A WOMAN who spent her childhood fighting a double cancer battle and was told she would never have children has given birth. Kimberly Anderson, 21, has confounded medical experts by successfully giving birth to son Connor. The young mother endured intensive
A 26-year-old African asylum seeker today denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent to four women by deliberately infecting them with HIV through sexual intercourse. Musician Feston Konzani today appeared at Teesside Crown Court where he entered
DARLINGTON finally found a cure for their travel sickness in National Three North when they won 20-10 at Macclesfield to move seven points clear of the danger zone. Against the team promoted with them, they repeated last season's away win to move above
BUSINESSES and aspiring entrepreneurs in Wear Valley are to be given a helping hand at two information events next month. Wear Valley Development Agency will hold two advice surgeries for firms and individuals looking to start a venture or expand an existing
HISTORY buffs are being offered a free nostalgic trip into the past. Film archivists at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, have got together film depicting key periods in the town's history. The compilation, Middlesbrough on Film, will be introduced
AN organisation that gives a voice to people with learning difficulties in County Durham has received a £30,000 grant from a bakery chain. The Greggs Trust has awarded the grant to the Lanchester-based Speaking Up Groups to help with funding over the
A DEVELOPMENT agency working to bring jobs and prosperity to the Wear Valley district has two new men at the top. Retailer Paul Robinson and lawyer Anthony Walters have new roles at the Wear Valley Development Agency, which supports hundreds of businesses
TENANTS expecting building improvements to their council homes are being duped into paying out cash by bogus callers. The conmen, posing as housing officials, demand about £60 as a registration fee, warning residents that those who do not pay up will
A campaign has been launched in east Durham in a bid to wipe out graffiti. Easington District Council's Community Safety Partnership sees graffiti as a sign of urban decay and wants secondary school pupils to help warn off perpetrators. The partnership
SHOPPERS head to Durham more than once a week to buy non-food goods, according to a survey of shopping habits. They make an average of 63 visits a year, which equates to one-and-a-half visits a week. The Prince Bishops centre was the main destination
THE new patient in-unit at St Teresa's Hospice in Darlington has been equipped with toiletries thanks to a supermarket. Asda's Darlington store has donated shampoo, facecloths and soap for patients to use while staying in the six-bed unit. Asda is also
A REGIMENTAL Sergeant Major (RSM) has been rewarded for almost 50 years of service in an Army cadet force. RSM Dennis Rowland MBE of Durham Army Cadet Force has been awarded a Certificate of Good Service by the Lord Lieutenant of Durham, Sir Paul Nicholson
A REGIMENTAL Sergeant Major (RSM) has been rewarded for almost 50 years of service in an Army cadet force. RSM Dennis Rowland MBE of Durham Army Cadet Force has been awarded a Certificate of Good Service by the Lord Lieutenant of Durham, Sir Paul Nicholson
DURHAM'S city centre housing office is being transformed into a council one- stop shop. The office, next to Millennium Square, in Claypath, closed on Friday and is expected to be shut for several months. When it reopens people will have access to all
AGENCIES working to combat drug and alcohol abuse are taking their message on to the streets. The Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership roadshow hopes to raise awareness of the problems and help anyone in need. Representatives from the police Community
HISTORY buffs are being offered a free nostalgic trip into the past. Film archivists at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, have got together film depicting key periods in the town's history. The compilation, Middlesbrough on Film, will be introduced
AN insight into a Teesside town is revealed in a new exhibition. Archive photographs which had been stored away at Stockton Borough Council for years are on show at Stockton's Green Dragon Museum. The exhibition has been timed to coincide with the launch
A PHOTOGRAPHIC exhibition of famous locomotives from the golden age of the railways has opened in the North-East. The collection of pictures, recently acquired by Darlington Railway Museum, shows all the great names that have been on display at the town's
A WOMAN who spent her childhood fighting a double cancer battle and was told she would never have children has given birth. Kimberly Anderson, 21, has confounded medical experts by successfully giving birth to son Connor. The young mother endured intensive
HUNDREDS of elderly people are to benefit from a budget pledge of £1m from their local authority. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's coalition cabinet agreed to give the cash to improve the quality of life of pensioners as well as people with disabilities
AN alleyway which has brought a catalogue of problems for residents, is being closed using new legislation. Residents of Keswick Grove and Trimdon Avenue, in Acklam, Middlesbrough, have endured trespassers and rubbish being dumped in their gardens. Supported
POLICE are keen to reassure 900 people who signed a petition calling for more bobbies on the beat that their area is not being neglected. Residents in Loftus, Easington and Liverton Mines signed the petition to highlight the need for extra police officers
VOLUNTEERS are needed to join one of the UK's biggest conservation armies for projects in Swaledale and Wensleydale. Members of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) will be replacing tree guards for English Nature around Cogden Gill, near
AN organisation which gives a voice to people with learning difficulties in County Durham has received a £30,000 grant from a bakery chain. The Greggs Trust has awarded the money to the Speaking Up groups, based in Lanchester, to help funding over the
NORTH-EAST universities are driving business success and creating more jobs than ever before, according to new Government figures. A survey showed that in 2001/02 the turnover made by spin-off companies - firms set up by graduates to make commercial use
An inquiry was under way last night after four railway workers were killed by a runaway wagon. The wagon, weighing several tonnes, became detached from a train in a yard further up the track on the West Coast Main Line in Cumbria, and began rolling downhill
Police watchdogs are meeting tomorrow to find out more about a cash crisis which is causing turmoil in a North-East force. Members of Cleveland Police Authority are hoping to discover why a black hole of £8m has suddenly been found in the budget. The
ONE of the most inaccessible buildings in the North-East is to give up its secrets to millions of visitors. Within the next few weeks, work will begin on rebuilding a 19th Century Masonic Temple at Beamish Museum near Chester le Street, County Durham.
AFTER an £8m revamp, Newcastle Playhouse will re-open in autumn next year as a Centre for European Performing Arts. But the exchange of ideas and talent has already begun, leading the Arts Council to describe Northern Stage as "an international gateway
A DURHAM theatre group is hoping its production of the musical Camelot will prove a success for a second time. The Durham Musical Theatre Company, which recently changed its name from Durham Amateur Operatic Society, first staged the Lerner and Loewe
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won best film at this year's Baftas last night, on another night of disappointment for Cold Mountain. Cold Mountain had led the field with 13 nominations but picked up only two - best supporting actress for
CHRIS Turner admitted inside knowledge and a fear of Eifion Williams led to a tactical change on Saturday. Turner was a long-standing admirer of Williams before the then-Hartlepool United boss took him to Victoria Park from Torquay in March 2002. Williams
A MAN is due in court today charged with the murder four years ago of student Sara Cameron. Michael Robinson, 29, of Newhaven, Sussex, will appear before magistrates at North Shields, North Tyneside. He was arrested in Sussex on Friday by Northumbria
AS Marcus Stewart picked up the ball on the left wing six minutes before half-time, there was a sense of deja vu sweeping through the Stadium of Light stands. After all, whenever Stewart plays he finds himself exploiting gaps on the flanks all too often
AS Yorkshiremen go, they don't come much more plain speaking than Mick McCarthy. The former Republic of Ireland manager's roots lie west of the Irish Sea, and it was in Barnsley where he learned to speak his mind. The FA Cup fifth round tie at the Stadium
Jonathan Creek (BBC1): Vic And Bob In Catterick (BBC3): Regency House Party (C4): Bella And The Boys (BBC2); IT was no surprise when someone was prompted to say: "Is it me or does this sound a bit batty?" as Jonathan Creek unravelled a case involving
NORTH-EAST foster families are losing out because of a "lottery" that allows councils to set payments, according to childcare groups. Some local authorities, including Darlington, pay up to £40 a week less than the cost of looking after a child calculated
IN SEASONS gone by, a single goal defeat at Hillsborough wouldn't have been a bad result for Hartlepool United. Big club Sheffield Wednesday against Pool? In fact, it would probably have been looked upon with a sense of pride. Not any more. Pool went
CONTRACTORS start work today on a bridge to replace a notorious crossroads on the A1. Until now, people have been able to drive across traffic on both sides of the dual carriageway at Rainton, North Yorkshire, less than a mile north of where it becomes
A POEM found in a family's archives about the region's worst peacetime disaster has created a mystery for a North-East family. Descendants of author James Thompson's family recently discovered the poem which was published and sold at 1d a sheet to raise
A SCOUT camp turned into a mudbath for hundreds of youngsters at the weekend. County Durham's Scout Commissioners had hoped for frost to firm the ground at Moorhouse, Rainton Gate, near Durham City. But the weather did not oblige and the camp turned into
AN insight into a Teesside town is revealed in a new exhibition. Archive photographs which had been stored away at Stockton Borough Council for years are on show at Stockton's Green Dragon Museum. The exhibition has been timed to coincide with the launch
THREE men arrested over an assault on a father-of-two have been bailed pending further police inquiries. The men - two aged 30 and the other 31 - were arrested and questioned last week by detectives investigating the attack on David Peacock, 47, of Peterlee
IF Mowden Park are to achieve their ambition of promotion to Division Two in 2005 they will have to learn how to beat New Brighton and must find the backs capable of doing it. Whoever said finishing third counts for nothing in National Three North hadn't
THE majority of councils in the North-East are on a collision course with the Government over council tax. Many local authorities predicting rises of five per cent have received letters from the Deputy Prime Minister's office warning they could face capping
The number of women going to jail is increasing but are more of them turning to crime or are they victims of a criminal justice system designed with men in mind? Women's Editor Christen Pears reports. WITH a history of drug use and domestic violence,
Cannabis is often seen as fairly harmless, so much so that last month t was downgraded to a Class C drug. But one mum knows only too well the damage it can cause. She talks to Nick Morrison about how cannabis robbed her of her son. EMMA has never told
CONCERNS that not enough is done to provide treatment for drug-addicted offenders will be discussed at a major conference in the region next week. Delegates from the NHS, police, prison service and other agencies will take part in the conference in Darlington
A WOMAN who has cared for others found herself the centre of attention on St Valentine's Day. A surprise party was held in the Masonic Hall, in Old Elvet, Durham, on Saturday, to celebrate Cissie Noon's 100th birthday, which takes place today. Nieces
Billingham Town manager Alan Robinson has ruled his side out of the title running even though they can catch leaders Durham City. Town's 2-0 home win over Tow Law on Saturday put them in 11th, 18 points behind Durham with seven games in hand. Town have
BUSINESSES and aspiring entrepreneurs in Wear Valley are to be given a helping hand at two information events next month. Wear Valley Development Agency will hold two advice surgeries for firms and individuals looking to start a venture or expand an existing
THOUSANDS of fans are expected to visit the region this summer for the first-ever round of the British Superbike Championship to be held in the North. Croft Circuit, near Darlington, has secured a deal that will mean the event, originally planned for
Kelrev, from the in-form Venetia Williams stable, makes plenty of appeal in the Tote betXpress Showcase Handicap Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs this afternoon, writes Richard Young (Janus). This hurdles winner in France has developed into a useful
A SERIES of community workshops will take place during the next fortnight, aimed at giving people the opportunity to get involved in developing Darlington's local nature reserves. As part of the borough council's Pond Week, its countryside team is asking
YOUNGSTERS are being urged to have their say on the design of a £70,000 skate park being created in Darlington. The borough council has secured National Lottery funding to finance the provision of a mobile park. Potential users can help design the park
LANDLORDS in Darlington are being urged to be the first to make their pubs non-smoking and boost the health of drinkers and staff. Darlington Primary Care Trust has written to pubs in the town asking them to take a step in becoming smoke-free and pointing
WORK has started on a £300,000 music and drama centre at a village school. After months of planning, the facility is being created at Hurworth School, near Darlington. Staff are hoping it will be open by June and will provide a quality resource for pupils
THIRTY-two guests dined in style at a Family and Friends evening at Bishop Auckland College when catering students cooked a three-course meal. The event was planned by the entry level group, who all have special needs. They also staffed the kitchen, set
A SMALL school has been praised by inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) for its improving standards and high quality education. Inspectors found some excellent teaching at Witton-le-Wear Primary School, which was visited soon
A COUNCIL has reached an agreement with residents and businesses over the temporary closure of a town centre car park in Spennymoor. Eden Residents' Association urged Sedgefield Borough Council to reconsider a decision to shut the car park off Clarence
NORTH-EAST universities are driving business success and creating more jobs than ever before, according to new Government figures. A survey showed that in 2001/02 the turnover made by spin-off companies - firms set up by graduates to make commercial use
Spennymoor's season in the Premier Division sank to a new low after they were thumped 6-0 at Lancaster on Saturday. The defeat rounded off a miserable week in which they were also knocked out of the Durham Challenge Cup, and now they are three points
A FAMILY is preparing to move into a home which has been specially adapted for their handicapped daughter. Mike and Louise Davenport's eight-year-old daughter Laura suffers from a severe form of epilepsy known as West's Syndrome, which is resistant to
A MEETING is being held tomorrow to try to settle a dispute over plans for a controversial floodlit sports pitch in the heart of a community. Plans have already been approved for a new school in Middleton Tyas which will include sports facilities for
A LANDLADY says the new surface on the road to her remote moorland pub is a hazard to motorists and is keeping customers away. One of the main routes to The Feversham Arms, at Church Houses, in Farndale, is Blakey Bank, which links Farndale with the Castleton
HUNDREDS of die-hard Middlesbrough fans queued for up to 15 hours at the weekend to book their place at one of the biggest occasions in the club's history. Thousands of season ticket holders, who are all guaranteed a ticket, went to the Riverside stadium
A PARISH council has dropped the amount it claims from council tax by eight per cent, meaning local residents will pay less. Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council has decided to drop next year's precept - the money it needs to carry out its business
ONE of the most inaccessible buildings in the North-East is to give up its secrets to millions of visitors. Within the next few weeks, work will begin on rebuilding a 19th Century Masonic Temple at Beamish Museum near Chester le Street, County Durham.
THEY were touted as the high-tech toys any child would want - but hundreds of dancing puppets led to four men being arrested at the weekend. Police in Darlington swooped on traders who had set up their business in a town centre street. Puppets, including
A SCHOOL has just over a month to find £7,000 to back up its bid for specialist status in maths and computing. Thirsk School has already raised £43,000 in pledges towards the project, which will enable it to secure a £100,000 Government grant for further
Stokesley SC were the biggest scorers of the day as they went nap against Gateshead Reserves to keep their championship challenge on target. But it was the visitors who scored first with a penalty by Scott McDonald after 25 minutes. Once Jonathan Newton
VOLUNTEERS and Durham Countryside Rangers collected 20 bin bags of rubbish as city woodland was given a spring clean. The Friends of Pelaw Wood, in Gilesgate, Durham, held a fun day on Saturday and invited local people along to help with their work. As
HOUSE prices soared in the North-East in the first six weeks of the year - but fell in North Yorkshire. Property website Rightmove said the cost of property in England and Wales rose by 2.1 per cent between January 10 and February 7, putting prices 3.3
A NORTH Yorkshire authority has cut the level of council tax discounts given to owners of second homes and empty houses. From April 1 this year, second homes in Hambleton will be granted a ten per cent discount rather than 50 per cent. The owners of empty
WHEN Margaret Maxwell got disillusioned with shopping on the high street for pretty underwear and night clothes to fit she started to make her own. Now she has turned the idea into a business, called Lady XL, making lingerie and negligee for larger ladies
DISABLED youngsters face being thrown out of a plant-growing project as part of cost-cutting measures. The Grove Training Nurseries, in Holly Gardens, The Grove, Consett, and St Aidan's centre, in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, both offer horticultural
INVESTIGATORS are trying to establish how a wagon broke free on a major railway line and killed four rail workers. The men were working on the West Coast Mainline in Tebay, near Kendal, Cumbria, at 6.10am yesterday when the wagon crashed into them. The
INFLUENTIAL Gavin Strachan could be facing a spell on the sidelines after suffering knee damage. Strachan, an ever present this season in the Hartlepool United midfield, was forced off an hour into Saturday's defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. And boss Neale
SUPPORTERS of Darlington Football Club have reached the £30,000 mark in their fundraising campaign after another successful weekend. Volunteers helped Darlington Supporters' Trust raise about £1,000 packing bags in the Morrisons supermarket, in North
COMMUNITY groups in areas served by Newsquest papers - including The Northern Echo - are being urged to apply for cash grants. Almost £750,000 is available to worthy causes in the UK from the Gannett Foundation - an organisation set up by Newsquest's
A 44-year-old man underwent hospital treatment for stab wounds after a teenager attacked him with a screwdriver. Police are searching for the youngster who attacked the man on Friday night as he walked to work in Middlesbrough at around 7.25pm. He was
THE first 100 days of Michael Howard's reign as Tory leader have been a mixed bag. He swept into the role like a natural, took the fight to Tony Blair in a more convincing way that Iain Duncan Smith could ever have managed, enticed reluctant financial
AN ambulance service criticised in the past for poor response times in rural areas has welcomed a £900,000 cash injection which secures plans for three new stations. The Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been awarded the money by the
CONCERNS that not enough is done to provide treatment for drug-addicted offenders will be discussed at a major conference in the region next week. Delegates from the NHS, police, prison service and other agencies will take part in the conference in Darlington
STRUGGLING Newcastle Falcons lost to Leeds for the first time yesterday, when they squandered a 20-3 lead at Kingston Park. Including their Heineken Cup matches, Leeds had lost seven games on the trot but fought back valiantly to win a thrilling game
WITH a history of drug use and domestic violence, Anna was a typical female prisoner. Sexually abused as a child and later raped while working as a prostitute, she needed help and yet she ended up behind bars, serving an 18-month sentence for drug offences
CRAIG LIDDLE has issued a stern warning to prospective buyers by insisting there is only one man fit to manage Darlington - and he's already there. Liddle's outburst comes days after former Carlisle manager Roddy Collins' revelations that he could succeed
A 29-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Finnish student Sara Cameron four years ago. Michael Robinson, of Bay View Road, Newhaven, East Sussex appeared before North Tyneside Magistatres Court Monday. It emerged Mr Robinson is
MICK McCARTHY refused to criticise the stayaway fans who ensured that the first visit of a Premiership club to the Stadium of Light since last season's relegation attracted a crowd of fewer than 25,000. The Sunderland manager believed the decision to
APPARENTLY Darlington Football Club would appeal to Roddy Collins. From the comfort of an Irish radio station studio last week, Collins pondered a return to the English game, almost as if he had the choice, at the Reynolds Arena. Collins may have the
FILM fans with hearing and sight difficulties are to benefit from a £500,000 National Lottery grant. Seventy-eight cinemas across England will benefit from the UK Film Council's Cinema Access Programme, which will provide them with captioning and audio-description
DARLINGTON FC: WE ARE writing to place on record our gratitude to The Northern Echo, the people of Darlington, the fans and everyone at the club for their help and support in enabling the club to continue while in administration. It is no secret that
HISTORY buffs are being offered a free nostalgic trip into the past. Film archivists at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, have got together film depicting key periods in the town's history. The compilation, Middlesbrough on Film, will be introduced
A BAR owner in Darlington is hoping to raise £1,000 for the town's football club by staging a Pop Idol contest. Life-long Darlington fan Geoff Peacock, who runs Bar Stadia sports bar, in Duke Street, will hold a "Stadia Idol" contest once a week for ten
THE Queen is to recognise the remarkable mission of a North-East charity worker to help some of the world's most desperately needy women. Leah Pattison, from Frosterley, in Weardale, County Durham, is leaving behind the slums of India for the grandeur
GOAL-HERO Kevin Kyle last night told how the passing of legendary manager Bob Stokoe spurred Sunderland's stars on to earn a result to keep them in today's draw for the FA Cup quarter-finals. On a memorable Valentine's Day at the Stadium of Light, Mick
PLANNING chiefs have vowed to do what they can to ensure Dales residents can afford to buy homes in areas where they have lived all their lives. Peter Watson, the head of planning in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, said there was no shortage of properties
SUPERMARKETS have been criticised for not doing enough to prevent selfish drivers using parking bays reserved for disabled motorists. More than 20 per cent of spaces for disabled drivers are taken by unauthorised vehicles, according to a survey published
AS one of the most fanciable, and talented, women on the planet, it was hardly surprising that Shania Twain's first on-stage gift from a fan, on Valentine's Day, was a dozen red roses. The scenes that followed showed the best, and worst, of a 12,000 sell-out
FAT from thousands of cattle slaughtered at the height of the BSE epidemic can be burnt at a North-East power station, Government officials said today. The Environment Agency (EA) has finally given SembCorp Utilities UK Ltd, near Redcar, a permit to carry
FILM fans with hearing and sight difficulties are to benefit from a £500,000 National Lottery grant. Seventy-eight cinemas across England will benefit from the UK Film Council's Cinema Access Programme, which will provide them with captioning and audio-description
THE family of a young military policeman shot dead in Iraq have declined to comment on reports that the military know who killed him. There have been claims that relatives of some of the MPs killed by rioters last June have been told British forces are
A DECISION to cut an essential rail service between Saltburn and Newcastle was made long before the public was consulted on the matter, a Tees Valley transport chief claimed. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has cut direct services between Saltburn,
NORTH-EAST MEP Gordon Adam is backing plans to create jobs by building a national renewable energy centre at a redundant cement works. Dr Adam, who is Labour spokesman on Rural Affairs at the European Parliament, was shown round the former Lafarge UK
Jonathan Creek (BBC1) Vic And Bob In Catterick (BBC3) Regency House Party (C4) Bella And The Boys (BBC2) IT was no surprise when someone was prompted to say: "Is it me or does this sound a bit batty?" as Jonathan Creek unravelled a case involving a message
Budding young magicians in Middlesbrough are spending their half-term holiday in lessons at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Trinity Centre in North Ormesby has been transformed into the venue for a special Harry Potter holiday project.
PLANNING chiefs have vowed to do what they can to ensure Dales residents can afford to buy homes in areas where they have lived all their lives. Peter Watson, the head of planning in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, said there was no shortage of properties
Newcastle Playhouse is fast becoming a focus of international collaboration, producing exciting new work with foreign partners. Steve Pratt fnds out what's in store for theatregoers. AFTER an £8m revamp, Newcastle Playhouse will re-open in autumn next
THE positive thinking industry seems to have become a surprisingly popular market among cynical Britons lately. More and more people are talking to me about groups like Landmark Forum and extolling the virtues of transforming their lives with the help
THOUSANDS of JobCentre and benefits office workers will begin a two-day strike over pay today. But the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it hopes the North-East's 72 offices will still be open for business. Nationally, the Public and Commercial
