A COUPLE plans to make a formal complaint over a council's decision to install speed humps on their estate. Durham County Council's highways committee voted for the traffic-calming measures at Brackenbeds Close, on the outskirts of Pelton, near Chester-le-Street
PEOPLE in Darlington are being warned not to leave car keys on display, after a spate of crimes. A yellow Honda Jazz was stolen from Banks Terrace, Hurworth Place, between 6.30pm and midnight on Saturday after the keys were taken from a hallway. A similar
A CHARITY that helps the visually impaired has praised the generosity of people who supported its fundraising effort. The County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially-Sighted, based in Church Lane, held a street collection in the city's Market Place
HEALTH chiefs have announced they are to invest an extra £12.3m to improve health services in the Durham and Chester-le-Street area. The Primary Care Trust (PCT) has a total budget of £174.1m to spend on local health services during 2005/06. Its aim is
A BURGLAR who attacked a householder on Christmas Eve has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. Daniel Thorpe, 22, was high on a cocktail of sleeping tablets, anti-depressants and heroin substitute when he broke into a shed and a house - and stole nothing
A SINGLE mother who was helped back into work by a Government initiative will feature on a national television programme. Sue Terry, 36, who found work through the SureStart scheme in Redcar, east Cleveland, has been interviewed for the BBC's Panorama
A COUPLE are celebrating after their bungalow was the 15,000th home to be modernised by a housing group. Joan and George Watson's two-bedroom bungalow, in Concord, Washington, has received a new kitchen, bathroom, internal doors, windows and partial re-wiring
A MAN last night spoke of his 80ft plunge from the top of England's mightiest waterfall. Alan Whittaker, 55, is thought to be the only person to survive after falling from the top of High Force, in County Durham, suffering only a broken shoulder. Eighty
A FAMILY fun day is to be held for the launch of a range of services for children and their parents. SureStart Stockton-on-Tees is holding the event at the SureStart Redhill Centre, Roseworth, Stockton, on Saturday, October 1, to celebrate the launch
A GRANTS scheme for businesses is set to be extended. The Supporting Innovations Service (SIS) has already helped 75 businesses in North Yorkshire. The scheme is administered by North Yorkshire County Council and Business Link York and North Yorkshire
A BIKER crashed as he pulled a wheelie in a bid to impress a group of teenage girls, a court was told yesterday. Harrogate magistrates heard how Sam Long had ridden at speed along High Street, Boroughbridge, on a Saturday evening, lifting his front wheel
A DESIGN engineering company has been awarded a contract to work on a drilling rig being built in South Korea. Markhus, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, will provide the structural design of the living quarters on the semi-submersible rig, which is
PARENTS whose children attend the playschool in Sinnington Village, near Kirkbymoorside, are staging a version of the popular television reality show, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! They will spend 24 hours in Sinnington Wood doing a DIY survival
THREE teenagers have been nominated for an award by the fire brigade after their quick-thinking helped rescue a man from his burning home. The teenagers were in a house in Stray Road, Burnholme, York, when they heard an alarm sounding shortly before 8pm
TWO men were jailed after a lengthy police operation observed them hiding high-value drugs among undergrowth at a farm site. Covert recordings taken in a lengthy surveillance operation revealed Sam Turnbull on several occasions delving among shrubbery
A veteran cricketer died during a match at the weekend. Colin Shepherd, 63, who played for Belsay, in Northumberland, was batting for the second XI, on Saturday, when he collapsed. Two of his teammates attempted to resuscitate him, but he failed to recover
A FAMILY'S four-year wait for an inquest into the death of their 33-year-old daughter after a routine tonsil operation ended yesterday. The surgery on Elaine Basham, who suffered from Down's syndrome, involved the use of disposable surgical instruments
A NEW one-stop shop has opened, offering people all their council services under one roof. It is the latest phase of a £7m community complex for Stokesley which also houses a new library and resource centre, office facilities, meeting rooms and extra-care
detectives were greeted by amazing scenes when they raided homes in the region as part of a drugs operation. From the outside, the houses appeared to be normal homes, but inside they had been converted into mini- cannabis factories. Their existence was
THE GREAT Seve Ballesteros last night revealed he will be raising the curtain on the biggest occasion in North-East golfing history by playing a star-studded fourball with Newcastle United and England striker Michael Owen. Ballesteros arrived in the region
A MOTHER accused of murdering her infant son in a house fire yesterday attended his funeral in handcuffs. Danielle Wails, 21, arrived at the service handcuffed to a prison officer, while two other officers followed closely behind. Two more officers in
TWO Darlington companies have joined new financial service provider the Thinc Destini Group. Hennessey and Partners, which specialised in independent investment advice to retired people, and KWM Consulting, which provides financial advice to individuals
Changes in the ethical standards set down for accountants by their professional body raise issues for many companies that need to undergo a valuation. Occasions when this might arise include the full sale of a firm or simply a shareholder wanting to sell
A RESTAURANT chain is to open its fifth site in the region, creating 20 jobs, and has plans to continue expanding. Joe Rigatoni's, which has restaurants in Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Stockton, is expected to open in Yarm high street in
AS the queues built up at filling stations ahead of last week's fuel protests, the head of sales and marketing at Toyota UK was probably feeling rather smug. Even the most ambitious motor manufacturers have been slow to capitalise on the public's growing
Changes in the ethical standards set down for accountants by their professional body raise issues for many companies that need to undergo a valuation. Occasions when this might arise include the full sale of a firm or simply a shareholder wanting to sell
Construction company Esh Group, which is based in Durham, has made three new director appointments to Dunelm Property Services, the social housing operation of the business. COLIN FORD becomes construction director, GRAHAM MORGAN is named as commercial
MARTIN Scott was given a bit of a fright the last time he saw Charlton Athletic play. The Hartlepool United boss is hoping for a nicer surprise tonight. Pool face Alan Curbishley's side at the Valley tonight in the second round of the Carling Cup. A day
WHEN food intolerance means cutting out cakes, pastries and chocolate, time spent at the dinner table can be a little boring. Chef-turned-businesswoman Sue Powell is trying to make life for those forced to watch what they eat taste that little bit sweeter
AN interior design business in a Teesdale town has launched a website to attract customers. Kents Interiors, in Barnard Castle, was set up nearly 30 years ago, selling wallpaper and paint. It now stocks a wide range of interior design items, including
COMMERCIAL lawyer DAVID HUNTER has joined Crutes Law Firm. He has experience with international and top regional law firms and also specialises in regulatory and compliance matters, particularly in e-commerce. He will be based at Crutes House, in Teesdale
A CRAFTSMAN whose work is about to take centre stage in a new British film will be among the exhibitors at a woodland festival this week. Keith Pickering supplies unusual walking sticks to customers around the world from his Stick Man workshop in Helmsley
Former Middlesbrough midfielder Phil Stamp has told David Hodgson he is ready to return to the North-East with Darlington. Middlesbrough-born Stamp trained with Quakers yesterday after joining the club on trial with a view to a permanent deal. The 29-
British troops in tanks and helicopters stormed an Iraqi jail last night to rescue two soldiers who were arrested after allegedly killing a policeman and wounding another, the governor of Basra said. The two men had been taken to the Basra jail after
THE Newcastle office of Deloitte has recruited two risk service experts, RICHARD BUNNEY and PAUL O'LEARY, to its technology enterprise risk services department. Mr Bunney joins as manager and will be helping clients get value from IT investment. He comes
DURING the 1990s, the trend in local administration was towards smaller units that were closer to the people they serve. Cleveland county was split into four local councils; Darlington fought a bitter battle to escape from what it saw as the overwhelming
JOHN SHEPHERD has been appointed head of marketing and customer service for Business Link York and North Yorkshire. He joins the organisation with 12 years' experience of the leisure industry, where he has worked with businesses to provide customer service
Two of the competitors who collapsed during the Great North Run died from natural causes, a coroner said today. Medical examinations revealed that deputy headteacher Phil Lewis and company director Reuben Wilson - the youngest of the four men to collapse
OFFICIALS last night defended safety on the Great North Run after it emerged that an ambulance had taken 45 minutes to reach a dying man. Four people collapsed and died during Sunday's half marathon which took place in unseasonably warm weather. Hundreds
If you walk around most companies today, you will find the printer is generally in use or has printed documents that are sitting waiting to be picked up. We take the printing of documents for granted - we routinely print e-mails, web pages and presentations
A FIRM of accountants and financial advisors has expanded by creating a business development team. Harlands, which employs more than 40 staff at offices in Consett, County Durham, and Newcastle, has brought together a team of five people, including experts
PEACE MOVE: TURKISH politicians have seen the internal and external benefits to themselves and the world of being in the European Union. Turkey has a number of human rights problems, the main one being the position of the Kurdish part of the population
A TEENAGER has set up her own business in a market town selling designer womenswear. The 19-year-old decided against going to university to study architecture because of the costs involved. Instead, with the help of a £4,000 loan through the Prince's
A BURGLAR who attacked a householder on Christmas Eve has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. Daniel Thorpe, 22, was high on a cocktail of sleeping tablets, anti-depressants and heroin substitute when he broke into a shed and a house - and stole nothing
Six months ago, as we were entering May, I was surprised to read at least three articles that mentioned the old stock market adage "sell in May and go away". The second part of the adage, "and buy back after St Leger's Day" was not mentioned. As we know
RESULTS for the region's biggest dog show have been published. Darlington Dog Society's three-day championship show was held for the first time at Newby Hall, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, because the usual venue - South Park, in Darlington - is being
From bedfellows as improbable as Billingham Synthonia's programme and Darlington's Campaign for Real Ale branch newsletter, we learn of a threat to a little piece of football history. They want to build houses where for more than a century the Forge Tavern
THE Durham members have voted Dale Benkenstein this season's Player of the Year, ahead of skipper Mike Hussey and local hero Paul Collingwood. As all three topped 1,000 runs and Liam Plunkett had 51 wickets, for once there were several candidates. But
WHEN they finally come in next year, the Government's new hazardous waste regulations for electrical equipment will have a major impact on the business world. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, which has been twice delayed
You cannot hope to bribe or twist Thank God! The British journalist But, seeing what the man will do Unbribed, there's no occasion to. Humbert Wolfe (1886-1940) THE curious thing about Mr Wolfe - big, bad or otherwise - is that he seems never to have
FARMERS are being invited to a free conference to learn how they can protect the environment. The half-day conference at the Jersey Farm Hotel, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, on October 5, will give information on issues that affect water quality.
POLICE at Newton Aycliffe are appealing for information after a garage was broken into in Heighington Village on Thursday, September 15. A householder disturbed two burglars in his garage, in Manor Court, shortly after 2.30pm. They stole a black plastic
YOUNGSTERS are being encouraged to delve into the world of fiction this summer. Crown Street Library, in Darlington town centre, is running free story sessions. The events are taking place every Monday, between 9.30am and 11.30am, until the end of the
COUNCILLORS have voiced fears that the future of provision for elderly people in Darlington could be hit by a radical shake-up of health services. Proposals for the integration of services for older people, involving the borough council and the primary
Tributes were paid yesterday to former Teesdale councillor Ken Walton, who was famous for knowing the benefits system inside out, and for using his skill to help hundreds of people get what they were due. His family received many messages following his
Obedience Dogs - Saturday : Beginners: Mrs McIntosh, Motherwell. Novice Part 1: Mrs Mcintosh, Motherwell. Novice Part 2: Mrs Young, Shotton Colliery. Class A: Mr Abrams, Cleveland. Class B: Mrs Jackson, Barnsley. Class C: Mrs Young, Shotton Colliery.
A WOMAN has been fined and her dog spared a death sentence after the animal broke free from its lead and knocked a man over, breaking his arm. Gillian Flatters' Staffordshire bull terrier Tigon crashed into Derek Magor while he was out walking his spaniel
A COUNTRY fair takes place this weekend to raise money for a charity. The fifth annual British Red Cross Country Fair is at Whitworth Hall Country Park, between Brancepeth Village and Spennymoor, from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday. Visitors will be entertained
A woman who was treated at a North-East hospital has helped raise hundreds of pounds towards its work. Hazel Dent held a coffee morning in the parish hall at Barnard Castle, County Durham, at the weekend. The event raised £742 for the Royal Victoria Infirmary
A COLLEGE'S business development unit has moved to premises which will allow the further development of its training courses. Derwentside College's business development unit has moved to larger premises in the Louisa Building, in Front Street, Stanley
SHOPPERS visiting a Durham shopping centre hold the key to which school will win £3,000 worth of fitness equipment. The Prince Bishops Shopping Centre's Shop for Schools campaign, which started yesterday and runs until Sunday, October 30, gives people
THE WEEE directive may be a problem for many companies, but not for Recycling IT (Europe) Ltd, of Middlesbrough. Based at Teesport Commerce Park, the company recycles every component of unwanted computers. The family business was started four years ago
OFFICIALS last night defended safety on the Great North Run after it emerged that an ambulance had taken 45 minutes to reach a dying man. Four people collapsed and died during Sunday's half marathon, which took place in unseasonably warm weather. Hundreds
AS Durham Tees Valley Airport prepares to celebrate the first anniversary of its much-heralded name change, confusion still reigns as to what it is called. For up to 60 road signposts throughout the region, including several on some of the North-East's
THE company building the world's largest biodiesel plant last night confirmed it had agreed a deal with a major power generating company - doubling the size of the biofuels market. Biofuels Corporation, which is building the plant at Seal Sands, Teesside
EXTRA police will be patrolling the streets of Hambleton today as the district stages another No Crime Day. Persistent offenders will be targeted by the police, the mobile community police office will be deployed opposite Stokesley town hall to help deter
CANNABIS was smoked in public toilets at a market square thronging with Saturday afternoon shoppers, a court heard yesterday. Harrogate magistrates were told how worried members of the public in Thirsk alerted police after spotting two males acting suspiciously
A COMPANY selling locally-grown organic produce has announced plans to open a shop. Farmaround Limited created 40 jobs when it moved from London to the Gallowfields Trading Estate, in Richmond, earlier this year. The company, which offers door-to-door
FIREFIGHTERS from North Yorkshire are leading the way in the fight against carbon monoxide poisoning. Crews from Richmond fire station are among the first in the country who, alongside their firefighting duties, visit homes to fit carbon monoxide detectors
A PENSIONER celebrated her 100th birthday at the weekend surrounded by her family and friends. Eva Sewell, who has lived in Chilton since 1936, was the guest of honour at a party at her grandaughter's house, in Newton Aycliffe, on Saturday. She was joined
DURHAM'S Shopmobility scheme is appealing for help after it had to take its ageing minibus off the road. The organisation, which hires scooters and wheelchairs to disabled visitors to the city centre, used the 15-year-old vehicle, which has a tail lift
A TEENAGER has been handed a two-year anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) and banned from a shopping area for abusing staff at a Teesside supermarket. The 16-year-old, from Ingleby Barwick, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given the order at
A SCHOOLBOY suffered a terrifying ordeal when he was dragged into bushes and stripped by a teenage attacker. The eight-year-old boy was walking from school to his grandmother's home when he was attacked in daylight, just off a busy road. Police said the
YOUNGSTERS and their parents can enjoy some number crunching at a maths evening. Fairfield Primary School, in Stockton, is inviting pupils and their parents to an evening of fun activities, on Wednesday, as part of a week of events to celebrate all things
A PLANNED presentation on the historic roots of a Teesside estate has been postponed. The talk on Cowpen Bewley, in Billingham, was scheduled for Sunday, at 2pm, but Robin Daniels, from Tees Archaeology, will not be able to lead the event, as hoped. Due
A SCHEME that uses football to keep Teesside's youngsters healthy and out of trouble has launched its new season. Boro players, including defender Stuart Parnaby, kicked off an open weekend at the Middlesbrough Football Community Project, in Eston Leisure
Her face has graced billboards, magazine covers and and advertising campaigns across the world but, with allegations of cocaine addiction and lesbianism, has Kate Moss fallen off the catwalk? Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings reports on the rise, and possible
A CHRISTIAN charity is urging a North-East theatre not to stage a controversial musical based on TV's popular Jerry Springer Show because it mocks the faith. Newcastle's Theatre Royal is one of 21 theatres across the country that have stepped in to save
A SKILLS shortage in part of the region could be reversed thanks to a college receiving excellence status for its engineering training. Employers in North Yorkshire say the county has an acute shortage of workers, despite having a high number of graduates
Entrepreneurs with disabilities have been honoured at the Spirit of Enterprise awards. The annual awards ceremony, sponsored by law firm Watson Burton, celebrates entrepreneurs who have built their own company or played a key role in the operation of
THERE could be a surprise outcome to the feature race at Beverley if Honey Ryder (3.15) returns to anything like her best for the Violet And Eddie Smith Memorial Conditions Stakes. Honey Ryder benefits from both her fillies' and three-year-old weight
A CORONER yesterday urged a teenager to search his conscience and tell the parents of a 13-year-old boy how he died of a gunshot wound. William Buffey was killed by a single round to the back of the head from a .22 rifle in February last year. He had
BARCLAYS Bank has appointed MIKE KNEAFSEY regional director for Yorkshire and the North-East. Mr Kneafsey, previously sales and service director with Marks & Spencer Money, part of the HSBC Group, has much experience in personal financial services
NEWCASTLE UNITED received the better end of the bargain when they agreed to pay a club record £16m to replace the wayward Craig Bellamy with England hero Michael Owen. That was goalkeeper Shay Given's verdict after helping Graeme Souness' side to their
EXCAVATOR manufacturer Komatsu, in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, has appointed a logistics manager. NEIL GIBSON, 40, from Stanley, County Durham, was a logistics manager with car components company Magna Kansei, in Sunderland. He will be responsible
A FORMER Army fitness coach has launched his own business to get people across the region into shape. James McCallum, of Farringdon, Sunderland, was a physical training instructor in the Army for 12 years before setting up Mac 1 Fitness. After seeking
Yorkshire picked up the four extra points they needed to clinch promotion yesterday, but only after clinging on desperately for a draw at Derby in a match which brought one of the most extraordinary reversals in fortune they have ever experienced. At
THE Durham members have voted Dale Benkenstein this season's Player of the Year, ahead of skipper Mike Hussey and local hero Paul Collingwood. As all three topped 1,000 runs and Liam Plunkett had 51 wickets, for once there were several candidates. But
City broker Collins Stewart Tullett said takeover talks were in the final stages yesterday as it announced a ten per cent fall in half-year profits. Collins Stewart said talks with potential bidders had persuaded it to open up its books, allowing buyers
Residents of an end of terrace house had a narrow escape today when a bus ploughed into the property demolishing a side wall. The bus driver and people in the house escaped without serious injuries when the single-decker First bus was in collision with
METROMAIL, in Peterlee, County Durham, has appointed ALAN PURVIS as managing director. Mr Purvis is taking over following the retirement of John Poland. Metromail, owned by direct marketing company Saga, is one of the UK's largest mailing houses, operating
MICK McCARTHY yesterday admitted a communication breakdown between his goalkeeper and back four denied Sunderland their first all-important Premier League victory on Saturday. The Black Cats were only seconds away from registering their first three Premiership
THE GREAT Seve Ballesteros last night revealed he will be raising the curtain on the biggest occasion in North-East golfing history by playing a star-studded fourball with Newcastle United and England striker Michael Owen. Ballesteros arrived in the region
PLANS to charge patients £15 for a dental check-up will deepen the crisis already facing the North-East, Liberal Democrats warned yesterday. Delegates at Blackpool said the rise from £6.50 - to come in from April next year -would deter people from visiting
'BRITAIN is sleepwalking into New Orleans-style racial segregation with Muslim and black ghettos dividing cities". That is not a rant by a thug from the British National Party or a lurid prediction from some "right wing" backwoodsman. It is a quote from
LOGISTICS company Exel has agreed to be taken over by DHL owner Deutsche Post in a deal worth £3.7bn. The proposed takeover, which was backed by the directors of both companies over the weekend, is expected to create the world's largest logistics business
What the Legal 500 said and where the firms stand: DICKINSON DEES is the region's largest law firm, with expertise in more than 30 practice areas. The firm has seen rapid growth in its national workload in areas such as pensions, private finance initiative
A TEENAGER has admitted knifing to death a man during a gang fight outside a friend's house. John Sargeant, 18, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 23-year-old Craig Stephenson when he appeared in court yesterday. Sargeant, of Orpington Road, Middlesbrough
MANY businesses in the region are unaware of legislation designed to save companies in distress, research showed. Two years after the introduction of the Enterprise Act, just 13 per cent of the North-East's businesses are aware of the legislation and
Monarchy By David Starkey (C4) THE Government would do well to enlist David Starkey in getting pupils interested in history. Why not go the whole hog and rename this series Davie's School History Lessons? What chef Jamie Oliver did to revolutionise youngsters
THE captain of the country's first offshore off-license claims he has been branded a pirate and blacklisted across the globe. Phil Berriman hit the headlines when he started selling duty-free cigarettes and alcohol from his boat, the Rich Harvest, off
COMMERCIAL law firm Robert Muckle has been recognised as being in the top five per cent of UK firms after clinching a quality award. The Newcastle firm has been awarded the Law Society's badge of quality, known as Lexcel. Most industries have quality
A PROMISING young horse rider has made a big leap forward in the world of showjumping. Katy Jackson, 14 beat the best teenage riders from across the country to win the British Junior Showjumping Championship. Katy, and her horse, Griffin, a rose-grey
GIVEN that the biggest golfing spectacle to visit the North-East tees off on Thursday, day one of practise for the Seve Trophy did not go according to plan. The marquees are up, the Sky Sports cameras are in town, while the food being served does the
HOME Secretary Charles Clarke last night confirmed he will press ahead with plans to cut the number of police forces in England and Wales. At a meeting of chief constables in London, he backed a report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC
The benefits to business that could one day flow from the Centre for Electronic Nano-Systems are potentially huge. Deputy Business Editor Kate Bowman reports. WHETHER it is helping a manufacturer of motorised children's bikes find a more efficient battery
A FORMER Army fitness coach has launched his own business to get people across the region into shape. James McCallum, of Farringdon, Sunderland, was a physical training instructor in the Army for 12 years before setting up Mac 1 Fitness. After seeking
A NEW brand of energy drinks based in the North-East is set to power its way into the American market after its creators finalised a distribution contract worth nearly £70m a year. The exclusive three-year agreement, orchestrated by Darlington solicitors
The "family-friendly" requirements of some recent employment legislation is, according to the CBI, starting to cause headaches for employers. Of particular concern is the right of working parents to ask their employers to work "flexibly" - a right that
TRIBUTES have been paid to a 92-year-old retired farmer who was killed when his car struck the side of a speeding train at an unmanned level crossing. Leonard William Maud's white Ford Escort crashed through the automatic barrier of a level crossing and
A £1.4M business centre that could accommodate more than 20 start-up companies has been given the go-ahead. The centre will form the second phase of work at Innovation House, in South Church Enterprise Park, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, following the
BUTTERFIELD Private Bank has recruited a business development manager in the region. DAVID HARDY joins as North-East business development manager. He will be the first point of contact for professional advisors in the region. He has more than 15 years
IT may convey an image of a thoroughly 21st Century business with plush glass-fronted headquarters and slick promotional literature, but Darlington Building Society owes its existence to a very different age. And in many ways, the philosophies that inspired
FOUR company directors who were jailed after a £17.5m tax fraud were taken to court by a new national prosecution body. Customs and Excise said last night it was one of the first cases in the region to be prosecuted by the recently-established Revenues
A company in the region has been supporting work to encourage wildlife on a river running through one of the North-East's best-known industrial areas. UK Land Estates and Buildings for Business, in a joint venture with regional development agency One
STEVE McClaren took stock of Middlesbrough's lacklustre display at Wigan on Sunday and admitted his side were missing Stewart Downing, who is out until Christmas. The 21-year-old winger suffered cartilage damage in the 3-0 victory at Birmingham City,
DURHAM'S Liam Plunkett yesterday received a shock call-up for the England one-day squad to play five one-day internationals in Pakistan in December. Clubmates Steve Harmison and Paul Collingwood are in both the Test and one-day parties, and Collingwood
Tens of thousands of fundraisers battled stifling heat to reach the finish line in Sunday's Great North Run. Novice runner Paul Ketley, 27, The Northern Echo's sales development manager, who was among those who took part, tells his story. "We decided
GRANDMOTHER Nancy Ord is taking her grandson to court after he borrowed £22,000 - then disappeared in a new Ferrari. Mrs Ord, 77, hasn't seen a penny since giving 23-year-old Andrew Gough the loan. Yesterday, the arthritic pensioner took her grandson
POLICE investigating the sudden death of a toddler have revealed his identity. Mitchell Alan Bate, of Rodney Street, Hartlepool, was found unconscious at home by his mother on Friday. An ambulance was called, but the youngster, who would have been two
DR MIKE PITKETHLY has been appointed chief executive of the North-East Centre of Excellence for Nanotechnology, Micro and Photonic Systems (Cenamps). The 44-year-old co-founder and former commercial director of QinetiQ Nanomaterials started work last
POLICE have made a fresh appeal for help to identify a woman found dead in a stream a year ago today. The woman's body was discovered by walkers beside the Pennine Way, near Horton-in-Ribblesdale, in the Yorkshire Dales. Experts believe the victim was
NISSAN'S newest Micra model rolled off the production lines yesterday. The decision to build the convertible Micra C+C in Sunderland has created 70 jobs and safeguarded another 250. Nissan hopes to sell 20,000 of the coupes a year. It has a folding glass
THE region's largest law firm, Dickinson Dees, is poised to dominate the Legal 500 list for the next few years, writes Business Editor Julia Breen. Ewan Parker, editor for the Northern region of the Legal 500, said that while firms such as Watson Burton
MAGISTRATES have fined a teenager who assaulted a police officer. Jonathan Loudon, 18, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was arrested after wrestling with a police officer who was trying to arrest another boy. Officers had been called to an incident
RESIDENTS turned out in force for their annual village show at the weekend. West Cornforth Community Centre was transformed with a fine display of fruit, vegetables and flowers as it celebrated its long-time tradition. The green-fingered element of the
A MOTHER accused of murdering her infant son in a house fire yesterday attended his funeral in handcuffs. Danielle Wails, 21, arrived at the service handcuffed to a prison officer, while two other officers followed closely behind. Two more officers in
A DECISION to make a man remove UPVC double glazed windows from his home has sparked a heated debate about conservation areas. John Walker, of North End, Sedgefield, was told by Sedgefield Borough Council that he must take out the new windows because
A WELL-KNOWN family butcher's is marking a milestone in the business with a week-long celebration at its shops. Harry Coates and Son's is 40-years-old this week, four decades after the opening of its first shop in Trimdon, County Durham, by the father
TEENAGE mum Ashleigh Fothergill has taken the first step towards building a career thanks to a support group which is celebrating its first birthday. The 16-year-old became pregnant while she was still at school and had her daughter, Olivia, eight months
FEARS that dozens of new homes will swamp a dales community will be aired at a public meeting tonight. Wolsingham Parish Council has called the meeting to hear concerns over a proposed Yuill estate on the edge of the village. Residents in three streets
THOUSANDS of schoolchildren will learn about the consequences of anti-social behaviour during an event starting today. The Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Day (Asbad), organised by the Hartlepool Anti-Social Behaviour Unit and the Safer Hartlepool Partnership
GRANDMOTHER Nancy Ord is taking her grandson to court after he borrowed £22,000 - then disappeared in a new Ferrari. Mrs Ord, 77, hasn't seen a penny since giving 23-year-old Andrew Gough the loan. Yesterday, the arthritic pensioner took her grandson
