The Government has agreed to fund the upgrade of a major arterial route in Sunderland, it has been announced. It will contribute £21 million of the £23 million cost of the scheme on the A1018, which will act as a bypass for the Ryhope and Grangetown areas
The future of an RAF base remains uncertain after a Government announcement that new aircraft will be stationed elsewhere. A defence shake-up earlier this year left RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire, preparing to lose both its Tornado F3 squadrons by 2008
Former EastEnders Joe Absolom spent more time playing golf than acting in new comedy series Doc Martin, but he's ended up with a Cornish accent to be proud of. The actor talks over Walfoird woes. Steve Pratt reports. Being away from home for three months
A man who drowned as he attempted to swim across the River Tees in Cleveland has been named. Gary Simpson died despite the desperate effort of two friends to save him, Cleveland Police said. The body of the homeless 26-year-old was recovered from the
AN anti-gun campaigner is calling for stricter controls after a schizophrenic shot himself in the head. An inquest in Sunderland heard that 52-year-old Eric Karlson took his life at the city's Mayfair Shooting Centre, in April, three months after being
A MAN was bitten on the leg by a police dog after football fans clashed with police at a railway station, a court has heard. Andrew Baker, 28, allegedly kicked the animal in the head during the violent disturbance at Thornaby railway station, Teesside
A TERMINALLY-ILL youngster has been reunited with her wheelchair after it was stolen from outside her sister's house. Julia Mangan, 11, was left devastated after her chair, which she relies on to get around, was taken in the early hours of Tuesday from
CARDIFF boss Lennie Lawrence last night admitted a move for Adam Boyd is in his thoughts, writes NICK LOUGHLIN. Lawrence is looking to sign at least three new players least three players ahead of his team's next Championship game at Nottingham Forest
Firefighters were called to a blaze on the roof of Darlington Civic Theatre today. Twenty staff had to be evacuated after smoke leaked into the building in Parkgate at lunchtime. The fire was believed to have been started by workmen using a blow torch
MORE then 200 people attended the funeral yesterday of a 15-year-old boy who died after suffering an epileptic fit. There were tears in the congregation when a letter by Arron Smith's younger sisters, Alisha, five, and Chelsea, nine, was read by vicar
NEWCASTLE Falcons boss Rob Andrew has revealed that any approach about the England manager's job will be met with a one-word answer - "no". The Rugby Football Union are expected to begin their search for Sir Clive Woodward's successor on Monday after
A SMOKING ban came into force at one of the region's largest indoor shopping centres yesterday. Eldon Square in Newcastle city centre barred smokers after successfully lobbying the city council and Government for a bylaw. It followed recent research that
A chain of bookmakers has offered a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a man who snatched cash from one of their branches earlier this week. Yesterday, police released an e-fit of the man who stole cash from the bookies in
IN THE sort of sublime weather which has graced Scarborough for the last two days there is no finer place in England to watch first-class cricket. But the idyll has again been tarnished by questions about the pitch. Following leg-spinner Mark Lawson's
Viv Hardwick talks to ex-Lindisfarne star Billy Mitchell about going solo and how he became Alan Hull's friend. WHEN North-East singer-songwriter Billy Mitchell first met the Newcastle musical genius and later creator of Lindisfarne Alan Hull the two
MARK Viduka is happy to see his strike partnership with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourishing, despite the pair playing just two competitive games together in a Middlesbrough shirt. Viduka missed the first two games of the Premiership season as he was still
The Northern Echo is experiencing technical problems at the moment and therefore our online newsfeed is limited. We apologise for any inconvenience to our readers.
The Northern Echo is experiencing technical problems at the moment and therefore our online newsfeed is limited. We apologise for any inconvenience to our readers.
A man was killed early this morning when his car left the road and hit a tree. The 24-year-old man from York, died after his car veered across the city's Foss Islands Road, mounted the kerb, went up a grass verge and hit the tree at around 5.45am. He
SUNDERLAND have asked Scotland boss Berti Vogts not to hamper Kevin Kyle's injury comeback by subjecting him to two full games in the space of six days. Kyle missed almost all of the Black Cats' pre-season programme after injuring his hip in training,
AS the vacant managerial post at Newcastle United appears to have been dismissed by many of those qualified for the position, Aston Villa boss David O'Leary is in the frame for taking on the role. Sources in Birmingham have suggested O'Leary would welcome
The phoney war over the proposed regional assembly came to an abrupt end yesterday with the official launch of the Yes 4 The North East campaign. Tony Kearney watched the opening round of what promises to be a keenly-fought tussle. The campaign for the
THE mother of a terminally-ill child has criticised thieves who stole her daughter's wheelchair. Julia Mangan, 11, who has a muscle-wasting disease, relies on the chair to get around because she is unable to walk. The chair was taken in the early hours
Voters in the North East are likely to back plans for England's first regional assembly, a poll revealed today. The poll, which was carried out on behalf of the Yes4theNorthEast campaign group, shows support for a Yes vote is running almost 2-1 ahead
FAMILY and friends of a much-loved North-East pensioner gathered yesterday to bid him a fond farewell. The funeral of Charles Robert Young, a well-known character around the town, took place at Darlington Crematorium, where loving tributes were paid.
On the day the "Sport of Kings" was rocked by 16 arrests in a nationwide race-fixing investigation, Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson joined punters in the sunshine on the Knavesmire at York and asked: Are we all being taken for a ride? ROYAL Distant was
FAMILY and friends of a much-loved North-East pensioner gathered yesterday to bid him a fond farewell. The funeral of Charles Robert Young, a well-known character around the town, took place at Darlington Crematorium, where loving tributes were paid.
Richard Burns Rally; Publisher, Sci; Formats, PC, PS2, Xbox; Price, £39.99: Family friendly? It's fiendishly difficult but there's no sex or violence to be seen. IT'S a nightmare scenario. You're developing a rally driving simulation and, with one eye
A CANDIDATE in the Hartlepool by-election has given up his well-paid job after an ultimatum from his boss to choose between the campaign or his work. Businessman and former Conservative election hopeful Gus Robinson gave UK Independence Party candidate
Jonathan Kerrigan is moving from Merseybeat to Heartbeat, despite declaring his days as a fictional copper were over. Steve Pratt reports on the latest arrival at Aidenfield as the series reaches episode 5. The latest recruit to ITV's nostalgic police
Actor Tom Wisdom is going into uniform to play a World war One officer facing the nightmare of a suicide mission. He talks to Viv Harldwick about the attractions of anti-war play Journy's End and his Mile High exploits on TV. ONE of the world's greatest
As responsibility for the terrorist outrage which has seen hundreds of Russian schoolchildren taken hostage is placed at the door of Chechen separatists, Nick Morrison ooks at how a 200-year-old conflict has taken on a very modern guise. As the Second
ONE of the country's leading experts on sudden cardiac death is backing a North-East family's call for greater awareness of a killer heart condition. The specialist, Dr Mary Sheppard, also revealed unpublished research which suggests that sudden cardiac
ONE thing our grandson's taken home from his latest visit to us is a fine lesson in adult hypocrisy. It wasn't meant to be that way. I blame the wasps. Have you noticed how many there are about this year? But I'll come to them in a bit. It all began well
THE club trip used always to go to Redcar, the Sunday School trip to Durham or somewhere thought equally edifying and the mystery trip nine times out of ten to South Shields, though no one had much of a clue why. No offence to Shields, of course - canny
Richard Burns Rally; Publisher, Sci; Formats, PC, PS2, Xbox; Price, £39.99: Family friendly? It's fiendishly difficult but there's no sex or violence to be seen. IT'S a nightmare scenario. You're developing a rally driving simulation and, with one eye
A man has been banned from riding a bicycle and from entering any car park in England or Wales, by magistrates. Appearing before Teesside Magistrates on the same day he was released from Holme House Prison, Stockton, 21-year-old Christopher James Wood
AS there's obviously something of the knight about Newcastle United at the moment, how about Sir Clive Woodward for the next manager? Just about everyone else has been tipped, other than Gazza, who is just starting to sip a fresh brew in his Boston tea
Children left petrified by the prospect of major dental surgery could be offered an alternative to general anaesthetic, the findings of a new study carried out on Teesside revealed today. Specialists in working with nervous patients hope techniques tested
A £500,000 grant has been awarded to a project based at Teesside University aiming to encourage more young people to consider a future in engineering and science. The SETPOINT North East scheme, based at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, runs courses
The phoney war over the proposed regional assembly came to an abrupt end yesterday with the official launch of the Yes 4 The North-East campaign. Tony Kearney watched the opening round of what promises to be a keenly-fought tussle THE campaign for the
BAE Systems' decision to merge its newly-acquired Alvis operations with its land defence operation RO Defence may create jobs in the region. Unions have expressed concerns about the future of the Alvis plant at Telford, near Wolverhampton, which is expected
Cleveland Bridge could have to pay millions to its former employer at Wembley Stadium if it loses a contractual dispute. The beleaguered company, which has had to lay off more than 300 workers this year, is challenging adjudication proceedings launched
BUYERS are eagerly snapping up homes in the poorest areas of Gateshead and Newcastle to avoid crippling mortgages and a property stampede elsewhere, according to a new study. Instead of homeowners trapped by falling prices in so-called "low demand"areas
It is said that the difference between football and rugby is that one is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans and the other is a game for hooligans played by gentlemen. I lose track of which way round it is, but I suppose it depends on which set of
The parents of Daniel and Anne-Marie Readshaw from County Durham are calling for a greater awareness of the rare heart defect that claimed their children's lives. Health Correspondent Barry Nelson investigates the call for improvements AFTER Anne-Marie
Shock as bus driver shot in the eye A BUS driver was recovering yesterday after being shot in the eye with a pellet gun. Police described the shooting as appalling and said it was lucky that the driver managed to stop without mounting the kerb as he approached
MERVYN King is unlikely to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor. In 1998 Eddie George, the former governor of the Bank of England, was quoted as saying that the haemorraghing of manufacturing jobs in the North-East was a fair price to pay for keeping
A man has made his first appearance at crown court faced with sex offences against a girl under 16. Paul Ahmed, 45, spoke only to confirm his name during a short hearing at Newcastle today. The charges, of gross indecency and another serious sex offence
A killer driver who smashed his van into a pensioner's vehicle while talking on his mobile phone was jailed for three years yesterday. Alan Milbanke, 32, had been chatting to a work colleague for just short of two minutes on a dangerous stretch of road
MOROCCAN international Hicham Zerouali is the latest player manager David Hodgson has turned to in his search for a striker after agreeing to join Darlington on trial. The 27-year-old arrived in the country on Sunday evening and played in yesterday's
In times gone by Framwellgate Moor was, literally, an area of empty moorland and was not enclosed into fields until the early 1800s. An open track ran through this undulating land, forming the Great North Road that in parts come to be the Front Streets
FOUR-year-old Catherine Parkin starts school tomorrow with a special spring in her step. Catherine, from Shildon, County Durham, is one of a group of pre-school nursery pupils to benefit from daily food supplements containing a unique blend of fish oil
It is said that the difference between football and rugby is that one is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans and the other is a game for hooligans played by gentlemen. I lose track of which way round it is, but I suppose it depends on which set of
Actor Ron Perlman has made being recognised by the public into a little game. "I'm saying, 'This one is going to say Name Of The Rose because he looks intellectual and bookish. And this one's going to say Police Academy, because he looks like a total
ONE thing our grandson's taken home from his latest visit to us is a fine lesson in adult hypocrisy. It wasn't meant to be that way. I blame the wasps. Have you noticed how many there are about this year? But I'll come to them in a bit. It all began well
Parents maintaining an agonising vigil outside the Russian school seized by a suicide squad were becoming increasingly desperate last night. In a surprise move, the terrorists released 31 women and children yesterday afternoon. But at least 300 people
NEWCASTLE chairman Freddy Shepherd last night categorically denied that he had held talks with Terry Venables about the vacant managerial position at St James' Park. Venables emerged as the front runner for the Newcastle manager's job yesterday after
THE future of an RAF base remains uncertain after a Government announcement that new aircraft will be stationed elsewhere. A defence shake-up earlier this year left RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire, preparing to lose both its Tornado F3 squadrons by 2008
SACKED North-East workers last night staged a protest outside the new Wembley Stadium during a star-studded ceremony to mark a milestone in the rebirth of the famous ground. Prime Minister Tony Blair, England captain David Beckham and head coach Sven-Goran
Transport secretary Alistair Darling is set to deliver his verdict on the future of railways in the North-East when he addresses some of the industry's key figures. The Government minister is being lined up to speak at a major conference which aims to
A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a teenager involved in a fatal road crash. District Judge Roger Elsey yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of Michael Ridley after the 18-year-old failed to answer his bail to face motoring offences. Ridley
DENTAL experts in the region have developed a revolutionary method of sedating frightened patients. They believe the approach could relieve pressure on hospitals and allow patients to avoid potentially risky general anaesthetics. Clinical trials were
NEARLY 100 lifesaving heart-start machines will be installed at public places in the North-East and North Yorkshire. The heart difibrillators are being allocated to ambulance services across the region as part of a campaign to save lives. Having a semi-automatic
BAKED beans, loo rolls, pair of jeans, suit for work. We now buy more clothes from ASDA than we do from M&S, cheerfully slinging our items into the trolley along with the rest of the week's shop. Twenty years ago it would have been unthinkable - and
THE wife of a North Yorkshire racehorse trainer arrested along with reigning champion jockey Kieren Fallon in a nationwide police investigation into race fixing said last night: "He is innocent." Middleham trainer Karl Burke was arrested in a dawn raid
In times gone by Framwellgate Moor was, literally, an area of empty moorland and was not enclosed into fields until the early 1800s. An open track ran through this undulating land, forming the Great North Road that in parts come to be the Front Streets
KINGSCROSS looks just the ticket for this afternoon's six-furlong EBF Classified Stakes at Haydock. Despite plenty of sunshine over the past 48 hours ground conditions have remained on the easy side for Kingscross, who needs little bit of give underfoot
Police forces in the North East are to team up with national experts to tackle the problem of alcohol-related crime and disorder. A director of Alcohol Concern and senior government figures from the Home Office will hold a meeting with representatives
An off-duty police officer was attacked by two men who were tring to break into his neighbour's Teesside home. The policeman was at home, in Stockton, watching The Bill on television when he heard breaking glass and went to investigate. He was hit by
The European Commission is expected to demand the break-up of troubled nuclear power group British Energy (BE), it emerged yesterday. The commission said it was considering a plan under which the company would be split into three units, each with its
Craig Russell has yet to hit the net for Darlington this season - but the experienced frontman says he's not feeling the pressure. Manager David Hodgson has placed faith in goalless Russell. He's started all seven games, but is still awaiting his first
Nearly 100 life-saving heart-start machines are to be installed at public places around the North-East and North Yorkshire. The sophisticated heart difibrillators are being allocated to ambulance services across the region as part of a big push to save
MOVING 250 jobs to India, including some from the North-East, will cost the taxpayer £25m, a union has claimed. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) is fighting the scheme, by German electronics company Siemens, which has the Government contract
