Archive

  • Quakers ready to strike Wijnhard deal

    Darlington are close to completing a deal to bring former Leeds United striker Clyde Wijnhard to the club. The Dutchman will hold further talks with David Hodgson today after admitting a move to the North-East would appeal. Wijnhard has been training

  • Axa to cut policy payouts by 5%

    InsurER AXA yesterday announced it was reducing payouts on some of its long-term savings policies by an average of five per cent. The group blamed three years of falling stock markets for its decision to cut the terminal bonuses it paid on some life and

  • Eating Owt

    On a return visit to the Friar's Head near Bedale the column runs to ground some excellent dishes before encountering the owner in full foxhunting fig FOLLOWING a brief and somewhat querulous review of his establishment in the summer of 1998, Mr Colin

  • Job Search: Vacancies

    Hair stylist, Catterick Garrison. Exceeds NMW. 22 hpw, Thurs-Sat, 9am-5pm. Must have at least 2-3 years' experience. Must be able to train a junior. Must have NVQ level 2 or equivalent. Ref: RID 17950. Nail technician, Richmond. NMW. Tues-Sat, between

  • Newman Scott invests £500,000

    SHOPFITTING company Newman Scott has spent £500,000 on expansion. The company has also taken on ten employees, taking the number of staff to 74. A recently completed extension takes factory space to more than 22,000sq ft. Newman Scott spent more than

  • Rippon yarns

    Veteran newscaster Angela Rippon is helping women cope with the menopause through seminars being held throughout the country. Sarah Foster caught up with her when she visited the North-East. ANGELA Rippon looks, in a word, fabulous. She strides into the

  • Boy with head for heights wins national rock climbing title

    A NINE-Year-old North-East boy has spoken of his pride at becoming the British rock climbing champion for his age group. Now, Tom Middlemas has his sights set on winning a place in the British team. The youngster has been rock climbing for five years

  • Family maintains proud tradition with christening at castle

    BABY Ella Bryce Vickers maintained an unusual family tradition when she was christened. The ceremony in the Tunstall Chapel was one of the few to take place at the castle, in Durham City. But the event maintained a strong family link with the castle,

  • Racist threatened to kill Asian men with hammer

    A RACIST who chased three Asian men with a hammer, threatened to kill them and shouted racial abuse has been jailed for 18 months. Drunken Anthony Randall also made racist remarks to two Asian taxi drivers and damaged one of the taxis in a separate incident

  • Playing into the hands of terrorists

    I am writing this on Monday morning, so what I say may be overtaken by events. But as I write, Ken Bigley is still being held by the Islamic terrorists in Iraq. If I were the evil Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is in charge of Mr Bigley's unlawful incarceration

  • Bags of style

    When I was a student I would rather have died than have a handbag. My friends and I used to stuff our purses with lipstick, keys and other essentials before heading out for a night on the town. Sportsbags were ok and even rucksacks were permissable but

  • Desperate patient uses pliers to remove teeth

    A DESPERATE patient who found it impossible to register with an NHS dentist resorted to removing his own teeth with a pair of rusty pliers. George Daulat, 47, was suffering severe toothache but could not find anyone to treat him in a town with a chronic

  • Prison offer spared jail after fracturing teen's cheekbone

    A respected prison officer who fractured a teenager's cheekbone after he threw a stone through his car window was spared jail yesterday. Edward Smith, 47, had tried to apprehend the 15-year-old until the police arrived but suffered an injury to his face

  • Dales feature on TV show

    WILDLIFE in the Yorkshire Dales will feature in a new BBC TV series presented by Alan Titchmarsh. British Isles: A Natural History examines the evolution of the UK. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority was invited to take part because of its efforts

  • Hit squads to sweep yobs off the streets

    HIT squads will lead the fight against anti-social behaviour in a new approach to tackling one of the main causes of public anxiety. Teams of officers will be given responsibility for ridding estates of the nuisance caused by large groups of mainly young

  • Solicitors give backing to ball

    A DARLINGTON firm of solicitors is sponsoring this year's Mayor's Ball in the town. Latimer Hinks is supporting the event, which raises money for the mayor's chosen charities, to the tune of £2,000. This year, the event is titled Spirit of the Caribbean

  • Mardi Gras redeveloped

    FORTY new jobs will be created in Darlington when a new nightclub opens later this month. The 1,400-capacity Escapade, billed as a New York-style lounge club, is due to open on October 14. Located at 67 Gladstone Street, formerly the site of the Mardi

  • Life's just champion for Eileen

    TEACHER Eileen Pace has won an Everyday Sport award for turning her life around. Ms Pace, 34, a teacher at St Teresa's primary school in Darlington has been presented with £150 of vouchers for her efforts. In the past year, she has gone from doing no

  • Oil prices heading for a new record

    OIL prices crept towards a record high last night as disruption in Iraq and the effect of the hurricane season took their toll. The cost of a barrel of crude reached $49.36 in electronic trading in New York, only slightly below the record $49.40 reached

  • Good display at leek show

    AN annual leek show saw a splendid range of entries on Saturday. Open entry categories and the presence of many experienced gardeners ensured a good showing at the Royal British Legion show in Newton Aycliffe. The main prizes were awarded as follows:

  • Headteacher takes up post in Dubai

    A HEADTEACHER of a Teesside school is leaving his post to take up a job offer in Dubai. Chris Allen will leave Red House School in Norton at the end of October after being at the school for six years. His new job will be as headteacher in an expanding

  • DNA needed to identify crash victim

    OFFICERS investigating a horrific crash which left a woman dead, said it could be some time before her details are released. It is thought the body will need to be formally identified using DNA after the woman was hit by two lorries after she staggered

  • Life's a picnic at the library

    CHILDREN enjoyed a teddy bears' picnic at Saltburn Library yesterday. The youngsters, aged between two and four, made teddy bear masks and listened to stories at the event, which was held to encourage toddlers to become interested in going to the library

  • Cameras catch law-breakers

    SECRET cameras are to be used to catch people who allow their dogs to foul the pavement and fail to clear up the mess. The mini-cameras will be placed in covert positions at a number of locations in Hartlepool. It is also hoped that litterbugs, fly-tippers

  • New lifeboat starts work in N-East

    A £1.2M lifeboat will begin her service in the North-East today. Hartlepool's new lifeboat, The Betty Huntbach, will be stationed at the town's RNLI lifeboat station, but will have to cover as far north as Sunderland. Staff at Sunderland Lifeboat station

  • Shortage of drivers 'is a time bomb'

    MORE must be done to tackle key transport issues such as infrastructure improvements and driver shortages, North East Chamber of Commerce president Alan Ferguson told the Labour Party Conference yesterday. The haulage sector is facing an uphill battle

  • Student keeps the faith

    A TEENAGER from Teesside is to speak about his faith on national television. Michael Hughes, 19, of Stockton, will take part in the BBC2 Exploring Faith programme next year. He is studying theology at Durham University and will join a multi-faith group

  • Start of cancer advice sessions

    A drop-in service will open today to provide information and advice on cancer. Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service was launched at the beginning of the year to establish a community-based service to anyone living in the district whether or

  • Warning over bogus prizes

    CONSUMER watchdogs on Teesside are warning people to beware of offers of prizes that are too good to be true. Trading standards officers in Hartlepool are asking anyone who has received suspect prize offers to send on details to them. Michael Welsh, principal

  • D-Day bravery remembered at lecture

    THE story of how a North-East soldier won the only Victoria Cross awarded on D-Day will be retold this weekend. Expert Nigel de Lee, who lecturers at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, will give a talk at the DLI Museum in Durham City on Saturday

  • Police to review procedures in bid to improve service

    A POLICE force is to carry out a major review of the way it deals with burglaries, theft, criminal damage, car crime and violence. North Yorkshire Police is conducting a review of volume crime -the crimes that happen most often -on behalf of the county's

  • Dream comes true for couple

    A COUPLE who bought a derelict 140-year-old school without even seeing inside are about to open it as the region's newest creative arts centre. Chris and Peter Hallett have taken two years and spent £80,000 repairing and adapting the former National School

  • Couple achieve their dream of opening centre for arts

    A COUPLE who bought a derelict 140-year-old school without even seeing inside are about to open it as the region's newest creative arts centre. Chris and Peter Hallett have taken two years and spent another £80,000 repairing and adapting the former National

  • Smart pupils can get meals at a swipe

    SMART cards that speed up school lunchtime queues are being used at North-East schools. Credit card-sized cards, which use radio frequency identification technology, have been given to all 900 pupils at Eston Park School, Eston, near Middlesbrough. The

  • Old phones to help charity

    BISHOP Auckland shoppers are urged to keep an eye on the environment and help to raise money for charity. Specsavers Opticians is asking people to recycle their mobile phone handsets by dropping them in at the Newgate Street store. For each phone recycled

  • Fun day to showcase the work of dale's community groups

    A FUN day is being held this weekend in Teesdale to showcase projects being carried out by community groups. The Mid-Teesdale Project partnership is organising the fun day on Sunday to show off projects that groups within the organisation are involved

  • A-grade Aleem has earned and learned

    A MIDDLESBROUGH student has benefited from the chance to "earn as you learn" after he was accepted by Cambridge University. Aleem Iqbal, 18, of Ayresome received a £30-a-week education maintenance allowance, which enabled him to study towards the four

  • Sheila is ready for last orders

    SHEILA Todd thought she might stay for a few months when she took over as landlady of a village pub - but 18 years on, she will finally call time on Friday . "I had never pulled a pint before, so it was a real change to go on duty behind the bar," she

  • Diocese vows not to rest on laurels

    A DIOCESE with churches in North and West Yorkshire has agreed a balanced budget for the first time in years. The Diocese of Ripon and Leeds has published a leaflet revealing the financial turnaround. Although the surplus is only £10,000, it has been

  • Village to host opera

    A COMIC opera by Donizette, The Elixir of Love, is being staged in the village hall at Mickleton, near Barnard Castle, on Saturday. Northern Opera scored a hit with the production at Whitley Bay Playhouse this year. The opera was first staged as Elisir

  • Explaining the Navy's role

    THE Royal Navy is holding three presentation nights in the North-East this week. The Royal Navy presentation team will give a detailed account of the challenges that the modern Navy faces and explain how taxpayers' money is spent. Business executives,

  • Officer killed during riot

    The murder of policeman Keith Blakelock during a fierce inner city riot was one the most brutal and controversial crimes of the last twenty years. The 40-year-old constable was hacked to death with a machete in October 1985 during disturbances on on the

  • Fundraiser aiming to support museum

    A MUSEUM has appointed a new member of staff to help generate income. This month, Kate Le Sueur began work as the new fundraising and sponsorship officer at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle. Ms Le Sueur, originally from Jersey in the Channel Islands

  • Bridges delighted with return home

    MICHAEL BRIDGES is a relieved man - after being accepted by the Sunderland fans once again. It was thought the 26-year-old striker would face a hostile reception from Black Cats' fanatics after admitting he was a Newcastle United supporter and snubbing

  • Racing prospects

    L'ORAGE LADY looks a solid enough each-way bet in this afternoon's two-mile-and-five-furlong Tote-sponsored Handicap Hurdle at Sedgefield, writes Colin Woods (Janus). Heather Dalton is rapidly making a name as a trainer to fear wherever she sends her

  • Tanni the best of them all

    Tanni Grey-Thompson became Great Britain's most successful Paralympian of all time yesterday after storming to her second gold medal of the Paralympic Games in Athens. The Welsh wheelchair racer led the T53m 400 metres final from start to finish and retained

  • Police may visit Athens in hunt for man

    POLICE investigating the disappearance of a North-East man in Greece could decide today whether to send officers out to Athens. The search for Melvyn Gamblin, from Darlington, may be stepped up following an internal review of the case. A spokesperson

  • Man intends to plead guilty to student's murder

    A man arrested for the killing of Finnish student Sara Cameron intends to plead guilty to her murder and attempted rape, a court heard today. Former soldier Michael Robinson, 29, was arrested in February after a four year police search for the blonde

  • Eating Owt: The Friar is redeemed

    On a return visit to the Friar's Head near Bedale the column runs to ground some excellent dishes before encountering the owner in full foxhunting fig. FOLLOWING a brief and somewhat querulous review of his establishment in the summer of 1998, Mr Colin

  • East Rainton first on menu

    Season of beef and raspberry gateaux, the annual round of sportsman's dinners began - as it always does - at East Rainton Cricket Club's do on Friday. Once again they'd won the North East Durham League, once again 44-year-old skipper Ian Kitching topped

  • Phone proves a lifeline for lost hiker

    A LONE hiker who got lost in the North Pennines was rescued after giving a description of the scenery over his mobile phone. The 50-year-old man dialled 999 after realising he was lost while walking the Pennine Way at the weekend. Police called the Teesdale

  • Injuries threaten Boro's Euro adventure

    Steve McClaren's preparations for Middlesbrough's first away trip in the UEFA Cup are far from ideal after being hit by a striker crisis. Both Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka are serious doubts for Boro's second leg with Banik Ostrava on Thursday

  • Stuttle's boyfriend tells of last conversation

    The boyfriend of murdered British backpacker Caroline Stuttle today told of their last phone conversation just before she was allegedly hurled 30 feet to her death from an Australian bridge. Ian Douglas Previte, 32, has pleaded not guilty to the murder

  • Tricky hill route survey

    A STUDY investigating problems on a tricky road route has begun. Police figures show that, on average, there is an incident involving heavy goods vehicles on Sutton Bank, near Thirsk, every other day. The narrow width of the road and the steep 1-in-4

  • Trooper in court over Iraq death

    THE first member of the British armed forces to face a murder charge over post-war operations in Iraq was remanded on bail until October 25 when he made a brief first appearance at the Old Bailey yesterday. Trooper Kevin Williams is accused of killing

  • Labman Automation will monitor Dutch water quality

    A company has won a £1.3m contract to help ensure the water system in Holland stays clean. Labman Automation Limited, based in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, will design, manufacture and install a laboratory to analyse the drinking water supplied to more

  • Bankers' association confirms property boom is over

    THE number of mortgages approved fell for the third month in a row during August, providing further evidence the property market has turned. The British Bankers' Association (BBA) said only 64,000 loans were approved for house purchase during the month

  • Mural captures African theme

    PUPILS have brightened up their playground with a pictures of lions and crocodiles. A plain brick wall at Leeming and Londonderry Primary School has been transformed with a colourful mural. The pupils have been studying Africa, and it was decided the

  • Experts to examine coastal wreck after new evidence

    FRESH evidence about a mystery shipwreck has prompted archaeologists to apply for a government licence to carry out further investigations. The collier ship, which dates from the 18th or early 19th Century, has been exposed for the third time in recent

  • The easy option

    Sales of rice for microwave cookers soared by more than 40 per cent in the past year, according to figures published yesterday. Sales in the 12 months to August 15 this year increased to more than £38m, while sales of other types of rice fell. The success

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: Facing up to the demons

    IT is clear Gordon Brown is haunted by the Labour Party's post-war demons. The demons which saw Clement Attlee's 1945 election landslide end in ignominious failure six years later. And the demons which saw the party's return to office in 1974 descend

  • Williams focused on Hull double-header

    FOLLOWING the disappointments of Saturday, Eifion Williams is refusing to be downcast. The three-goal Hartlepool United striker looked on aghast as his team's defence gave away three slack goals against Milton Keynes Dons. Pool meet Hull City tonight

  • A Voice For The North: High-profile figures on campaign trail

    THE countdown to the end of the Hartlepool by-election is being marked by visits from political heavyweights, a television star and an acclaimed film maker. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy made his fourth trip to the constituency for a party rally

  • TV film about dying man puts charity in the spotlight

    A DYING man who invited television cameras to share the last weeks of his life has had a huge impact on the charity he supported, it was revealed last night. Jonny Kennedy, 36, from Newcastle, was the star of Channel 4 documentary The Boy Whose Skin Fell

  • Service to pay tribute to First World War sea rescue

    A COURAGEOUS sea rescue from a sinking First World War hospital ship will be commemorated next month. The Rohilla ran aground during a storm at Saltwick Nab, near Whitby, on October 30, 1914. A dramatic 50-hour rescue operation saved the lives of 145

  • Search to find North-East man's descendants

    AN appeal has gone out to trace the relatives of a North-East man. Jack Rodgers, of Scotland, is hoping to trace descendants of William Sewell, born in April 1894 in Humshaugh, Northumberland. Mr Sewell was the son of Joseph Noble Sewell and Annie Telford

  • Church-goers see the light at football stadium

    CHURCH-GOERS attending services at a football stadium will be greeted by music and refreshments, from Sunday. In keeping with the setting, the Bethany Christian Centre's new weekly services at the Stadium of Light, in Sunderland, are intended to be less

  • Pupils steering their way to qualification

    YEAR nine students at a Darlington school are now studying for the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). Hurworth Maths and Computing College is the first in the borough to provide the course, which is an adult qualification that is recognised across

  • Builder to add more homes

    A HOUSING developer is looking to increase the number of homes being built in a village near Darlington. George Wimpey North-East was granted permission at the turn of the year to build 102 houses on land occupied by old industrial buildings, on Station

  • Even a Tramp needs a home

    WITH a name like Tramp, it would not be a surprise to learn that this dog arrived at a Darlington rehoming centre looking a mess. With wounds to his leg and body, and painfully thin, it was clear to staff at the Dogs Trust, in Sadberge, that Tramp had

  • Martial arts team to stage display

    A 30-strong martial art display team will head the bill at the show in Spennymoor, County Durham. Chungdokwan taekwondo club, which has groups in Ferryhill and Spennymoor, called on aikido and Chinese lion dance groups from the North-East to perform in

  • Pensioners told of credit deadline

    ELDERLY people in east Durham have less than a week left to apply for backdated Pension Credit. Next Tuesday is the deadline to seek benefit, which can be backdated to October 6 last year. After this date, applications will still be processed but will

  • Three injured in street brawl

    DETECTIVES were last night investigating the circumstances behind a mass brawl in which three men were taken to hospital with knife wounds. Detective Sergeant Andy Fairlamb, who is leading the inquiry, said police were alerted to a fight involving several

  • Eileen rewarded for her loyalty

    A WOMAN who started a service to deliver books to the housebound was yesterday awarded for her long service and loyalty with the Women's Royal Voluntary Service. Durham County Council chairman Councillor Alan Fenwick presented Eileen Hawthorne with a

  • Moves to reassure people over crime

    A SCHEME has been launched to reduce residents' fear of crime. Durham County Council and Durham Police Authority have announced they will work together to tackle the problem. The move, which will involve meetings to consult the public and an internet

  • Inquiry as man hurt in attack

    A MAN was last night recovering in hospital after he was stabbed in a fight on his doorstep early yesterday. The 38-year-old man suffered a punctured lung in the attack in Dorset Crescent, Moorside, Consett, County Durham, at about 1.30am. A police spokesman

  • Safety event to pass on crucial tips

    A SAFETY event giving children hands-on lessons in coping with emergencies has started. About 2,000 youngsters from 85 schools in Richmondshire and Hambleton will attend the Crucial Crew initiative at RAF Leeming over the next fortnight. Eleven settings

  • Grant awarded for Euro picture project

    A UNIVERSITY has been given £500,000 to help create an International Photography Research Centre. The European Culture 2000 funding is to support the Changing Faces project, which forms the basis of the research centre at the University of Sunderland.

  • Church-goers see the light at football stadium

    CHURCH-GOERS attending services at a football stadium will be greeted by music and refreshments, from Sunday. In keeping with the setting, the Bethany Christian Centre's new weekly services at the Stadium of Light, in Sunderland, are intended to be less

  • Motorists face delays

    MOTORISTS face delays because of resurfacing work on Saltburn Bank, in Saltburn. Diversions are in place, along the A174 - Apple Orchard Bank and Skelton bypass, the A173 and Saltburn Road - for the next two weeks. Visitors can still access the lower

  • Brown: Let us be judged on our economic record

    Chancellor Gordon Brown yesterday urged Labour to use his record on managing the economy as the springboard for a successful General Election campaign. Mr Brown told the party's conference in Brighton that, in seeking to persuade voters that they can

  • Former addict stole beef joints from store

    A REFORMED drug addict, whose pregnant girlfriend spent their money on heroin, resorted to stealing less than a month after release from prison so they could eat, a court heard yesterday. Harrogate magistrates were told that Ian Halder, 23, was arrested

  • Scheme launched to tackle residents' fear of crime

    A SCHEME has been launched to reduce residents' fear of crime. Durham County Council and Durham Police Authority have announced they will work together to tackle the problem. The move, which will involve public consultative meetings and an Internet survey

  • School's private bus service cuts traffic

    A SCHOOL is aiming to reduce its environmental impact by cutting down on the number of cars driven by parents. Yarm School, in Yarm, has begun the new term by launching its own private bus service. The school has worked closely with Stockton Borough Council

  • New lifeboat starts work in N-East

    A £1.2M lifeboat will begin her service in the North-East today. Hartlepool's new lifeboat, The Betty Huntbach, will be stationed at the town's RNLI lifeboat station, but will have to cover as far north as Sunderland. Staff at Sunderland Lifeboat station

  • Community urged to turn out in force to save centre

    A PUBLIC meeting is being held to discuss the future of a community centre that was forced to shut down. More than 60 people have protested against the closure of Brotton Community Centre, after the centre's trustees had to close the hall because no members

  • Inquiry over four-letter helpline

    A PHONE operator was last night still hunting the prankster who hacked into its system to greet callers to a complaints line with a string of expletives. NTL, which was this month named among the UK's worst firms for customer service, said a recorded

  • £200 is a welcome present

    SANTA is getting a helping hand from a European fund to bring festive cheer to children in a village this Christmas. £200 has been awarded to spread festive cheer at Cockfield, near Barnard Castle, by the Teesdale Targeted Wards Community Chest, which

  • Police call for witnessess

    POLICE are appealing for information after a series of car crimes were reported at the weekend. A Peugeot 406 was stolen from Archer Avenue, in Bishop Auckland, on Saturday night and, on Sunday, in nearby Albert Hill, the lock of another Peugeot 406 was

  • 35 years of bringing books to the door

    A WOMAN from Newton Aycliffe has had her work in the community rewarded. For 35 years, Rene Robson has been working with the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) to help people in the community. Yesterday, she was awarded the service's long service

  • £800,000 facelift to improve town tip

    A TIP that takes more than 22,000 tonnes of waste a year is to be given an £800,000 facelift. The Stonefall site, on Wetherby Road, in Harrogate, is the only tip in the town and the busiest in the county. Council officers are planning to build two levels

  • Hunt for man who stole from cricketers

    POLICE have released security camera pictures of a suspected burglar who stole £1,500 and credit cards from the England cricket team's dressing room during a recent match in the North-East. Wallets belonging to England captain Michael Vaughan and bowler

  • Taking pride in appearance

    A YOUTH football team has been provided with a new kit thanks to the generosity of the District of Easington Community Safety Partnership. The Partnership, which brings together key public organisations, places a high priority on supporting young people

  • Rooney transfer hits club profits

    MANCHESTER United reported a £11.5m drop in profits yesterday, which it said had been caused in part by poor performances on the pitch. The football club said annual profits were down to £27.9m and warned future results would be affected by a fall in

  • Village to celebrate achievement

    RESIDENTS of a village named the best in the country by Britain in Bloom judges are planning a get-together to celebrate their win. Appleton Wiske, near Northallerton, won the villages category of the competition, run by the Royal Horticultural Society

  • Nurse gets £30,000 payout

    A NURSE who injured her back during a lifting accident at work was awarded almost £30,000 yesterday. Theatre sister Shelley Quantrill, 45, of South Shields, South Tyneside, was moving part of an operating table in August 2000 when she damaged her lower

  • Hughes unaffected by intimidation in Israel

    AARON HUGHES wants Newcastle United to forget about the intimidating circumstances they will face in Israel and focus on booking a place in the group stage of the UEFA Cup. It is seven years in November since Hughes made his Magpies debut in a 1-0 defeat

  • Julie hoping for final place

    A BARMAID'S high energy cocktail-making routine could lead to her being named Britain's best bartender. Julie O'Neill, 20, from Washington, Wearside, was spotted by judges at TGI Friday's at Teesside Park, near Stockton. She has been chosen to take part

  • Appeal made for volunteers to join abseil

    BIG-HEARTED volunteers are needed to abseil from a North-East landmark for charity. Marie Curie Cancer Care is seeking individuals or groups of people to take part in its Tyne Bridge Abseil next month. Participants will be given expert advice before making

  • Force to launch crime review

    A POLICE force is to carry out a major review of the way it deals with burglaries, theft, criminal damage, car crime and violence. North Yorkshire Police is conducting a best value review of volume crime - the crimes that happen most regularly - on behalf

  • TV review

    The World's Strongest Boy (five) World's Worst Century (C4) Richard Sandrak has the face of a 12-year-old and the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is deeply disturbing. The story of how his childhood has been dedicated to shaping and sculpting his body

  • I want Gary's sperm

    FINDING a partner seems to be getting increasingly difficult in these busy times. And new BBC1 drama, A Thing Called Love, has tapped into the romantic dilemma of the moment. Lead characters Gary, played by Paul Nicholls, and his best mate Paula, alias

  • 'Killer wanted cash for drugs'

    BACKPACKER Caroline Stuttle was hurled screaming from a bridge to her death by an addict looking for drugs money, an Australian court was told yesterday . "There was an episode of considerable violence on the walkway," Peter Feeney, prosecuting, said

  • Hughes unaffected by intimidation in Israel

    AARON HUGHES wants Newcastle United to forget about the intimidating circumstances they will face in Israel and focus on booking a place in the group stage of the UEFA Cup. It is seven years in November since Hughes made his Magpies debut in a 1-0 defeat

  • 28/09/04

    HUNTING: JL THOMPSON'S rather silly letter (HAS, Sept 22) proved my suspicions that the vast majority of the anti-hunting protestors are more to do with petty envy than conviction. Large numbers of enthusiasts are ordinary people without titles or money

  • Town targets market day thieves

    POLICE have launched a campaign to crack down on thieves who steal purses and bags, mainly from elderly women. Officers in Northallerton will be carrying out high visibility patrols, distributing leaflets and offering advice to shop staff on how to beat

  • The boy with a man's body

    The World's Strongest Boy (five); World's Worst Century (C4): Richard Sandrak has the face of a 12-year-old and the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is deeply disturbing. The story of how his childhood has been dedicated to shaping and sculpting his

  • Parents told 'baby jab safe'

    PUBLIC health bosses have reassured parents that the new five-in-one-vaccination for babies is safe. Doctors started receiving the jab yesterday. Deborah Wilson, consultant in communicable disease control at the County Durham and Tees Valley Health Protection

  • Putting a Price on respect

    Hit-squads are being touted as the lastest weapon in the war against the public's number one fear. Nick Morrison talks to the chief constable who has anti-social behaviour in his sights. IT'S an Ask the Audience with a difference. Instead of putting their

  • Inquiry as man hurt in attack

    A MAN was last night recovering in hospital after he was stabbed in a fight on his doorstep early yesterday. The 38-year-old man suffered a punctured lung in the attack in Dorset Crescent, Moorside, Consett, County Durham, at about 1.30am. A police spokesman

  • The Friar is redeemed

    On a return visit to the Friar's Head near Bedale the column runs to ground some excellent dishes before encountering the owner in full foxhunting fig. FOLLOWING a brief and somewhat querulous review of his establishment in the summer of 1998, Mr Colin

  • TV film about dying man puts charity in the spotlight

    A DYING man who invited television cameras to share the last weeks of his life has had a huge impact on the charity he supported, it was revealed last night. Jonny Kennedy, 36, from Newcastle, was the star of Channel 4 documentary The Boy Whose Skin Fell

  • Time to move on

    What is Nancy Dell'Olio playing at? Having been let down numerous times by Sven the spectacled football manager she has now asked him to marry her - presumably so he can promise to humiliate her till death do they part. It's difficult to imagine what

  • Neale inquiry team collects new evidence

    More than 30 additional witnesses have contacted detectives investigating disgraced gynaecologist Richard Neale. North Yorkshire Police said 34 people had come forward with new information in relation to the doctor who was struck off the medical register

  • Bankers' association confirms property boom is over

    THE number of mortgages approved fell for the third month in a row during August, providing further evidence the property market has turned. The British Bankers' Association (BBA) said only 64,000 loans were approved for house purchase during the month

  • Hunt for man who stole from cricketers

    POLICE have released security camera pictures of a suspected burglar who stole £1,500 and credit cards from the England cricket team's dressing room during a recent match in the North-East. Wallets belonging to England captain Michael Vaughan and bowler

  • Jam today... and jam tomorrow, naturally

    Sharon Griffiths meets... Elspeth Biltoft, who is unstinting in her quest for the perfect pot of jam or pickle. THE September sun shines in through the windows of the converted barn and onto the rows of jars of jams and chutneys waiting to be labelled

  • Actor Kevin praises inmates at opening of drama studio

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    John Prescott yesterday gave his support to 1,150 Jaguar workers whose jobs are under threat. The Deputy Prime Minister urged Jaguar to reconsider its decision to shed the jobs when he met workers from the Browns Lane plant, Coventry, yesterday. Ford

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