REAL-ALE enthusiasts have failed in their efforts to prevent a Darlington pub from being demolished to make way for housing. The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) had fought to save the Forge Tavern, in Nestfield Street. But members of the borough council's
A BOOK that has taken more than 100 years to write has finally been launched at an official ceremony. The definitive history of Darlington is part of the Victoria County History (VCH) series, commissioned in 1899, and designed to tell the detailed history
A NEW partnership means North Yorkshire Police recruits will stay in the county for their training. Up to 18 new officers will start a 17-week course at York St John College later this month. Superintendent Paul Ackerley, head of the force's staff development
A FORMER professional footballer is demanding that council bosses take action to improve the condition of indoor sports facilities in Darlington. Paul Bielby, who played for Manchester United, Huddersfield Town and Hartlepool United during his career,
READING groups are being encouraged to choose their next title for discussion from Darlington library. The town centre library, in Crown Street, has numerous copies of titles that are available on free loan to reading groups in the borough. Library staff
A ROOFER who was tricked by a rival into driving while he was banned has been spared jail. Magistrates at Darlington yesterday were told that Kevin Sykes, 32, had been caught three times driving while disqualified. Sykes, from Eldon Street, admitted the
THE developers behind a £90m shopping and leisure complex planned for a North-East town said yesterday that the scheme could lift the region's economy. Discovery Properties, which is based in London, told civic and business leaders that the Commercial
AN ELABORATE scam by a distinctive looking conman has left pensioners feeling vulnerable. Cleveland Police are hunting a thief after four similar incidents within days. The shaven-headed suspect, who has a diamond in his front teeth, approaches pensioners
A WRESTLING contest comes to Shildon next month as several bouts are held in the town. Wrestle Zone Wrestling (wZw) returns to the Civic Hall with its new show, Breaking Point, after five successful previous events. Local fighter Iceman, from Bishop Auckland
ANGLERS are lining up to cast their lines in a major annual fishing event on the North-East coast. The 21st Seaham Sea Angling Competition takes place on Sunday, November 27, along the town's seafront, from Hawthorn Hive, in the south, to Hendon Groyne
YOUNGSTERS will be able to combine karate chops and boxing moves with music at a new keep-fit course. The six-week Team Combat course starts at Coxhoe Leisure Centre on Thursday, aimed at young people between the ages of six and sixteen. The hour-long
A NEW £1m store will open in Bishop Auckland this weekend, while another will close for refurbishment. Focus DIY will officially open today, but Woolworths, in the town centre, will close tomorrow for a revamp. The new Focus, in Fylands Drive, is opening
A WELL-WORN pilgrims' path will be trodden by children from schools in Yorkshire and Middlesbrough. The Ripon and Leeds Church of England Diocese is organising an inter-faith pilgrimage from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey next month. About 70 Christian
LEAFLETS will be issued to stop farmers unwittingly breaking the law when driving tractors. Traffic Sergeant Paul Stephens told the Helmsley community and police group at Harome that if tractors were driven below 20mph, then farmers could use cheaper
TEN children, teenagers and adults have been named as finalists in a shopping centre's fashion show. The ten were chosen for The Bridges Model Search Competition 2005, following a casting session where 60 semi-finalists were invited to The Bridges centre
RESIDENTS in east Durham living with long-term medical conditions are being offered a chance to better manage their illnesses. The Expert Patients Programme, developed by the Department of Health, assists people in developing skills to deal with the daily
THE only remaining pleasure pier on the North-East coast has been guaranteed a bright future as part of a £750,000 facelift. Work completed by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will illuminate Saltburn's Victorian pier from dusk until midnight as part
A STEINWAY grand piano that has been played by Sir Paul McCartney and Jools Holland was sold yesterday for £12,000. It went under the hammer at an auction of Tyne Tees Television equipment, at its former studios in City Road, Newcastle. The sale attracted
THE owner of shipbuilder Swan Hunter said last night that work might be brought back to its mothballed Teesside yard after striking a lucrative deal with Dutch company NV Ecodock. The contract will see Ecodock UK Ltd set up a shipbreaking operation at
A SCHOOL with regional science learning centre of excellence status has been given added wind to its sails. Planning approval has been granted for a wind charger, or turbine, to be erected in the grounds of Framwellgate School, in Framwellgate Moor, Durham
A REVAMP of the school curriculum may be one way to stop bored pupils playing truant, it was suggested last night. The claim came in the wake of figures showing record truancy levels, with 55,000 pupils skipping classes during the past school year. Local
Britain's largest ice cream makers, Richmond Foods, today predicted an eight per cent rise in profits but admitted it had been hit by falling sales and increased competition. In a pre-close trading statement, the maker of Nestle-branded products based
Invitation to school reunion: THE class of 1952 from Annfield Plain Secondary Modern School is holding a reunion at Annfield Plain Cricket Club, on October 11, at 7.30pm. It follows their first well-attended reunion, last April. For details, call John
HOUSING chiefs have outlined two schemes to build much-needed affordable housing for locals. Experts say the average house price in parts of Richmondshire is more than ten times the average annual wage of people in the area. This gap between earnings
DARLINGTON Mowden Park will have two former Blaydon players in their pack at home to Bradford and Bingley tomorrow following the loss of No 8 Jason Smithson to Newcastle Falcons. Ex-Marine Gavin Stainsby, who played in the back row for Blaydon, will be
THREE North-East businessmen trapped in the path of the hurricane heading towards the US said last night that they would tough it out. Hurricane Rita is expected to hit the south-east coast of the mainland late tonight or early tomorrow. Although weather
Cannabis cooking gran Patricia Tabram will have to wait to find out if she will face court. Mrs Tabram answered bail at Hexham police station, in Northumberland, after being arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis. Police raided her home in East
MORE than 40 workers have been made redundant at a North-East engineering company which supplies parts for the new Airbus model. Harkers Engineering, in Stockton, announced in June that it was considering redundancies because of a lack of orders in its
A TELECOMS company, which has more than doubled its turnover every year since 2001, is expanding to new premises and taking on staff every month. BNS Telecom, which has clients including high-street shops Greggs and Superdrug, has seen its turnover jump
DUNGEON SIEGE II, Publisher: Microsoft. Format: PC. Price: £35. Family friendly? Rather too violent for the under 12s. WESTERN fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) are so very different to their Japanese cousins. Where the likes of Final Fantasy build slowly
THIRSK. Tues. Forward: 60 cattle, 269 sheep comprising 73 breeding sheep and 196 store lambs. Store cattle: steers 16-28mths Limousin to £408, Charolais X to £390; heifers 14-16mths Limousin X £252, Belgian Blue £392, 17-28mths Simmental X £370, Limousin
THE pain inflicted by sky-high oil prices on UK manufacturing was underlined last night by a survey that found firms unable to pass on these costs to their customers. The CBI said its September industrial trends poll found more manufacturers expecting
STEVE McClaren last night revealed his burning desire to become England manager. The Middlesbrough boss, who is negotiating a new deal at the club, admitted he has never hidden his long-term ambitions to manage the national side. "It is the pinnacle,"
A MOURNER went to a funeral armed with a pool ball in a sock, a court heard. Harrogate magistrates heard that police stopped Sam Cranfield in St Andrew's Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and found the weapon in his jacket pocket. When Cranfield, 19,
ALAN Purvis, who recently took over at the helm of one of the UK's most successful direct mail companies, is to join the board of East Durham Business Service (EDBS) As managing director of the Peterlee-based MetroMail, Alan is passionate about the area
AFTER celebrating one North-East derby triumph this week Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy has set his sights on a double. The Black Cats boss celebrated his side's 1-0 extra-time Carling Cup second round win over League Two side Cheltenham by taking part
DAIRY staff have donated £150 to an aromatherapy treatment fund. The money was raised at an event organised by workers at Arla Foods, in Northallerton, to mark the centenary of the dairy at the Romanby Road site. It was presented to Kathryn Almond, from
A PARISH council has appealed for a band and bugler to perform at a Remembrance Sunday event. The 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War is to be marked with a special ceremony in Langley Park, County Durham, on Sunday, November 13. The band
THIRTY years of twinning between Easington District and the German town of Baesweiler is to be celebrated next month. The link between the two was forged on April 9, 1975. Baesweiler as the town now boasts an Easington Strasse, complete with shops and
A TEN-WEEK course is about to begin that may lead to a water polo team being created. The training, for eight to 12-year-olds, organised by Hartlepool Borough Council and Hartlepool Swimming Club, will be held at the Mill House Leisure Centre. The first
GRAEME SOUNESS' initial confidence that midfielders Kieron Dyer and Emre will return to action for Newcastle United this weekend has waned, writes Paul Fraser. Souness had hoped both players would be back for tomorrow's visit of Manchester City to St
THE only remaining pleasure pier on the North-East coast has been guaranteed a bright future as part of a £750,000 facelift. Work completed by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will illuminate Saltburn's Victorian pier from dusk until midnight as part
A law firm in the North-East has helped national mobile phone company MonsterMob to acquire one of China's biggest providers of mobile content services. Dickinson Dees, which employs more than 700 people in its Newcastle and Tees Valley offices, has overseen
A HOUSING company has issued a reminder to its tenants of the danger of an invisible killer. The Gateshead Housing Company, which manages almost 23,000 homes for Gateshead Council, has launched a campaign to ensure tenants are aware of the threat from
IT'S a corner shop - but not as we know it. The Star at Harome, near Helmsley, is one of the north's top restaurants. Chef Andrew Pern, from Whitby, and his wife Jacquie took over the 14th century thatched pub nine years ago, when it had been closed for
Residents are being urged to attend crime prevention and safety roadshows - and they could win prizes. Staff from the Sunderland Housing Group, Northumbria Police, Age Concern, Victim Support, Sunderland City Council, and the Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade
A PRISON dog handler and his faithful companion have swept the board in a national competition for the third year in succession. Richie Liggins, 44, and his German shepherd, Hadji triumphed in the Prison Service National Trials held at the service college
THE owner of shipbuilder Swan Hunter said last night that work might be brought back to its mothballed Teesside yard after striking a lucrative deal with Dutch company NV Ecodock. The contract will see Ecodock UK Ltd set up a shipbreaking operation at
CRICKETING legend Dickie Bird helped to inspire a new generation of would-be Ashes heroes yesterday when he opened a sports facility. The former umpire was at Caedmon School, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, to unveil cricket nets and a pitch built using a
IF cricket really is the new football, then the evidence of the opening day of this week's Seve Trophy suggests golf would quite like to be the new cricket. Staid and stuffy has become sexy and sassy thanks to the exploits of England's Ashes winners,
What a wonderful event the Great North Run is - it truly sums up all that is good about the region. I was in South Shields cheering on some friends as they completed the 13 miles last Sunday and the atmosphere was fantastic. The ultra competitiveness
SHOPPERS will be able to use a new bus stop in Darlington town centre from Monday. The 16 and 31 services to Mowden will now drop off and pick up from stand C, at the corner of Northgate and Crown Street. The change was made in response to requests from
YOUNGSTERS turned out in force to learn more about careers in the National Health Service in Willington yesterday. Staff from Durham Dales Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority held a Job Shop event
A HAIRDRESSER has been inspired by her sister's illness to donate a day's takings to charity. Every penny earned by Charlotte Metcalfe on October 21 will go to Breast Cancer Care. Mrs Metcalfe, 29, who runs a salon at her home in Aiskew, near Bedale,
MIDDLESBROUGH Council's Clean Sweep campaign has been hailed as a resounding success after a marked drop in complaints from residents. Streetscene operators have been clamping down on people who illegally dump rubbish in the town's back alleys. Working
A PROGRAMME of weekly lunchtime walks is being launched in Darlington next month. They start on October 5 and will take place every Wednesday, at noon. The walks are organised by Darlington Borough Council's countryside team, in partnership with the town's
PEOPLE concerned over planned reductions in police station opening hours are to be given a chance to put their views to senior police figures. The meeting is being held by Teesdale District Council's overview and scrutiny committee because of public concern
ALARMING statistics are leading to increasing support for a charter on suicide. Latest figures show the death rate for suicide and undetermined injury in Teesside was 18 per 100,000. That compares to 15.2 per 100,000 for England and Wales. While the national
FOLLOWING 18 months of public silence, brass band music is set to return to Seaham. After inheriting instruments from the former Seaham Philharmonic Brass group, the area's Music Academy now intends to put them to good use in the form of a new town band
SPORTS Minister Richard Caborn gave the thumbs-up to sports-minded schools which are tuned in to keeping their pupils fit and healthy. Under the Places for Sports and Arts scheme, three primary schools in the Seaham area of County Durham have won funding
A PATIENT who died after routine surgery had suffered massive blood loss following the operation, an inquest has heard. Consultant anaesthetist Dr Salahuddin Qureshi told the Middlesbrough inquest into the death of 33-year-old Elaine Basham, of Loftus
A RUNNER has proved that being dressed as a six-foot banana is no handicap to athletic prowess. John Collins was part of a 25-strong team who completed last weekend's Great North Run dressed as giant bananas, to raise £25,000 for Leukaemia Research. And
A MAN involved in an attack on a Kosovan doctor has been told he has let down the country. Magistrates at Darlington yesterday gave Lewis Glancey, 20, of Larchfield Street, Darlington, a suspended prison sentence for his role in the attack on Dr Afrim
A COUNCILLOR has been suspended for a month after pornography was found on her work laptop computer. Sunderland City Council's standards committee yesterday accepted that Councillor Aileen Handy had not been aware of the images. But they found her in
A quick-thinking guard saved a witness from an attacker who leapt at him from the dock. Alan Wood, of Flagg Court, South Shields, was facing trial atNewcastle Crown Court yesterday for maiming Lee Costella. When Mr Costella confirmed it was Wood who stabbed
A DEVELOPER has said it will work with local people after a controversial application for 27 houses in a Teesdale village was refused. Teesdale District Council's planning committee refused the application by Harlequin Property Developments for 27 homes
A WEEK-OLD puppy was dragged from her kennel and stamped to death by thugs. Owner John Walker discovered the terrier puppy, which was so young it had not even been given a name, when he visited his allotment. The thugs had also taken a ferret from its
DEVELOPERS will move on to the Tow Law Auction Mart site this morning, building nearly 70 homes in a town that has not seen any new housing for years. Inside the tiny wooden mart building, there was little time for sentiment as auctioneer Trevor Simpson
ONE of Middlesbrough's top DJs is playing to the sound of success as he enters the next stage of a global talent competition. After successfully securing the North-East title in the Movida Corona DJ competition, Marcus Wedgewood is preparing to take to
ANGRY residents attending a public meeting last night told council chiefs to abandon plans for a controversial housing development. Fifty people turned up to quiz Richmondshire District Council on plans for Yorke Square car park, in Richmond, North Yorkshire
THE pensioners who have flocked here for the Blackpool Illuminations found the famous seafront lit up spectacularly this year. But Liberal Democrat delegates hoping to be similarly illuminated by Charles Kennedy's plans for their party's future were left
A POWERFUL message about road deaths has stunned students into silence. Cleveland Fire Brigade has spent every morning this week at Stockton Sixth Form College, to spell out the pleasures and the dangers of driving. The Learn and Live campaign has been
AN ELABORATE scam by a distinctive looking conman has left pensioners feeling vulnerable. Cleveland Police are hunting a thief after four similar incidents within days. The shaven-headed suspect, who has a diamond in his front teeth, approaches pensioners
PAUL McGinley last night admitted that he and Padraig Harrington had left the Great Britain & Ireland side in "a hole" following the opening day of the Seve Trophy. The Irish duo, who combined to beat Tiger Woods and Davis Love III in the foursomes
A WELL-WORN pilgrims' path is to be trodden by children from schools in Yorkshire and Middlesbrough. The Ripon and Leeds Church of England Diocese is organising an inter-faith pilgrimage, from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey, next month. About 70 schoolchildren
ASHES fever may have gripped the nation, but England's glory has brought misery for members of a North-East sports club. Children trying to emulate the England team have turned a perfectly manicured bowls lawn into an impromptu cricket wicket. They have
DUNGEON SIEGE II Publisher: Microsoft. Format: PC. Price: £35. Family friendly? Rather too violent for the under 12s. WESTERN fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) are so very different to their Japanese cousins. Where the likes of Final Fantasy build slowly
The Sage Gateshead is launching a new series of concerts especially for the whole family next month. Northern Sinfonia starts the series at 11am on Saturday October 1, introducing young children to the orchestra. Composer John Woolrich's new piece Come
TOM EAVES takes some beating in a finish these days, so his booking for Miss Dixie (2.00) represents a major plus for her supporters at Haydock. In common with many trainers Julie Camacho has picked up on the giant strides made by Tom in the saddle this
LEADERS of the region's local authorities will today lobby the Government to support a £300m investment in the North-East's biggest port which could create up to 7,000 jobs and transform the region's economic fortunes. The influential Association of North
A MANUFACTURER of protective clothing for horse riders has launched a range of safety gear for rugby players. With 20-years' experience in the equestrian arena, Airowear, in Corbridge, Northumberland, has launched garments, which have been approved by
PLANS for an energy village founded on "hot rocks" are facing heated opposition in the tiny hamlet next to the proposed site. Residents of Eastgate, in County Durham, say the scheme put forward by a task force is pie in the sky and would dwarf the surrounding
The impact of domestic violence on children's education has been highlighted at a conference. Durham Police and Durham County Council's Education Department met yesterday at Ushaw College to discuss how violence in the home affects children aged five
A PLASTIC components maker has seen turnover more than quadruple to £330,000 in the past two years - and plans to expand further with the launch of a website. Custom Profiles, in Bishop Auckland, hopes that its presence at www.customprofiles. co.uk will
Yorkshire's spinners failed to exploit helpful conditions at Northampton yesterday, putting their side in danger of falling at the last hurdle in their bid to complete the Championship season without being beaten. The inexperienced Mark Lawson and David
COLIN MONTGOMERIE has fired up Great Britain and Ireland for the biggest challenge in Seve Trophy history by holding a clear-the-air team meeting at The Wynyard Club. Continental Europe took a handsome 4-1 lead on the first day in front of nearly 5,000
THORNBOROUGH HENGES: IT IS important to clarify an aspect of your report regarding Tarmac's application to quarry within the Thornborough Henges ancient monument complex (Echo, Sept 19). The complex includes around 30 major monuments of which the henges
CIDER brewed by monks has proved so popular that it has sold out. Ampleforth Abbey and College, at Ampleforth, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, has been producing its own brand of cider from 45 varieties of apples grown in two hectares of orchards. The
PAUL McGinley last night admitted that he and Padraig Harrington had left the Great Britain & Ireland side in "a hole" following the opening day of the Seve Trophy. The Irish duo, who combined to beat Tiger Woods and Davis Love III in the foursomes
The British Consulate in Berlin today issued an appeal in the German media in a bid to trace the County Durham pensioner who disappeared in the capital a week ago. Dressed in cowboy gear 70-year-old John Thomas Hedley, from the former mining community
Business Magnets is a new project in Durham whereby business men go into schools to act as mentors with students. The schools will compete against one another and league tables will be published frequently showing progress. The first Business Magnet article
ONE of the main arguments put forward by supporters of an elected regional assembly was that it would give the North-East a stronger, more united voice. The people of the North-East voted overwhelmingly against an assembly, but that need for more regional
Scriptwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais were cautious about writing a movie about football - sport doesn't have a good track record in films. But, as they tell Steve Pratt, they have high hopes that Goal!, made with Newcastle United, will score
A NORTH-EAST nurse has admitted giving a schoolgirl a contraceptive jab in a burger bar toilet. Other youngsters have been given morning-after pills outside school gates and sexual health advice in McDonald's, as health workers in Gateshead battle to
Horizon: The Mystery Of The Human Hobbit (BBC2) ONLY a few months ago, a C4 documentary reported on the discovery of a new and extraordinary species of human. Forget all that, they could have got it wrong - sceptics claim that it's only a modern human
CLARK KELTIE will be given every opportunity to prove his credentials when the Darlington midfielder returns from injury next month. That was the encouraging message from manager David Hodgson last night after an injury-ravaged year for the 22-year-old
A ROYAL Air Force squadron based in the region has been awarded a trophy. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment, based at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire, has won the Higginson Trophy, an award presented each year to the most outstanding regiment. The trophy was presented
HELP is at hand for people keen to lose weight and lead healthier lives. Ten-week weight management courses are to begin at Rossmere Youth and Community Centre, in Rossmere Way, Hartlepool, on Tuesday and at West View Advice and Resource Centre, in Miers
A PLANE that symbolised Britain's war in the skies will take flight at the weekend to recreate one of the most evocative images of the Second World War. A rare Spitfire Mk 9 will be at Fishburn Airfield, near Sedgefield, County Durham, tomorrow, along
CHARLES Kennedy branded his Liberal Democrat critics arrogant and immature yesterday in an extraordinary bid to shore up his faltering leadership. The much-criticised leader brought to a close a Blackpool conference dogged by splits and talk of plots
IT'S a corner shop - but not as we know it. The Star at Harome, near Helmsley, is one of the north's top restaurants. Chef Andrew Pern, from Whitby, and his wife Jacquie took over the 14th century thatched pub nine years ago, when it had been closed for
A PATIENT who died after routine surgery had suffered massive blood loss following the operation, an inquest has heard. Consultant anaesthetist Dr Salahuddin Qureshi told the Middlesbrough inquest into the death of 33-year-old Elaine Basham, of Loftus
GYM chain Fitness First is shaping up for expansion after changing hands in an £835m deal. The company, which is one of the world's largest gym chains with 424 sites in 15 countries, has been bought by investment group BC Partners from private equity
AMBULANCE services in the region could be merged as part of Government plans to reform the NHS, it was revealed last night. Under proposals outlined by the Department of Health, the North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NEAS), which covers from Berwick
Supermarket giant Morrisons today warned that 2,500 jobs could be lost after a review found that three of the company's depots may no longer be required. The firm said its sites in Aylesford, Kent, Bristol and Warrington were at risk of closure. Workers
AS I mourn the passing, with indecent haste, of a glorious cricket season, I am enormously cheered by suggestions that the Premier League bubble has burst. It has been a recurring prediction throughout this column's five-year life and I only hope it's
THREE North-East businessmen trapped in the path of the hurricane heading towards the US said last night that they would tough it out. Hurricane Rita is expected to hit the south-east coast of the mainland late tonight or early tomorrow. Although weather
THE predictable retirement of Gavin Hamilton from first-class cricket was announced yesterday by Durham as they wait to discover whether Nicky Peng and Gary Pratt will accept the offers of one-year deals. Glamorgan, who will pass Durham on the way back
