COUNCIL TAX: DARLINGTON Borough Council has given notice that it intends to apply an 8.4 per cent increase to council for the year 2004-5. This follows increases of 12.2 per cent in 2002-3 and 7.3 per cent in 2003-4. These increases must be reviewed against
HUNDREDS of children will be able to watch the magic of spring at Darlington Arts Centre. Cleveland Independent Theatre Company is staging The Sleeping Garden at the centre from February 21 to March 12. The performance is aimed at children aged two-and-a-half
EVEN without jungle fever, the commercial channels are clogged with celebs telling us how to live, cook, clean, eat, holiday, lose weight and, once more, how to drive. Learner Drivers (ITV1, Friday) is listed as a new series. "That's absolute rubbish,
TWO weeks ago I was privileged to be invited to a press preview down in London of some of the gardens which will be on display at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. This took place in the Royal Horticultural Society Conference buildings, and was attended
THE summer of '86. Bank Top Station, Darlington. A couple of kids are bawling their eyes out. They're leaving home for the first time, embarking on the journey of life. It will turn one of them into the greatest striker of his generation and will leave
FORMER air hostess Alex Best was last night evicted from the jungle in the ITV show I'm a Celebrity ...Get Me Out Of Here. The estranged wife of shamed football legend George Best has already confided that the couple will divorce once she arrives home
RESIDENTS on a Darlington estate say they are plagued by youths who throw stones and mud at their windows. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said the problem had been going on for some time on Skerne Park. "It's mainly lads, but some girls too
HUNDREDS of youngsters abandoned their school uniforms yesterday in a bid to save their cash-strapped football team. Pupils at 16 schools in Darlington wore football shirts and other casual clothes to raise money for the town's foorball club, which is
THE planting of an oak sapling yesterday marked the completion of a £1.5 million improvement scheme on one of County Durham's busiest roads. The costly project, which has created a new roundabout at the junction of the A167 and the B6312 at Plawsworth
THREE former steelworkers marked a milestone in their thriving business when they launched its £250,000 headquarters yesterday. When the British Steel works in Consett closed in 1980 it struck a blow, from which the town is still recovering. Former steelworker
COUNCIL TAX DARLINGTON Borough Council has given notice that it intends to apply an 8.4 per cent increase to council for the year 2004-5. This follows increases of 12.2 per cent in 2002-3 and 7.3 per cent in 2003-4. These increases must be reviewed against
A STRUGGLING cricket club hit the jackpot when it teamed up with a set of supporters with a head for business. Advisors from the Wear Valley Development Agency showed they were on the ball by turning around Crook Cricket Club's fortunes on and off the
AN award-winning scheme to put maps of County Durham on the Internet is to be extended. Durham County Council won the Association for Geographic Information National Award 2003 with its School Mapping Project. The project has put maps, past and present
MOST people with arthritis would not consider running, let alone attempting a half-marathon. But Eileen Leonard, 54, does not allow the arthritis she has in both her knees to stop her raising money for St Teresa's Hospice. This year she will take part
THE Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have joined forces to lead a campaign to improve literacy and numeracy in the North-East. The campaign, Get On North East, will target an estimated 400,000 adults who have
SECTIONS of footpath and nature trail at a nature reserve are being closed for work on a habitat development scheme. Some areas of Durham Wildlife Trust's centre at Low Barns, Witton-le-Wear, will be closed off on weekdays from next Wednesday for up to
A SAFETY scheme for pedestrians on a city's narrow road starts this month. Work on providing traffic-calming and easier pedestrian access at High Saint Agnesgate, near Ripon Cathedral, means the road will be closed for a fortnight from February 23. The
THE health of villagers in the North Yorkshire Moors valleys and the welfare of wildlife are being put at risk by controlled burning of heather, it has been claimed. The National Park authority is to investigate calls for a rethink on the practice by
PROTESTORS have lost their appeal against a decision to allow a large animal incinerator to be built. They had been seeking High Court permission to challenge the planning authority's approval of the scheme near Charltons, in east Cleveland. Protestor
A FAMILY were in tears yesterday after a two-day rescue operation to save their pet puppy that fell down a crevice was called off. Fire crews, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue and an RSPCA officer spent most of yesterday trying to save the three-month-old
MORE than £18m is to be spent on new NHS surgeries and clinics in the region, it was announced yesterday. The money will be spent in the Tees Valley and South Durham during the next two years. Private and public partnership organisation the Local Improvement
SUNDERLAND'S stars have been thanked by chairman Bob Murray for declining the offer of receiving an advance on their wage deferrals. In August the players agreed to deferrals in a bid to help the Black Cats through a spell which threatened the club's
FORMER air hostess Alex Best was last night evicted from the jungle in the ITV show I'm a Celebrity ...Get Me Out Of Here. The estranged wife of shamed football legend George Best has already confided that the couple will divorce once she arrives home
PARENTS from two village schools threatened with closure have promised to unite to build the best possible future for their children's education. At a public meeting about proposals to close Eldon Lane and Dene Valley Primary Schools families promised
COUNCILLORS are calling on the Government to reconsider Durham for relocation of public sector jobs from London. Chancellor Gordon Brown has pledged to move 20,000 public sector jobs to ease pressures in the capital and boost economic growth in the North
TWO of the country's premier storytellers will entertain children at a new festival. Ten Durham libraries will take part in the week-long festival for children and families, aimed at encouraging young children to read. Award-winning professional storyteller
A FAMILY were in tears yesterday after a two-day rescue operation to save their pet puppy that fell down a crevice was called off. Fire crews, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue and an RSPCA officer spent most of yesterday trying to save the three-month-old
CLEVELAND Police have never been far from the headlines in the past ten years. In the early-1990s they were making news for all the right reasons as forces from around the country were keen to copy the success of Zero Tolerance. During the 1997 election
HUNDREDS of youngsters abandoned their school uniforms yesterday to help save their cash-strapped football team. Pupils at 16 schools in Darlington wore football shirts and other casual clothes to raise money for the town's football club, which is in
DARREN BYFIELD completed his move to Sunderland and was swiftly hailed as 'something different' by new boss Mick McCarthy last night. Byfield goes straight into the squad for today's trip to Watford following the player-exchange deal which saw Michael
A BOGUS caller stole almost £1,000 from a couple in their eighties after posing as a window cleaner. The man knocked on the couple's door in Westmoreland Street, Darlington, after spotting a "wanted" sign in their window for an electric fire. He was invited
From stand-up comedian to quiz team captain to actor, Sean Hughes has made a career out of having lots of careers. He tells Nick Morrison about his low boredom threshold. HE'S proved so elusive that when the phone rings and an adenoidal-voice says "It's
THE Audit Commission has been called in to investigate how millions of pounds has gone missing from a troubled police force's budget. Officials from the independent spending watchdog will examine how part of the shortfall - a "rolling committed cost"
DARREN BYFIELD completed his move to Sunderland and was swiftly hailed as 'something different' by new boss Mick McCarthy last night. Byfield goes straight into the squad for today's trip to Watford following the player-exchange deal which saw Michael
THE search is on for Darlington's best young singer to perform a solo at a Last Night of the Proms concert. Youngsters aged 12 to 18 are invited to enter Music for Darlington's Young Soprano Competition 2004, supported by The Northern Echo and sponsored
A UNION is warning of a "brain drain" of academics from North-East universities if staff strike action is rejected. The Association of University Teachers (AUT) believes that up to 2,000 academics could leave the UK each year if members vote against industrial
Q I draw a Post Office pension of £130 each week, plus my late husband's NCB pension of £346 a month. My savings are £6,000. I hate form-filling and wonder if it is worthwhile my claiming help with my council tax of £58 a month. A Not worthwhile, I am
MICKY Nelson could be in unfamiliar company this afternoon. Hartlepool United go to Barnsley without suspended right back and skipper Micky Barron. And with new signings Hugh Robertson and Scott Walker likely to start at Oakwell, Nelson's only regular
He may have been celebrated as much for his hell-raising as his acting, but Jack Nicholson tells Steve Pratt why he finally decided to act his age - well almost. HE'S wearing dark glasses but Jack Nicholson isn't using them to hide the bleary-eyed results
A GUNMAN kidnapped a toddler after dragging her screaming mother from a car, police said yesterday. The girl was taken on a two-mile ride with North-East police in pursuit, before the gunman dumped the vehicle and fled on foot. The car jacking was part
A RAT shot across. "Let's give it a good spooning," shouted John Lydon as he scurried about the camp with a silly smirk on his face and a wooden cooking utensil in his hand. It was a ridiculous moment and, watching it, it was hard to believe what Lydon
THE number of people being declared bankrupt has soared by nearly a third during the past year to its highest level for more than a decade. During the final three months of 2003, 10,271 people in England and Wales became insolvent, 12 per cent more than
THE Audit Commission has been called in to investigate how millions of pounds has gone missing from a troubled police force's budget. Officials from the independent spending watchdog will examine how part of the shortfall - a "rolling committed cost"
A MAN who duped a pensioner out of £29,100 has been jailed for 21 months. Durham Crown Court was told how the 82-year-old victim, from the Darlington area, and who had a history of angina, found his life savings gone and his account overdrawn. Paul Newcombe
A FOOTBALL fan who was banned from watching his team after he fell asleep at a game has spoken of his relief at being given his season ticket back. Lifelong Middlesbrough supporter Adrian Carr was given a two-year conditional discharge by magistrates
Jonny Wilkinson was last night ruled out of the entire 2004 RBS 6 Nations Championship. England's worst fears have been realised with the news that their World Cup match-winner must undergo an operation on his right shoulder next Wednesday. It is anticipated
A MUSEUM that gives visitors the warmest of welcomes has been named the friendliest place in the country for a family day out. Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum, in Upper Weardale, County Durham, came top in The Guardian newspaper's Family
REMEMBER the children's song about the world of darkness and the little candle burning in the night? It flickered to mind last Sunday, the Feast of Candlemas. St Peter's church in Bishop Auckland sits amid rows of Victorian terraces, humdrum and hilly
MERCHANTS FRIEND should arrive on cue to deliver the goods in this afternoon's £50,000 Agfa Diamond Chase at Sandown. Charlie Mann's chaser has been threatening to pick up a high-profile staying race over the last couple of seasons and with both track
LETTERS have been dropping through letterboxes urging people to help a local council to identify a rogue rooster which has been ruffling feathers in a quiet village. Richmondshire District Council received complaints about tranquil mornings in Scorton
plans for the region's most eco-friendly housing estate rest in the hands of one inspector. Planning inspector Shelagh Bussey will rule on whether to allow the energy efficient estate, called Hall Gardens, to be built in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
A HEARTBROKEN family have urged young drivers to be more careful after a teenager was locked up yesterday for a crash that killed a schoolgirl. Lee Leonard, 18, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in a young offenders' institution after he crashed his
A WOMAN, whose sister was killed by an Internet lover, is returning home to the UK on Sunday without the Algerian husband she met on-line. Following their "fairytale marriage" in the remote North African village of Ighil Ali three weeks ago, Valerie Joice
Speculation was mounting last night that 19 cockle pickers who drowned after they were trapped by racing incoming tides were exploited migrants working for ruthless gangmasters. The victims - 17 men and two women - were among a group of mainly Chinese
Stephen Hepples continues his ambitious drive towards Olympic Games selection in today's AAA Indoor Championships and World Championships Trials at Sheffield. The 24-year-old Loftus AC member, who was discovered winning a low-key village fun-run at Hinderwell
STEVE McCLAREN believes Middlesbrough's loan star Bolo Zenden has proved just how much he cares for the club. Zenden is beginning to find his best form since moving to the Riverside until the end of the season from Chelsea last summer. McClaren revealed
A BRITISH man who spent eight years in jail in India for his role in an illegal arms drop has vowed to continue to try to clear his name. Peter Bleach, 42, who was arrested with five Latvians in December 1995, after a large consignment of weapons was
SIR BOBBY ROBSON is trying to convince Craig Bellamy that he is fit to start Newcastle United's clash with Leicester City at St. James' Park this afternoon. The Wales striker, who underwent career-saving knee surgery in the United States and only made
YOUNG people are being helped into an Army career thanks to a job creation partnership. Easington Action Team for Jobs and the Army Careers Information Office, in Durham, have joined forces in a bid to help the area's young unemployed people. For the
DETECTIVES hunting a killer praised residents for their help in the investigation. Scott Pritchard was found unconscious outside his home in Lindsay Close, Sunderland, at about 7pm on January 7. He later died. A police spokesman said: "We have had a fantastic
A SIXTH form student from Darlington has received an award from Teesside University. Stacey Thornborough, 17, received a certificate and book token from the university in recognition of her achievements in mathematics. Stacey, a student at Darlington's
WORK is under way on a former pub which is being transformed into a doctors' surgery, in a £2.1m project in Darlington. Netherlaw Surgery, in Stanhope Road, is moving into the disused Blacketts pub in Bondgate. The former pub, which was previously the
A NURSE was kicked in the face and had graffiti drawn on her during a robbery by a gang of teenage girls, a court heard yesterday. The 20-year-old victim was on her way to meet her boyfriend when she was approached by the gang near Darlington Civic Theatre
Ideas from students at St John's RC School, Bishop Auckland, won the £500 first prize in an Enterprise in Construction Challenge competition. The team, led by teacher Paula Watson, designed an entertainment complex with a cinema, bowling alley and restaurant
SEDGEFIELD Borough Council has declared an amnesty on abandoned or unwanted vehicles and will dispose of them without charge. The council has the power to remove all abandoned vehicles and to recover what can become considerable costs from the vehicle
MICKY Nelson could be in unfamiliar company this afternoon. Hartlepool United go to Barnsley without suspended right back and skipper Micky Barron. And with new signings Hugh Robertson and Scott Walker likely to start at Oakwell, Nelson's only regular
PUB regulars have been asked if they will chip in to buy their local - even though the landlord has already been given permission to convert the building into homes. When the New Inn, in Hunton, closed some time ago, customers went to the The Countryman
Bishop Auckland manager Brian Honour has told his players not to get carried away after five successive wins. Bishops have won the UniBond Team of the Month award for their January exploits, and in midweek they reached the Durham Challenge Cup final.
A THEATRE company is desperately seeking a camel skeleton and a life-size replica horse for its latest production. The stage management team at Northern Stage, in Newcastle, has already located three rocking horses, a grandmother clock, a tin bath and
AN appeal set up to help a young burns victim who died before she could have life saving surgery is to continue to help others. Kind-hearted Teessiders raised £8,000 to bring seven-year-old Romanian Mariana Nechitescu to Britain where plastic surgeon
COMMUNITY groups and charities in the North-East are celebrating after receiving almost £1.75m. Fifteen groups have benefited from the Community Fund which receives 4.7p out of every £1 spent on the National Lottery. Carers Together received £97,928 to
THE clock tower in a Middlesbrough park has been dismantled for restoration. As part of the final works in the £4.4m restoration of Albert Park, all the historic monuments are to be refurbished, including the clock, sundial, fountain and main gates. The
A CATTERICK dog trainer is hoping her new venture will be a success. Fiona Kermode, 23, worked at Richmond's Abbey Mill Kennels until it closed. She was determined to continue working with animals and has obtained a national diploma in dog training from
CAMPAIGNERS fighting council cuts in Harrogate may have won a reprieve for Starbeck Baths and the town's International Festival. Funding for both seemed uncertain as Harrogate Borough Council tried to balance its books for the coming financial year. However
A COUNCIL has issued its 100th certificate of inspection to a company. The community protection service of Middlesbrough Council issued Teesside Hospice Trading Limited with the certificate as proof that the organisation is up to scratch when it comes
Television used to be very much the poor relation of the big screen, but now the line between the two is becoming increasingly blurred. THE budget was $60m. The cast features some of Hollywood's most applauded stars led by Al Pacino and Meryl Streep.
A COUNCILLOR has received some unusual gifts which he hopes he can auction to raise money for his chosen charity. Councillor Peter Porley, chairman of Middlesbrough Council, is hoping to raise money for The Prostate Cancer Ward at James Cook University
HOSPITAL staff opted for the over-the-top look during a national awareness and fundraising campaign. Workers at the Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, donned the loudest and silliest ties in their wardrobes to help the charity Beating Bowel Cancer raise
A NORTH-EAST company is helping one of the country's biggest soft drinks manufacturers to keep track on its hundreds of products. Agility Systems, at Lingfield Point, Darlington, is working on a phased project for Calypso, updating its manufacturing,
CONTROVERSIAL engineering and support services group Jarvis has announced that the boss of its accommodation services business is stepping down. Jarvis said it had accepted the resignation of Andrew Sutton, the chief executive of the division, with regret
SPORTS Minister Richard Caborn has pledged to ask Sport England to re-examine the case for funding a new pool for Guisborough. More than 3,500 people signed a petition against Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's proposal to close the pool earlier this
A COMMEMORATIVE plate has been created to celebrate the tenth anniversary of a social group. Artist Isabel Hamilton painted a plate to mark the first decade of the Evergreens, a club for the over-50s based at Bishop Auckland Town Hall. Miss Hamilton has
A CHURCH with a difference has been set up in Middlesbrough. A band with drums, electric guitar, keyboard and singers lead the congregation at the Jubilee Church Teesside, based at Middlesbrough's Macmillan College. About 200 people of all ages meet at
THE first royal salute of the year was fired in York yesterday by gunners recently returned from Iraq. The 19-strong firing party, from 40 Regiment Royal Artillery based in Topcliffe, Thirsk, fired a 21-gun salute in the city's Museum Gardens to mark
THE boss of cable company ntl's North-East operation is to leave his job to take up a role with the firm in the Midlands. Vas Agridhiotis, 37, hopes to repeat his North-East success when he becomes managing director of a newlyformed ntl region that includes
Tow Law manager Steve Smith is hoping for better defending from his team in their relegation battle against Washington today. Lawyers scored twice in the last minute to grab a point in a 4-4 draw at Chester-le-Street in midweek, and Smith said: "Some
A SMARTLY-DRESSED gang of thieves who stole thousands of pounds in an audacious robbery at a North-East building society have been jailed. The four men, all from Liverpool, wore suits and carried briefcases to avoid suspicion when they carried out the
SIR BOBBY ROBSON is trying to convince Craig Bellamy that he is fit to start Newcastle United's clash with Leicester City at St. James' Park this afternoon. The Wales striker, who underwent career-saving knee surgery in the United States and only made
He may have been celebrated as much for his hell-raising as his acting, but Jack Nicholson tells Steve Pratt why he finally decided to act his age - well almost. HE'S wearing dark glasses but Jack Nicholson isn't using them to hide the bleary-eyed results
FANS of the guitar band Alfie can see the musicians in the North-East next week. To celebrate the expansion of Concepts Record store, currently situated on Framwellgate Bridge, Durham, to larger premises in North Road, the EMI-signed band will be playing
DAVID HODGSON has promised to waste no more time and hands Sunderland striker Neil Teggart his debut at Huddersfield this afternoon. The 19-year-old last night put pen to paper on a one-month loan at the Reynolds Arena after French midfielder Fabien Bossy
MARTIN Shaw will make his first Zurich Premiership appearance of the season for Newcastle Falcons at Gloucester today. The injuries to Jonny Wilkinson and Michael Stephenson, plus the absence of Ben Gollings on England Sevens duty, have forced the Falcons
TWO weeks ago I was privileged to be invited to a press preview down in London of some of the gardens which will be on display at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. This took place in the Royal Horticultural Society Conference buildings, and was attended
DAVID HODGSON has promised to waste no more time by handing Sunderland striker Neil Teggart his debut at Huddersfield this afternoon. The 19-year-old last night put pen to paper on a one-month loan at the Reynolds Arena after French midfielder Fabien
A TAXI driver has been given a final warning for refusing a fare from a blind woman and her guide dog. William Jukes, from Carr-ville, near Durham, yesterday appeared before Durham City Council's licensing panel accussed of breaching the Disability Discrimination
IF the managers of a business failed to spot the fact that millions of pounds were missing from their budget, it would not be long before heads rolled. It should be no different at Cleveland Police, which has suddenly discovered a "black hole" of millions
THE budget was $60m. The cast features some of Hollywood's most applauded stars led by Al Pacino and Meryl Streep. The director's past hits include The Graduate and Working Girl. The original play won its author the Pulitzer Prize. In short, Angels In
REMEMBER the children's song about the world of darkness and the little candle burning in the night? It flickered to mind last Sunday, the Feast of Candlemas. St Peter's church in Bishop Auckland sits amid rows of Victorian terraces, humdrum and hilly
With the leading trio on cup duty, one-time leaders Cleadon SC have the opportunity to consolidate fourth position when they meet New Marske. Manager Doug Key has a full squad available and said: "New Marske are just a place behind us and although we
EVEN at his ripe old age in the game, Gary Speed can still live with the pace in football's fast lane. But when the 34-year-old lines up for Newcastle United against Leicester City at St. James' Park this afternoon, the salute on all sides of the Geordie
LETTERS have been dropping through letterboxes urging people to help a local council to identify a rogue rooster which has been ruffling feathers in a quiet village. Richmondshire District Council received complaints about tranquil mornings in Scorton
ARTIST Alena Matejkova has shattered records by creating the world's largest piece of kiln-formed glass. Weighing 30kg and measuring 1.4 metres by 1.8 metres, Alena's Magic Carpet atrwork surpasses anything produced before. The piece, which dominates
CONCERN continues to grow for missing teenager Chantelle Mowbray. The 15-year-old was last seen by her family in Eston, Middlesbrough, on the evening of January 26. Yesterday, the search, which has concentrated on the Teesside area, was widened into North
