A MAN nearly lost his car to the sea after an attempt to rescue his jet-ski. The water sports enthusiast had been jet-skiing off Tynemouth, North Tyneside, when the steering on the craft failed, leaving him unable to bring it to shore. In an attempt to
A PLUMBER who left his van to help a woman who had been knocked off her bike was rewarded with a parking ticket. Danny Young and business partner Paul Middlemass had parked their van to unload tools when they saw the accident happen outside the Moat House
A NEW £250,000 management centre, which links with train company GNER's control centre, will give passengers better information during disruptions. The facility, being opened today at King's Cross, in London, is part of a £10m package of station improvements
ALL-COMERS failed to beat one of the region's leading scrabble players yesterday. Pete Finley, Cleveland Scrabble Club champion, took on shoppers and passers-by at Asda in Stockton, Teesside, in the name of charity yesterday. But no one could beat the
A FAMILY last night won its 50-year fight for justice after an inquest ruled the death of an airman during secret nerve gas experiments was unlawful. Leading Aircraftman Ronald Maddison, 20, from Consett, County Durham, died in May 1953 after being exposed
* HARTLEPOOL accountants Howarth Clark Whitehill (HCW) has appointed RACHEL McGHEE as tax assistant. The 22-year-old, from Redcar, in east Cleveland, joins HCW from Vantis, in Middlesbrough, where she was part of the business services team. She will be
NEWCASTLE law firm Mincoffs has recruited another solicitor as part of an expansion programme. TIM JONES has been appointed to assist senior partner Howard Gold and the team in the commercial department. Twelve years ago, Mr Jones spent time with Mincoffs
Each month, we hear of more ludicrous compensation claims, leading to the belief that Britian is in the grip of a damaging compensation culture. The president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers says there is no such thing - but small businesses
A FORMER Newcastle United manager and player yesterday became the latest Geordie football legend to be immortalised in concrete. Willie McFaul, the goalkeeper in the Magpies side that won the Fairs Cup in 1969, added his hand prints to the Newcastle United
IT has happened at last. Northallerton now has its own skatepark. The Northallerton Wheelers - a group of keen boarders and bladers - were officially handed the keys of the new facility at the weekend. The fully-equipped park at Stone Cross has been created
THE group controlling Tees and Hartlepool ports has announced a rise in turnover of 0.9 per cent in the first six months since it floated on London's junior stock market in July. PD Ports Group floated on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) after
ONE of the region's leading public schools has appointed a new deputy head. Oliver Marlow takes up his post at Barnard Castle School, County Durham, in January, replacing David Ewart, who became the school's headmaster earlier this year. He teaches English
Former 'Silly Billy' Adam Stafford tells Steve Pratt why he's more than happy to have come of age as Mother Goose. ADAM Stafford knows only too well what getting older does to an actor in pantomime. "They stop seeing you as a young idiot and see you as
Timmy Murphy yesterday spoke of his delight at the prospect of riding triple Gold Cup winner Best Mate in the William Hill Chase at Exeter on Friday. Henrietta Knight had ended speculation as to who would deputise for the injured Jim Culloty on the nine-year-old
Earlier this year, a leading healthcare insurance provider carried out research and found that the nation's employees made no fewer than 22 million requests for doctors' sicknotes every year. While it was not clarified precisely what proportion of those
CAMPAIGNERS pressing for the appointment of female bishops will meet in the region at the weekend. The first northern conference of the Women and the Church group will be in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on Saturday. Speaking about the conference, campaigner
THE Government's scheme to scrap pension books for elderly people is to be investigated by officials in North Yorkshire. Shelagh Marshall, the county council's older people 's champion, claims too many problems have come to light as a result of the Government's
THE beat of African drums has been echoing around North Yorkshire school corridors. More than 200 pupils in Richmondshire took part in percussion workshops led by Andy Spearpoint, one of the region's leading experts on African music. The sessions, at
BUSINESS leaders in the region have backed efforts by Chancellor Gordon Brown to highlight two-tier inequality in Europe that leads to UK business missing out on millions of pounds in EU contracts. A report commissioned by the Treasury said EU countries
A CINEMA that has brought a little movie magic to the Yorkshire Dales celebrates its tenth anniversary this month. Leyburn in Wensleydale was without a cinema for 30 years until the Elite opened in November 1994. And while many small-town cinemas have
A PREDATORY paedophile who indecently assaulted a teenager at a pub where she worked was jailed yesterday. Dean Solomon, 48, was out on licence from a prison sentence for a previous sex attack when he targeted her at the bar near Darlington. Solomon,
THE Tyne and Wear Metro is to become an alcohol-free zone by Christmas. Public transport operator Nexus is introducing alcohol exclusion zones on the system from December 6. This will make it a criminal offence to be in possession of an open container
The company began selling musical instruments from a horse-drawn cart. Nearly a century later, it has grown into the North-East's biggest musical instrument retailer. Business Correspondent Paul Willis looks at the harmonious rise of Willimas Music Group
PLANNERS are to redesign a North-East community to give it a new start. A scheme to reshape rundown South Bank, near Middlesbrough, including the demolition of more than 1,000 terraced houses, will be put before residents to consider. Two options will
VOLUNTEERS are being encouraged to help restore native woodland in Upper Teesdale. English Nature's Natural Links Project is holding its third Tree Planting Day as part of National Tree Week on Saturday, November 27, in the juniper woods alongside High
MORE public libraries are to extend weekend opening hours to meet demand. From this Saturday, libraries in Chester-le-Street, Stanley, Spennymoor and Crook will be open 9am to 4pm on Saturdays. Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Consett, Peterlee and Clayport
POLICE are appealing for information after a woman was robbed as she walked home from visiting her elderly mother in a nursing home on Sunday. The 64-year old was only 20ft from her home in Wordsworth Road, Easington Colliery, at about 7.15pm when she
DIGNITARIES joined a lookalike of one of the nation's best-loved comedians as he switched on the Christmas lights in a town centre. Peter Jones dressed up as Stan Laurel to switch on Bishop Auckland's festive illuminations yesterday. Mr Jones is assistant
A YOUNG man who struck a teenager over the head with a bottle still has little memory of the incident, a court heard. But Shaun Embleton, who admitted being drunk at the time, accepts he must have been responsible. Durham Crown Court was told the 18-year-old
POLICE investigating a degrading gang sex attack last night issued descriptions of people who may hold vital information. The 17-year-old victim was set on by three men, in their late teens or early 20s, who first knocked her unconscious with a stick.
COUNCIL staff raised more than £575 for breast cancer research - by simply thinking pink. They dressed in pink, ate pink cakes and let off hundreds of pink balloons across the Hambleton District Council area as part of Cancer Research UK's breast cancer
AN insurance company last night announced plans to give away seatbelts for dogs to people who signed up with its car insurance policy before next month. Paul O'Gorman, group director at Quoteline Direct, who is launching the doggy direct scheme, said:
A LOCAL market has become the toast of farmers thanks to a beer that has been brewed to celebrate its success. The Farmers' Tipple has been produced at the organic micro-brewery at Pinchin-thorpe Hall Hotel, Guisborough, which hosts the market. The brew
A 93-YEAR-OLD widow survived an explosion that ripped her terraced house apart, throwing debris more than 100 yards and smashing four cars. Dorothy Bland was found standing in her wrecked kitchen with flames around her. As rescuers carried her out, she
A PARTNERSHIP is being set up to provide carers with a help and support network. Believed to be the first of its kind in the country the pilot project, which will be launched later this month, will provide a voice for carers in the Easington District.
RESIDENTS will discuss the future of their village at a public meeting tonight. West Auckland Parish Council is urging people to attend the meeting at 7pm, in the Methodist Church Hall, in Millbank. Questionnaires that have already been completed by residents
UNION members from a North-East shipyard will today travel to Parliament to lobby their MPs about the lack of orders. The workers from Swan Hunter on Tyneside are calling on their MPs to ensure that they secure a fair share of the orders from the Ministry
TEENAGERS are giving up their time to help children enjoy sport. PE students at Stockton Sixth Form College have started a Stockton Healthy Schools initiative called Fitbodz. The 16 students have prepared sports activity sessions for Fairfield, Bowesfield
ST JOHN Ambulance Durham is launching its new Youth Programme this month. The programme of fun and challenging activities for its members aged from five to 25 years, is the result of three years work and the biggest consultation the organisation has ever
CYCLISTS are facing a police crackdown because bikes are being used in crime. Operation Harbour has been launched in Darlington after cycles were being used by criminals to make a quick getaway from muggings and thefts. Chief Inspector Graham Hall said
FRESH signs of volatility in the radio advertising market took the gloss off a sharp improvement in annual results at media group Chrysalis yesterday. The company, which operates Galaxy-branded radio stations and Heart 106.2 in London, said it had adopted
PUPILS at a Darlington school have helped pack almost 250 shoeboxes with gifts for underprivileged children across Eastern and Central Europe. Hundreds of students at Hummersknott School and Language College clubbed together to buy toys, sweets and presents
HOSPITAL boss Kevin Oxley put his best foot forward to raise £400 for Darlington Association on Disability (Dad). The Memorial Hospital's director of facilities competed in the Great North Run half marathon to help boost the charity's coffers. Yesterday
A CAMPAIGN to encourage youngsters to turn their back on drugs has been hailed a success. Darlington Boxing and Martial Arts Academy launched the initiative earlier this year, setting up clubbing nights for under-17s in the town. Events have been staged
A Plaque in memory of a devoted couple who died a month apart has been stolen from a Darlington park. It marked a tree planted in North Lodge Park as a tribute to Trevor and Barbara Alderson, of Pendower Street, who died two years ago aged 79 and 74.
FINANCIAL advice firm Positive Solutions is opening its new flagship headquarters in Newcastle. The company, which is the second largest independent financial advisor in the UK, will open the offices at Newburn Riverside in the city. It is hoping to record
BOLO ZENDEN has warned Premiership doom-mongers that Middlesbrough should be considered as genuine contenders for a Champions League place. Despite Boro's rise to fourth in the table following their fantastic start to the campaign, history suggests the
A DENTIST made foul and degrading comments about a patient when she started legal action over botched treatment, a disciplinary hearing has been told. Leslie Rippon Smith allegedly insulted the married woman and her solicitor and refused to deal with
CHILDREN found the decomposing body of a middle-aged man as they played on a housing estate at the weekend, police said last night. The man, who is thought to have lain dead on his kitchen floor for several weeks, was discovered by children as they retrieved
THE Conservative Party has announced the name of the man who will fight Prime Minister Tony Blair for his Sedgefield seat at the next General Election. He is Danny Kruger, a 30-year-old party policy advisor who has worked in the fields of the NHS, schools
AN exhibition of local art is offering people the chance to buy unusual Christmas presents this year. Hartlepool Art Gallery is hosting two exhibitions, with more than 120 paintings by members of the local art club and a variety of gifts on offer. The
A COMMUNITY art group is staging a seasonal exhibition for anyone looking for Christmas presents. The Easels Art Group in Chester-le-Street has mounted a display at the town's civic centre. The exhibition runs into the New Year with prices ranging from
The funeral of a couple who died in an horrific coach crash in Jordan will take place tomorrow. Churchgoing Methodists Richard and Angela Fothergill, from Gosforth, in Newcastle, were among nine British tourists and three Jordanians killed during a trip
Nearly three-quarters of people in the region believe that employers who fail to train their workforce should be fined by the Government, according to a survey by the Association of Colleges (AoC). Fifty-five per cent said that people could not depend
Former pupils can check up on the friendliness rating of their school thanks to a new league table published by website Friends Reunited. The site, which was set up four years ago to help old school friends get back in touch, has come up with a list of
A project backed by business is helping the endangered water vole make its last stand against extinction in the North-East. Companies across County Durham and Tyne and Wear are working with Durham Wildlife Trust on a project called Coals to Voles, which
The organisation which has championed the cause of manufacturing in the Tees Valley for over a decade moved offices yesterday. Manufacturing Challenge moved to the Teesdale site in Thornaby from its previous offices in Aurora Court, Middlesbrough. Recently
First fix joiners, £9ph, 39hpw. Experience essential. Must have own transport. Ref: CON 18330. Cleaner. £4.85ph, 16-35hpw. Previous experience an advantage but not essential. Ref: DUR 40933. Care assistant. £4.85-£5ph, 16-40hpw. Previous experience preferred
MUSIC group Williams is opening three new stores across the UK as part of a £200,000 expansion of the Darlington-based company. The musical instrument retailer is opening outlets in Nottingham, Harrogate and London during November, bringing its total
A TELEVISION star from the region will take part in a televised tribute to Abba at the weekend. Actor James Gaddas, who will contest the Stockton South seat for the Conservative Party at the next General Election, will perform Super Trouper with EastEnders
TWO businesses have been rewarded for their commitment to conservation. Durham Wildlife Trust and energy supplier npower announced the winners of their Conservation Awards in a ceremony at Durham County Hall. Sponsored by npower, the awards invited entries
Sunderland chartered accountancy TTR Barnes has expanded its financial services operation with the appointment of pension and mortgage specialist GEORGE FARNAN. The 54-year-old brings 21 years' experience from his previous business, based in Norfolk Street
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: AS a person who is concerned about global warming, I was rather pleased to read news of a plant to produce Biodiesel fuel on Teesside. This is great news for the North-East, and a positive step towards cleaner burning motor fuels.
Administrative assistant, Leyburn. Exceeds NMW, 37hpw. Must have a good telephone manner and be computer literate. Ref: NAL 722. Production technician, Ripon. £7.15-£8.01ph, 42hpw. Must have an eye for detail. Full training will be given. Ref: NAL 233
Parents are being wooed by the political parties with a raft of measures to help with childcare. Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings reports. LIKE thousands of parents, Pam Robertson has to pay for childcare for her daughter, Georgia. Although her husband
A MANUFACTURER that only months ago was named Tees Valley Small Business of the Year has gone into liquidation with the loss of 12 jobs. Chemitrol Process Equipment, which also won Government accliam after fighting back from the brink of closure two years
SEVEN centuries of history are on the move as one of the most comprehensive archives in Britain is moved to a new home. A fleet of lorries is transporting more than 700 years of northern history to a multi-million pound base. The archives, ranging from
SCHOOL staff and pupils slipped out in their nightwear yesterday to take part in a cross-country run for charity. Runners made their way across fields around Longfield School, Darlington, in their pyjamas and night gowns, and collected about £100 for
A FAMILY bakery has given a children's charity a boost. Durham-based Peters Bakery has donated £20,000 towards the administration costs of Century FM's 21st Century Kids, which was formed in May to raise money to help the North-East's disadvantaged youngsters
A 93-YEAR-OLD widow survived an explosion that ripped her terraced house apart, throwing debris more than 100 yards and smashing four cars. Dorothy Bland was found standing in her wrecked kitchen with flames around her. As rescuers carried her out, she
After 115 years of being indisputably man in the middle, the Albany Northern League has its first female referee. Stacey Woodrow, still just 19, is a marine biology student at Newcastle University. Since there are some pretty queer fish in the ANL, she
FOUR North-East education and training establishments have teamed up to offer courses. Woodham Community Technology College, Greenfield School Community and Arts Centre, ITEC North-East and South-West Durham Training, all in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
JAMES RENFORTH of Gateshead: Champion Sculler of the World by Ian Whitehead, (City of Newcastle Libraries and Information Service, £7.99) BETWEEN 70,000 and 100,000 people lined the streets for his funeral. Canadians named a town after him. His fellow
Theme bar operator Luminar yesterday said sales and profits had fallen in a difficult and highly competitive market. The company, which owns the London Hippodrome and the Liquid, Chicago Rock Cafe and Jumpin' Jaks brands, announced that like-for-like
CONCERNS have been raised over plans to grant a public entertainment licence to a Stockton pub. An application for the licence has been submitted to Stockton Borough Council's licensing committee, which meets today, by Kay Donachie, from The Hop Merchant
A 167 year old school, described as a town's worst eyesore, is likely to be demolished - much to the delight of people living nearby. They gave a warm welcome yesterday to a plan to knock down the derelict building near the centre of Barnard Castle, Co
NORTH-EAST trade union representatives will lobby parliament today. Fifty Unison members are visiting London as part of a wider pensions campaign. The intention is to raise the concerns of workers from local authorities, the National Health Service, Police
ADAM Stafford knows only too well what getting older does to an actor in pantomime. "They stop seeing you as a young idiot and see you as a woman," he says. He's gone from lovable buffoon - the Silly Billy part as he calls it - to outrageous dame and
NORTH football fans have the chance to win a van in their club's colours if they design their perfect team vehicle. As part of a national advertising campaign, Fiat Commercial Vehicles is offering a Dobl Cargo 1.3 SX MultiJet van to the supporter who
AN independent financial advisor has been appointed at Skipton Financial Services, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. Richard Boyd, who has 13 years experience in the sector, previously worked for Barclays and the Co-operative banks.
SOME of the region's largest urban areas are ready to step up their fight against smoking, if Health Secretary John Reid gives them the go-ahead. The White Paper on public health, due to be published today, is expected to encourage local authorities to
HOT-SHOT Hugh Robertson yesterday returned to training - after fears over his future were allayed, writes Nick Loughlin. The Hartlepool left back has been out of action since August 28 after suffering a foot injury. Pool boss Neale Cooper admitted he
DFDS Seaways has appointed CRISTIAN FELICETTI as commercial analyst at its headquarters in North Shields, North Tyneside. Mr Felicetti, 34, of Low Fell, who is married with a four-month-old son, will monitor market and customer trends to address holidaymakers
NEARLY 100 jobs are at risk across the region following the Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS) announcement that it plans to close hundreds of offices across the UK. Union leaders last night vowed to fight any compulsory job losses after the company
Christmas shopping in New York? Sounds like a nice idea. It may not be as expensive as you think, given the current exchange rate. Despite the high oil price, flight bargains mean that the pound goes a long, long way in the Big Apple. The only downside
PLANS by an engineering firm to move to an industrial estate have been recommended for approval, despite objections. RS Hall Engineering is hoping to move from Chapel Street in Thirsk to the site of a former print works in a corner of the town's industrial
LAW firm Blackett Hart and Pratt (BHP) has made two appointments in its commercial and agricultural property team. Solicitors PAUL HUTTON and MARC TURNER will be joining the firm's Newcastle and Durham offices. Mr Hutton's experience includes similar
A TRAIN company which had its bid to run regional rail services rejected is hoping to make it second time lucky. Grand Central Railways' bid to run cut-price services on the TransPennine link between Newcastle and Manchester was rejected in June by Rail
NEWCASTLE manager Graeme Souness and defender Andy O'Brien have joined forces to present a united front as the Magpies look to turn around a dismal run of results. Sunday's defeat at home to Manchester United was the third home reverse in eight days and
CONSTRUCTION company M&M Plasline (MMP) is a step closer to building flat-pack housing in factories following the acquisition of a steel frame manufacturer. Thirty-five jobs will be created in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, following the acquisition
The column finds spice and all things nice at Darlington's first African restaurant. UNLESS Green Bus begins a twice-daily service to Marrakech, and goodness knows they run to places almost as improbable, it is now highly unlikely that we will ever be
A DENTIST made foul and degrading comments about a patient when she started legal action over botched treatment, a disciplinary hearing has been told. Leslie Rippon Smith allegedly insulted the married woman and her solicitor and refused to deal with
WHEN fundraiser Aubrey Hanley was planning a cross-country marathon for charity he decided to do it with style. Instead of walking or cycling the 200-mile journey he chose to travel in a carriage pulled by his cherished Connemara thoroughbred Mickey Flynn
FROM Sofia to Sunderland, Pru Kitching takes us on an often sad and at times intensely private journey. One moment her writing is dramatic, almost theatrical. Then it makes irony and passion comfortable companions on her global travels. In this compilation
THOUSANDS of households across North Yorkshire are to be issued with free smoke alarms and advice on fire safety. Almost 5,000 households a year, mainly in deprived areas of the county, will be offered them over the next four years. The scheme is part
I NEVER took Michael Howard for a sanctimonious prat. But what else would you call a leader who sacks a member of his team merely because of an adulterous affair? Mr Howard has made a fool of himself over the dismissal of the likeable but daft Boris Johnson
CAMPAIGNERS have launched a drive to secure future funding for voluntary and community groups throughout the North-East, as a vital source of cash dries up. The Invest 2006 Campaign, unveiled yesterday, is in response to the withdrawal of key European
MORE public libraries in County Durham are to extend weekend opening hours to meet demand. From this weekend, libraries in Chester-le-Street, Stanley, Spennymoor and Crook will be open from 9am until 4pm on Saturdays. They join Durham County Council's
WATER bosses say a mains pipe that burst for the second time in 18 months should be replaced in the near future. Thousands of pounds of damage was caused when the 11in mains burst near the traffic lights in New Elvet near the junction with the Old Elvet
POLICE have rewarded the efforts of a team of volunteer lifesavers with a contribution to their fuel costs. The Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team has received £1,500 from Durham Police Authority to help to cover the organisation's running costs
VILLAGERS are being urged to enter the Christmas spirit by decorating their homes for the festive period. West Auckland Parish Council has launched a Christmas decoration competition to brighten up the village. Families and businesses are being asked
HEALTH workers in north Durham have won a national award for helping colleagues around the country. The team, from Derwentside Primary Care Trust, has received a Guidelines in Practice award - and £3,000 in prize money - for its work on hypertension.
PEOPLE living near a recently-opened railway museum say their lives have been turned into a nightmare by visitors parking outside their homes. Residents of Victoria Street, Station Street and other areas surrounding Locomotion: National Railway Museum
A NORTH Durham community beat inspector has been nominated for lifetime achievement award. Inspector Dave Marshall of Chester-le-Street will travel to London tomorrow to find out whether he has won the title in the awards, organised by the Jane's Police
* LAW firm Watson Burton has appointed insolvency lawyer GRAHAM RIDLER from Hong Kong to its Leeds office. Mr Ridler, who joins as a partner, will lead the corporate recovery team in the Leeds office. He has more than 15 years' experience helping Yorkshire
TEACHER Adrian Bramley may not be sure what he has let himself in for - but at least he knows its all in a good cause. The head of music at Allertonshire School, Northallerton, is just one of the lots at a fundraising auction of prom-ises later this month
A FOOTBALL club groundsman who has transformed a pitch from quagmire to quality has no plans to quit, despite celebrating his 80th birthday. Alf Dunnington has become an institution at Harrogate Town's Wetherby Road ground. Six days a week for more than
THE safeguarding of a town's historic open spaces could take a step nearer next week. Richmondshire Landscape Trust wants to buy the sites in Westfield, South Bank, Sleegill, Reeth Road and Jack King's Wood in Richmond, from the district council to protect
THE Tyne and Wear Metro is to become an alcohol-free zone by Christmas. Public transport operator Nexus is introducing alcohol exclusion zones on the system from December 6. This will make it a criminal offence to be in possession of an open container
A GOLF club has donated money to a hospital's children's ward and the air ambulance appeal. For the second year in succession, £2,000 has been donated to Ward 21 at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, by Saltburn Golf Club from its August
CONCERNS have been raised over plans to grant a public entertainment licence to a Stockton pub. An application for the licence has been submitted to Stockton Borough Council's licensing committee, which meets today, by Kay Donachie, from The Hop Merchant
A CHARITY golf day at Wynyard Golf Course, near Billingham, has raised money for Stockton mayor Jennie Beaumont's chosen charities. The event raised £3,500, which will go to the Great North Air Ambulance and Butterwick Hospice.
POLICE patrols are being stepped up in a Teesside town, following a spate of burglaries. Many residents are not taking the simple precaution of investing in a timer switch, leaving their homes in darkness, a common sign to burglars that there is no one
PLANS to hold a farmers' market in Hartlepool will be discussed by councillors today. There are two markets in the town, on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Wednesday's market stalls sell antiques, bric-a-brac and second-hand items, while the Thursday market
A NORTH-EAST surgeon yesterday admitted he was partly responsible for the death of a patient after what should have been a routine operation at a private hospital. Barry Byers, 60, from Heighington, near Darlington, died after suffering internal bleeding
AN appeal has been launched to help make Christmas special for deprived North-East youngsters. The Salvation Army's Light Up a Child's Life campaign encourages shoppers at the MetroCentre, in Gateshead, to buy an extra gift for a youngster in need. The
PARENTS are facing a desperate dash to ensure one of this year's must-have Christmas presents makes it onto Santa's sleigh. Retailers across the region have been left without any PlayStation 2 games consoles after Sony hit production problems with its
THE lives of the lead miners who shaped the history of County Durham will come under the spotlight next week. Bill Trenbirth, who works at Killhope Lead Mining Museum, will present a talk about the county's lead miners at Clayport library in Durham City
ALL-COMERS failed to beat one of the region's leading scrabble players yesterday. Pete Finley, Cleveland Scrabble Club champion, took on shoppers and passers-by at Asda in Stockton, Teesside, in the name of charity yesterday. But no one could beat the
A DARLINGTON man renowned for his many letters printed in The Northern Echo has died aged 83. Fred Wealands was known by friends and family for his strong views on everything from politics to football and over the years wrote scores of letters for the
SCHOOLCHILDREN had first-hand experience of other cultures in an event timed to coincide with Armistice Day. Hummersknott School and Language College, in Darlington, staged a video conference link-up with a school in Nuremburg, Germany. They also heard
PLUMBING student Jonny Green's has battled his way to the finals of a national skills competition. The 18-year-old was runner up in the Skillbuild competition, a contest designed to recognise and attract promising youngsters to the industry. Jonny, of
A company in the region has completed a contract with airline Virgin Atlantic to help people overcome their fear of flying. Media company Yuzu, based in Middlesbrough, has designed and developed the airline's Flying without Fear website in line with the
BRIAN CLOSE will learn his fate today when Darlington appeal against the Irishman's controversial sending off. The Belfast-born defender was dismissed for a deliberate handball in Saturday's FA Cup first round draw with Yeovil Town. However, Quakers boss
EVENTS management company Polar Productions has secured three contracts to provide outdoor ice rinks in the region. The company will provide ice rinks at Gateshead Quays, Baltic Square on the banks of the Tyne, at Mowbray Park, in Sunderland, and at Kielder
Michael Jackson's Mind (five) Lie With Me (ITV1) YOU can't blame people for being nosy about Michael Jackson's personal life. As one of the experts assembled to get inside his head noted: "His psyche is such a tangled web I don't even think Michael Jackson
AN animal welfare charity is investigating after a fox was caught in a snare, condemning it to a slow and painful death. The animal, found by animal rights activist John Gill near Stanhope, County Durham, had been snared next to a wire fence. Mr Gill
as part of a crackdown on flytipping, businesses in County Durham have been warned not to let unlicensed operators dispose of their waste. The campaign is being led by the county's recently appointed fly-tipping officer Jim Crammon, who said warnings
Rises in the cost of steel have been a blessing and a curse for manufacturers in the region. Business correspondent Paul Willis reports. THE unstoppable rise of China as a major financial power is without doubt the global economic success story of the
Michael Jackson's Mind (five); Lie With Me (ITV1): YOU can't blame people for being nosy about Michael Jackson's personal life. As one of the experts assembled to get inside his head noted: "His psyche is such a tangled web I don't even think Michael
Weardale Ski Club has installed a renewable energy supply. The club, which is at Swinhopeburn, two miles south of Westgate, County Durham, is remote, which creates problems connecting to an energy supply. Before the installation, its lighting and heating
After 115 years of being indisputably man in the middle, the Albany Northern League has its first female referee. Stacey Woodrow, still just 19, is a marine biology student at Newcastle University. Since there are some pretty queer fish in the ANL, she
A teenage prankster has died in hospital after his game of 'train surfing' went tragically wrong. Sonny Rae, 19 and friends are believed to have been trying to surf on the coupler between the carriages of the train. Mr Rae fell from a moving metro train
A TV documentary charting the final weeks in the life of a North-East man has won an award. Jonny Kennedy touched the hearts of millions in The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off, a Channel 4 programme which chronicled the weeks before his death from a rare degenerative
HIGH-PROFILE sweeps are under way to ensure shopping centres in the North-East and North Yorkshire become truancy free zones. A three-week clampdown is taking place that will see both police and educational welfare officers trawling commercial centres
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IT could have been a scene from a Hollywood western - two lawmen on horseback pursuing outlaws. But the chase, which literally saw sparks flying from the horses' hooves, took place not on the American plains, but on the streets of Teesside. And the horsepower
FIFTY-ONE years ago there was no justice for Ronald Maddison and his family. His young life was ended while he was serving his country as the result of a chemical warfare experiment. In return his family was offered a few pounds by the Ministry of Defence
The bad news just keeps on coming at Mitsubishi. Nigel Burton wonders how the group will dig itself out of trouble. HOPES that the worst was over at Mitsubishi appear to have been misplaced. The Japanese company was plunged into crisis after an expected
A FAMILY last night won its 50-year fight for justice after an inquest ruled the death of an airman during secret nerve gas experiments was unlawful. Leading Aircraftman Ronald Maddison, 20, from Consett, County Durham, died in May 1953 after being exposed
LEADING Malton-based amateur rider Niki Wilson makes the long journey down to Lingfield today in the hope of booting Stallone (3.50) to victory in the closing mile-and-a-half race. Niki rides the gelding for her husband, Noel, who has trained Stallone
Komatsu UK has appointed a manufacturing director at its North-East base. GRAHAM HENDERSON, 42, has joined the company, in Birtley, near Gateshead, to lead the manufacturing process, associated engineering functions and maintenance, and will manage the
For more than half a century, the final, agonising minutes of Ronald Maddison's life remined as secret as the nerve gas test that killed him. Dan Jenkins looks at an inquest that revealed the truth behind both his horrific death and the treatment his
ESTATE agency Michael Poole has appointed SUSAN HORNBY as business development director. Ms Hornby, a member of the National Association of Estate Agents, joins the Tees Valley group to help develop opportunities and to oversee the establishment of an
Five men have been arrested in connection with the kidnap of a Hartlepool businessman earlier this year. Tony Pattison, a building contractor, was snatched from his car at gun point as he ate sandwiches at the sea-front in Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool
FOUR North-East education and training establishments have teamed up to offer courses. Woodham Community Technology College, Greenfield School Community and Arts Centre, ITEC North-East and South-West Durham Training, all in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
JOHN OSTER has accepted he has no future at Sunderland and he is desperate to make the most of a new lease of life at Leeds United. The 25-year-old is on a month's loan at Elland Road, having been allowed to leave the Stadium of Light by manager Mick
