Referendums on whether to establish elected regional assemblies in the Northern regions of England will take place November 4, the Government announced today. Subject to Parliamentary approval, voters in Yorkshire and Humber, the North-West and the North
NIPPING out to buy some fags and a bottle of booze had never proved as difficult as this in the past. What seemed like the perfect job turned out to be the assignment from hell. "We want you to go out and treat yourself to as many cigarettes and bottles
Debt-laden Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel's new management has put pricing and cost cutting at the forefront of its strategy to rescue the company. Three months after the all-French management team was installed, Eurotunnel says that its recovery
A WOMAN who was violently assaulted has praised the people who came to her aid. The 49-year-old has come forward in an attempt to jog people's memories in the hope that the man who attempted to rape her is caught before he strikes again. The woman, from
SUNDERLAND last night moved to reassure fans they remain focused on reclaiming a place in the Premiership after announcing the company's intention to withdraw from the stock exchange, writes PAUL FRASER. The Black Cats face another season outside the
Yorkshire Phoenix had victory snatched from their grasp by a brutal innings of 91 from former England all-rounder Mark Ealham as Nottinghamshire Outlaws raced to their 208 target with one ball to spare at Trent Bridge last night. Samit Patel's winning
SOBER-suited but thankful for a life richly and merrily lived, a crowded St Cuthbert's church in Darlington said farewell on Monday to Basil Noble - "The Great Basilio". The eulogies served him perfectly. Barbara Brown, his daughter, recalled a fun-filled
MANY years ago I wrote a column in The Northern Echo pontificating about how wrong it was to smack children. Under no circumstances, I loftily decreed, could it be justified. And I meant it, with all my heart. That was when I had just had one beatific
MIDDLESBROUGH are preparing to go head-to-head with Tyne-Tees rivals Newcastle United after renewing their interest in Patrick Kluivert. Just 48 hours after Barcelona defender Michael Reiziger completed a move to Teesside, Boro boss Steve McClaren has
A MAN charged with causing an explosion at a house was refused bail by magistrates yesterday. John Tinkler, 45, of Starmer Crescent, Darlington, was remanded in custody for a week at South Durham Magistrates' Court, in Newton Aycliffe. He faces a charge
THE nine council representatives for Cleveland Police Authority were finalised when all four local councils sat round a table to draw up the list. Current authority chairman Councillor Ken Walker was not re-selected by Middlesbrough Council Labour group
THE butchers shop at the centre of an investigation into an E.coli outbreak will reopen today. Castle Bank Butchers' branch in Front Street, Chester-le-Street, has been closed voluntarily since Saturday. But public health officials investigating the outbreak
A conference held in the region has sent out a stark warning to the voluntary and community sector. The "third" sector, which delivers many valuable public services, has been told it needs to be highly organised and learn to 'stamp its feet' in order
FORMER England and Newcastle footballer Peter Beardsley is encouraging families in County Durham to take an active role in their children's education. He spoke at a conference to celebrate ten years of family learning at Ushaw College, Durham, yesterday
A NEW chapter in the management of the countryside in North Yorkshire was formally launched yesterday. The completion of signing at a public footpath near Boroughbridge marked the start of North Yorkshire County Council's new Countryside Service. The
A NEW approach to tackling domestic violence is being taken in a part of North Yorkshire. Two professionals have been appointed to take a more positive and pro-active way of dealing with the problem in the Scarborough and Ryedale areas. Together, they
A MOTHER made an emotional appeal to help catch the killers of her son yesterday - six months to the day after he was bludgeoned in an attack just yards from his home. Scott Pritchard, 19, had a foot in a plaster cast and was on crutches, so he
DRIVERS have been criticised for speeding after more than 50 motorists were recorded breaking the limit outside a village school in one hour. Officers from Richmond fire station took their speed matrix sign to Askrigg on Tuesday morning, where they flashed
A computer club has been launched as part of a North Yorkshire efforts to improve community life. The club will be based in Marton Methodist Chapel, near Pickering, and aims to provide residents with IT knowledge. The group's chairwoman, Lady Veronica
RESIDENTS preparing for the launch of an £11m visitor attraction have joined forces with the police and council to stamp out vandalism and anti-social behaviour. Shildon police and Sedgefield Borough Council have launched the operation to clean up New
A KILLER and serial rapist has died of a suspected liver disease. Crane driver Kenwyn Coupland was jailed for life in 1973 for the rape and murder of mother-of-three Aline Ford, 36, whose body was discovered dumped in the Eston Hills, east Cleveland.
DETECTIVES are appealing for information about a teenage boy who has gone missing from his home. Kristopher Davies, 15, went missing on Friday after leaving Greenfield School Community and Arts College, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and failed to
DETECTIVES were last night following a number of leads into the horrific assault on 81-year-old pensioner Mary Richardson. Mrs Richardson, who has terminal liver cancer and Alzheimer's disease, was kicked and punched in her home in Shiremoor, North Tyneside
PEOPLE are angry about a recommendation on the siting of a school for children with social, behavioural and emotional difficulties. Members of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's cabinet have decided that formal consultation will begin on siting the
MORE than 1,000 voluntary and community groups in North Yorkshire are being consulted on new working arrangements with the county council. The North Yorkshire Compact aims to improve relations between the statutory, voluntary and community sectors. Voluntary
LIFE can be very complicated if you're a toddler, not to say confusing. At first, you find animals a bit scary - cows, sheep, even cats and dogs. They look fun, but you prefer to keep your distance; you're just not quite sure. Then the grown-ups in your
A STRETCH of Hadrian's Wall discovered beneath a building site is to remain hidden from view under a four-storey hotel. The 15 metres of Roman remnants, preserved 3.5m below ground level, were found by developers building flats in Melbourne Street, Newcastle
YOUNGSTERS have been checking out the computer technology involved in trying to make access to council services easier. Information Communication Technology (ICT) students from Wensleydale School, in Leyburn, spent a morning at Hambleton District Council's
WORK has started on a £770,000 scheme to build homes for people with learning disabilities. Endeavour Housing Association is demolishing two blocks of flats in Shelley Close, Stanley, and replacing them with ten apartments. Derwentside District Council
Skinningrove Coastguards deputy station officer Paul Waugh, will run from Whitby to Saltburn on Saturday, to raise money for Skelton Primary School. Earlier this year, Mr Waugh completed a coast-to-coast charity bike ride in aid of the Butterwick Hospice
A PROJECT has been set up to help children settle into nursery school. Whitecliffe Primary School, in Carlin How, near Saltburn, and Park Lane Infant and Belmont Primary schools, in Guisborough, are taking part in the Gatsby Early Years Enhancement Project
SUNDERLAND cashed in on the City's craze for football when it floated its shares on the stock market in December 1996. Shares went on sale at 585p, valuing the club at £62m. The float raised £10.7m, allowing the club to build the Stadium of Light. The
A COMPANY that recently announced a £1m investment in its factory is now investing in its staff. Stairlift manufacturer Bison Bede, in Consett, County Durham, has contracted Derwentside Training to help raise the skills of its administrative staff. Eight
Germaine Greer, Arc, Stockton: GERMAINE Greer is in trouble. In recent weeks, she has offended poets, academic professors, the Council for the Protection of Rural England - and most of Australia. But while the outspoken author and feminist muses with
The Government yesterday said the UK was the top investment location in Europe as figures showed more than 800 projects by overseas companies last year created more than 25,000 jobs. Manufacturing represented almost a third of the inward investment and
NINETY per cent of the entrepreneurs in the region believe women are just as good as men at leadership, a survey has found. In the survey, carried out by the Newcastle office of Venture Finance, 63 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises were able
The Bank of England has, as widely expected, kept the cost of borrowing the same for another few weeks. But many analysts expect it to bring in another hike as early as next month. The bank's Monetary Policy Committee took the decision to keep the UK
INTEREST rates are expected to continue rising but a house price crash can be avoided, former Bank of England Governor Lord George said yesterday. "You really have to anchor on the thought that rising interest rates are a sign of a strengthening economy
Barratt Developments has raised its profits forecasts and joined rivals in soothing fears over the impact of higher interest rates. City analysts expect the UK's largest housebuilder to report profits of about £360m - £10m higher than previously forecast
Supernanny (C4) The Long Firm (BBC2) TV programme-makers send people round to sort out buying and selling a house as well as decorating and cleaning. They'll change your size, your shape and find you a partner. So why not provide an expert to deal with
LOW-cost airline easyJet carried 2.24 million passengers last month - a 28 per cent increase on the same period a year earlier. The improvement, which the company said was in line with the performance seen in the previous month, came during a difficult
A family is reeling after being struck twice by tragedy in six months. A tearful Kenneth Brown today attended the opening of an inquest into the death of his daughter, 18-year-old Leanne - just six months after losing his three-year-old son Tyran from
YOSHKA took the honours in the Dragoon Troop Tumeric Handicap at Catterick yesterday, completing a 25-1 across-the card double for Mark Johnston, also responsible for Newmarket's big-race winner, Bandari, writes COLIN WOODS. While Bandari was landing
PATIENTS could soon be operated on at their council office instead of in a hospital theatre, it was revealed yesterday. Sunderland is set to become the first city in the country to offer an extensive range of medical procedures alongside regular local
Detectives investigating the murder of Scott Pritchard said they were pleased with the response to an appeal made by his mother earlier this week. But they would particularly like to speak to a woman who rang on Wednesday night with information described
Baffled vets who thought a sickly pooch was suffering from cancer were stunned when an x-ray showed a teddy bear lodged in his stomach. Poorly British Bulldog Hooch had been off his food for weeks and was down in the dumps when owners Tracy and Ashley
SOME of the key figures in North-East rail will be quizzed today at a meeting arranged by a passenger watchdog. The North-East Rail Passengers' Committee (RPC) is holding its tenth annual statutory meeting in Newcastle, where the theme will be passenger
Mark Johnston has come out fighting on the back of Attraction's eclipse at Newmarket on Tuesday. The previously unbeaten filly went under by two and a half lengths to Soviet Song in the Group One UAE Equestrian And Racing Federation Falmouth Stakes, having
JERMAINE JENAS is ready to take teenager James Milner under his wing at Newcastle United. Despite being just 21, Jenas knows all about trying to make a name for himself at St James' Park following a big money transfer. And he is ready to relay his own
London shares recorded their seventh consecutive day of losses yesterday following poor performances from a number of blue-chip stocks. The FTSE 100 Index finished the session well below the 4400 mark, down 12.3 at 4358.4, its lowest level in three months
JOB-creation agency One NorthEast admitted last night that streamlining will lead to redundancies within its own organisation. The regional development agency is expected to make about 20 people redundant, while others will switch jobs within the organisation
Darlington have announced ticket details for their forthcoming pre-season friendly programme. Bradford City, Blackpool, Leeds United and Peterborough Town all visit the New Stadium in July, with tickets going on sale to season-ticket holders from Monday
IT may well be the height of summer but weather more typical of November is forecast to descend on the region over the next few days. If it is any consolation, the North-East and North Yorkshire should escape the worst excesses of the unseasonal deep
Premiership footballer Ray Parlour was yesterday ordered to give a third of his future income to his former wife, Karen, for at least the next four years. In a ground-breaking legal victory, the Court of Appeal held that the part she played in his success
MARKS & Spencer came under renewed pressure last night as retail tycoon Philip Green gained the backing of a major shareholder for his planned takeover. Analysts expect the latest, and final, £9.1bn offer from Mr Green to be successful. In a statement
A pair of earplugs came to the rescue of Bandari's frayed nerves to help him land the big race on the second day of Newmarket's July meeting yesterday. Bandari has time and again proved himself to be a worrier on the track, often sweating up badly before
A CHALLENGE for people to travel as far as they could on a meagre budget was so successful that organisers are to stage another. Hospice supporters are being offered the chance to take part in The Great Escape for The Butterwick Hospice, at Bishop Auckland
PROUD father George Pattie is praying he will see his daughter walk down the aisle before he goes blind, for the second time in his life. The retired shipyard worker was overjoyed ten years ago when an operation gave him back his sight after 30 years.
A HIGHLY-RESPECTED court officer earned the ultimate endorsement on his retirement yesterday. Praise was heaped on popular usher Peter McCutcheon on his last day at Durham Crown Court after a dozen years on the staff following redundancy from the city's
THE bloodstained body of a woman was found in a house after a night out celebrating her birthday. Paramedics discovered 38-year-old Susan Carr at about 4.30am yesterday in the bedroom of a home in The Middles, near Stanley, County Durham. Detectives launched
A PUB'S attempt to stay open into the early hours is facing opposition from residents and a conservation group. The owners of the 700-capacity Walkabout Australian theme bar, in Durham's North Road, want to extend its entertainment licence from 1am to
CRICKET legend Ian Botham called at a North Yorkshire pub to help make local charities very happy. He was the special guest at a presentation night held in the Buck Inn, at Maunby, near Northallerton. The pub holds a variety of fundraising events each
LIFE can be very complicated if you're a toddler, not to say confusing. At first, you find animals a bit scary - cows, sheep, even cats and dogs. They look fun, but you prefer to keep your distance; you're just not quite sure. Then the grown-ups in your
PEOPLE have voiced concern over plans for a home for vulnerable youngsters in Darlington. Residents living near the property, in the Deans area, are concerned at the nature of the home and fear they are not being informed. One woman, who wished to remain
A DISABLED teenager has won a national award for his hard work and determination. Thomas Anderson, 15, was nominated for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award, by teachers at Carmel RC Technology College, in Darlington. School spokeswoman Jennifer
PARISH councillors have supported Darlington Borough Council in a dispute over plans to evict a man from his caravan near the A66. A public inquiry will take place later this year to determine whether Thomas Walker-Coates can remain on the land that he
SPORT with a real cutting edge will see the chips flying at the weekend. The Chopwell Forest Festival - the biggest event of its kind in the country - will be held at Chopwell, near Gateshead, on Saturday and Sunday. The event, organised by the Forestry
The Royal Society has been to see a Guisborough school's renewable energy project. Pupils at Northgate Junior School have been able to compare the benefits of solar and wind generation thanks to the installation of a solar panel and wind turbine at the
PATIENTS could soon be operated on at their council office instead of in a hospital theatre, it was revealed yesterday. Sunderland is set to become the first city in the country to offer an extensive range of medical procedures alongside regular local
THE NHS must do more to stop the most deprived communities with the greatest healthcare needs being left behind, the health service watchdog has warned. The Health Care Commission's State of Health Care report revealed many inequalities based on wealth
A COMPANY that recently announced a £1m investment in its plant is also investing in its staff. Stairlift manufacturer Bison Bede, based in Consett, has contracted Derwentside Training to help boost the skills of its administrative staff. Eight office
THE family of a man who hanged himself have made an official complaint against Cleveland Police. Solicitors acting on their behalf have alleged police inactivity over protection measures concerning Paul Wardell. The 32-year-old hanged himself at his home
A FATHER-OF-THREE told a court he had been framed by a 14-year-old girl he is accused of raping. Peter Graveling, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, who appeared at Teesside Crown Court, denied he raped and indecently assaulted the girl on October 9 last
STUDENTS are taking their first steps in business this summer thanks to two companies. Paul Ringer, 19, of Consett, will spend two months with engineering company Doby Verrolec, of Stanley. A mechanical engineering student at Birmingham University, he
HUNDREDS of north Durham war veterans will attend three reunions this year, thanks to a National Lottery grant. The Consett and Stanley branch of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) has been awarded more than £2,000. It will fund a dinner in November for
A MAN was savagely beaten after being abducted at gunpoint by masked attackers and driven nearly 200 miles from his home, a court heard. Paul Flannigan was kidnapped by three men wearing balaclavas who burst into his bedroom at Burnhope Lodge in Burnhope
A WOMAN who was violently assaulted has praised the people who came to her aid. The 49-year-old has come forward in an attempt to jog people's memories in the hope that the man who attempted to rape her is caught before he strikes again. The woman, from
MEMBERS of Middlesbrough Council's Streetscene Services, working with the probation service, have been helping to tidy up part of the town this week. About 30 people took part in the clean-up in the Burnside Avenue area of Grove Hill. Councillor Bob Kerr
THE engine arriving at a North-East rail yard yesterday may just have been a humble colliery workhorse, but it could not have produced a prouder moment for a group of steam enthusiasts. Eleven years and five months after the Weardale Railway team set
The threat of a strike by baggage handlers at leading airports across the UK was averted last night. A two-and-a-half-year pay deal worth 3.5 per cent this year and a similar amount next year was thrashed out between officials of three trade unions and
NATURALLY, everyone shares the Prime Minister's desire to improve educational achievement. There are serious differences of opinion, however, on how improvements can be made. Today, the Government will unveil a five-year plan which will set out its education
THE "scandal" of children who fail to achieve their potential at school will be tackled in the Government's five-year education plan, Tony Blair pledged yesterday. As the battle between Labour and the Tories over education policy continued to rage, the
MOTOR dealer Reg Vardy drove profits up to £46m last year and is forecasting further growth, despite fears the new car market may have peaked. The group, based in Sunderland, said it was gaining market share after EU rules came into force last year that
MARKS & Spencer came under renewed pressure last night as retail tycoon Philip Green gained the backing of a major shareholder for his planned takeover. Analysts expect the latest, and final, £9.1bn offer from Mr Green to be successful. In a statement
THE number of people contracting mumps in the North-East is falling steadily - despite the region having the fifth highest number of reported cases in the UK. There were 578 reported cases of mumps in the country, compared with 331 in the last quarter
JOHN Prescott is preparing to break his pledge to announce the powers of elected assemblies this month, provoking fresh claims that his plans are in "utter chaos". A draft Bill will not now be published before MPs start their summer break if Conservatives
NINETY per cent of the entrepreneurs in the region believe women are just as good as men at leadership, a survey has found. In the survey, carried out by the Newcastle office of Venture Finance, 63 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises were able
ONE-DAY specialist Neil Killeen recorded the superb figures of four for seven to end Durham's run of Twenty20 Cup defeats at Grace Road last night. Killeen sensationally grabbed the first four wickets for three runs in his opening two overs to leave Leicestershire
SHE was an optician's assistant; he was a young footballer trying to break into the first team. They met, fell in love and married. By the time they divorced, 11 years later, she had given up her job to bring up their children, and he was earning more
Virgin Mobile is moving towards a stock market flotation valuing the company at up to £1bn. The listing of the UK's fifth largest mobile phone group will be the first by part of Sir Richard Branson's empire for 18 years. Conditional dealings will begin
REGIONAL GOVERNMENT: NEIL Herron (Echo, Jul 6) says that the elected regional assembly will have no extra powers. The budget which the assembly will have control over is £1bn, with influence over further millions. That sounds like extra power to me! He
THE engine arriving at a North-East rail yard yesterday may just have been a humble colliery workhorse, but it could not have produced a prouder moment for a group of steam enthusiasts. Eleven years and five months after the Weardale Railway team set
Supernanny (C4); The Long Firm (BBC2): TV programme-makers send people round to sort out buying and selling a house as well as decorating and cleaning. They'll change your size, your shape and find you a partner. So why not provide an expert to deal with
MONSIEUR BOND, who has been sold to stand at Whistsbury Stud in 2005, still has time to make his name at Group 1 level by picking up this afternoon's £250,000 July Cup at Newmarket. Bryan Smart's stable talisman has notched Group 3 and Group 2 wins at
Police hunting the attacker of an 81-year-old pensioner who was left in a pool of blood have released an artist's impression of a person they need to trace. Mary Richardson, who has terminal liver cancer and Alzheimer's Disease, was punched and kicked
MICK McCARTHY has not ruled out a move for striker David Connolly as Sunderland plan their assault on the Coca-Cola Championship this summer. West Ham United are looking for buyers for Connolly after the player had a bust-up with manager Alan Pardew.
SUN worshippers the world over may soon be able to turn to a revolutionary sun screen which protects the skin's DNA, following a breakthrough by North-East experts. Scientists at the University of Newcastle have developed the treatment, which will protect
