A CLEANING business that started in a North Yorkshire farmhouse only two years ago has announced plans to recruit 42 staff. Platinum Services GB Limited will nearly double its workforce when it takes on the workers. The company's recruitment drive coincides
A CORONER said the Government was dragging its heels over much-needed reform of the system for investigating deaths in custody. County Durham Coroner Andrew Tweddle spoke out after it emerged that it will be two years before he can hold an inquest into
A temporary flood defence scheme could be used to hold back rising waters in one of the region's cities. York could be the first place in the country to test the scheme, to protect the Clementhorpe area, which suffered severely in 2000. A 1.5-metre barrier
AN animal welfare charity is hoping to find homes for abandoned dogs before Christmas. The Durham branch of the RSPCA rents space at Deerness Kennels, in Langley Moor, and has nine dogs in its care. Kevin Forsyth, who runs the kennels, said some of the
THE only way to curb the rising number of TB cases is for the health service to work more collaboratively, according to the head of the UK Health Protection Agency. Professor Pat Troop, chief executive of the agency, was in Newcastle yesterday, meeting
LOW-PAID staff were celebrating yesterday after they were awarded payouts from a North-East council. A total of 139 workers, mainly women, are due to receive thousands of pounds each after an employment tribunal, in Newcastle, ruled that they had been
Ex-Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson's new novel, Star, could be the story of her life - an all-American girl propelled to stardom thanks to her looks. The pin-up tells Hannah Stephenson what her sons think about her being a sex symbol and why she will always
HIGHER education minister Kim Howells has welcomed a North-East university's progress in admitting state school pupils. Figures released by the Sutton Trust show that the proportion of state school students entering Durham University has increased over
HUNDREDS of workers at a tobacco factory are to stage a 24-hour strike after rejecting a 2.6 per cent pay offer. About 400 members of the Amicus union working at the Southampton plant of British American Tobacco (BAT) will walk out today as part of a
REGIONAL ASSEMBLY: WHY are the people wanting a regional assembly having to drag people from outside the area to support their views? We don't want people coming here telling us what is best for us. Do the Scots or the Welsh want the English to go there
IN an ideal world we would not require laws which cover the issue of smacking. But we do not live in an ideal world. In the real world, children misbehave and it is not possible to introduce an outright ban. Firstly, such a ban would be unworkable. And
LATE-developing three-year-olds often thrive at this time of year and Winged d'Argent (3.40) fits the bill to perfection for the feature event at Musselburgh, the £40,000 Willie Park Stakes. Mark Johnston's representative failed to make the track as a
WORKERS at Pressworks Metals will be left jobless over the Christmas period after administrators revealed the firm has orders for up to six more weeks. The Northern Echo revealed yesterday that the company is set to shut down after two of its major customers
GARETH Southgate will savour Middlesbrough's coming of age tomorrow after insisting the club have finally thrown off their reputation for bottling the big occasion. The 34-year-old centre-half will be wearing the captain's armband as Boro entertain Italian
A CONFISCATION hearing into the assets of a man jailed for running a brothel will take place today. John Middleton ran a brothel at the Pleasure Zone sex shop, in Darlington, and in a caravan on the A1 near Bedale, North Yorkshire, with up to 20 prostitutes
POLICE are no closer to catching the killer of a prostitute whose body was found on isolated moorland four years ago. The naked body of Vicky Glass, 21, was discovered on the North York Moors, on the outskirts of Danby, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, in
A MEMORIAL service will be held tomorrow for Ina Bell, a much-loved former resident of Hurworth. Mrs Bell moved to the village in 1950 with her husband, Charles, and lived in The Green for 52 years before leaving in 2002 to be near her son, John, and
AN in-depth introduction to the world of franchising is being offered to businesses and budding entrepreneurs in the region. Darlington-based The Franchise Company, the North's biggest franchise consultancy, has joined forces with legal experts at Jacksons
PATIENTS at a Teesside hospital will benefit from a mobile MRI scanner visiting over the next two weeks. The mobile scanner is part of a Government initiative to reduce waiting times for patients. It is expected to scan up to 400 patients during its time
ATHLETES in east Cleveland have moved a step closer to having their own modern training facilities. Organisers of a project to create a community athletics training facility in Guisborough have raised £50,000 and Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson presented
A pilot scheme aimed at cutting the child road casualty toll will to be launched tomorrow. About 2,000 children in east Durham are to be trained in road safety skills that could help save their lives. Last year, there were 61 child pedestrian casualties
DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott yesterday urged people in the North-East to make history by voting yes in the referendum for a regional assembly. Mr Prescott, speaking in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, said: "If you give it a chance here it'll
COUNCIL bosses are facing up to a major funding shortfall as they try to provide essential support for disabled people in Darlington. The borough council is considering ploughing more cash into the disabled facilities grants (DFG) scheme, which allows
DARLINGTON skipper Craig Liddle will make his return in the FA Cup next week. Manager David Hodgson has confirmed that Liddle is winning his battle to be fit in time to face Yeovil Town in the first round on November 13. Liddle has not started a competitive
THE funerals of best friends who were killed in a road crash at the weekend will be held later this week. Kane Banner and Ryan Fairley died when Kane's Ford Fiesta collided with a tree on the outskirts of Durham City on Sunday night. Inquests into both
A TEENAGER who glassed a man he suspected had a relationship with his mother was locked up for two-and-a-half years yesterday. Nathan Daniel Patton, 18, already had a four-year AntiSocial Behaviour Order (Asbo) against him when he attacked Thomas Hawkins
BUDGET airline Ryanair last night warned that high oil prices and strong competition could speed up its prediction of a "bloodbath" in the airline industry. As the airline, which operates flights from Durham Tees Valley airport, announced record half-year
Time To Get Your House In Order! (C4) Gardens Through Time (BBC2) HOTELIER Tim Hadcock-Mackay believes that order is everything and that the key to a happy, productive life is organisation. Shellie, in her own way, has organised her life - husband Ray
A COUNCIL leader has stepped down because she is suffering from breast cancer. Sue Pitts has held the post since last year's Liberal Democrat landslide victory on Durham City Council. The group has elected Fraser Reynolds, cabinet member for the environment
Camerons Brewery has shipped out its first consignment of festive ale to the US. Following the success of Strongarm, Scorpion Lager and Long Leg in the US, the brewery has decided to export Camerons Christmas Ale to the States. Mike Berriman, sales and
FOR reasons which needn't for the moment concern us, the column two weeks ago spent some time with the oldest profession and thus caught Martin Birtle with his etymological trousers down. Martin, from Billingham, enjoyed a holiday this summer touring
A FATHER pushed his partner to the floor and dragged her across the room in front of his four children, a court was told yesterday. Maurice Bullock, 39, admitted assaulting Alison Green after she failed to return to their home in Esk Road, Darlington,
WORLD-RENOWNED saxophonist Lol Coxhill took to the road yesterday for his one-day countryside skip-tour. He played a series of live concerts inside the empty skip, taking his own brand of improvised jazz to five venues in North Yorkshire. He started the
VISITORS to a national park can now learn more about the history of well-known landmarks through newly installed talking posts. Four posts have been sited along the path between the Sutton Bank National Park Visitor Centre and the White Horse, near Kilburn
DARLINGTON skipper Craig Liddle will make his return in the FA Cup next week. Manager David Hodgson has confirmed that Liddle is winning his battle to be fit in time to face Yeovil Town in the first round on November 13. Liddle has not started a competitive
A £5.7m swimming pool and fitness suite was formally opened yesterday. The pool at the Louisa Centre, in Front Street, Stanley, which opened to the public in August, was launched by Derwentside Council leader Councillor Alex Watson and executive member
HE scored just 14 goals in 109 appearances, endured the calamitous reigns of both Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit, and is best known for assaulting an advertising hoarding after scoring against Bolton - but few who saw Temuri Ketsbaia play for Newcastle
Anyone who knows me will tell you I am very tactile. As far as I'm concerned there's not much in this world that can't be solved - or at least soothed - by a cuddle from a loved one. But for those who work too hard to schedule a bit of physical contact
THE appetite of shoppers proved surprisingly strong last month and sales rose at their fastest rate since July. Figures released by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) offered much-needed cheer to retailers ahead of the Christmas season, although
A TOWN is working to expand its markets. Council bosses in Richmond are hoping to encourage a more diverse selection of stalls to boost the town's economy. Two small businesses, which have already started trading in the town centre, are being used to
FOR reasons which needn't for the moment concern us, the column two weeks ago spent some time with the oldest profession and thus caught Martin Birtle with his etymological trousers down. Martin, from Billingham, enjoyed a holiday this summer touring
A RETIRED musician has written a book about his childhood. Trevor Woolston, 86, of Grinton, Swaledale, wrote Tales For My Great Granddaughter, last year, after the birth of his great-granddaughter Jodie. The book compares his childhood, growing up in
CHELSEA are ready to test Newcastle United's resolve to hang on to Kieron Dyer by offering a swap deal involving giant centre-back Robert Huth. Dyer has been given the all-clear to resume full training following his hamstring injury, but his future on
THE finances of one of the region's greatest seats of worship are on the up. Last year, York Minster faced an operational budget deficit of £612,000 and the Dean and Chapter controversially decided to charge admission to try and reduce it. Now, following
AN urgent investigation has been launched by the Environment Agency after 10,000 fish died in an urban lake. A hotline number has been opened by the agency which said it was baffled by the deaths but was looking at the possibility of a mystery pollutant
A FILM production company, known for its TV documentaries on the First World War, is working with organisations from across the globe following a trip to Cannes Film Festival. Ed Skelding Productions, from Newcastle, produces films for broadcast on television
FOR more than 150 years the North-East skies were empty of the spectacular red kites. Famed for its rusty-red, forked tail and long wings, the rare bird of prey had been hounded from the region by human persecution. But its luck turned when the Heritage
A MAN died following a house blaze started by a firework pushed through his letterbox, police said yesterday. Arthur Lonsdale died in hospital of respiratory failure caused by smoke inhalation. Detective Superintendent Steve Wade, who is leading the murder
MICK McCarthy last night hailed Stephen Elliott's "striker's instinct" after the youngster helped to fire Sunderland into their highest league position of the season. Elliott bagged his eighth goal of the campaign in the Black Cats' 3-1 win over Wolves
AN innovative North-East company which manufactures amphibious vehicles faces an uncertain future after going into administration. David Royle, managing director of Covelink Marine Limited, in Staindrop, County Durham, has said that he has been unable
A MANUFACTURER in the North-East is to close with the loss of nearly 200 jobs after a month-long battle to save the company ended in failure. Administrators for Pressworks Metals, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, will begin winding down the company
A MANUFACTURER in the North-East is to close with the loss of nearly 200 jobs after a month-long battle to save the company ended in failure. Administrators for Pressworks Metals, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, will begin winding down the company
A children's nurse caught indecently assaulting a teenager has been thrown out of the profession. The Nursing and Midwifery Council yesterday heard that Martin Austin, 46, pulled the curtain round the diabetes sufferer's bed and molested her while on
Time To Get Your House In Order! (C4); Gardens Through Time (BBC2): HOTELIER Tim Hadcock-Mackay believes that order is everything and that the key to a happy, productive life is organisation. Shellie, in her own way, has organised her life - husband Ray
WITH less than 48 hours to go before the result of the referendum on a directly-elected assembly for the North-East is declared, the latest figures appeared to indicate that the turnout is likely to approach the 50 per cent mark. By lunchtime yesterday
GNER has fired a salvo at its competitors for the East Coast Main Line franchise by saying it has the edge when it comes to value for money and reliability. The company, which is based in York, said it would deliver the best value for money for the taxpayer
The full story of how and why a war plane came down in the North East during a storm in 1917 has just been revealed - in the dramatic words of the pilot. There was great excitement when the two seater aircraft, an RE8, made an emergency landing on March
SANTA and his reindeers will be visiting Darlington's Cornmill Centre on Saturday. The Cairngorm reindeers will parade along East Row, Horsemarket and High Row before heading for the centre, where Santa will take up residence in his grotto. The parade
A WOMAN cleared of harassing the wife of her alleged ex-lover for more than two years was warned by the High Court yesterday that she could face similar charges if there were any further complaints about her conduct. The warning came after the court heard
A RECRUITMENT company is liaising with car dealerships across the North-East to find jobs for about 250 staff made redundant following the collapse of South Cleveland Garages. Ingenia, based in Washington, Wearside, said it was talking to motor dealerships
A MAN fell to his death from castle battlements in an apparent suicide bid. Two tourists discovered the body at the base of the 100ft high keep at Richmond Castle, in North Yorkshire, at about 3.15pm on Monday. The name of the middle-aged man, who lived
A WOMAN broke down in tears as she spoke of how she survived a car accident in which two drivers died. Kerry Patricia Clarke travelled from Glasgow to give evidence into the inquest of Geoffrey Donaldson, 57, who died when his Astra van was in collision
North-East woman Leah Pattison's mission to help Indian women and children with leprosy has been boosted with £962 from a concert in Durham's Gala Theatre. The event featured soprano Marilyn-Hill Smith, mezzo- soprano Alison Hudson and pianist Simon Kenworthy
THE government has authorised tests to be carried out at a housing estate on land that may be contaminated. The land, at Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, was used to store pit props before houses were built on it in the late 1970s. Officers from Hartlepool
A £97,000 grant will encourage dales workers to take up exercise by funding a physical activity co-ordinator. The money is from an Active England Initiative, backed by Sport England and the Big Lottery Fund. The Durham Dales Primary Care Trust will use
STAFF at the Saks salon in Guisborough are helping four regular clients in their bid to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Jenny Dale, Rachel Bentley, Mel Hutchinson and Mel Dunwell are planning to take part in the Great Wall of China Challenge next
A FIVE-MILE stroll offering views of the coast is to be held this weekend. Hartlepool Borough Council's Local Nature Reserves officer Joe Davies has teamed up with the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust to stage the free Winter Warmer event on Sunday, from 10.30am
A GUISBOROUGH primary school is holding an auction to raise cash for computer equipment. The auction is at Highcliffe Primary School, in Hutton Lane, on Friday, November 12, at 7.30pm. Organiser Liz Alsop said: "Donations have been received from local
THE funerals of best friends who were killed in a road crash at the weekend will be held later this week. Kane Banner and Ryan Fairley died when Kane's Ford Fiesta collided with a tree on the outskirts of Durham City on Sunday night. Inquests into both
DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott yesterday urged people in the North-East to make history by voting yes in the referendum for a regional assembly. Mr Prescott, speaking in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, said: "If you give it a chance here it'll
HIGHER education minister Kim Howells has welcomed a North-East university's progress in admitting state school pupils. Figures released by the Sutton Trust show that the proportion of state school students entering Durham University has increased over
A CLEANING business that started in a North Yorkshire farmhouse only two years ago has announced plans to recruit 42 staff. Platinum Services GB Limited will nearly double its workforce when it takes on the workers. The company's recruitment drive coincides
AMERICANS turned out in droves yesterday - some queuing for hours - to vote in one of the closest and most bitterly contested elections in history. A record turnout was expected as voters decided whether to re-elect George Bush or replace him with Democrat
THE firm that operates TransPennine train services has been forced to apologise to passengers over cuts. TransPennine Express has reduced the number of services stopping at York, Thirsk, Northallerton and Middlesbrough, from 16 to ten a day and has introduced
MICKY Nelson may have found a new route out of Hartlepool United - as a striker. The big defender, who submitted a transfer request a fortnight ago, played in an unfamiliar forward role as Pool won at Carlisle last night and he caused the home side problems
A MECHANIC who mowed down and killed a man has been jailed after it was revealed he had never passed a driving test. Andrew Dyson had previous convictions for motoring offences when he crashed his car into 42-year-old Peter Pickering after taking his
A narrow vote in favour of an elected assembly in the North-East would be a "mandate for change" even with a low turn-out, deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said today. Mr Prescott said 37.6 per cent of people had voted so far and turn-out was expected
THE heroism of a Second World War veteran will be retold on television. Captain Richard Annand is one of only a handful of surviving winners of the Victoria Cross (VC). He lives in Durham City with his wife, Shirley, and will celebrate his 90th birthday
SCHOOL attendance records in one of the North-East's largest education authorities have surpassed expectations. Attendance at schools in County Durham in 2003/2004 was the highest ever, with 91.87 per cent at secondary level and 94.35 per cent in primary
North-East woman Leah Pattison's mission to help Indian women and children with leprosy has been boosted with £962 from a concert in Durham's Gala Theatre. The event featured soprano Marilyn-Hill Smith, mezzo- soprano Alison Hudson and pianist Simon Kenworthy
FIRST an apology - to you, valued reader, and to the Government. Last week I suggested it was a "fair bet'' that intensive lobbying by the gambling industry explained the welcome mat being laid down by the Government for Las Vegas-style casinos in Britain
THE failure of Wolves' big-money signings cost Dave Jones his job on Monday, but close friend Mick McCarthy was able to reflect on a more productive use of the transfer market as two of his bargain buys fired Sunderland to third place in the Championship
POLICE are clamping down on troublemakers in the run-up to Christmas. A three-month dispersal order, the first of its kind in the Scarborough area, will begin in Eastfield tomorrow. The order is being piloted by the police, acting with the borough council
A SUSPECTED drugs den has been closed down by police. The house in Kedward Avenue, Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough, was targeted af-ter complaints by neighbours. PC Emma Brown spent several months gathering evidence and a raid was carried out last Tuesday
A ROW over a £570,000 seafront complex, which is standing empty, is to go to court. As a 2,000-name protest petition was fixed to the front of the Saltburn's empty Foreshore building, demanding that it is opened, after it was revealed that legal proceedings
LATE-developing three-year-olds often thrive at this time of year and Winged d'Argent (3.40) fits the bill to perfection for the feature event at Musselburgh, the £40,000 Willie Park Stakes. Mark Johnston's representative failed to make the track as a
A CHARITY furniture scheme that helps needy families to fit out their homes was launched yesterday. The County Durham Furniture Help Scheme was opened by project chairman Councillor Vince Crosby at its base, a unit on Chilton Industrial Estate. Volunteers
THE president of a German Rotary Club will help to judge Darlington and Northallerton Rotary Clubs' young musician competition this month. Ingbert Bluthner, president of Leipzig Rotary Club, will fly in for the event and will lend one of his company's
The chairman and managing director of industrial excavator manufacturer JCB is to leave one of his roles, the company announced yesterday. Sir Anthony Bamford has held the two posts for 29 years after succeeding his father, Joseph Bamford, who founded
LAWYERS representing North-East asbestos victims face a court battle next week. At stake are continued compensation payments to people who develop "pleural plaques" on their lungs. These internal scars indicate that the patient has been exposed to significant
