HUNDREDS of workers staged demonstrations in the North-East yesterday to protest at plans to raise their retirement age from 60 to 65. Council workers, NHS staff, teachers, firefighters and civil servants held rallies across the country ahead of a planned
A DRUG used to treat nursing home patients suffering from dementia is making their condition worse, according to research carried out in the region. Researchers found quetiapine, also known as Seroquel, a common treatment for agitation in people with
A POLICE officer who saved the life of a motorcyclist involved in a horrific accident has been praised by St John Ambulance staff. County Durham traffic officer Steve Dowdle, 43, was first on the scene when the biker careered into a central barrier on
A RURAL neighbourhood watch scheme has turned to technology in its fight against crime. Farm Watch, which covers 22 farms in the Teesside and Darlington areas, has set up a Countryside Alert scheme, which has introduced initiatives to protect rural property
THE Tees Valley's first FoodieFest was launched yesterday. Ray Mallon, Mayor of Middlesbrough, tucked into food cooked by chefs at the Thistle Hotel, in Middlesbrough, yesterday to promote the festival. More than 30 events are planned from next Friday
A BURGLAR who stole a Jaguar car and three ornamental guns during a house raid was in court yesterday. Gas engineer Scott McGlen took the keys to the car, a rifle, two guns, a bracelet and a bag containing £600 from a house in Blue House Road, Washington
TUESDAY was a strange scenario for Jon Daly and one he desperately hopes doesn't repeat itself too often. After two goals in as many games at Victoria Park for his former club, Hartlepool United's newest striker marked his debut in a blue and white shirt
THE new owner of a hotel and restaurant has unveiled plans to get a Michelin Star. David Todd gave up a high-paid job in sales and marketing to take over the Frenchgate Hotel, in Frenchgate, Richmond. The Grade II Georgian building, in a quiet, cobbled
THE decision to end Royal Mail's 350-year-old monopoly on delivering letters from next January has raised the prospect of rival companies installing different coloured postboxes alongside the traditional red ones. Customers would then choose which box
FOUR drivers are facing a choice between paying a £200 fine or having their car crushed after a two-day crackdown on tax dodgers in Derwentside. Police were joined by officers from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in taking to the streets
WEST Hartlepool have been accused of "sour grapes" after citing a Catterick-based Fijian for the violent tackle he made on their 17-year-old winger Chris Lambert in last week's Durham Cup tie at Darlington. "It was a high tackle, but he wouldn't have
A WOMAN who doused a bed in petrol and set it alight while her former lesbian lover lay naked with a new girlfriend has been jailed for five-and-a-half years. Sarah Metcalfe, 47, of no fixed abode, discovered her former girlfriend, Katie Wrigglesworth
Average house prices rose above £100,000 in every county in the UK for the first time last year. But lending bank the Halifax reported that no county in the North had an average house price above £200,000, highlighting the North-South divide. Martin Ellis
A COFFEE shop which is packing in the customers despite warnings that its total smoking ban threatened to take away trade was presented with an award yesterday . When businesswoman Gillian Richardson opened Preston's Coffee Shop in Front Street, Chester-le-Street
OLYMPIC hero Sir Steve Redgrave will visit the region next week to launch a financial services group. Sir Steve, who has investments in overseas real estate, will speak about his involvement in Portuguese property before signing autographs at the event
MAKING headlines on TV isn't as straightforward as you think. Take the words JACKSON III on the 6pm BBC1 news on Tuesday... "I thought they were going to say that three of the Jackson 5 were getting back together," joked my wife as we received an update
PARENTS were warned yesterday to be vigilant after a third report of a bogus social worker trying to take a child from its home. The latest incident took place at about 1.45pm on Thursday, when a woman called at a house in Dovedale Avenue, Grangetown,
A FAMOUS 20th century artist and a formidable TV chef are being brought back to life by real-life partners Fine Time Fontayne and Sandra Hunt. Their one-man shows are both playing on consecutive nights in York Theatre Royal's Studio, with both being performed
BREWING, aerospace, banking and confectionery are only some of the sectors represented by a long list of blue-chip companies reporting next week. On Wednesday, Scottish & Newcastle is expected to announce a 23 per cent fall in earnings per share and
POLICE have issued a strong warning about the dangers of carrying imitation firearms after five men were arrested in a quiet North-East village following a seven-hour stand-off with armed police. Officers arrested one man at gunpoint as he drove from
MAN accidentally discovered cheese thousands of years ago, but this week it has matured enough to dominate the European Court of Justice. In olden days, man transported his milk in vats made out of the stomachs of calves and sheep. If he left the milk
MICK McCARTHY has warned his Sunderland side to be on their guard for their visit to Brighton this afternoon. The Black Cats' boss believes the Wearsiders are a big scalp for smaller Championship sides, given their prestige and standing, and says this
POLITICIANS and victim support groups reacted with disbelief yesterday after a whip-round in court resulted in two prosecution solicitors paying a defendant's £1 fine. The whip-round at South Durham Youth Court, in Darlington, happened when neither the
Alan Milburn yesterday backed local fundraising efforts at the launch of an umbrella group for charities. Mr Milburn, the MP for Darlington, was at Darlington Building Society's Sentinel House headquarters for the launch of the Darlington Charity Partnership
YOUNG people are to get a chance to express their views on the area's health services. The Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) forum for the District of Easington has won additional funding to conduct the survey. The forum is particularly keen to find
MAKING headlines on TV isn't as straightforward as you think. Take the words JACKSON III on the 6pm BBC1 news on Tuesday... "I thought they were going to say that three of the Jackson 5 were getting back together," joked my wife as we received an update
Pub regulars and staff who dragged a road crash victim from the blazing wreckage of his car were praised yesterday. They ran out to help after two cars collided head-on outside The Dog Inn, near Heighington, County Durham. They freed Jonathan Andrew Bradley
STRIVING to find the balance between public safety and human rights in the war against terrorism is a hugely difficult challenge. And it is right that Tony Blair should hold talks with other party leaders to try to win cross-party support for its anti-terrorism
TWENTY FOUR-year-old Julio Arca has admitted he is beginning to feel his age. Arca celebrated his birthday only last month but the Argentinian midfielder is fast becoming one of Mick McCarthy's most experienced players The Black Cats' classy playmaker
UP to £60m is expected to be generated for the local economy when Royal Ascot comes to the North this summer. It is being predicted that the staging of the races in York, in June, will bring massive benefits to the region. To take full advantage of the
A POLICE officer who saved the life of a motorcyclist involved in a horrific accident has been praised by St John Ambulance staff. County Durham traffic officer Steve Dowdle, 43, was first on the scene when the biker careered into a central barrier on
BOLO ZENDEN has no fears about Middlesbrough following the European example set by Liverpool - instead the midfielder chooses to use Scottish champions Rangers as the benchmark for UEFA Cup success. Two away goals from their third-round first-leg draw
MARK Proctor has backed misfiring strikers Alun Armstrong and Clyde Wijnhard to start hogging the scoresheet again, starting at Wycombe Wanderers this afternoon. Between them, the former Premiership pair have scored 18 goals, although none have arrived
Jake Maskall plays bed-hopping ladies' man Danny Moon in Eastenders but, by telling the world he's gay, he's proved that an actor's sexuality is n longer a bar to being taken seriously on TV. The front page of the current issue of "the UK's bestselling
The neighbourhood may be grim but the flock is faithful at the Church of the Good Shepherd. THREE days ago at the Church of England's General Synod, Anne Williams chaired the crucial debate on the theological implications of women bishops, managed to
TWO North-East geological experts hope their visit to the Antarctic will increase the understanding of volcanoes. Professor Jon Davidson, 45, head of Durham University's earth sciences department, and Dr Dougal Jerram, 35, a lecturer at the university
THE possibilities offered by the worlds of science and industry were laid out yesterday to hundreds of North Yorkshire youngsters. Students from five secondary schools in Hambleton and Richmondshire took part in a science, technology, engineering and
A WOMAN has collapsed and died while on holiday in the Canary Islands. Caroline Till, 61, of Holgate, York, was ordering a sandwich at her hotel's pool bar, in Lanzarote, when she suffered a brain haemorrhage. She died within 24 hours in a hospital in
Members of York Youth Theatre may lack experience, but they're treated with no less respect, as STEVE PRATT reports. SUKIE Chapman is lost for words, having just had her tongue ripped out. "You should have kept silent, you threatened the order of my rule
A MARINE engineering company based on Teesside may create hundreds of jobs after securing a Ministry of Defence (MoD) contract. Imtech UK, of Billingham, has become the first company in the UK to secure a contract on a Royal Navy aircraft carrier building
LAWYERS representing asbestos victims say they have been inundated with calls from potential claimants following a court ruling earlier this week. On Tuesday, the High Court in Newcastle ruled that workers with so-called pleural plaques on their lungs
DRESDEN: WHATEVER the reason for bombing Dresden, the severity of it made it one of the most tragic events of the war (Echo, Feb 12-16). Noted for its beauty, it was a city of culture. With little or no defence, it was also a sitting target. It was obliterated
FOR years the famous Smarties tube has been a favourite with children, but now it is being ditched in favour of hex appeal. The hugely popular sweets, which are produced in York, have been packed in bright cardboard cylinders with plastic caps for almost
MICK McCARTHY has warned his Sunderland side to be on their guard for their visit to Brighton this afternoon. The Black Cats' boss believes the Wearsiders are a big scalp for smaller Championship sides, given their prestige and standing, and says this
A MAJORITY of residents in two east Durham communities have cited anti-social behaviour as their main concern where they live. The householders in Wingate and the Edenhill area of Peterlee were given the opportunity to take part in a survey through the
Jake Maskall plays bed-hopping ladies' man Danny Moon in Eastenders but, by telling the world he's gay, he's proved that an actor's sexuality is n longer a bar to being taken seriously on TV. The front page of the current issue of "the UK's bestselling
A CHARITY that estimates it helps save taxpayers £100m a year is having to lay off two key workers after its funding was cut. Durham Dales Primary Care Trust has voted not to give £30,000 to the Durham Dales Action for Carers (DDAC) group in the coming
A COFFEE shop which is packing in the customers despite warnings that its total smoking ban threatened to take away trade was presented with an award yesterday . When businesswoman Gillian Richardson opened Preston's Coffee Shop in Front Street, Chester-le-Street
Jake Maskall plays bed-hopping ladies' man Danny Moon in Eastenders but, by telling the world he's gay, he's proved that an actor's sexuality is n longer a bar to being taken seriously on TV. The front page of the current issue of "the UK's bestselling
COUNCIL tax payers will pay slightly less for their fire service from April. The County Durham and Darlington fire brigade's share of bills will decrease by 1.1 per cent in a bid to avoid capping by the Government. Band A householders, who paid £49.56
MAKING headlines on TV isn't as straightforward as you think. Take the words JACKSON III on the 6pm BBC1 news on Tuesday... "I thought they were going to say that three of the Jackson 5 were getting back together," joked my wife as we received an update
WITH Newcastle's fans focusing their discontent on his treatment of Laurent Robert, Graeme Souness last night conceded he is no nearer knowing what to do with the mercurial left winger. With the Magpies trailing 1-0 in Heerenveen on Thursday night, the
FLEET-FOOTED Forest Gunner (2.25) faces his sternest test to date when he lines up for this afternoon's £120,000 Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock. Forest Gunner is unbeaten in two starts over the Grand National fences, which means theoretically at
Planespotters Paul and Leslie Coppin were on their honeymoon when they were thrown into jail in Greece and accused of spying. As the film of their ordeal is shown on TV tomorrow, Lesley reveals she's still waiting for that honeymoney. STEVE PRATT reports
A NORTH-EAST man took pictures of a paedophile sexually abusing children, a court heard. When police raided David Bell's home in Morris Street, Birtley, near Gateshead, they discovered more than 5,100 child pornography images on his computer. Bell, 44
Celestine Babayaro faces his former club Chelsea tomorrow at St James' Park. Cheif sports writer Scott Wilson caught up with the defender ahead of his Sunday reunion. WHEN actor Kevin Costner won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Elliot Ness in 1987
A DRUG-CRAZED man sat astride a woman tearing strips of flesh from her face during a horrific daytime attack. Shocked witnesses, including children, saw Gavin Christopher Taylor, 24, pulling at her flesh "like a dog with a stick", a court heard. Taylor
A TODDLER who lost her leg to meningitis took her latest steps on the road to recovery yesterday. Chantelle Pringle, two, has battled back to health after surgeons removed her right foot and toes from her left foot after the bug almost killed her. But
HUNDREDS of mourners have paid their respects to a dedicated member of the community who served as Mayor of Seaham, in east Durham, and chairman of Easington District Council. Former colliery overman Bill Gustard, 70, lost his fight against bone cancer
JONJO O'NEILL has his first high-profile runner for nine weeks when Iris's Gift (2.10) steps out to contest Lingfield's £100,000 totesport Chase. For all the millions of pounds that have been pumped into O'Neill's magnificent Jackdaws Castle stables,
ONE of the biggest public health warnings in years was issued last night after more than 350 food products were found to contain a potentially cancer-causing dye. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) raised the alarm when the dye - Sudan 1 - was found to have
PARENTS could be fined for parking outside a primary school as police crack down on traffic problems. Shildon police are warning parents they will take a hard line on parking and driving offences to combat congestion near Timothy Hackworth Primary School
THE owners of a pub are hoping their bizarre fundraising scheme will land them a slot on one of the biggest television shows of the year. Fiona and Don Meecham, from the Duke of Wellington pub, in High Coniscliffe, are staging a log-chopping race to raise
GOVERNMENT officers have cleared a district council of acting improperly over a controversial housing development. But angry residents say they have not given up their fight and are demanding improvements to a road they claim has worsened since builders
A DRUG addict knifeman who robbed a teenager of gold rings and his mobile phone was jailed for four years yesterday. Teesside Crown Court was told that Robert Maxwell, 22, showed the youth a black-handled knife tucked into his waistband when he demanded
PARENTS were warned yesterday to be vigilant after a third report of a bogus social worker trying to take a child from its home. The latest incident took place at about 1.45pm on Thursday, when a woman called at a house in Dovedale Avenue, Grangetown,
