PLANS to move a school from a secluded 19th Century hall to a new £6m building are expected to go before councillors within weeks. Durham County Council hopes to relocate Windlestone Hall School, near Rushyford, to a site on the outskirts of Chilton.
LABOUR candidate Rose Seabury has been elected for the Wheatbottom and Helmington Row ward on Wear Valley District Council. She polled 328 votes, beating Liberal Democrat John Bailey (180 votes) and British National Party candidate Stuart Neil (42). Mrs
AN angler who died after being swept into the icy North Sea was yesterday named as 41-year-old Stewart Simpson. He was fishing at the exposed South Gare, near Redcar, east Cleveland, on Sunday afternoon in gale-force conditions when it is understood he
POLICE have stepped up the hunt for vandals responsible for a wave of attacks on schools. Windows were smashed, furniture and equipment was damaged and toilets were flooded after vandals targeted four schools in Richmond and Catterick Garrison at the
A CRACKDOWN on car crime has led to 40 arrests, and to several vehicles being removed from the roads. Between Wednesday and Friday last week, Operation Molton was launched in the Easington District to highlight those who pose a danger on the area's roads
CHILDREN from 26 secondary schools will speak to prisoners next month at an event to encourage social responsibility. Judge Fox, Recorder of Middlesbrough will attend the event organised by The Justice Support Project. There will various workshops including
A FALCONER gave pupils a rare treat yesterday when he took some of his feathered friends for a visit. Youngsters at South Pelaw Infant School, in Chester-le-Street, met five types of owl and a falcon. They were allowed to stroke and hold the birds of
TENANTS in a north Durham town have voted overwhelmingly in support of a mass transfer of council houses to a social landlord. At a conference hosted by Chester-le-Street District Council at the town's Red Lion pub, more than 90 per cent of the 130 tenants
A COUNCILLOR is to undergo a second retrial for a case of indecent assault after a similar charge against him was dismissed yesterday. The Durham Crown Court trial of Harry Devine, 54, an independent member of Easington District Council, was stopped on
Businesses with a social conscience should have a far greater role in the provision of public services like health and education under a third-term Labour Government, the party's election co-ordinator Alan Milburn said today. Mr Milburn hailed the growth
A MUSLIM festival at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington has been hailed a success. A total of 150 people attended the Eid celebration, which had been organised by the Northgate Community Partnership. The event, on Sunday, raised nearly £200 for Corporation
YOUNGSTERS have been rewarded for their dedication to voluntary work. Ferryhill beat officer PC Chris Metcalf presented awards at The Ladder - two former council houses on the Lakes estate that were transformed by residents into a community centre. It
A COUNCIL will discuss plans to upgrade a refuse site and improve recycling facilities. Darlington Borough Council will hold a meeting about plans for the Whessoe Road household waste plant on Wednesday, February 16. The council was awarded £730,000 from
RESIDENTS in Middlesbrough have been given a dedicated hotline number to help rid the streets of youths running rampage. The Home Office It's Your Call campaign will make it easier for people to report anti-social behaviour. The number - 0845 605 2222
POLICE are trying to trace the relatives and friends of a man found dead in his home. James Barlow, 48, was found at his flat in Rustic Terrace, Newbiggin, Northumberland, on Wednesday. A post-mortem examination failed to establish the cause of death,
A COMMUNITY paramedic has received a top honour from the ambulance service. Peter Shaw, 38, has been presented with the chief executive's award by the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (Tenyas). The award is presented annually
RADICAL plans reserving new housing in the Yorkshire Dales National Park for local people were approved last week. The move will mean only people living and working in the park will be able to buy new properties. The rules will also prevent new housing
COUNCILLORS at Pickering fear the possible closure of its tourist information centre could be a big blow to the market town's lucrative holiday industry. Councillor Natalie Warriner, former Mayor and ex-head of the town's Pickering in Business group,
A NURSERY nurse was convicted of eating an apple at the wheel of her car after police used a plane, helicopter and patrol car to gather evidence against her. Sarah McCaffery, 23, munched the apple on her way to work, holding it in one hand. She was spotted
THE North-East's director of public health has urged people to wake up after another report confirmed the bad state of the region's health. The new report - Lifestyle And Its Impact On Health - paints a bleak picture. The North-East is worst for heart
INDEPENDENT business support organisation RTC North has made several key appointments. ROGER COATHUP has been appointed senior executive working on business futures for Foresight North East, which is run by RTC North and has been operating since 1996.
TWO business partners marked their departure from a village pub by raising money for the tsunami disaster appeal. Bev Hayman and Brenda Whear have left the Fox and Hounds, in Neasham, near Darlington, after seven years. Their leaving party was turned
THERE comes a time when the integrity of a football club must be put before the need to placate a talented individual and, despite all of Craig Bellamy's undoubted ability, that time is now. If Newcastle United is to retain any semblance of dignity and
FREDDY Shepherd last night signalled the end of Craig Bellamy's Newcastle career by accusing the under-fire striker of "cheating" the club, the supporters, manager Graeme Souness and his own team-mates. The United chairman's comments were made in response
FRESH from closing the gap on the Championship's top two, full-back Stephen Wright forecasts that Sunderland's chances of a Premiership return hinge on the club's home record. Following Saturday's 1-0 success over Sheffield United, the Black Cats are
AN annual jobs fair is staged on Friday. Newcastle International Airport has teamed up with JobCentre Plus for the seventh convention at the Britannia Hotel, in Woolsington, near the airport. Employment opportunities at the airport have more than doubled
AN exhibition of diverse designs by North-East students opens this week. The end of year display by final year MA Design students at Northumbria University, in Newcastle, showcases a broad spectrum of imaginative and inventive work, covering everything
THE North-East's premier art venue has unveiled the first solo exhibition by Italian artist Carol Rama. The exhibition at the Baltic, in Gateshead, features works by the artist from 1936 to 2003. Ms Rama, 86, represents the first of a generation of artists
FEW will dispute the need to improve rules and procedures on immigration. The slow and chaotic processing of applications deters legitimate applicants but encourages spurious applicants. It is an issue which will figure prominently in the forthcoming
An accident with the notes from a Mexican night at the Crown, at Manfield, near Darlington, could have spelled disaster but, as always, the column's never lost for words. Well, this is a pretty kettle of fish and no mistake, and readers had best take
The FA Cup will be back at St James Park next week. The Magpies will not, of course, have won it - or not for an awfully long time, anyway. This is the trophy in use from 1896-1910, last presented when Newcastle beat second division Barnsley in a replay
AN angler who died after being swept into the icy North Sea was yesterday named as 41-year-old Stewart Simpson. He was fishing at the exposed South Gare, near Redcar, east Cleveland, on Sunday afternoon in gale-force conditions when it is understood he
Kitchen assistant. 7.30hpw. Meets NMW. Previous experience essential. Must be flexible over hours of work. Ref: DAE 43047. Network controller. 35-40hpw, £13,000-£14,000pa. Must be IT literate and have confident telephone manner. Duties include taking
CANCER sufferers are dying because a Government information campaign pledged five years ago to help early diagnosis was never launched, MPs warn today. Death rates are highest in large parts of the North-East because people in less affluent areas are
If you've ever wondered why he didn't call after your great first date or why he's not ready for commitment, the answer is simple - he's just not that into you. Women's Editor Linsay Jennings looks at a self-help book which has topped the American bestseller
PATIENTS have praised a new "hip factory" designed to speed up access to surgery. The surgical unit, at Bishop Auckland General Hospital, County Durham, was set up three months ago in an effort to reduce waiting lists for hip and knee replacements. Despite
A drink in a welcoming pub is a great way to end a walk in the countryside. The Northern Echo's walks correspondent Mark Reid lists some of his favourites. Winter is a great time to be out and about exploring the hills and valleys of Northern England
North Yorkshire Police's newest recruits will soon to be sniffing out law breakers. German shepherds Rudi, Bruno, Blaze and Jess have successfully completed a 13-week course at the Dog Training Centre at Solberge, near Northallerton, and are now licensed
Andrew Flintoff inspired England's Churchillian defiance at Centurion which had put the tourists within touching distance of an historic Test series win. On the 40th anniversary of Winston Churchill's death, Lancastrian all-rounder Flintoff masterminded
TIME MACHINE by Bernard Walton (BBC Books, £20): Ever since HG Wells dreamed up his famous time machine, humans have been intrigued by the idea of time travel. Bernard Walton, creator and producer of the BBC TV series, Time Machine, takes us on a fascinating
A COMPOSER commissioned to write a march to help a junior brass band celebrate a North-East town's links with its twin in Germany met the young musicians at the weekend. Roger Thorne travelled from his home in Shropshire to hold a workshop with the Consett
A FAST-growing website can count one of England's sporting greats as a fan. Sir Clive Woodward, who coached England's Rugby Union side to World Cup glory, was among the 500,000 visitors to www.sportnetwork.net last month. Sir Clive, who is masterminding
MEMBERS of the Science and Industry council visited one of the North-East's centres of excellence yesterday to see how the region is leading the way in research. The council, which oversees the development of a knowledge economy for the region, toured
TWO organisations given the task of changing the fortunes of the Tees Valley will now have to find new chairmen. Businessman Alistair Arkley, chairman of Tees Valley Partnership, plans to stand down and will officially inform the board at its next meeting
Harry Mead is fascinated by an account of Captain Cook's encounters with cannibals and other natives. THE TRIAL OF CANNIBAL DOG: Captain Cook in the South Seas by Anne Salmond (Penguin, £8.99) DURING Captain Cook's fateful third voyage of discovery, his
The number of cars produced for export reached record levels last year. But with the number of vehicles made for the home market falling by more than nine per cent, total UK car production last year fell short of the 2003 total. Cars made for export totalled
TWO of Britain's biggest coach holiday companies are expected to complete a merger next month. Coach holiday companies Wallace Arnold and Shearings confirmed they were in talks and expected to make an announcement within weeks. The deal will see Bridgepoint
Like Father, Like Son (ITV1) Woe betide anyone who tells Dee Stanton that teenage son Jamie takes after his father. For dad, it transpires, is a serial killer who kidnapped and strangled four young girls. Not that young Jamie knows this as Like Father
EASINGTON, in County Durham, is top of the league when it comes to compensation for former pitmen. Government figures show that £82.7m has been paid to 11,813 ex-miners and their families in east Durham to compensate them for the suffering caused by industrial
Like Father, Like Son (ITV1): Woe betide anyone who tells Dee Stanton that teenage son Jamie takes after his father. For dad, it transpires, is a serial killer who kidnapped and strangled four young girls. Not that young Jamie knows this as Like Father
PUPILS from a Darlington primary school took to the streets last week as they prepared to move schools. Staff and children from Alderman Leach Primary School took part in a practice school run to the school's new site at the West Park development, about
CANCER sufferers are dying because a Government information campaign pledged five years ago to help early diagnosis was never launched, MPs warn today. Death rates are highest in large parts of the North-East because people in less affluent areas are
TANNI Grey-Thompson has already attained dizzying heights in her athletics career, but now the Paralympian aims to reach even further - by flying a plane. The 35-year-old, who was made a Dame in the New Year's Honours, took to the skies yesterday at Durham
RESIDENTS are being urged to get on their bikes and see what cycling can offer. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is hosting a two-day meeting to discuss cycling issues in the community. A ride around the Guisborough area will be included in the event
A COMMUNITY paramedic has received a top honour from the ambulance service. Peter Shaw, 38, has been presented with the chief executive's award by the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust. The award is presented annually to a member
AN MP has welcomed extra resources for a police communications centre. Hilary Armstrong, MP for north-west Durham, was speaking after visiting Durham Police's northern communications centre at Aykley Heads, Durham, following complaints about the service
An indoor children's play centre has been approved. Harrogate Borough councillors ignored planners' advice and approved plans for the centre, on an industrial estate near Boroughbridge. Planning officers had recommended refusal of the scheme, arguing
A SCHOOL has received national recognition for the quality of its food. St Aidan's School in Harrogate is one of the first schools in the country to be named by the Health Education Trust as Best in Class for school dinners. The award means that the school's
A YOUTH group has been given £30,000 to help youngsters living in isolated areas attend its activities. Easington's Youth Forum has used the cash to buy a minibus, accessible by wheelchair, and yesterday members of the group were on hand to take delivery
BUILDING site labourer Ben Lawson attacked a 15-year-old he believed had been bullying his sister, a court heard yesterday. Harrogate magistrates were told how Lawson, 19, had punched his schoolboy victim in the face as he was walking in Locker Lane,
A CRIME prevention scheme has been launched on a Hartlepool estate as part of a Home Office pilot project. So far, 200 residents on the Burbank estate have agreed to have their possessions marked for free with an indelible solution. Called Smartwater,
A MAN upset after being suspected of drink driving took his own life when he was released from police custody, an inquest heard. Christopher Stephenson, 34, was found in Errington Wood, New Marske, by a member of Cleveland Search and Rescue team when
A SCRAP dealer was crushed to death when a car he was working on fell off a hydraulic hoist, an inquest heard. Joe Farrow died when the Rover 214 dropped about 5ft, pinning him to the ground at the traveller site near Hobson Avenue, Dormans-town, Redcar
A GROUP of bell-ringers are pulling together to raise money for three more bells. An appeal has been launched to raise the £40,000 needed to buy and install the bells in Ripon Cathedral. Maureen Lowe, secretary of Ripon Cathedral Society of Change Ringers
A vandal has caused up to £2,000 of damage by smashing windows in Coxhoe. The youth, thought to be in his late to mid-teens, was seen destroying two large shop windows on the village's Front Street. He also destroyed two others at nearby premises and
A college built in the shape of a giant eye has been proposed for Teesside. Stockton Riverside College wants to site the £4.1m oval-shaped building in front of its existing college at Teesside Business Park, in Thornaby. A planning application has been
A NORTH-East mountain rescue team is holding a recruitment drive. Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team is looking for volunteers to join the mountain rescue team. The team covers County Durham and parts of the Pennines, including Cross Fell, the
A MAN who stabbed another rough sleeper in a North park had his jail term reduced yesterday. The victim said he had been woken up by pain in his back, before Dennis John Willoughby told him: "Sorry John, I have stabbed you." Willoughby, 37, of no fixed
A SPECIALIST scientific testing company in the region has been bought by a Scottish company. Bodycote Materials Testing, based in Scotland, has bought Ensecon Laboratories, in the Glover Network Centre, Washington, Wearside, for an undisclosed sum. Ensecon
LURPAK and Anchor butter group Arla Foods has announced plans to close another regional depot to make savings from its merger with Express Dairies. The closure is the latest move in an overhaul that has already led to the closure of four sites, including
PLANS for a controversial "pedestrian heart" scheme for Darlington town centre have been formally submitted. Darlington Borough Council's planning department has received applications for the proposed £6.5m development. The applications relate to the
DARLINGTON midfielder Adrian Webster has been ruled out for at least a fortnight with a hamstring injury, writes Lee Hall. Physio Paul Gough last night revealed the extent of the problem after Webster limped out of Saturday's 3-0 win over Shrewsbury.
COMMERCIAL law firm Denison Till is celebrating a record year after completing deals worth £90m in the past 12 months. The corporate department, based at offices in York, carried out a range of acquisitions and disposals of shares and businesses, plus
POLICE are continuing their efforts to prevent bike thefts in Darlington after recording a drop in incidents over the past three months. Detectives have launched Operation Personify to tackle burglaries from sheds and garages in the town. Cars and bicycles
WRESTLERS from across the North-East are staging a major contest. Members of a North-East wrestling club will fight competitors from Hammerlock National Wrestling Association (NWA) UK, who are rated as some of the finest in the country. The club has trained
A local bus company has taken over a route scrapped by a regional firm. Residents in Acton Dene, Stanley, are delighted that, as well as keeping the 702 running, Stanley Buses will be returning buses to their estate. Protest erupted last year when Go
CHINESE New Year celebrations are being held in Newcastle's Chinatown on Sunday, February 13, to herald the year of the rooster. Organisers promise to provide a feast of entertainment including traditional dances and firecrackers with colourful street
TWO people were arrested and drugs seized in dawn raids on a council estate yesterday. Police swooped on four houses in Sacriston, near Chester-le-Street, as part of Durham Constabulary's Streetsafe: Fighting the Fear of Crime Campaign. Community Inspector
HUNDREDS of men recorded visiting suspected brothels by surveillance teams are being told by police: Come forward or we will pay you a visit. The men - all believed to be from the Darlington, South Durham and Teesside areas - face the prospect of police
CHINESE New Year celebrations are being held in Newcastle's Chinatown on Sunday, February 13, to herald the year of the rooster. Organisers promise to provide a feast of entertainment including traditional dances and firecrackers with colourful street
Winter is a great time to be out and about exploring the hills and valleys of Northern England and there is nowhere better to rest and recuperate after an exhilarating winter walk than a cosy village pub. What sets a great country pub apart is that once
DARLINGTON midfielder Adrian Webster has been ruled out for at least a fortnight with a hamstring injury, writes LEE HALL. Physio Paul Gough last night revealed the extent of the problem after Webster limped out of Saturday's 3-0 win over Shrewsbury.
BULLDOZERS have started work on a project designed to kick-start economic growth in a town reeling from job losses. After a three-year wait, construction has begun on the first office units at Colburn Business Park, near Catterick Garrison. It is hoped
POLICE say youngsters are putting their lives at risk by using mini-motorbikes on public roads. Officers in the Heworth area of York have received eight reports since Christmas of youngsters, mostly young teenagers, riding the machines on the highway.
MIDDLESBROUGH'S bid to take Celtic defender Bobo Balde to Teesside could hinge on Slovakian forward Szilard Nemeth heading in the opposite direction. Boro boss Steve McClaren has put plans in place to secure the services of Balde and the Scottish Premier
THE family of a North-East man killed in the tsunami disaster is setting up a trust to help rebuild communities destroyed by the earthquake. Steve Magson was watching his wife and daughter kayaking in the sea off Phi Phi Island, Thailand, when the wave
NEWCASTLE-based Northern Property Developments has appointed RICK WILSON as contracts director. The developer, which is behind some of the region's residential projects, is planning to expand this year. Mr Wilson, of Newton Aycliffe, is co-ordinating
EMMA SEWELL and DUNCAN REID, both from Pinsents, in Birmingham, have joined North-East law firm Ward Hadaway. Plc expert Ms Sewell joins as an associate. The Cambridge graduate specialises in flotations and advice to listed companies, as well as mergers
POLICE have stepped up the hunt for vandals responsible for a wave of attacks on schools. Windows were smashed, furniture and equipment was damaged and toilets were flooded after vandals targeted four schools in Richmond and Catterick Garrison at the
TANNI Grey-Thompson has already attained dizzying heights in her athletics career, but now the Paralympian aims to reach even further - by flying a plane. The 35-year-old, who was made a Dame in the New Year's Honours, took to the skies yesterday at Durham
PEOPLE's generosity has overwhelmed a family fighting to secure the convictions of three Greek doctors they blame for their son's death. The parents of Christopher Rochester, 24, of Chester-le-Street, who died in hospital on Rhodes after a balcony fall
HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds worth of tobacco and alcohol seized from Britain's first offshore off- licence can be destroyed, a court ruled yesterday. District judge Stephen Earl ruled that Customs and Excise officers had legally seized 567,000 cigarettes
STEVE Bruce last night revealed that Birmingham had joined Southampton and Celtic in the race to sign Newcastle contract rebel Olivier Bernard. Bernard, who was part of the United side that lost 1-0 at Arsenal on Sunday, is out of contract at the end
MEMBERS of the North East's Chinese community met health bosses to talk about issues and services. The Chinese Association North-East Region invited managers from Sedgefield and Durham and Chester-le-Street primary care trusts to the event earlier this
WISPS of smoke rose through the air above the pub table. The two drinkers looked over to their friend enjoying his cigarette. Perhaps feeling left out, they pulled out their roll-ups and joined him. All around the room, the ritual was carried out until
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Nursery assistant. 15hpw, Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm, 3 additional hours. Meets NMW. No experience necessary as full training given. Times and days to be arranged. Ref: CON 18579. Cook. 12.5hpw, Mon-Fri, 11am-1.30pm, £5-£7ph. Should have a food handling certificate
TONY McCOY pays a rare visit to Sedgefield where he looks good to land the first two races aboard Our Prima Donna (1.40) and Red Flyer (2.10). Our Prima Donna, who has yet to finish out of the first four on three outings over fences so far this term,
A pioneering project has won an award for its work with the neglected victims of sex abuse - women who have learning difficulties. Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings reports. THE discreet black letters, TRCC, on the A4 sheet of paper give the only signs
THICK wooden doors held back the flames, saving historic rooms, as fire ripped through a stately home in the region, it emerged yesterday. About a third of 18th Century Allerton Castle, near Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, was destroyed by the blaze in
THE Government has reassured the region's country shows they will not be forced to pay crippling taxes. Agricultural and country show bosses feared the worst when details emerged of plans to tax large public events. Show organisers across the North-East
A LANDMARK development in the North-East could be under threat from a planning blueprint. The future of Middlesbrough's £500m Middlehaven development has been placed in doubt by the North-East Assembly, which is drawing up a document allocating only 60
EXPLOITING a gap in the housing market is paying dividends for a North-East couple. Colin and Karen Lunn set up Karlin Timber Frame last September in Stanley, County Durham, to produce timber-framed houses. Timber-framed homes are quicker to build and
Durham Business Club has made two appointments to its board of directors. JEAN FOSTER and STEVE BARKER join the board as non-executive directors. Ms Foster, as well as being a partner in Foster Opticians, is an independent business advisor and works with
A COMPANY that counts Elton John and Tony Blair among its customers has started a franchise in the North-East. Lynn Henderson, of Durham, is starting a franchise of First Impressions, a company that takes casts of customers' hands or feet and turns them
I am a Yorkshire exile living in the City of London and I often get to dreaming of my former existence among the rivers and dales, and hankering after walks up Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough, cream teas in Helmsley and Whitby fish and chips which are the
A CRACKDOWN on car crime has led to 40 arrests, and to several vehicles being removed from the roads. Between Wednesday and Friday last week, Operation Molton was launched in the Easington District to highlight those who pose a danger on the area's roads
TONY McCOY pays a rare visit to Sedgefield where he looks good to land the first two races aboard Our Prima Donna (1.40) and Red Flyer (2.10). Our Prima Donna, who has yet to finish out of the first four on three outings over fences so far this term,
COMMERCIAL law firm Denison Till is celebrating a record year after completing deals worth £90m in the past 12 months. The corporate department, based at offices in York, carried out a range of acquisitions and disposals of shares and businesses, plus
CHURCH OF ENGLAND: AFTER reading the article by Peter Mullen on the retiring Archbishop of York (Echo, Jan 17), I would like to make one or two points myself. I found the information regarding the Archbishop interesting indeed, especially his bias and
HUNDREDS of men recorded by surveillance teams visiting suspected brothels are being told by police: Come forward or we will pay you a visit. The men - all believed to be from the Darlington, South Durham and Teesside areas - face the prospect of police
WORK has started on a £765,000 scheme to improve sports centres in Bedale. The project, which has been described as a 'wonderful asset' by local councillors, will see an all-weather pitch built and the fitness studio at the leisure centre extended. A
POLICE are trying to trace the relatives and friends of a man found dead in his home. James Barlow, 48, was found at his flat in Rustic Terrace, Newbiggin, Northumberland, on Wednesday. A post-mortem examination failed to establish the cause of death,
A NEW service has been launched to advise farmers and land managers on how to look after vulnerable historic sites. North Yorkshire County Council has appointed a rural archaeologist to help to manage some of the county's thousands of kilometres of stone
A BUILDER who was famous for giving a perfect finish to every piece of work he handled has died aged 78. Percy Nicholson was taught by his father, the late John William Nicholson, who started a building firm in the 1920s at Eggleston, near Barnard Castle
There were times last year when single mother Cat Williams fell so deeply into depression that she felt there was no way out. But since moving into a new housing complex for young mums, she has turned her life around, she tells Kate Bowman. CAT Williams
A MAN who was attacked in the street as he enjoyed an evening with friends died while his family were at his hospital bedside. Bakery owner John Carr was taken to hospital at the weekend after a fight outside the White Horse pub, in Loftus, east Cleveland
