Archive

  • Gas networks sale delayed

    National Grid Transco warned the £5.8bn sale of four of its gas distribution networks may take longer to complete than first expected. The group said discussions with watchdog Ofgem had shown the regulatory approvals required for the deal to be more extensive

  • Plea for help to bring back Mystery Plays

    THE world-famous York Mystery Plays could be performed again in 2007 - if enough people with the right skills come forward to help. A working party, set up last year to investigate the possibility of reviving the outdoor production, has concluded that

  • The height of harvest cheer

    ONE and a half thousand feet above the sea, and thus perhaps closer to heaven, it's a bit parky for the 6.30pm harvest festival in the little parish church of Forest and Frith. Lord Barnard, 81 now, is there in mohair top coat, waistcoat and watch chains

  • Wish you were still here?

    TV holiday programmes are dumping their celebrity presenters and are being remodelled to appeal to the post-package traveller. Clear blue skies, equally blue sea, golden sands and the familiar tanned figure of Judith Chalmers paddling on the beach telling

  • Bras and old scars

    "Oh my God, she's taken her top off now," said my wife, who hadn't stumbled across Nip/Tuck by mistake but was actually watching Victoria Wood - Moonwalking (ITV1, Wednesday). At this point (am I allowed to say that?) apologies have to made about the

  • Battle for votes at fever pitch

    DECISIONS will be made by real people rather than faceless bureaucrats if the North-East votes for an elected regional assembly, Yes campaigners said yesterday. Darlington MP Alan Milburn and North-East businessman Sir John Hall urged people to back the

  • Comedy comes to toon

    STEVE PRATT talks to the human half of the best - the only - computer-animated cartoon boy and human man double act in the country. ANY parent will tell you that having a child changed their life. Howard Read agrees with that sentiment, even if his son

  • Ready, willing and disabled

    Films about disability often take a very serious approach to their subject, but a new movie is daring to cast disabled characters in a comic light. Steve Pratt reports. WHEN the Irish President attended the premiere of the movie Inside I'm Dancing in

  • TV audience hears both sides of the debate

    LEADING figures from both sides of the referendum argument went head-to-head in a televised debate last night The 40-minute programme, presented by BBC Breakfast's Dermot Murnaghan, was filmed at the Town Hall, in Durham City, and will be broadcast tomorrow

  • New cash blow to sick pitmen

    PLEAS to increase compensation offers to ex-miners have been rejected by Government officials, The Northern Echo understands. Last night, an influential MP warned that the Government risked "shooting itself in the foot" by failing to make generous initial

  • Falcons put in the hard graft

    NEWCASTLE Falcons have been working hard this week on plugging the defensive holes which have seen them ship 11 tries in the last two games. After winning their first three matches they have lost three on the trot and are determined to stop the rot at

  • Car firm wrecked by cash swindle

    A THIEVING bookkeeper who fleeced hundreds of thousands of pounds from a North-East car dealership is being blamed for a crisis which has put 300 jobs at risk. South Cleveland Garages, which has six garages across the region, went into receivership on

  • Call for building site death reduction

    Union leaders will today step up calls for the Government and employers to tackle the "shocking" level of deaths on building sites. The TUC released figures showing that three construction workers die in Britain every fortnight, highlighting the need

  • Cheers to new era for pub as lottery winners become landlords

    AFTER winning millions on the National Lottery, John and Ashlie Chapman set about rescuing a shut village club that had featured so largely in their lives. The couple, from Easington, east Durham, won £2.1m in November, 1998. After buying a home in the

  • Children's chance to make a difference

    CHILDREN from across the region are being given a prize-winning chance to make a real difference to their communities. Northumbrian Water has launched its Making Waves competition, aimed at youngsters aged between nine and 16, from Berwick to North Yorkshire

  • Police financial crisis

    HARD-UP Cleveland Police have warned they must cut jobs and slash recruitment to avoid financial disaster. Every police and civilian worker was this week issued with a statement on the force's financial situation. Officials, already grappling with a £7.3m

  • Car firm wrecked by cash swindle

    A THIEVING bookkeeper who fleeced hundreds of thousands of pounds from a North-East car dealership is being blamed for a crisis which has put 300 jobs at risk. South Cleveland Garages, which has six garages across the region, went into receivership on

  • Ballot papers are on the way

    WITH the first ballot papers in the referendum on a directly-elected assembly for the North-East due to leave the printers tomorrow, both sides of the debate declared the result to be too close to call. The first indication of how the vote is likely to

  • Home comforts keep away-day blues at bay

    AT home, there's no complaints; away from Victoria Park it's a different story altogether for Hartlepool United. Pool meet Chesterfield on home soil this afternoon with the aim of keeping their impressive run of results going. Then, they can turn attentions

  • Battle for votes at fever pitch

    DECISIONS will be made by real people rather than faceless bureaucrats if the North-East votes for an elected regional assembly, Yes campaigners said yesterday. Darlington MP Alan Milburn and North-East businessman Sir John Hall urged people to back the

  • Hospitals face delay on decision

    THREE hospitals in the North-East and North Yorkshire must wait until next year to find out if they will win limited independence from Whitehall control. The NHS trusts in Gateshead, South Tyneside and Harrogate, were due to hear on November 1 whether

  • New courts to deal with domestic violence cases

    THE Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in County Durham is launching an initiative in the North-East to deal with cases of domestic violence in special courts. The move is one of a number of improvements in the organisation. Another is the launch of CPS

  • Important tips passed on to young cyclists

    PUPILS at a Darlington school swapped their exercise books for toolboxes yesterday as they brushed up on bike maintenance. The Save My Bike Day event at Heathfield Primary School was part of a national initiative run by sustainable transport charity Sustrans

  • Hospice chief stepping down

    THE man who led a North Yorkshire hospice into a new era has retired at the age of 61. Bob Clarke, chief executive of St Catherine's Hospice in Scarborough, has stepped down because of ill health after seeing his dream of the move to new premises in Throxenby

  • Anne ushers in new era

    A COURT usher has retired after keeping a busy magistrates' court running smoothly for 15 years. Anne Corner, of Coundon, says she has enjoyed her time at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court, but is looking forward to spending extra time on hobbies and

  • Police plea after brick attack on motorist

    LIVES could have been put at risk by youths who threw bricks on to a dual carriageway from a bridge, police have warned. A motorist was left shaken after a brick that was thrown from the footbridge over the A19, at Old Shotton, Peterlee, smashed the windscreen

  • 14-year wait for special schools is nearly over

    PUPILS who will attend two new special schools saw their future classrooms taking shape at ceremonies to mark the £11m building project. Children joined Durham County Council vice-chairman Ernie Foster as he lay commemorative stones at their new schools

  • Man 'could help to solve attack on girl'

    DETECTIVES in Bishop Auckland want to trace a man captured on security cameras talking to a teenage girl shortly before she was attacked in the town earlier this month. Officers investigating the serious assault of an 18-year-old want to question the

  • Darley ready to cash in

    KEVIN DARLEY could be in for a bumper pay-day if both Mister Monet and Shamardal strut their stuff at Newmarket this afternoon. The combined first prize-money for the Group 1 Champion and Dewhurst Stakes comes to the thick-end of £368,000, of which Darley

  • Chance to see life back in the Iron Age

    YOUNGSTERS can step back in time to the Iron Age during a series of half-term activities. From Tuesday, October 26, at Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar, activities have been organised with an Iron Age theme. The event has been organised by Redcar and Cleveland

  • Delight as school wins special praise for community links

    CHILDREN and teachers at a primary school in Redcar are delighted at a Government report which rates their school as good. Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education found that Green Gates Primary School has a commitment to high quality care

  • Health trust supports fight to stop care home closure

    HEALTH chiefs have backed residents who are campaigning to keep a care home open. Relatives and staff are holding a protest march today against plans to close Graceland, in Guisborough. And the campaigners received a boost when a spokesman for the Langbaurgh

  • Police scrap cars without insurance

    MOTORISTS who were caught driving in North Yorkshire without insurance have had their cars scrapped. The county's police force has scrapped 24 cars as part of a campaign to get uninsured drivers off the roads. The scheme ensures that drivers strongly

  • Robinson eager to forget

    CARL ROBINSON wants to forget about international disappointments by strengthening Sunderland's case for promotion. Robinson was in the Welsh squad that lost to England last Saturday at Old Trafford and then against Poland in midweek at the Millennium

  • Hear All Sides

    POST OFFICES YOUR Comment (Echo, Oct 14) rails against the present Government's policy regarding the closure of so many local sub-post offices. Both your paper and the LibDems support the European Union, but neither of you have made it clear that the

  • Unseasonal visitor wings into garden

    THE 12 days of Christmas came early for Rachel Hodgeson when a plump partridge left its usual territory in favour of her back garden. Bird experts say it is extremely rare to see the red-legged bird in urban areas and believe it has escaped its homeland

  • Mentally ill man robbed pensioner

    A MAN who carried out a vicious robbery on a pensioner waiting at a bus stop could face a secure hospital order under the Mental Health Act. Anthony Hartley left his 90-year-old victim lying in a pool of blood after banging his head on the ground in the

  • Protest after ban on lopping trees imposed

    RESIDENTS have protested after a council stopped them from trimming trees they say make their homes dark. In July, the Fir Lodge Management Company notified Hambleton District Council of its intention to lop the branches of seven beech trees overhanging

  • Study proves a winner

    STUDENT Katherine Hutchinson has won an award for her studies. Ms Hutchinson, from East Rounton, Northallerton, has been awarded the Lloyds TSB prize for the best overall mark achieved by a BA (honours) business management student. The 22-year-old is

  • Chance for elderly to be heard

    OLDER people in Stockton have been given the chance to make their voices heard. The event, to be held in the Oakwood Centre, Eagles-cliffe, will help older people find out what is going on in Stockton and the range of services available for them. It is

  • Welcome to the world of books

    THE son of a library assistant has become one of the youngest book borrowers in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland. Fred Berreur, who works at Redcar Library, and his wife, Lesley, who gave birth to Louis last month, decided to enrol their son as early

  • Community house opens

    A NEW community house offering support to residents in part of Hartlepool was opened yesterday. The ceremony at Cornerstone House, Perth Street, was performed by the Mayor, Stuart Drummond. The property is owned by Hartlepool Borough Council and is run

  • Thieves strike

    THIEVES are targeting motorists in Guisborough. There have been thefts from cars parked in the town centre, in Bow Street, and in supermarket car parks. Cars parked in Bernaldby Avenue, Falcon Way, Sorrel Grove and Enfield Chase have also been targeted

  • 16/10/04

    POST OFFICES: YOUR Comment (Echo, Oct 14) rails against the present Government's policy regarding the closure of so many local sub-post offices. Both your paper and the LibDems support the European Union, but neither of you have made it clear that the

  • Teesdale Talk: From dry walling to flyballing

    Lawrence Staley's unusual double life caught up with him on Tuesday, on the second last day of a week-long exhibition of his superb engraved glassware, at the Castle Gallery in Barnard Castle. He was due to be there as usual, demonstrating his skill at

  • Sleeping Beauty awakes

    THE highly-acclaimed European Ballet is presenting Sleeping Beauty in Middlesbrough. The company, under the direction of Stanislav Tchassov, former principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, will perform at Middlesbrough Theatre, on Saturday, October 23.

  • Urgent work on museum as £2.5m funding bid prepared

    BADLY-NEEDED repair work will get under way later this month at a tourist attraction. Up to £50,000 is to be spent securing the roof at Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, which is at the centre of multi-million pound redevelopment plans. A substantial

  • Summer star of autumn concert

    SPONSORS are lining up for a concert to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Relief. Bedale Festival Choir is holding the concert on Saturday, November 13, in St Gregory's Church. The centrepiece of the evening will be a performance of the Mozart Requiem

  • The name is Bond

    LEADING independent owner Reg Bond has excellent prospects of taking the first two races on the card at Catterick with his fleet-of-foot sprinters Bond City and Bond Boy. Reg has thrown his full weight behind trainer Bryan Smart, who handles around 30

  • For Your Benefit: Pension may not transfer

    Q My husband, who is 81, has a War Pension. He thinks this will pass to me on death. Is he right? A A War Pension does not pass on automatically to the widow or widower and in many cases it will not be passed on at all. It all depends upon the cause of

  • Fishmonger suffocates after his van rolls over him

    A MOBILE fishmonger suffoc-ated when his van ran over him after he failed to fully apply the handbrake, a coroner was told. Peter Carson, 41, was delivering fish in St Mary's Close, Shincliffe Village, near Durham City, when his Mercedes Vito rolled over

  • McAlpine's £200m contracts

    Construction and services group Alfred McAlpine said it had boosted its order book with a string of deals worth £200m. The London-based firm, which employs 8,500 people, said the majority of the work involved extending existing contracts with water companies

  • FPL skills are taking off

    A TEESSIDE company has won a contract to ensure the safety of aeroplanes taking off and landing at all airports in the Netherlands. The deal makes Flight Precision, Limited (FPL), based at Durham Tees Valley Airport, responsible for inspection and testing

  • Japanese firms look to forge links

    TEN Japanese chemicals firms will be looking to forge new business opportunities with the North-East's chemicals industry during a trade mission next week. The trip aims to showcase the North-East's world-class strengths in the field with visits to leading

  • A Voice For The North: Ballot papers are on the way

    WITH the first ballot papers in the referendum on a directly-elected assembly for the North-East due to leave the printers tomorrow, both sides of the debate declared the result to be too close to call. The first indication of how the vote is likely to

  • Glaxo jobs safe despite fear over drug price regulations

    PHARMACEUTICAL firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) said its commitment to the UK was as strong as ever despite concerns in the industry over Government interference in drug pricing. The new director-general of the Association for the British Pharmaceutical Industry

  • Death of former jockey probed

    POLICE were keeping an open mind last night after a man was found dead in his home. Former jockey Roy Walker, 32, was found dead in an upstairs room at his house on Norby Estate, Thirsk at 2.40pm on Thursday. A post-mortem examination carried out yesterday

  • Campaign to find dog walk helpers

    A CAMPAIGN has been launched to encourage people to spend more time walking their dogs. Newcastle Brown Ale joined forces with the Dogs Trust's Darlington rehoming centre and Newcastle dog and cat shelter to promote the benefits of dog walking. Roz Cormack

  • New cash blow to sick pitmen

    PLEAS to increase compensation offers to ex-miners have been rejected by Government officials, The Northern Echo understands. Last night, an influential MP warned that the Government risked "shooting itself in the foot" by failing to make generous initial

  • Off-licence revoked for illegal sales

    A STORE'S off-licence has been revoked after a court heard evidence that staff sold alcohol to under-age children. Owner Cecilia Hart was found to be not a fit person to hold the off-licence at The Wine Lodge, in Durham Road, Stockton. Alan Nixon, chairman

  • Storm front

    Graeme Storm yesterday maintained his challenge at the top of the Computacenter English Challenge Open at the Donnington Grove Country Club in Berkshire, writes Nick Loughlin. Following Thursday's opening five-under-par round, Storm produced an immaculate

  • Jailed mother is freed to help her daughter

    A MOTHER who was jailed for setting her house on fire in a suicide attempt was shown mercy by a court yesterday when she was freed to help her vulnerable teenage daughter. Paula Dunn, 37, of Pleasant View, Bridgehill, Durham, was jailed for three years

  • McClaren hands young guns a new, tough test

    MIDDLESBROUGH'S youngsters proved they could handle the pressures of the Premiership at Old Trafford this month, but boss Steve McClaren is ready to set them a tougher test by dropping them to the bench for this afternoon's trip to Blackburn. Teenage

  • Delight as MPs support ban on Christmas Day shopping

    MP Kevan Jones was toasted by Father Christmas yesterday when his Bill to ban large stores from opening on Christmas Day cleared the Commons. The Labour MP for Durham North was held aloft by a group of shopworkers dressed in Father Christmas outfits,

  • Living history from wartime

    SEVEN bags of sugar, two Mickey Mouse gas masks and a "gezunder'' are among a hoard of Second World War items set to bring history alive at a North-East museum. More than 100 items of wartime memor- abilia have been added to the Durham Light Infantry

  • Fly to Dublin for 1p

    Log on to The Northern Echo's unique Ryanair web booking page anytime between Saturday 16 October 2004 and Tuesday 19th October 2004 to take part in our offer to fly to Dublin from Durham Tees Valley for just 1p one way plus airport taxes and charges.

  • Home comforts keep away-day blues at bay

    AT home, there's no complaints; away from Victoria Park it's a different story altogether for Hartlepool United. Pool meet Chesterfield on home soil this afternoon with the aim of keeping their impressive run of results going. Then, they can turn attentions

  • Jenas is in Gerrard class - Souness

    GRAEME SOUNESS has handed Jermaine Jenas the ultimate compliment - labelling the England international the complete midfield player and comparing him with compatriot Steven Gerrard. The 21-year-old made his first England start in the 1-0 midweek win in

  • Reception for Julie's rescuers

    A WOMAN rescued by helicopter after falling on rocks has been reunited with community safety wardens who helped to save her. Last Friday, Redcar and Cleveland Mayor Madge Moses hosted a civic reception for the wardens, Tom Jones, Joanne Watson, Lee Collins

  • A football superstar in full bloom

    THERE'S Bloomer, "the prodigious Bloomer...always most pertinacious in his efforts", "sailing away for a certain score". But the referee whistles. He's brought the game to a halt. Steve Bloomer, the most prolific striker of his generation playing what

  • Girl footballers are just champion

    PRIMARY school pupils are celebrating after winning a girls-only football challenge. The youngsters, from Lingdale Primary School, Guisborough, tackled the competition, held at Middlesbrough Football Community Centre. The Coca-Cola sponsored competition

  • Caroline's killer gets life sentence

    A drug-addicted drifter began a life sentence yesterday after he was found guilty of murdering backpacker Caroline Stuttle in Australia. Ian Previte, 32, was also convicted on one count of robbery with personal violence against 19-year-old Caroline, who

  • Security staff face deadline

    BOUNCERS and the clubs they work for could be shown the door in a new clampdown. Cleveland Police are warning bar owners to sign up their door staff for a licence from the new Security Industry Authority by a December 13 deadline - or face closure. With

  • Soldier explores ancestor's exploits

    A YOUNG soldier has been discovering more about the courage that won his great-great-uncle Britain's highest award for valour. Corporal William Clamp was awarded the Victoria Cross 87 years ago. Now the youngest member of his family has seen the medal

  • MP happy to take on gardening duties

    DARLINGTON MP Alan Milburn pledged to "make a difference" by lending his help to the creation of a sensory garden later this month. Mr Milburn will join volunteers in transforming a grassy area at the SureStart centre in the town's North Road, as part

  • Prize for pride of the pack

    A SCOUT is celebrating victory in a competition held during an international expedition. Jonathan Petch, of the Ravensdale Explorer Unit at Darlington Scout HQ, won a £75 voucher for Simpson's Sports Shop. He won the prize after taking part in river rafting

  • Taste of working life

    PUPILS got a taste of life in the workplace when they visited businesses in the Tees Valley. Groups of youngsters from Haughton Community School experienced different industries on their trips to ten firms. They had to find out about the business they

  • Pub picks up award

    A DARLINGTON pub has come out on top in a national awards challenge. The Springfield has been crowned in the finals of an event to recognise the industry's top performers. The pub beat off stiff competition from across the country in this year's Pathfinder

  • Albert Hall showdown for band

    ONE of the region's renowned bands is hoping to beat the best of British brass at the weekend. The Reg Vardy (Ever Ready) Band has rehearsed each night this week at its base in Stanley, County Durham. The band travels to London to represent the region

  • Staff dedication marked

    TWO long-serving members of staff at a Durham City bakery have been recognised for their dedication. Nicola Jacobs and Mary Varley, who work at the Greggs Bakery in the city, were among 130 of the company's employees invited to a presentation at St James

  • Destination Darlington - vision of future is unveiled

    A PLAN to transform Darlington into a top shopping destination by 2010 was unveiled by MP Alan Milburn yesterday. The aim of the Darlington Town Centre Business Plan is to give traders and planners a focus to improve the area for shoppers, workers and

  • Parrots and pirates at the ball

    A GIANT parrot, pirates, magicians and Caribbean music greeted guests at last night's Mayor's Charity Ball in Darlington. This year's event, hosted by Mayor Roderick Francis, had a Spirit of the Caribbean theme and was staged in the Dolphin Centre. Guests

  • Flats scheme wins planning approval

    PLANS to demolish a former ambulance station and build 14 flats on the site have been approved by councillors. Meadowcroft Homes Limited applied to build the flats with car parking and landscaping in Clarence Avenue, Chester-le-Street. The accommodation

  • Children can be city mayor for a day

    CHILDREN are being given the chance to discover what it is like to be mayor for a day. Pupils from schools in Durham City have been invited to enter a competition, either writing a short story, or drawing a picture, describing what they would do, or change

  • Breaking of bread starts market event

    A BREAKING of bread ceremony marked the opening of a French market in Durham City yesterday. Present at the now traditional ceremony was the Mayor of Durham, Councillor Mary Hawgood, who wished the three days of trading well. The market, which will run

  • Man dies in accident at A66 crossing

    AN elderly man has died after his car was in an accident as it crossed the A66 during the rush-hour. The accident happened just after 5pm at the central reservation crossing for the village of Long Newton, near Stockton. The man and a woman, who was driving

  • Views mixed over licensing changes

    NEW licensing regulations may help to clean up the late night drinks scene in a street at the foreground of complaints over drunken behaviour. That is the view of the man in charge of policing the licensing of premises in Durham city centre and the rest

  • Government whip opens £600,000 MRB site

    THE new £600,000 base of one of Wear Valley's longest-established employers was officially unveiled by Government chief whip Hilary Armstrong yesterday. Innovative engineering firm MRB Schumag moved to a new purpose-built site on South Church Enterprise

  • Bearer sets down town banner for last time

    BANNER carrier Denis Sanderson is stepping down after 35 years of carrying the civic pride of his home town. Since 1969, he has carried the town crest of Richmond at a variety of processions and events. But, at the age of 76, he has decided to pass on

  • Grant spur for veteran runner

    A VETERAN athlete has been awarded a cash grant to help him keep on running. Jim Caddy, pictured, has been awarded £720 from the West Redcar Single Regeneration Budget's community chest. The grant from the fund, financed by One NorthEast and managed by

  • Determined McCarthy in no mood for favours

    MILLWALL were more than willing to allow Sunderland to train at their training complex in preparation for last season's play-off battle with Crystal Palace. But, despite being grateful to the club where he took his first steps in management, Black Cats

  • New writing from old notes

    Children's author David Almond tells Steve Pratt how he's turned notes by an American writer into a story about Felling. AWARD-winning children's novelist David Almond has taken notes for an unwritten story by American writer Raymond Carver and turned

  • McClaren hands young guns a new, tough test

    MIDDLESBROUGH'S youngsters proved they could handle the pressures of the Premiership at Old Trafford this month, but boss Steve McClaren is ready to set them a tougher test by dropping them to the bench for this afternoon's trip to Blackburn. Teenage

  • Threatened home denies profit claim

    A NURSING home threatened with closure has disputed claims it is running at a profit. A protest march will be held tomorrow against the closure of Graceland Nursing Home, Guisborough, which would leave 51 residents without homes and about 60 staff without

  • £3,000 grant allows group to spend more than a penny

    A VILLAGE hall is to be brought into line with modern requirements thanks to a £3,000 grant. The Yorventure money will help to pay for new disabled toilet facilities at the hall in Brompton-on-Swale. Funds raised by the hall committee will now stretch

  • Disc adverts to save costs

    BUSINESSES are being offered the chance to get their name into virtually every car across Hambleton. Sponsors are wanted for the 60,000 parking discs distributed by the district council. The council sold advertising space on the discs for the first time

  • Hospital concert

    A HOSPITAL is to host a fundraising concert. The Harp Singers will perform Victorian music in aid of the Friends of the Friarage Hospital on November 6 at the Northallerton hospital. Tickets are £5, available from Greensleeves in the town or Brian Thompson

  • Student grant is available

    STUDENTS in higher or further education are being invited to apply for grant aid from a local trust. The money, from the Haywra Crescent Educational Trust, is available for students from the Harrogate Council area studying outside the district. This year

  • At Your Service: The height of harvest cheer

    The wind may be chill but the column finds warmth aplenty at Forest and Frith parish church. ONE and a half thousand feet above the sea, and thus perhaps closer to heaven, it's a bit parky for the 6.30pm harvest festival in the little parish church of

  • Carer who stole from blind woman faces jail

    A CARER who stole the life savings of a blind woman has been told she is facing a prison sentence. Over 17 months, Julie Wilkinson, 36, stole £5,090 from the 76-year-old woman she helped to care for. Wilkinson, who has no previous convictions, accepted

  • Excellence is rewarded by council

    THREE council workers have been recognised for their outstanding contribution. Clerical officer Amanda Coates, head of accountancy Lisa Dunn and personnel assistant Julia Wilson are all employed by Richmondshire District Council. Each was presented with

  • Summer star of autumn concert

    SPONSORS are lining up for a concert to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Relief. Bedale Festival Choir is holding the concert on Saturday, November 13, in St Gregory's Church. The centrepiece of the evening will be a performance of the Mozart Requiem

  • Schemes 'will not ease congestion'

    A BUSINESS chief says more buses and bikes will not ease growing congestion in two North Yorkshire towns. Brian Dunsby, chief executive of Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce, spoke out as North Yorkshire county councillors backed schemes in the Harrogate-Knaresborough

  • Advice makes the Mark

    A COUNCIL has won an award for its high standard of legal advice on its website. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's consumer and money advice service has been awarded the Community Legal Service's Quality Mark. The council is the first authority in

  • Nursery's glowing report

    A HOSPITAL nursery has received an outstanding report from Government inspectors. The day nursery at the University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton, was visited by inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education, in July. Their report praises the

  • Clinic boosts health care

    HEALTH care for people living in a deprived area of Hartlepool is to be improved following the introduction of a nurse-led clinic. It has been set up in the Owton Rossmere Resource Centre, in Wynyard Road, which is the 25th most deprived area in the country

  • Hospital concert

    A HOSPITAL is to host a fundraising concert. The Harp Singers will perform Victorian music in aid of the Friends of the Friarage Hospital on November 6 at the Northallerton hospital. Tickets are £5, available from Greensleeves in the town or Brian Thompson

  • The Albany Northern League: Peterlee's future in balance

    Peterlee chairman Bobby Huntingdon has admitted the future of the club is in the balance. The club is facing a huge crisis - without finance, a manager, players and helpers. And Huntingdon says that he can only fulfil his obligations for a further four

  • Legal battle over ships starts in US

    A LANDMARK court battle to decide the fate of nine rusting US navy ships due to be broken up in the North-East began yesterday. The ships have been unable to leave the James River, in Virginia, for Able UK's yard in Hartlepool pending the legal fight.

  • Lorry blaze causes chaos on motorway

    MOTORISTS faced rush-hour misery yesterday after an articulated lorry caught fire, halting traffic on a section of the region's busiest road. The disruption to the A1(M) took emergency services nearly nine hours to control as the burning truck, a two-car

  • Ready, willing and disabled

    Films about disability often take a very serious approach to their subject, but a new movie is daring to cast disabled characters in a comic light. Steve Pratt reports. WHEN the Irish President attended the premiere of the movie Inside I'm Dancing in

  • Pupils suspended after cannabis find

    EIGHT pupils at a leading high school have been excluded after being caught with cannabis. The pupils, all aged 15 or 16, were suspended from Bedale High School, North Yorkshire, on Tuesday. Their parents have been spoken to by the school and North Yorkshire

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: Making your vote count

    OVER the next few days voting forms will be delivered to tens of thousands of homes across the North-East. These pieces of paper will determine the future of government in our region. We are being given a historic opportunity to decide whether or not

  • Honour wants assurances before reversing decision

    Bishop Auckland might be looking for a new manager later today. Club officials are scheduled to meet Brian Honour for talks, but Honour has insisted that his resignation, which he announced last Saturday, will stand unless he is given assurances about

  • New-look Darlington's reasons to be cheerful

    CONSIDERING the trials and tribulations of last season, a campaign of consolidation may have been an acceptable target among most Quakers' die-hards this time around. But this is Darlington, and the norm rarely pays a visit to these parts. Certainly,

  • Goal-hungry Mendieta aims for double target

    GAIZKA MENDIETA has set his sights on a double at Blackburn this afternoon: a first away win since August and an end to his barren spell in front of goal. Middlesbrough's 2-0 victory at Fulham is their only win on the road this season and although boss

  • The only way is up for all-new Quakers

    CONSIDERING the trials and tribulations of last season, a campaign of consolidation may have been an acceptable target among most Quakers' die-hards this time around. But this is Darlington, and the norm rarely pays a visit to these parts. Certainly,

  • Urgent work on museum as £2.5m funding bid prepared

    BADLY-NEEDED repair work will get under way later this month at a tourist attraction. Up to £50,000 is to be spent securing the roof at Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, which is at the centre of multi-million pound redevelopment plans. A substantial

  • Crash at notorious crossing shuts A66

    AN elderly man was seriously injured last night when his car was in an accident as it crossed the A66 during the rush-hour. The accident happened just after 5pm at the central reservation crossing for the village of Long Newton, near Stockton. It is thought

  • Fireworks sales 'used to finance crime'

    CRIMINALS are selling stolen fireworks to finance prostitution and drugs, police have warned. Car boot sales and pubs are being targeted by the black-market salesmen and the public has been warned not to buy fireworks from people without a licence. Reports

  • Woman warns US over blood supplies

    A NORTH-EAST woman has warned US officials that their country's blood and plasma supply could be contaminated with the human version of mad cow disease. Written evidence from Carol Grayson, from Jesmond, Newcastle, has been submitted to the US Food and