A POLICE chief has called for action to tackle under age drinking following an attack by yobs which left him unconscious. Detective Superintendent Dave Jones, a former head of Darlington CID, suffered multiple injuries and was left with permanent scarring
CONCERN is growing for a mother-of-two who has been missing for nearly a week. Karen Coverdale, 40, left her home in Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, on Friday, driving a silver Mini Cooper. Pictured, she is 5ft 4in, slightly built with blonde hair and brown
From poor stowaway to shipping magnate, Echo Memories looks at the fascinating life of Robert Ropner, and begins to explore some of the historical bric-a-brac in South Park. ROBERT Ropner was 19 when he stepped on to English soil for the first time. He
SUNDERLAND boss Mick McCarthy last night admitted that his side's eight-match unbeaten run would be making Norwich and West Brom "twitchy" at the top of the First Division. Last night's 2-1 win over Gillingham took the Black Cats to fourth in the table
A FEMALE prison warden was treated like a piece of meat by leering senior officers, a tribunal heard yesterday. Married mother-of-one Lyn Anderson claims she was passed over for promotion after complaining about their behaviour. The healthcare officer
YOUNGSTERS have been honoured with awards for their hard work. They were nominated by friends, family and teachers for the Stockton Mayor's Achievement Recognition Trophy (Smart) awards . This year's awards were supported by the Mayor, Councillor Ann
POLICE in County Durham are appealing for information about a road accident in which a 60-year-old woman was killed. Joan Hindmarch, of Shildon, died when her Toyota Corina car crashed with a Volvo 57 single deck coach on the A689 road at the junction
GILLINGHAM were responsible for relegating Sunderland out of English football's second tier in 1987 and, while last night's 2-1 win will not erase the memory of that dark day, it may yet prove crucial in moving the Black Cats in the opposite direction
A COUNCILLOR accused of indecently assaulting an 11-year-old girl is to undergo a re-trial after a jury failed yesterday to reach a verdict in the case. Harry Devine, 53, denied a charge of indecent assault and two counts of inciting the girl and a friend
IT was 150 years ago today that the main European powers were plunged into a war that still, many generations later, has the power to shock. On March 24, 1854, Great Britain and France declared war on Russia, heralding the start of the slaughter that
COMMUNITY groups have benefited from a day of free media training. Participants from organisations, including Victim Support, Young Volunteer Challenge and Durham Society for the Blind, attended the event in the Dolphin Centre, Darlington. Those who took
A GROWING love of football among girls was reflected in a day-long county schools' tournament yesterday. More than 800 girls from schools across County Dur-ham took part in the fifth annual event staged by the county council's PE and Sport Advisory Unit
GIRLS enjoyed a day-long county schools' football tournament yesterday. More than 800 girls from schools across County Durham took part in the fifth annual event staged by the county council's PE and Sport Advisory Unit. Up to ten matches were played
A jury in the trial of a teenager accused of killing a schoolboy pal who burned alive in a blazing skip are expected to retire to consider its verdict today. The 15-year-old is accused of posting a piece of burning paper through a gap in the door of the
FEARS that we are on the brink of an epidemic of a deadly form of lung cancer have been echoed by a North-East expert. Chest specialist Dr Chris Stenton told a conference on meso-thelioma, an incurable form of lung cancer caused by significant exposure
A GROUP of first aiders are flying the flag for the county by making it through to the northern heat of a national competition. The Spennymoor division of St John Ambulance enjoyed one of its most successful trips to the brigade's annual contest last
ERROL the Hamster: an apology. Last week's Gadfly column, in part devoted to the unseemly obloquy attached to the forename Kevin, carried a picture purporting to be Kevin the Gerbil. As Mr D Manning in Stockton-on-Tees observantly points out, it was actually
RUSSIAN National Orchestra's eagerly-awaited UK tour began with an exhilarating performance at Newcastle City Hall. The wave of sound produced as the strings primed themselves was a taste of what was to come. And, indeed, the concert was launched like
A DRIVER was subjected to a terrifying ordeal after three men forced their way into his car. Police are investigating the incident which happened as the 22-year-old waited for his girlfriend outside the Tall Trees Hotel, Yarm, near Stockton, in the early
MORE than 70 jobs are likely to be lost at a food factory following a takeover. Staff from senior managers to line operators are facing redundancy at Kerry Foods, in Hartlepool, a spokesman confirmed last night. Kerry Foods, based in Ireland, bought Hibernia
DURHAM'S Freemen have rejected claims that members will benefit financially from the temporary use of The Sands as a car park. The Freemen, whose roots lie in the medieval craft guilds, have rights of grazing, or herbage, over the Durham City Council-owned
FAT from cattle slaughtered at the height of the BSE crisis is being burnt at a power station in the region. The Environment Agency gave SembCorp Utilities UK Limited, near Redcar, east Cleveland, a permit to carry out a 45-day trial to burn the fat at
RESIDENTS campaigning against a refuse handling depot fear that fires will break out if the depot is allowed to open near their homes. Durham County Council is seeking planning consent to build a hot loading bay beside the depot, at Stainton Grove, near
A COUNTRYSIDE attraction in Hartlepool has capped a year of success by being hailed as a model of good practice. Summerhill, a 100-acre site off Catcote Road, is being developed by Hartlepool Borough Council for a range of sports, outdoor pursuits and
THE number of entries for a writing competition has soared past 200 as the deadline approaches. Writers wishing to send in their work for The Short Story Competition now have just a week to do so. The competition was launched in January, organised by
A DATE has been set for the transfer of 7,900 council houses to a non-profit making company which will spend £99m upgrading the properties. The move has been agreed by Hartlepool Borough Council and is expected to go ahead on Monday. But a plan to demolish
PUPILS at a Stockton school can start their day the healthy way thanks to the generosity of a local shopping centre. St Mark's Elm Tree Primary School has been given a £200 donation from the Wellington Square's Community Fund, to set up a breakfast club
A MAN has appeared in court and admitted a child sex attack which happened more than a decade ago. Cyril Sherwin, 52, yesterday pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a 12-year-old girl in the early 1990s. Sherwin, of Drummond Terrace, South Shields,
FUNFAIRS will be making a return to Ripon Market Square. For two years, fairs were banned from the site after fears the rides and sideshows would damage a £2m repaving scheme. But a trial return has revealed no problems and Harrogate Borough Council's
A GLASS designer who combines artistic talent with a head for business has won an award. Joanne Mitchell, 26, who lives in Tudhoe, near Spennymoor, and works from the National Glass Centre, in Sunderland, has been named County Durham's Shell Livewire
MORE than 50 primary school pupils will take part in a fencing festival next week. The event, for year five and six pupils from schools n the Durham area, will be held on Tuesday at the British Fencing Centre, Durham, based in the city's Graham Sports
NEXT week's friendly with Sweden is set to make or break Middlesbrough skipper Gareth Southgate's chances of starting England's Euro 2004 opener against France this summer. Sven Goran Eriksson's defensive options were severely hindered when Rio Ferdinand's
ONE of China's most eminent professors is to be honoured by a North-East university tomorrow . Professor Ma Qing Sheng is to receive an honorary doctorate of education from the University of Sunderland for his outstanding contribution to academic and
WHEN an artist demanded blood, a local authority's records department was happy to oblige. Ralph Steadman posted his request on the Internet. But, rather than the real thing, what he really wanted was a rare red ink to give a sinister feel to a satirical
A TEENAGE thug who left his schoolboy victim too afraid to go out alone was spared a prison sentence yesterday. A restraining order was imposed on Daniel John Butler, 19, on February 12, banning him from all contact with the teenager - but he breached
A METHODIST preacher is returning to the North-East to mark the completion of a year of celebrations for the 300th anniversary of John Wesley's birth. The Reverend Dr Leslie Griffiths began the celebrations with a visit to Durham a year ago. An author
DAFFODILS: OH, Harry Mead, what a curmudgeonly attitude towards daffodils (Echo, Mar 17). I have a feeling you wrote those comments on the background to William Wordsworth's famous poem and your remarks on daffodils as being less than delightful, with
HEADTEACHERS are joining police on weekend patrols in a move to curb underage drinking. The teachers are helping police identify pupils, some as young as 13, who are drinking in pubs, clubs and on the streets at night. The first headteacher to take part
SCHOOL pupils will be able to choose healthy treats at break-time following the opening of a new fruit tuck shop. Moorside Primary School, Consett, launched the shop with the help of a £100 grant from Derwentside Primary Care Trust's Why 5? project team
Police Protecting Children (BBC2): Making It At Holby (BBC1): NOT everyone will have stayed the course of the 90 often-harrowing minutes of Police Protecting Children. This was disturbing television as the makers spent 18 months filming the Metropolitan
SCHOOLBOY wizard Harry Potter continued to cast his spell over publishing house Bloomsbury last year. The company, based in London, said record-breaking sales of JK Rowling's fifth instalment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, helped generate
GAVIN Strachan is back in training, but is ready to take things easy this time. The influential Hartlepool United midfielder hobbled off at Sheffield Wednesday on February 14 with knee trouble. He hoped a period of rest would cure the problem, but his
A DELEGATION from the North-East fraud forum has been invited to attend a United Nations conference on fraud next month. Peter Smith, head of forensic accounting services at North-East law firm Dickinson Dees, has been invited to speak at the International
RICHMOND'S rising stars will be putting their talents on show at the Georgian Theatre Royal at the end of the month. The Junior Georgian Youth Theatre is working with senior members of the group to perform extracts from a production of Willie Wonka and
A NORTH-EAST man has been elected vice-chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). John Wright runs training and consultancy company CATC, of Middlesbrough. The company employs 12 staff and runs courses in anything from health and safety to
PUPILS from Haughton Community School have several dates in their diaries for performances and recording sessions. On April 2, they will record a CD of songs from different countries for a cultural diversity competition. The recording session will take
A DRIVER accused of killing a teacher in a head-on crash after overtaking two cars has claimed that the road was clear up to a quarter of a mile ahead. Christopher Hornsey, giving evidence at Teesside Crown Court, said he had only seen the headlights
MORE competition between estate agents and higher standards of customer service were called for last night by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The watchdog said that while the market was not uncompetitive, competition on price was limited and there was
FAT from cattle slaughtered at the height of the BSE crisis is being burnt at a power station in the region. The Environment Agency gave SembCorp Utilities UK Limited, near Redcar, east Cleveland, a permit to carry out a 45-day trial to burn the fat at
SATURDAY can't come soon enough for Barry Conlon after the goal-hungry Darlington striker warned promotion-chasing Torquay his appetite is stronger than ever. Since joining Quakers in a £60,000 deal from York City in 2001, the Irishman has established
A SECOND soldier from the North-East was involved in a Iraq mine blast that cost teenage soldier Christopher Thompson part of his right leg, it emerged last night. Andrew Hawkes, 21, from Ferryhill, County Durham, was in the same vehicle but escaped with
FRESH calls were made last night for the resignation of an official at the centre of a near-£8m police budget black hole. Cleveland Police Authority chairman Ken Walker came under fire from Teesside MP Vera Baird for weeks of silence about the funding
Northallerton, Richmond, Bedale and surrounding villages were gridlocked last Friday when thousands of motorists were diverted after two fatal accidents. The A1 and A66 were both shut after high winds brought chaos. The A1 was shut between Dishforth and
A SENIOR health chief says most people will not notice the difference when a new out-of-hours doctors system is introduced later this year. Under Government guidelines, GPs across Hambleton and Richmondshire have been given the option of withdrawing emergency
From poor stowaway to shipping magnate, Echo Memories looks at the fascinating life of Robert Ropner, and begins to explore some of the historical bric-a-brac in South Park. ROBERT Ropner was 19 when he stepped on to English soil for the first time. He
A Blackburn swimming pool has banned backstroke at busy times, but there are plenty of other ways for people to be inconsiderate. IT'S not backstroke that's the problem - it's bad manners. And it's not just a problem in swimming pools. A swimming pool
TWO Durham police officers have been presented with a bravery award for risking their own lives to stop a man from diving 60ft from a bridge. One of the pair, Sgt Sue Robinson, had already been hailed as the region's bravest bobby following a separate
THE character of several of the region's market towns is under threat, according to a report out today. The survey, carried out by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), reveals bland and uniform new buildings, serious traffic congestion, over-stretched
HUNDREDS of low-paid North-East workers have been offered a bumper pay rise after a deal was struck between council chiefs and unions. Lengthy negotiations have resulted in Middlesbrough Council staff winning an estimated £2m windfall as part of a national
AN ELECTRICIAN was fatally stabbed on his doorstep during a confrontation with a next-door neighbour about noisy DIY. George Evans was left dying in a pool of blood as his attacker set about creating a false alibi, Teesside Crown Court was told yesterday
CONTROVERSIAL speed cameras in part of the region have generated almost £2m in fines in the past year. But the man in charge of the project said last night: "We haven't hammered motorists - despite what they think." Latest figures show that 30,000 tickets
CHILDREN have been designing travel posters at Darlington Railway Musuem as part of a celebration. During the next fortnight, pupils from schools across the area will attend poster sessions with artist Liz Million as part of events to celebrate the 200th
A MAN damaged a police car during a struggle with officers, a court heard yesterday. Scott Gregory, of Pinetree Grove, Middleton St George, kicked the vehicle's wing mirror before police arrested him in January. South Durham Magistrates' Court heard that
NEW technology is being used to tackle a rise in anti-social behaviour in two areas of Darlington. Residents of Branksome and Cockerton say gangs of youths are causing havoc by harassing old people, drinking alcohol in the street and throwing stones at
A YOUNG soldier faces months of painful medical treatment after losing a leg after a mine exploded under his Army truck in Iraq. Private Christopher Thompson had to have his right leg amputated below the knee after it was severely damaged by flying shrapnel
It's proved a box office hit in the US, but Mel Gibson's film of the last hours of Jesus Christ has been accused of being too violent and of anti-Semitism. On the eve of the film's UK release, Northern Echo columnist Peter Mullen , who has seen the film
BOOKWORMS at a school have raised more than £500 for children's charities. Barnard Castle School held a book fair to mark World Book Day and raised £300. A sponsored readathon involving 20 pupils raised about £200. Pupil Ben Wilkins read more than 100
A refurbished shopping centre is to be declared a no smoking zone. Shoppers will no longer be able to smoke in the Newgate Centre, in Bishop Auckland, from Monday. Centre manager Dave Wilson said that he made the decision to try to keep the centre tidy
There are fears for the welfare of John "Chippy" Chip, 18, who left his home in Castletown, Sunderland, at 6.20pm on Thursday to go out with friends. He was last seen on the Queen Alexandra Bridge, in the city, at 12.20am on Friday. He was described as
GIRLS enjoyed a day-long county schools' football tournament yesterday. More than 800 girls from schools across County Durham took part in the fifth annual event staged by the county council's PE and Sport Advisory Unit. Up to ten matches were played
FRONTLINE workers and community leaders from across the North-East met yesterday to discuss how best to tackle anti-social behaviour blighting their communities. Staff from police, councils and courts attended the Home Office's anti-social behaviour academy
A Blackburn swimming pool has banned backstroke at busy times, but there are plenty of other ways for people to be inconsiderate. IT'S not backstroke that's the problem - it's bad manners. And it's not just a problem in swimming pools. A swimming pool
BUS operators are warning that fares could be forced up by a council decision to charge a 20p exit fee at Bishop Auckland bus station. The new departure charge would be imposed on every bus leaving the station and could raise £20,000 a year to help Wear
TRIBUTES have been paid to a larger-than-life judge on the North-East circuit. Gerard Harkins, who was taken ill last week, died in hospital in Newcastle on Sunday, aged 67. Although he officially retired three years ago, after 15 years as a circuit judge
CHILDREN have been designing travel posters at Darlington Railway Musuem as part of a celebration. During the next fortnight, pupils from schools across the area will attend poster sessions with artist Liz Million as part of events to celebrate the 200th
THREE candidates are contesting a vacancy in the Guisborough ward of Guisborough Town Council when voters go to the polls on Thursday, April 22. The choice for the 5,917 electorate is between Denise Bunn (Labour), Alan Elliott (Independent) and John Hassan
ARSON experts are investigating how a hotel, earmark-ed for demolition next month, came to be destroyed by fire. Twenty firefighters tackled the blaze at the Regency Hotel, Coatham Road, Redcar, east Cleveland, which started at about 9.15pm on Monday.
A RADIO station is to conduct a live broadcast from a Ferryhill school today. Radio Cleveland presenter Mark Turnbull will be at Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College for his lunchtime show, which will be on air from noon to 2pm. Among the guests
THE widow of a community stalwart yesterday unveiled a seat dedicated to his memory. Arthur Boynton, who died last July, ran a fish and chip shop in Heighington, near Darlington, with his wife, Rosemary, for 20 years. He was a popular figure in the village
SECTIONS of aluminium worth £4,000 that were stolen from a factory yard have been found hidden among gravestones in a cemetery. Fifteen boxes containing the metal were taken at the weekend from road sign makers William Smith, at Barnard Castle. But a
A Teesside council has issued an appeal for new school governor. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's schools have more than 900 men and women acting as governors among thousands nationwide, who make up the biggest volunteer workforce in the country
TIME is running out for people to nominate their favourite clubs and coaches for the way they have promoted sport in the borough of Stockton. Stockton Borough Council's sports development team is asking the public to complete a nomination form this week
PEOPLE and businesses in Brotton have received questionnaires to help an improvement study for the area. About 400 information packs were distributed to homes on Monday by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. Researchers specialising in housing issues
A clean-up of a Hartlepool estate got under way this week with the help of the Mayor. The Operation Clean Sweep blitz is focused on the Rift House area. The operation involves Hartlepool Borough Council working closely with the police, fire brigade and
A golden lion which vanished from a Grade II listed pub has been returned. The lion was taken for renovation three years ago from the Golden Lion Hotel, in Loftus town centre, in east Cleveland, and locals thought it might never return. However the landmark
A FESTIVAL has been recognised for its contribution to leisure and tourism. Thirsk Festival has been presented with a regional award by Action for Market Towns, a national organisation that brings together market towns from across the country. The Yorkshire
THE PICK of today's jumps action takes place at Chepstow where Apple Joe (2.40) has been found a decent opportunity to get back on the winning trail. Apple Joe finally broke his duck at Plumpton last month when outgunning Captain Clooney for a 15-length
A GROWING love of football among girls was reflected in a day-long county schools' tournament yesterday. More than 800 girls from schools across County Dur-ham took part in the fifth annual event staged by the county council's PE and Sport Advisory Unit
A MAN was left with a head injury and a broken ankle which required surgery following a violent and unprovoked attack. Police have only just released details of the incident, which happened on February 29. The victim, aged 34, had gone to help a man in
MYTHS and folklore from North Yorkshire make up a new production by Harrogate Theatre's touring team, which goes on the road in May. HT is working on Tales From the Dales, a dramatisation of some of the stories passed down by word-of-mouth for centuries
GARY SPEED has urged Newcastle to reproduce the combative qualities that clinched a crucial Premiership victory over Charlton when they face Real Mallorca in tomorrow night's UEFA Cup clash. Midfield warrior Speed and two-goal skipper Alan Shearer led
PROJECTS to engage young people in council business in Richmondshire were confirmed by local authority leaders yesterday. North Yorkshire County Council's community education service will be working with parish and town authorities to encourage youngsters
A WIDE-RANGING countryside service has been set up to help conservation work and improve access to rural areas. North Yorkshire County Council has introduced the service following a review of its work in the country-side. The service will see voluntary
A GROUP behind plans to build a play park for village youngsters hopes work will start in the next few months. Sherburn Outdoor Activities for Kids (Oak) hopes to raise £130,000 to build a complex next to the Durham City Council-run leisure centre in
MODELS were strutting their stuff yesterday as they prepared for a spring fashion show in aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief. Georgie's, of Northallerton and Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is holding the event on Thursday, April 1, at 7.30pm, in the community
PERSISTENT fine dodgers face a tough new force. North Yorkshire Magistrates' Court Committee is taking part in a drive to recover unpaid fines - part of the Government's Operation Payback campaign to recover criminals' assets. There are more than £1m
A SHOWMAN is aiming to bring some nostalgia back to villages in the region with a traditional funfair. Paul Evans, of Carnival Funfairs, in Spennymoor, wants to bring some of the atmosphere and community spirit back to villages in the North-East and North
COUNCILS who signed up to a six-year relocation scheme have denied that cash incentives have been offered to persuade tenants to move to the North-East. Reports yesterday claimed that people on the council waiting lists in the overcrowded South-East were
ERROL the Hamster: an apology. Last week's Gadfly column, in part devoted to the unseemly obloquy attached to the forename Kevin, carried a picture purporting to be Kevin the Gerbil. As Mr D Manning in Stockton-on-Tees observantly points out, it was actually
A NEWTON Aycliffe company has been rated one of the best in the country in a performance league table. 3M, which employs about 350 people at its Aycliffe plant, has been named as one of the top "companies that count" in this year's Corporate Responsibility
Three years after a North-East woman died after a routine operation, surgeons have been advised not to use controversial disposable instruments. The new guidance from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been welcomed by solicitors
RARELY are presidential elections in the United States won or lost on foreign policy issues. Americans tend to vote according to the health of their bank balance and the strength of their stock market portfolio. This November's election, however, may
A woman was taken to hospital with a broken nose after a youth punched her and knocked her unconscious on the doorstep of her home. A police spokesman said the 46-year-old victim had answered the door to a teenager at her home on the Coach Road Estate
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to recycle ships in the UK rather than send them to Third World countries to be dismantled. The initiative follows the controversy over the so-called Ghost Ships, which were sent to the North-East from the US last year amid
AN ex-policeman who caused the collapse of a trial when he went on holiday to Tenerife was yesterday stripped of his "injury on duty" award. Detective Constable Gary Knapper, formerly of Hartlepool CID, had been given the compensation after becoming depressed
BRITAIN'S most successful high-altitude climber has set his sights on his next target - the seventh highest mountain in the world. Alan Hinkes hopes to reach the summit of the 8,167m high Dhaulagiri during May, and will be flying out to the Himalayas
HEADTEACHERS are joining police on weekend patrols in a move to curb underage drinking. The teachers are helping police identify pupils, some as young as 13, who are drinking in pubs, clubs and on the streets at night. The first headteacher to take part
HUNDREDS of children in the region - some as young as 11 - are thrown out of their homes every year, leaving them vulnerable to paedophiles, prostitution and drugs. Research from the Children's Society shows that more than 500 children in the North-East
THE Carousel has been running for almost 60 years now, but can still spellbind an audience with its dark tale of a tortured fairground worker killed while trying to commit a robbery. The reputation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's famous musical is such
A new man has been recruited to help swell the ranks of the Army. Fijian soldier Misaele Vakadranu, 27, has joined the regimental recruiting team of the Green Howards. Private Vakadranu joined the regiment in January 2002. He realised his ambition to
IS it appealing or appalling - the concept of a "growth corridor" spanning Northern England, to challenge the "hothouse" of the South-East? Running from Liverpool to Hull, with a spur up the A1 to Tyneside, the corridor is the brainchild of Deputy Prime
