,044 to £17,087pa, 55hrs pw, must hold LGV Class C+E licence and be customer focused. Ref: DAE 36474. Stall members, Darlington, 40hrs pw full and part-time, required to serve customers and cooking, must have
ZIBELINE (2.20) is fully expected to make a winning debut over the sticks at Sedgefield this afternoon. Although the six-year-old gelding enters the jumping arena at a relatively late stage in his career, he's had a wealth of experience on the flat, where
WEST END hit musical Hello Dolly will be brought to life by the Northallerton Operatic Society. The production of Hello Dolly will be staged at the Hambleton Forum, Northallerton, from Monday, October 27, until Saturday, November 1, each evening at 7.30pm
FOR the first time Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party is under serious scrutiny. Against this background, there was more interest than usual in the traditional Monday conference address by the Chancellor, the only potential pretender to the party
There's a Tiger at Roseberry Grange Golf Club, but he spends most of his time in the kitchen, not on the course. WHAT for 16 years has been the municipally owned Roseberry Grange Golf Club was until 1968 West Pelton colliery, known to its hoary handed
TWO crack addicts who carried out a spate of armed robberies to fund their habit were jailed by a judge yesterday. Geoffrey Baker and Keith Lupton, both 25, admitted carrying out four robberies in five days in Darlington and Stockton last month. Teesside
FAMILIES of three Scarborough 17-year-olds killed in a road crash two years ago returned to the scene to erect plaques in their memories. Gary Westwood, of Kingfisher Close, Crossgates, Edward Nicholson, of Abbots Garth, Seamer, and Chris Jones, of Harford
A TEAM of inspectors has given Stockton fabrication firm AK Engineering Services important accreditation. The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) gave its approval to the company's in-service inspection of pressure systems. David Boxall, inspections
TWO events promoting home security will be held in Hartlepool to coincide with the darker nights. The Lights Against Crime sessions will be held at the premises of Storm Electrical, in Whitby Street, on Saturday, and again on Saturday, October 25, from
NEWCASTLE UNITED are preparing a Christmas raid for world-class Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert. Classy Kluivert's future at Barcelona is in considerable doubt after the breakdown several times of contract negotiations. The 27-year-old has signalled his
UNIVERSITY students in Sunderland have taken to the airwaves with their own radio station. Utopia FM is broadcasting on 102.4 MHz until Friday, featuring music, chat and competitions, student-produced documentaries, dramas and comedy shows. It has also
UNIVERSITY students in Sunderland have taken to the airwaves with their own radio station. Utopia FM is broadcasting on 102.4 MHz until Friday, featuring music, chat and competitions, student-produced documentaries, dramas and comedy shows. It has also
RESIDENTS are to carry out pollution checks around the boundary fence of a chemical complex. Volunteer samplers are to be trained to carry out tests around the edge of the Wilton International cluster of chemical firms, near Grangetown. Giving volunteer
A NATIONWIDE hunt began last night after two teenage sweethearts went on the run together. Paul Baxter, 16, and Christine Rylance, 14, pictured, were last seen together outside the gates of her school, Harton Comprehensive, in South Shields, at about
UNIVERSITY students in Sunderland have taken to the airwaves with their own radio station. Utopia FM is broadcasting on 102.4 MHz until Friday, featuring music, chat and competitions, student-produced documentaries, dramas and comedy shows. It has also
A TEENAGER is counting down the hours until he sets off on a trip of a lifetime. Sean Traynor, 14, who suffers from spina bifida, has been given the chance to spend ten days in Florida thanks to the Dreamflight charity. He will begin his trip on Saturday
ANDY Dibble makes a return to Victoria Park tonight, almost a year after his last visit led to Football Association charges, writes Nick Loughlin. The well-travelled former Hartlepool United goalkeeper was fined in February after abusing Pool supporters
BREWER SABMiller saw lager volumes rise eight per cent in Europe during the past five months, driven by a strong performance in Russia and the successful integration of Italian brewer Peroni. The world's second largest brewer, which bought Peroni in June
MUSIC and books group HMV said business since late April had been satisfactory, but said like-for-like sales were flat during the summer. The company, which floated on the stock market last year, said the record summer temperatures had an "inevitable
THE team behind Durham's trial radio station say their month-long broadcast was well received. Durham Local Radio (DLR), backed by a consortium of local businesses, including The Northern Echo, completed its second spell on air on Sunday. Like Durham
POLICE accident investigators are hoping to trace a motorcyclist who may have been with another biker just minutes before he was involved in a fatal accident. A Suzuki 750cc bike failed to negotiate a lefthand bend as it headed along the A19 northbound
A 75-YEAR-OLD priest appeared in court yesterday charged with indecent assault on boys. Patrick Fitzpatrick, of Holy Cross Home, Ettrick Grove, Sunderland, dressed in a blue jacket and walking with the aid of a stick, spoke only to confirm his name at
ONLY weeks after holding one of its most successful carnivals ever Seaham Town Council is already planning next year's event. The 2003 annual event, held at the end of July, attracted more than 15,000 people. Following a review of the carnival, the council
A SUPPORT group for carers of people with mental illnesses or addiction is being launched in Newton Aycliffe. The group, run by the Sedgefield Locality Carers Centre, will commenced on Wednesday, October 29, at the Coffee Bean cafe, in Newton Aycliffe
YOUNG dancers from Darlington have been auditioning for the chance to appear in a professional pantomime. Pupils from the Rachel Tiffany, Joanne Banks and Rachel Harrison schools of dance and the Born to Dance school took part in the audition for Goldilocks
A WAR veteran who says he injured his back loading a tank for the D-Day landings has lost his fight to get a disability pension. Charles Carter, 79, from Darlington, fell and hurt his back while taking a brake drum off a tank bound for France in 1943.
LEEK RESULTS: Results from the RAFA Leek Club show in Crook were: Leeks - 1 John Suffield 155 cubic inches, 2 Eric Johnson, 3 Derek Storey. Best leek in show: Eric Johnson. Intermediate leek: Malcolm Heslop. Blanched leek: Malcolm Heslop. Tray of vegetables
ZIBELINE (2.20) is fully expected to make a winning debut over the sticks at Sedgefield this afternoon. Although the six-year-old gelding enters the jumping arena at a relatively late stage in his career, he's had a wealth of experience on the flat, where
A maths teacher at a leading independent girls school was sacked for having an affair with one of his teenage pupils. At 34, Andrew Bolton was nearly twice the age of the sixth former. But he insisted at an employment tribunal that he only began seeing
TONY Blair makes the most important conference speech of his ten-year leadership this afternoon with yesterday's rousing words from Chancellor Gordon Brown still hanging in the air. The Chancellor wowed Labour's annual conference in Bournemouth with a
SICK children have a far greater chance of surviving a rare condition, thanks to pioneering work by a specialist medical team in the North-East. Youngsters whose immune system did not work properly used to need a bone marrow transplant, then had to spend
ARMY medics proved they don't take their charity role lying down - when they took to the streets to raise funds in memory of a soldier killed in Iraq. They put their backs into their work when they pushed a bed between two hospitals 25km apart. Medical
CHARTERED accountants and business advisors UNW has won praise for helping to secure £6m in Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grants for 12 North-East companies. The Newcastle firm says it has helped local businesses create and safeguard more than 1,200
SARA Maitland's first novel was commissioned before she'd written a word. Such a thing happening these days is unimaginable, she says. The Weardale-based writer was fortunate because, in the mid-1970s, there was a determination by publishers to produce
TEN-year-old leukaemia sufferer Michael Fogarty has continued to make an outstanding recovery from the disease. He has just started at Hurworth House School and is getting back into the sports he has always loved, which include rugby and football. The
Colleagues of three Greek doctors convicted over the death of a British holidaymaker were staging a 24-hour strike today in support of the medics. The walkout by doctors happened at the Rhodes hospital where Christopher Rochester, 24, from Chester-le-Street
RAIL chiefs came under fire last night for cutting two important services in the North-East. Andy Hyams, director of transportation for the Tees Valley Partnership, said the cutbacks in services between Teesside and Tyneside were a backward step for the
A CHARITY worker says he has just five days to save the life of a seven-year-old child torched by the Russian mafia. Mariana, who lives in Romania, suffered 85 per cent burns after a gallon drum of petrol was poured over her and set alight. Teesside plastic
Whether or not September's Manager of the Month award will be winging it's way to the Reynolds Arena, Darlington boss Mick Tait last night admitted he couldn't care less as long as his side is winning. The Quakers boss is one of the leading contenders
PENSIONS: SINCE I retired in 1994 my council tax has risen by over 105 per cent. During that time the joint income of my wife and myself has risen by less than 65 per cent, and that includes the £200 winter fuel allowance. It is time we pensioners stood
FEES charged for rodent control in Richmondshire are to remain, despite the decision by a neighbouring authority to scrap them. Hambleton District Council introduced charges for its rat-catching service on April 1 this year - but has already agreed to
HUNDREDS of people have indicated their support for planned changes to the way traffic is managed in the market town of Northallerton. Residential and business addresses within a five mile radius of Northallerton - a total of 9,000 properties - were sent
THE victim of a knife attack has spoken of her fear of stepping outside her home - even though her attacker is behind bars. Julie Cummins was slashed down the side of her face with a Stanley knife, leaving her needing more than 50 stitches. She said the
X-RAY specialists Bede plc has expressed a "cautious optimism" to the City after seeing the beginnings of an improvement in its order books. The company has been hoping for a resurgence in the semiconductors industry, believing it is well placed to take
CLEVELAND Police were under pressure last night to bring in an outside force to investigate an alleged cash-for-guns scandal. The force's credibility was being questioned after chief constable Sean Price announced yesterday that there would be an internal
WENSLEYDALE Rugby Union Football Club juniors of Leyburn, were invited to put up a team of eight and nine-year-olds for an exhibition match at Headingley. Along with three other teams from Yorkshire junior clubs Leyburn provided the half-time entertainment
MARCUS STEWART last night warned Sunderland to stand up to the First Division bullies or risk missing out on promotion. The experienced Black Cats striker will lead the line against his former club Ipswich Town tonight before making the trip to Sheffield
MIDDLESBROUGH are waiting to hear whether defender Franck Queudrue will face a trial by video for his part in Southampton striker Kevin Phillips' sending off. Former Sunderland man Phillips, a Boro target in the summer, was shown the red card by referee
YOU might like to be reminded that your taxes pay for the work of the Family Planning Association which has just produced a sex education booklet for children from the age of nine. Part of the "education" in this sixteen page booklet is advice on techniques
Workshop vehicle technician, Northallerton. £7ph plus bonus, 39hrs pw, 8.30am to 5pm, Mon-Fri. Must be skilled, preferably with Toyota experience and be able to carry out MOT testing. Ref: NOE 20115. Office person, Leeming Bar. £5 to £5.50ph, 37.5hrs
MIDDLESBROUGH FC manager Steve McClaren and his players switched sports yesterday when they took to the race track. McClaren and 28 members of the senior squad and the under-21s team, were at Teesside Autodrome, at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, to open
A 14-YEAR-OLD girl is recovering after being indecent assaulted near her home. Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the man around the Pears Terrace area of Shildon, County Durham, on Sunday night. The girl was walking home at about 9pm
HUNDREDS of pupils in the region are receiving free school milk this week as part of a campaign to improve primary children's health. The campaign to put milk back on the menu in schools is part of School Milk Week, which runs until Friday. Only 25 per
Repair hand, Consett. 10hrs pw, between 8.30am and 5.30pm, over 7 days. Sewing machine and overlocker experience an advantage. Ref: CON 16542. UPVC window/conservatory fitter, Consett., 38hrs pw, 9am to 5pm, Mon-Fri. Must be age 21-plus with full driving
THREE people hurt in accidents on the region's roads over the weekend were described yesterday as comfortable in hospital. Steven Pettit, 37, of Scarborough Road, Norton, North Yorkshire, was hurt crossing the road shortly after midnight on Saturday.
A WARNING was given yesterday that a village's Bonfire Night event will be scrapped if there is any repeat of last year's trouble. The event at Gainford, near Darlington, was wrecked last year by hooligans. There was a suggestion that this year's display
MORE details of a £45m development which is set to transform a North-East town centre have emerged. The layouts and artist's impressions are included in outline plans for a major redevelopment in Darlington, which includes a shopping centre, an 85,000
There's a Tiger at Roseberry Grange Golf Club, but he spends most of his time in the kitchen, not on the course. WHAT for 16 years has been the municipally owned Roseberry Grange Golf Club was until 1968 West Pelton colliery, known to its hoary handed
A series of meetings is planned to focus on the region's continuing poor record in small business start-ups. Chartered accountants will hold talks next month with representatives of regional development agency One NorthEast, Business Link and the Small
MEETINGS will be held across Hartlepool this week to give residents and businesses a chance to say how well the local authority is performing. It is part of an initiative by Hartlepool Borough Council to improve its consultation with people. Councillor
THE telecoms watchdog's intervention on mobile phone charges may slow mmO2's revenue growth. The firm, formerly known as BT Cellnet, said growth would slow significantly in the next six months as a cut in termination rates - the price mobile firms charge
HUNDREDS of people have indicated their support for planned changes to the way traffic is managed in Northallerton. Residential and business addresses within a five-mile radius of the town - a total of 9,000 - were sent leaflets and questionnaires during
TRAVELLERS were treated to a spectacular send-off at the launch of a new train service yesterday. A jazz band, guests from the local community and rail enthusiasts gathered at Harrogate station to see the new service begin. Local Liberal-Democrat MP Phil
A RESIDENTS' focal point has undergone a transformation. Ayresome Community Centre, in Middlesbrough, started life in an old disused mobile classroom in a school yard. At a cost of £200,000 - much of it European and National Lottery money - the centre
FOUR interactive whiteboards have been installed in classrooms in Blessed John Duckett RC Primary School, Tow Law, thanks to a fund-raising campaign. Parents collected £2,000 by holding fairs and coffee mornings. Further donations to pay for the boards
CONNOISSEURS will be raising a glass to a North Yorkshire town next month when it holds its second beer festival. Richmond's Market Hall celebrates the art of brewing from Friday, October 17, when 25 real ales will be available. The Mayor of Richmond,
A FORMER judo coach faces a possible prison sentence after admitting indecently assaulting two boys. Wayne Burnham is accused of carrying out the acts on the boys, aged under 16, between January and October last year. He was arrested in October at his
WHAT began as a modest attempt to celebrate a Dales market town's artistic versatility has snowballed to become a ten-day festival which organisers admit has taken them by surprise. Masham has never held a programme of its own before, but next month it
AN award-winning farmer left the carcasses of more than half his flock of sheep to rot in his fields, a court heard yesterday. Derek Wearmouth had already failed to heed advice given over the disposal of dead livestock following an earlier inspection,
Family (ITV1): PERHAPS ITV schedulers thought they were being clever screening the opening episode of their new London gangster drama on the same night that the godfather of Walford, Dirty Den, returned to EastEnders. All it proved was that it will take
A crime-combating initiative is to be set up on the Yorkshire Coast next month with the start of a 24-hour security camera monitoring system. Scarborough Borough Council is taking over the closed-circuit television system (CCTV) from the police, running
TRUSTEES at the Baltic have given themselves more time to find a replacement for outgoing director Sune Nordgren. The deadline for applications, originally September 19, was extended until tomorrow. Mr Nordgren, who has been at the Baltic for six years
The closure of a register office service has been described as a bitter blow for residents. Seaham Town Council opposed Durham County Council's decision to transfer its local office for the registration of births, deaths and marriages to neighbouring
DOZENS of children will be bringing Shakespeare's work to life by performing in front of audiences in Richmond over the next two nights. The town's recently-restored Georgian Theatre Royal is one of a number of venues around the country hosting the Shakespeare
RAIL chiefs came under fire last night for cutting two important services in the North-East. Andy Hyams, director of transportation for the Tees Valley Partnership, said the cutbacks in services between Teesside and Tyneside were a backward step for the
MARCUS STEWART last night warned Sunderland to stand up to the First Division bullies or risk missing out on promotion. The experienced Black Cats striker will lead the line against his former club Ipswich Town tonight before making the trip to Sheffield
YOUNGSTERS are being encouraged to become wildlife-friendly during a series of school visits. Durham Police wildlife officer Sergeant Eddie Bell is helping to put the message across with the help of a feathered friend. He took a common buzzard, from his
The Learning and Skills Council Tees Valley and Connexions Tees Valley have extended the Celebration of Learning Awards 2003. Previously, the awards were only open to people aged between 13 and 19. But the Young Adult Achiever Award welcomes nomination
A DARLINGTON poetry group has been awarded almost £10,000 by the Arts Council England. Hydrogen Jukebox, Darlington's monthly cabaret-style poetry celebration, will use the £9,570 grant to bring Finnish and Dutch poets to the event. It will also be used
THE oldest church in Darlington has been saved after almost reaching its fundraising target of £95,000. A year after revealing that it faced a huge bill to replace dangerous wiring, St Andrew's Church, in Haughton, is to undergo extensive repair work.
DUTCH artist Maaike Draper-Albers has brought some famous landmarks together in one painting. She was commissioned to produce a work of art for Hummersknott School and Language College, in Darlington, on the theme of travel. Her montage features the Eiffel
A FORMER police inspector set off last night on a charity mission to help people at a school for the blind in Burma. Fred Farley, formerly with Darlington police, has spent months gathering supplies for the ten children who will be the school's first
A series of meetings is planned to focus on the region's continuing poor record in small business start-ups. Chartered accountants will hold talks next month with representatives of regional development agency One NorthEast, Business Link and the Small
People suffering from debt problems in the Cockerton and Branksome areas of Darlington can get help from a local service. Members of the Citizens Advice Bureau visits the Cable offices in Whitby Way and offers debt counselling before encouraging clients
A SHARP-EYED shopkeeper may have thwarted a raid on a business in the centre of Bishop Auckland at the weekend. Three men wearing balaclava helmets were seen in Westgate Road, behind Newgate Street, on Saturday night. Police believe they were planning
A SCHOOL football team is hoping for more success this season now that the players have a new strip. The year seven football team at Ferryhill Enterprise and Business College won the Bishop Auckland Schools District League last year. As a result the team
A HEROIN addict was offered a chance to get off drugs by a judge yesterday, after he admitting burglary and theft offences to feed his habit. David Williamson, 21, pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to burgling a house in Jenkins Drive, Bishop Auckland
RETIRED cement worker Billy Wilthew and his son, Robert, made it a family affair when they took the first two places at their village leek show. Although Billy Wilthew showed the biggest leeks, measuring 185.4 cubic inches, at the Frosterley show, in
A JOINT venture is helping the North-East aerospace sector to take off. Aerospace Systems and Technologies 2000 Ltd (AS&T), of Consett, and Royston Components Ltd, part of the Royston Engineering Group, in Newcastle, have joined forces to source components
Nothing like a bit of love and a good old facelick to bring some happiness into the lives of the sick and elderly... IT'S only the second time that Penny has been to the Age Concern day centre, but she makes herself at home, greets new friends, settles
A DEFIANT Gordon Brown came out fighting yesterday - shrugging off forecasts of economic doom with a passionate promise of five more years massive public spending. The promise went beyond the Government's three-year spending round to set out plans for
A COUNTY Court judge remained defiant last night after being found guilty of causing a drunken fracas in a kebab shop. David Messenger, said he planned to appeal against his conviction for being drunk and disorderly. He was also convicted of obstructing
UNIVERSITY students in Sunderland have taken to the airwaves with their own radio station. Utopia FM is broadcasting on 102.4 MHz until Friday, featuring music, chat and competitions, student-produced documentaries, dramas and comedy shows. It has also
THE organisers of one of the North-East's last surviving sheep shows have declared: "We are here to stay." They have also predicted that the show held at Langdon Beck, Forest-in-Teesdale, County Durham, will become one of the great showcases for the Swaledale
With more than 2,000 bottles in her collection, Irene MacGregor is passionate about perfume. Christen Pears meets her. WE rarely give the bottles of perfume on our dressing tables a second thought - a quick spray before work or going out - and when they're
LAW firm Watson Burton, which is based in Newcastle, has been shortlisted for Best Managed Firm in the MPF European Practice Management Awards. MPF is the Managing Partners Forum, a body made up of senior professionals from legal and accountancy practices
Family (ITV1): PERHAPS ITV schedulers thought they were being clever screening the opening episode of their new London gangster drama on the same night that the godfather of Walford, Dirty Den, returned to EastEnders. All it proved was that it will take
Earlier this month, an inquest heard how Beverley Fowler took her own life in Durham Prison after she was used to smuggle drugs into Britain. Emily Flanagan looks at the tragic chain which has led dozens of women from the Caribbean to the North-East.
THE Government was last night accused of failing to understand the important research bond between business and universities. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said product development would be seriously undermined by proposed changes to collaboration
TWO walkers trekked through the region yesterday on a 470-mile meningitis-awareness hike that began in Morpeth and finishes in Bournemouth, Dorset. Steve Dayman and Steve Fear set off from Northumberland on Saturday on a 23-day walk that will see them
A COUNTY Court judge remained defiant last night after being found guilty of causing a drunken fracas in a kebab shop. David Messenger, said he planned to appeal against his conviction for being drunk and disorderly. He was also convicted of obstructing
A BID to scrap a toxic fleet of former US warships in the North-East faced fresh delay last night. The Environment Agency confirmed it was asking for more time to consider a waste licence application from Able UK in Hartlepool . Able wants to increase
Detectives were last night investigating an allegation that a group of Premiership footballers sexually assaulted a teenager at a London hotel. A 17-year-old girl reported the alleged attack to police in central London at the weekend, Scotland Yard said
METHODIST minister Les Hann has revealed he will not be watching himself when he appears on national TV quiz The Weakest Link today. But his wife, Jill, and daughter, Charlotte, will be tuning in to see how he fares under a tough grilling from "Queen
A SILVER band is hoping to hit a chord with German tourists and help revive a dale's ailing economy. Members of Stanhope Silver Band are travelling to Germany today. The 56 musicians and their supporters will be acting as unofficial ambassadors for Weardale
FIVE puppies from a litter of 13 are looking for new homes. They are being rehomed by the National Animal Sanctuary Support League (NASSL), in Darlington. While eight have already found homes, NASSL is looking for suitable homes for the remaining four
Though the column's bark is invariably worse than its bite, last Tuesday's piece about Doghouse Cricket Club has had one or two straining at the leash. Chiefly, if unexpectedly, anxious to have their day are the peripatetic cricketers of Tooting Bec,
Richard Johnson's determination to establish himself at Test level has prompted him to cancel his honeymoon and fly out instead for England's tour to Bangladesh in just over a week's time. The Somerset pace bowler is due to marry this weekend, after which
A TEENAGE sports star has battled against the odds to be picked to play for his country. Graeme Henderson is only 15 but he has been chosen for the England Under-17 roller hockey side for the European Championships being held in Switzerland in November
A man and women ran off yesterday after crashing a car, which is thought to have been stolen. They drove away after colliding with a wall in Staindrop, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, and then abandoned the vehicle two miles away on the outskirts
An inquest into the death of a pensioner, who was dragged half a mile through a city centre under the wheels of a bus, was today unexpectedly adjourned after a coroner invoked legislation allowing representations to be made to the Director of Public Prosecutions
POLICE are appealing for help to trace a North-East shop worker after thousands of pounds went missing from a town centre store. Management at the Argos branch in the Newgate Centre, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, alerted police on Saturday after discovering
MILLIONS tuned in last night to watch soap legend Dirty Den make his EastEnders comeback after a break of 14 years. Viewers had to wait until the closing moments of the hit BBC1 soap before the original East End bad boy stepped out of the shadows and
SECONDARY school pupils in the region could be the next to benefit from brain-boosting pills. As exclusively revealed by The Northern Echo on Saturday the pills have already helped under-achieving junior school children in County Durham to improve learning
