As a member of a secretive religious sect, Christine Wallach lived in a protected, insular world - until she and her family were cast out. She tells Lindsay Jennings how living on the 'outside' tore her family apart... and how she finally found peace.
VISITORS to historic properties will be able to find out about spooky goings-on. Paranormal investigator Dean Maynard will be giving presentations from 11am to 3.30pm, at Helmsley Castle, on October 16, Clifford's Tower, in York, on October 23, and Richmond
ONE of the largest suppliers of car parts in the world is creating 250 jobs in the region with a multi-million pound investment in a factory. The Lear Corporation yesterday announced it was opening the factory at Rainton Bridge business park, in Houghton-le-Spring
AN initiative that helps vulnerable people combat fuel poverty has been commended by MP Helen Goodman. The Bishop Auckland MP praised the Warm Front scheme that has helped thousands of residents in her Bishop Auckland constituency. Warm Front, a Defra
The Reverend Michael Gobbert has been appointed team rector for the new parish of Upper Skerne, which includes Sedgefield, Bishop Middleham and the Trimdons. He is currently based in Norton, near Stockton. He will be moving to the area next month and
A CRIME-fighting operation by police and volunteers was hailed a success yesterday after six arrests. Members of the Farmwatch scheme joined police to keep a watch on rural roads around Barnard Castle, for two nights. Two volunteers were keeping watch
PUPILS from seven primary schools have created their own version of the cubism style of art for an exhibition. They made large cubes and depicted scenes from local history on all six sides of them for a display at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle.
AN EXHIBITION highlighting plans to improve a former colliery village goes on show next week. Works to improve Esh Winning, near Durham City, are scheduled to start in the spring and residents are now being given the chance to outline their priorities
INTERNET surfers from around the world are focusing on Darlington through webcams at a new college site. More than 2,000 hits have already been recorded by the Darlington College of Technology's website from the UK, Asia, Australasia and America. Viewers
A TATTOOED and pierced motivational speaker visited a North Yorkshire school yesterday to preach tolerance - and encourage hugging. The 51-year-old American, who is known simply as Scary Guy, spent the day at Risedale Community College, in Hipswell, near
CRUCIAL VOTE: THIS month accountants in the region are taking part in a crucial ballot on the future of their profession. Members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and
HEALTH bosses in Darlington have praised the success of a clinic that has made progress in the treatment of a painful condition. Leg ulcers, which are caused by poor circulation, can take many months and sometimes years to heal. But a clinic run by Darlington
A PARK is to undergo a £104,000 facelift. Craghead Community Park, near Stanley, is to get a £50,000 ball court with goalposts, basketball hoops and cricket stumps. Plans are also under way to install a £30,000 toddlers' play park and carry out access
RURAL crime in Derwentside has been cut significantly following the introduction of a Farmwatch scheme. Almost 300 farms in the district are benefiting from the initiative, designed to keep rural property safe and secure. There have been big reductions
CONSETT maintained their 100 per cent record in the Second Division when they hammered Guisborough 12-1 on Saturday. Consett are top of the table, with new signing Michael Mackay, one of the leading scorers in the First Division at Durham last season,
A FORMER council chairman has been arrested on suspicion of theft. Alex Clements, who last week stepped down from his role as chairman of Wear Valley District Council following the claims, was arrested and questioned by police yesterday before being released
AN action plan to tackle high teenage pregnancy rates in parts of North Yorkshire is being drawn up. It includes ensuring young people get good education on sex and relationships, talking to carers and parents about their role in educating young people
A YOUTH worker has been nominated for a national award for her contribution to the development of young people. Karen Duncan, 37, Cleveland Fire Brigade's Prince's Trust team leader, has been nominated for the Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards 2005
A PRISONER is still on the run after giving police the slip as he was being transferred. Austin Jobling is understood to have ran through the open doors of a police compound. He escaped on Saturday morning as he was being taken from South Shields police
Darlington's Friday night match-winner Simon Johnson has given his seal of approval to the team's latest formation, which helped to brush aside a poor Macclesfield Town. As well as scoring the only goal of the game from the penalty spot to move Quakers
THE call has gone ringing out for people who have been bell-ringers in the past but have given up over the years. Sonia Thompson, from a band at Shotley Bridge, is urging lapsed campanologists to get involved again. She said: "We are an enthusiastic group
A YOUNG woman with multiple sclerosis who depends on acupuncture to ease her symptoms has spoken out after the NHS threatened to withdraw funding. For more than 12 years, Jane Hope, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, has been having regular acupuncture
OPPONENTS of a plan to create an opencast mine next to the historic Gibside Estate will urge councillors to reject the application when they meet to consider it tomorrow. Hall Construction wants to mine land on the border of County Durham and Northumberland
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a landmark Darlington hotel which is to be demolished are to launch an appeal against the decision. Protestors will fight a decision by Darlington Borough Council to demolish the White Horse, in North Road, and replace it
A CHARITY treasurer allegedly forged a letter of reassurance after an accountant raised concerns over its finances, a court was told. Former Darlington councillor Charles Graham Smith is accused of replying to the accountant to address some of his concerns
OPPONENTS of a plan to create an opencast mine next to the historic Gibside Estate will urge councillors to reject the application when they meet to consider it tomorrow. Hall Construction wants to mine land on the border of County Durham and Northumberland
AN area of woodland has been given an official stamp of approval. Freeholders Wood, near Aysgarth Falls, in Wensleydale, has received a certificate from the Forest Stewardship Council. The document proves the woodland has been managed to a high standard
BAKERY group Greggs is to create 350 jobs across the region in the next five years as it continues its strategy of opening stores away from the high street. The Newcastle-based company already has a stronghold in most of the region's high streets, so
THE owners of an off-road adventure business have hit back at objectors who say they should not be allowed to make it a permanent venture. Moorland Adventure Sport, based at Bickley Rigg Farm at Langdale End, near Scarborough, gives people the chance
SCHOOL cooks have returned to the classroom to show their support for a healthy eating drive. About 40 head cooks from Hartlepool undertook training to learn more about nutrition and balanced diets. They each attended a three and a half-hour course organised
Firefighter David Glendenning was revealed yesterday as the good samaritan who came to the aid of a homeless couple after their large tent was destroyed in a blaze. He was in a fire crew called to the outbreak at Barnard Castle, Co Durham - and then he
THE family of a man who was tortured and then disembowelled in his home told last night of their heartache at losing their "loving friend". Relatives of Keith Philpott spoke out after his attackers were jailed for a combined total of at least 35 years
THE friends of a North-East theatre are celebrating after a principal bass singer at the English National Opera agreed to become their patron. Graeme Danby, who hails from Consett, in County Durham, has become patron of the town's Empire Theatre. The
BLAYDON leapfrogged visitors Leicester Lions to move into fourth place in National Three North with a 34-12 win. Tynedale continued their improvement when a 22-7 home win against Macclesfield took them above Darlington Mowden Park, who blotted the North-East
A SCIENCE lab on wheels is touring the North-East in a bid to inspire and excite a new generation of physicists and engineers. Students from Greenfield School, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, took part in experiments in The Lab in a Lorry on Friday
MAL LONGSTAFF has been promoted to after-sales manager, having spent 24 years servicing cars at Benfield Fiat, in Newcastle. The 47-year-old started at the Benfield dealership as a workshop apprentice, and occupied various positions in the service department
CHRISTIANA LABORIEL has been appointed manager of Healthworks beauty spa at the Village Hotel and Leisure Club Newcastle, at Cobalt Business Park. The 37-year-old was previously manager of health and beauty at Matfen Hall, in Northumberland, and was also
MOTHER Tracey Barker, who survived a rare form of cancer, will meet royalty at the opening of a restored Victorian park today. Princess Anne will open Saltwell Park, in Gateshead, following a £10m restoration project by Gateshead Council. Ms Barker, 30
BAKERY group Greggs is to create 350 jobs across the region in the next five years as it continues its strategy of opening stores away from the high street. The Newcastle-based company already has a stronghold in most of the region's high streets, so
AN arts festival is to be held to celebrate the history and community spirit of a Wear Valley housing estate. Despite being in one of the most deprived wards in the county, Woodhouse Close Estate, in Bishop Auckland, is home to a loyal and supportive
A CHARITY is appealing for volunteers to be scared senseless this Halloween by joining its next fundraising event. The Royal National Institute of the Blind is holding an eerie outing to Killhope, The North of England Lead Mining Museum, in Weardale,
A REMOTE historic building was badly damaged by fire at the weekend. Firefighters from across the region battled throughout Saturday night to save the Grade II listed farmhouse in Teesdale, County Durham. But the roof of the property - thought to be one
MARK VIDUKA'S return to fitness and form for his country has given Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren a selection dilemma he is relishing. Having signed Aiyegbeni Yakubu in the summer for £7.5m McClaren will return from England duty on Thursday faced
A PRISONER escaped from a North-East police station at the weekend. A Northumbria Police spokeswoman confirmed last night that the 26-year-old Sunderland man escaped from Southwick police station, in the city, at 4.45am on Saturday. She said no one was
LIBRARY staff in Darlington are looking for arts and crafts materials to help make this Halloween as scary as possible for young readers. Various Halloween events are planned at the Crown Street library for under 18s, but staff need help to create the
A LIBRARY assistant is planning to test his head for heights to raise money for charity. Chris Holmes wants to raise hundreds of pounds for the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) when he abseils down the Baltic, in Gateshead, next Sunday. Mr
WORLD Mental Health Day will be marked across Teesside with a series of events. Tees and North-East Yorkshire NHS Trust has teamed up with voluntary organisation partners and a local school to offer people the chance to learn more about mental health.
RADIO hams from throughout the North-East gathered for their annual rally at the weekend. Great Lumley Amateur Radio and Electronics Society's event attracted more than 200 radio enthusiasts. Held at Great Lumley Community Centre, near Chester-le-Street
MORRIS dancers joined in the celebrations at a festival for healthy eating at the weekend. As part of the Durham Local Food Celebration, food expert Denise Howe, Durham County Council's primary education advisor, was at Clayport Library, in Durham City
A VILLAGE community hall has been saved for future generations thanks to three years of grit and determination. Bishop Middleham Village Hall reopened yesterday after a £70,000 refurbishment to extend and repair the building. And thousands of pounds of
THE possible merger of North Yorkshire Police with neighbouring services would not see resources sucked into areas with higher crime levels, senior officers say. North Yorkshire Police has created a team of officers, called Advance and led by Chief Inspector
NORTH DURHAM MP Kevan Jones has agreed to become the patron of the Chester-le-Street and District Voluntary Welfare Committee. The committee, a charity which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary, runs a number of projects, including a welfare bus
WOMEN working in some traditionally male careers still face major personal and professional barriers to success, despite efforts by Government and other bodies to reverse the trend, research by North-East academics has revealed. Some women interviewed
FACILITIES for sport and the arts in East Durham are to get a major boost this week with the opening of a £716,000 development at Seaham. Durham County Councillor Alan Fenwick is to open the new multi-sports hall and arts room at Ropery Walk Primary School
WORK has started on a town centre pool's 60m water flume. The slide at Splash, in Stockton, will include blacked-out sections to enhance the feeling of speed as well as an in-built timer. The pool already has a flume for children but the new one will
IT'S a very British problem: a row has erupted over the entirely orderly queues outside a famous seaside cafe. For many, a trip to Whitby, North Yorkshire, would not be same without fish and chips at the Magpie Cafe. People come from all over the world
ROAD safety chiefs are sponsoring the youngest driver in the British Rally Championship. Dom Mernock, 18, from Harrogate, has made an impressive start in the Stars of the Future section of the contest. The teenager drives a Group A6 Peugeot 206, which
Two World Association of Kick Boxing Organisations (Wako) title fights will be held in the region. Jamie Marr, from South Shields, and Craig Bulmer, from Sunderland, will compete for the North-Eastern Wako super heavyweight title in five, two-minute rounds
ABOUT 900 North Yorkshire children run away from home or care every year, a study has found. The report published today by the Children's Society claims one in six of the county's runaways are forced to sleep rough. The charity says a shortage of refuges
A photography exhibition inspired by travelling has been unveiled at York Minster. Passing Places, by Sue Tapply, features photographs of journeys from Donegal and Mull to Iona. They show scenes such as a boat beached beside an old drovers' inn and cattle
"WHEN we first started out 30 years ago, the manager of our training pub had worked in Darlington, and he said 'if ever you get the chance to take the Red Lion, you should jump at the chance." The advice was taken seriously by Jim Crackett, and his wife
AUSSIE physics teacher Frank Alley has travelled halfway across the world for his latest post only to end up in the town of a former pupil - Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. Mr Alley taught science to the Boro star at Colo High School in Sydney
A thief conned his way into a vulnerable man's home and stole his wallet. He called at the disabled's victim's home in Loftus, east Cleveland, and lured him away by pretending to sell vegetables from a nearby van. The thief ran back into the man's home
Landlady Susan Stewart opened her pub at the weekend only three days after it was blown apart in an explosion. The front of the Colliery Tavern, Sunderland, was wrecked when a gas blast tore through it. Ms Stewart only survived because she had pulled
CONSETT maintained their 100 per cent record in the Second Division when they hammered Guisborough 12-1 on Saturday. Consett are top of the table, with new signing Michael Mackay, one of the leading scorers in the First Division at Durham last season,
NORTHERN Foods yesterday reported a pick-up in sales but warned trading remained difficult, with outbreaks of bird flu pushing up the cost of chicken. The company, which makes Goodfella's pizzas and Fox's biscuits, has also been hit by the higher price
AN award-winning bridge used by thousands of university students every day is to be closed for refurbishment for nearly two weeks from today. Kingsgate footbridge, a pedestrian crossing linking New Elvet with South Bailey on Durham's city centre peninsula
A NIGHTCLUB owner with two venues in the region yesterday announced increased sales and plans to spend millions on refurbishments. Nexum Leisure said its annual sales were just less than £20m, with three per cent growth during the past six months compared
PIONEERING work in cardiac care is to be highlighted by health professionals at a conference in the North-East. Keynote speakers from across England will discuss best practice being carried out in the health service to combat heart disease, which is one
A STUNNING memorial in the grounds of one of the late Queen Mother's favourite North-East museums was officially dedicated to her at the weekend. The Duke of Gloucester performed the dedication of the memorial sundial at Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle
VETERAN North-East comedian Bobby Knoxall and his team of entertainers are hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for the family of Dean Pike. Dean, 11, died in a blaze at his home in Mordey Close, Deerness Park, Hendon, Sunderland, in June. His pregnant
DAVID HODGSON has revealed his admiration for Alun Armstrong and last night refused to rule out the striker making a shock return to Darlington. Armstrong has emerged as one of several possible transfer targets Hodgson has earmarked after terminating
MARGARET Pitt was as good as her word when she answered an appeal for pen pals in a magazine she bought as a schoolgirl. She told New Zealander Margaret Hogg, who was living in Australia, that she would write again. That was 52 years ago, and the duo
APRIL TAPPING has been appointed account executive at Newcastle public relations company Uniquethinking. The 22-year-old graduated from Newcastle University with a BA in applied communications. Working at the company's offices in Newcastle, she will promote
SUPERBUSES could be introduced as part of a major shake-up of a district's public transport. A raft of ideas has been put forward with the aim of boosting passenger numbers on Teesside by six per cent by 2010. Among the proposals are plans for tram-like
A mother left police stunned when she complained about their booze crackdown because her underage daughter could no longer buy the family's beer. Police had started an under-21 campaign in off-licences, so shopkeepers could ask people who look under 21
NEWCASTLE UNITED boss Graeme Souness was a relieved man last night after Shay Given came through an injury scare. The in-form goalkeeper was forced out of training with the Republic of Ireland after a training ground collision. Given's injury came while
A historic city which introduced Britain's first congestion charge could extend the scheme to drive traffic out of its jammed centre, a council leader said today. A £2 charge was introduced three years ago for motorists entering a medieval street in Durham
THE prospect of a single police force for the North-East moved closer last night, placing a question mark over hundreds of civilian jobs. Durham Chief Constable Paul Garvin broke his silence to make it clear that, in his view, only a North-East-wide force
A COUPLE who are banned from owning animals for life yesterday admitted leaving their dog in appalling conditions for six weeks. Alan and Marie Humphreys were fined £100 each for failing to properly care for their crossbreed dog, Solo, only months after
A VEHICLE repair centre has undergone a £750,000 expansion and launched the industry's first training centre and apprenticeship scheme in the region. David Blenkinsop, the managing director of Body Work Direct, in Crook, County Durham, has invested the
A COMMUNITY turned out in force at the weekend to celebrate a festival that is nearly 1,000 years old. The Houghton Feast, which has been held since the early 1100s in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, began on Friday. It was launched with a spectacular switch-on
Two men have appeared in court charged with assaulting a Darlington man as he slept. Ian David Hudson, 30, of Minors Crescent, and Michael Atkinson, 19, of Brinkburn Road, both Darlington, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court jointly charged
A TEENAGE killer was last night starting six years behind bars for knifing a young father to death in a gang fight. John Sargeant, 18, stabbed 23-year-old Craig Stephenson in the heart. Mr Stephenson and a gang of up to 30 friends - some armed with baseball
A couple who spent 15 years renovating their dream farmhouse, only to see it destroyed in a blaze, vowed yesterday to start work all over again. Peter Coverdale, 49, and his wife, Sue, 47, had spent thousands of pounds restoring Levy Pool, a Grade II-listed
JOHN Terry has insisted that being dropped from Saturday's 1-0 win over Austria will only make Rio Ferdinand even more determined to secure a starting spot in next summer's World Cup finals. Ferdinand, who has made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes
ANIMAL bones found in a Yorkshire Dales cave have overturned theories on the extinction of a British big cat. Experts had believed the lynx disappeared from the nation's countryside more than 4,000 years ago when the climate became wetter and cooler.
DETECTIVES in Darlington last night appealed for information as a man remained seriously ill in hospital after being stabbed in the neck during a fight. The incident happened in Grange Road, near the town's private Polam Hall girls' school, at about 10.30pm
A REMOTE historic building was badly damaged by fire at the weekend. Firefighters from across the region battled throughout Saturday night to save the Grade II listed farmhouse in Teesdale, County Durham. But the roof of the property - thought to be one
A RESCUE worker from North Yorkshire last night spoke of the devastation caused by the Asian earthquake. Julie Ryan, 38, is working with members of the of the International Rescue Corps (IRC), who are in the earthquake-hit region helping to search for
TRIBUTES were paid last night to the disabled man who was beaten to death in an alley behind a Darlington town centre pub. Stephen Humphries, 53, was described as being a "gentle, lovely" man who had severe learning difficulties that left him unable to
Trainee solicitor ZOE RAYMENT will complete her legal training with law firm Blackett Hart and Pratt. A Northumbria University graduate, Ms Rayment, 25, has joined BHP's office in Newcastle, where she is working in the commercial litigation team. Trainee
SECURITY camera systems in licensed premises across a North-East town are "so poor as to be useless", it was claimed last night. The Northern Echo can reveal that all 18 pubs and clubs in Darlington town centre that have closed-circuit television (CCTV
Cheques to the value of nearly £100,000 were dumped on a street in an amazing bank blunder. The bag of cheques had been paid into the branch of the Abbey and should have been taken to the bank's London clearing centre. But instead they'd been left lying
WHEN Edith Ripley started looking into the past to create a family tree in her spare time she had no idea where her research would lead. In less than two years, the 66-year-old, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, has traced her ancestors back to the
A school that was forced to shut after 103 children and four members of staff fell ill with a bug reopened yesterday. There were still 40 pupils out of 317 absent from Blackhall Colliery Primary School, in County Durham, yesterday, but most were staying
Paul Grayson, one of the Backtrack column's tips for the top as long ago as 1989, has retired from first-class cricket and is making the most of a benefit year with Essex. One of a well-known Bedale sporting family - his elder brother Simon, 36 in December
TOMMY MILLER expects the whole of Sunderland to be on a high this week as the full effect of being back in the Premiership hits Wearside. The Stadium of Light is expecting its biggest crowd of the season so far on Saturday when Manchester United arrive
Confined to a wheelchair and paralysed from the chest down after a motor bike scrambling accident in 1984, Stewart Hume has recorded an historic milestone in a different sport entirely. The former plumber has become the first disabled angler ever to be
STUDENTS were rewarded for their diligence at a school awards ceremony last night. Pupils from Hurworth School Maths and Computing College near Darlington were given trophies and certificates for subjects they excelled in. Parents watched as pupils in
A DALES visitors centre is asking people to draw what they imagine it would have been like to work in a lead mine. The drawing event at Meet the Middletons, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, is part of The Big Draw 2005, which is a national series of events led
WORK began yesterday repairing a bridge used daily by thousands of students, on the day the new university term began. Kingsgate Bridge, a concrete crossing of the River Wear in Durham, is to remain closed for six-and-a-half hours daily - except weekends
VILLAGERS are painting the town red following the launch of a recycling scheme. The Rookhope Rural Repaint scheme has been set up by St Aidan's Community Trust to recycle paint. Based in a small depot near Rookhope Village Hall, the trust is appealing
YOUNG people are being given the chance to question senior politicians in an initiative designed to rekindle interest in local democracy. County, district and town councillors will be on hand to answer queries from young people on how North Yorkshire
War veterans from the North-East are revisiting foreign shores where they saw action to honour fallen comrades, after receiving funding from the Lottery's Heroes Return Awards scheme. Awards announced are enabling Second World War veterans, widows, spouses
PARISH councillors at the centre of a land dispute have called for crunch talks with a developer who is planning to build houses on a former recreation ground. Dene Valley Parish Council is hoping that Miller Homes will agree to discuss the future of
A MESSAGE for a future generation to read has been buried in a town centre - along with a 106-year-old good luck note. Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon has called on the future to judge the aesthetics of a £5m civic square currently planned for the town
Posters telling children what to do if they find a drugs needle are being sent out to schools across the region. The action follows the findings of a survey which revealed a seven per cent increase in the number of syringes found on school grounds. Keep
VISUALLY-impaired youngsters have been making a racket - and their teachers couldn't be more pleased. As part of the Government's Every Child Matters initiative, students at Henshaws College, in Harrogate, got to grips with steel drums and tambourines
RESIDENTS will be asked for their views on regeneration proposals, including the mass demolition of houses at South Bank, in Middlesbrough. Those people fighting to stay in their own homes are unimpressed by news that Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council
GEORDIE duo Ant and Dec were turned away from an exclusive VIP bash in their home city, it was claimed last night. Managers at the exclusive Malmaison Hotel, on Newcastle's Quayside, came under fire after the stars failed to get into the tickets-only
THE Tourist Information Centre in Durham City has been shortlisted for a regional award. The centre in Millennium Place has been named as one of four finalists in the Tourist Information Centre of the Region awards organised by regional development agency
ONE of the largest suppliers of car parts in the world is creating 250 jobs in the region with a multi-million pound investment in a factory. The Lear Corporation yesterday announced it was opening the factory at Rainton Bridge business park, in Houghton-le-Spring
SIX bikers put their pedal power to the test in memory of a friend who died aged 32. The team from the Meteorological Office at Leeming, which advises the RAF on the weather conditions for flying, did a 32-mile trek between Stockton and RAF Leeming in
Children are to create a huge drawing on Saltburn sands - before the tide comes in to wipe away their work. The artwork will extend from the Pier to the slipway, but only from 11am until 3pm on Saturday - before the tide washes the sand clean again. Children
THERE is a dazzling evening of fun planned for Hartlepool's Fireworks and Music Spectacular. The free event, on Saturday, November 5, organised by Hartlepool Borough Council, will take place at Seaton Carew and will include a boat parade. The fun begins
SOMETIMES we are forced to remember that we are human first and foremost. Anything else that we might be - English, British, European, black, white, brown, Christian, Muslim, agnostic - comes very much second and afterwards. The scale of the Pakistani
CALLOUS killers Sean Swindon and Michael Peart subjected an innocent man to an horrific beating - then walked away as he was dying to celebrate with cans of lager. The punched and kicked 36-year-old Keith Philpott over several hours, stopping regularly
Signs of inflationary pressure building in the UK economy emerged last night after figures showed a sharp jump in factory gate prices. With manufacturers more willing to pass on higher energy costs, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said output
Have you ever been at a loss for words when a friend, colleague or a loved one has been given a diagnosis of cancer? Lindsay Jennings finds out about cancer etiquette. A COLLEAGUE at work has recently discovered she has breast cancer. Do you dodge behind
SCHOOLS and businesses in Darlington are promoting their healthy eating policies thanks to an award scheme. The Healthy Eating Awards were launched by Darlington Borough Council in 2001 with support from the NHS Darlington Primary Care Trust. The aim
VAN hire group Northgate last night confirmed it had received a takeover offer of £12 a share, valuing the company at about £774m. The Darlington plc did not name the bidder but it is widely believed to be private equity group Terra Firma, owned by businessman
AT one stage in this match a full 30 seconds elapsed without referee Matthew Daubney blowing his whistle. He appears to be a member of a new breed of younger referees determined to officiate to the letter of the law, and at a time when rugby has a chance
NORTH-EAST actor Robson Green has revealed for the first time that he suffers from dyslexia. The star said he had lost roles in the past because of the reading disability, which went undiagnosed at school. Robson confessed to being envious of their five-year-old
Business start-ups have been showcased in a publication by Durham Business School. Called Gleaming Bright Businesses, it profiles leading young entrepreneurs in the region who have made use of the business school's Gleam programme. The programme - Graduates
COMMUNITY website owners could be rewarded for their sterling work - by sharing a prize fund of £5,000. The CommuniGate initiative run by Newsquest North-East, publishers of The Northern Echo, has seen more than 2,000 non-profit organisations set up their
MARKS & Spencer is opening two food shops on petrol forecourts this week as part of a trial with BP. The Simply Food stores at BP Connect garages in Hammersmith, London, and Dumbarton, Scotland, are the first of eight pilot stores to move on to BP
A PRISON guard who raped inmates at a young offenders' institution has been told he must never work with children again. Prison cook Neville Husband, 67, raped and sexually abusing boys in the kitchen store rooms at Medomsley Detention Centre, near Consett
The low-fare airline boom is continuing, with a large increase in the number of no-frills flights this month. Of the 113,000 flights in and out of the UK so far this month, nearly a third are being operated by low-cost carriers, flight information company
Bishop Auckland new boss Brian Healy takes charge for the first time tonight as his new charges face Chorley at home in the UniBond League First Division. Healy, who spent four years at Bishops as a player, was handed the reins at the weekend with his
CHILDREN and artists are waiting to hear whether they have broken the world record for the largest sand painting. The 468sq metre depiction of Lord Nelson and his ship HMS Victory was painted on South Bay beach, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, on Saturday
Birtley Town maintained their position at the top of the table but they were taken to the wire by lowly Gateshead Low Fell on Saturday, writes Malcolm Pratt. The visitors, with just one win in seven attempts, looked to have done enough to earn a point
HUNDREDS of young people exercised their vocal chords in a ten-hour music marathon to boost a hospice's funds. More than 500 singers and musicians from across Teesside took part in Voices for Hospices, at Billingham's Forum Theatre, yesterday, with proceeds
TRANSPORT chiefs are celebrating after a new Metro station was approved. Plans for a £3m station in the Simonside area of South Shields were unanimously approved by South Tyneside councillors. A Nexus spokesman said that while some people in the Wenlock
STUDENTS took part in a theatre workshop to help promote the anti-drink driving message. Pupils from Hurworth School, Maths and Computing College, worked with the APE Theatre Group to perform Too Much Punch for Judy. It recreated the story of Jo Poulton
A TEAM of building society staff took on the challenge of scaling 24 peaks in 24 hours to raise money for charity. Peter Rowley, Jeremy Horner, Robert Murphy, Mark Woodcock, Richard Dyke, Jude Campbell and Dave Baker from Darlington Building Society raised
The Discovery Centre, in Bishop Auckland Market Place, will host a display of orchids from Thursday until October 29. The centre is open Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm.
FAMILIES flocked to an open day in Darlington's oldest park at the weekend. South Park hosted a fun day on Saturday and gave people a chance to see more of the park than they usually would. Guided walks around sites that are being restored took place.
A DEVELOPMENT offering affordable housing has been opened. Six homes have been built by Broadacres Housing Association in Askrigg, Wensleydale, to help people say in the area. The homes were opened by Richmondshire district councillor Yvonne Peacock.
TRANSPORT chiefs are celebrating after a new Metro station was approved. Plans for a £3m station in the Simonside area of South Shields were unanimously approved by South Tyneside councillors. A Nexus spokesman said that while some people in the Wenlock
A TOWN has thanked valuable members of its community with awards to mark their outstanding contributions. Ferryhill Town Council presented awards of appreciation to former teachers from the town's Rosebank School, which closed in the summer as part of
MAKING a will has been made easier thanks to a charity and business partnership. Age Concern Durham County and Freeman Jackson solicitors have teamed up to offer the over-50s of the Bishop Auckland area free legal advice tomorrow, at Rosewood Grange,
A NEW series of arts events hits the road in County Durham soon. The Elements Touring Scheme has put together six comedy, theatre, puppetry, dance and children's shows which will give 16 performances at small venues across the region. The tour kicks off
A COUNCIL is warning residents and tenants to beware of bogus callers making doorstep offers of free insulation. Chester-le-Street District Council, in partnership with Scottish Power, operates an insulation scheme offering a grant of up to £450, plus
A COMMUNITY turned out in force at the weekend to celebrate a festival that is nearly 1,000 years old. The Houghton Feast, which has been held since the early 1100s in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, began on Friday. It was launched with a spectacular switch-on
A GROUP of students is going to spend Christmas in India helping orphans. Five girls from the lower sixth of St Bede's RC Comprehensive School, in Lanchester, will spend their holidays at the Russ Foundation Girls' Home near Madurai, Tamil Nadu, South
AN MP has stepped into the row surrounding plans for Redcar's Coatham Enclosure. The town's MP, Vera Baird, criticised Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council for not turning up to a meeting to address the issues surrounding a £55m scheme for leisure and
CREATIVE writing workshops will be staged at the Lamplight Arts Centre, in Stanley, on Saturday. The morning workshop will reveal more about local writers' groups. It will be led by Jeremy Warr and will focus on how groups work on writing. Those attending
THE mother of a Middlesbrough man who has spent the past two weeks in hospital with severe head injuries is appealing for help to track down his attackers. Sean Grimes, who was found in a pool of blood in Union Street, Middlesbrough, was taken to James
EX-SERVICEMEN and women are snapping up tickets to attend the re-introduction of tea dances on Teesside. Volunteer workers with the charity Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association Forces (SSAFA) have organised a tea dance at the Redcar Bowl
POLICE are hunting a robber who stole a man's wallet after befriending him in a pub. A police spokesman said the suspect, caught on a closed-circuit television camera, struck up a conversation with another customer inside Monty's, in Front Street, Stanley
ITALIAN restaurant chain Joe Rigatoni's will unveil a new-look venue in the region next week. The 175-seat restaurant, in Church Street, Hartlepool, was the first Joe Rigatoni's restaurant, openning 11 years ago. It has undergone a £200,000 refurbishment
A NORTH-EAST school has banned sweets from the playground after 19 pupils were injured by a new kind of mint. The youngsters needed medical treatment after gooey green liquid from Polo Liquid Orbs was squirted in their eyes. The incidents at Southmoor
MORE than 700 young people from the North-East gathered for the biggest camp of its kind in the region at the weekend. Scouts from as far afield as Blyth, Northumberland, and Barnard Castle, County Durham, visited Moor House, Rainton Gate, near Durham
A NEW initiative is being unveiled today to encourage people to pull on their walking boots and step out. Hartlepool Borough Council's sports development team is launching a series of leaflets promoting walks around the town. The 12 leaflets are inside
COUNCILLORS who approved plans to develop four homes which objectors say will ruin a much-loved view have come under fire from a civic watchdog. The scheme to build houses under Knaresborough's much-photographed railway viaduct, on the banks of the River
'The VD man's coming today!" It was an exultation that went up from the children every June in the school were I used to teach in Lancashire. There was something called Careers and Relationships, and venereal disease went discouragingly under the "relationships
COUNCIL chiefs have welcomed a Government decision to pay out million of pounds towards the clear-up operation after flash floods hit the region in June. Local authorities in North Yorkshire had feared they would be forced to pick up the bill for damage
Sue Pitts led an active, healthy life and had no history of breast cancer - but it didn't stop the disease targeting her. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Durham City Council leader speaks to Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings. AS leader of
ONE of Bishop Auckland's oldest and most prominent stores reopened on Thursday after a refurbishment. Woolworths, in Newgate Street, has been in the town for several decades, but closed for a fortnight while the revamp was carried out. A ribbon-cutting
CELEBRITY jeweller Theo Fennell looked forward to improved profits yesterday after trading in the first half was boosted by big-spending Russians. The upmarket jeweller, whose clients include David and Victoria Beckham and Sir Elton John, said like-for-like
Thornaby manager Neal Granycome refused to blame his players after they were beaten 2-1 at Leek Town in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup on Saturday. Thornaby were on course for a shock victory when they led 1-0, but the UniBond Premier Division
Anybody who has worked in an office will have used them. From pushing at an open door to moving the goalposts, they are the jargon of business. But what do they really mean? Nick Morrison looks at a new book that celebrates the absurdity of a brand new
DARYL MURPHY was Sunderland's first summer recruit but was the last of those signings to be handed the chance to make an impression in the Premiership by manager Mick McCarthy. And, having finally been thrown into action against West Ham ten days ago,
UP to 30,000 people have died in the powerful earthquake that rocked Pakistan, India and Afghanistan at the weekend. The quake on Saturday wiped out entire villages, severed transportation links and cut power and water supplies. Many of the dead in the
WAR veterans from the North-East will revisit foreign shores where they saw action to honour fallen comrades, after receiving funding from the Lottery's Heroes Return Awards scheme. Awards announced today will enable Second World War veterans, widows,
ID CARDS: A COUPLE of weeks ago I promised to let you know how Hilary Armstrong responded to my urging her to oppose the introduction of identity cards. You won't be surprised, and nor was I, that as Chief Whip she is in favour of them. What I was surprised
Spring Pursuit, who caught the eye after a break at Ayr last month, is fancied to give a good account under ideal conditions in the Giles Insurance Brokers Handicap over a mile and seven furlongs at the same course this afternoon. After a break of over
As part of The Northern Echo's Lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region. Today Civic Hall, Medomsley Road, Consett, 2pm-7pm Community Association, Tyne Road, Stanley
POSTERS telling children what to do if they find a syringes left by drug-users are being sent to schools across the region. The action follows a survey which revealed a seven per cent increase in the number of used needles found on school grounds. Keep
MARK VIDUKA issued a quick-fire reminder of his striking prowess to Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren yesterday by capping a captain's performance for his country with a goal. After a stop-start opening to the campaign there is a growing belief that
APPARATUS from a drugs factory was put on display by police yesterday - as the equipment's owners were starting life behind bars. Brian Clarke - also known as Seaman - was sentenced to six years and his accomplice, Peter Smith, to four years for conspiracy
Debenhams, in the Wellington Square Shopping Centre, Stockton, has appointed TRACEY SAINSBURY as store manager. She joins from the Sunderland store, which she has managed since it opened five years ago. The 44-year-old has spent all of her working life
IT is a sobering thought that nearly all of us will be touched by cancer in some way. And there are times when it seems that the human race's battle against the disease will never be won. But in the past few days there have been signs of real hope. Last
SOME of football's biggest names beat a team of celebrities in an incident-packed game at St James' Park last night. They met in front of a sell-out 52,000 crowd for The Match programme, which was screened live on Sky One and hosted by Newcastle United
Her mother, step-father and brother have British passports. But because Candice Chesher has a South African natural father - who left her at ten months old - she faces deportation from her North Yorkshire home. Lindsay Jennings reports on her Home Office
SEVERAL pooches and one moggie answered the call to attend a pet blessing service yesterday. Methodist Minister, the Reverend Heather Taylor held the service at Sherburn Village Methodist Church, near Durham City. She chose yesterday because it was the
A HARD-hitting campaign will warn university and college students of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. The campaign, by British Gas, urges students to demand their landlord shows them a gas safety record - the certificate required by law showing
ENGLAND'S qualification for next summer's World Cup finals was confirmed on Saturday thanks to a performance that combined controlled and creative midfield play with disciplined defending and clinical attacking. The only problem for Sven Goran Eriksson
One of the most interesting aspects of modern public political campaigning is the advent of cross party campaigns. Longstanding political opponents who have become used to criticising one another suddenly find themselves on the same stage, speaking from
GRAEME SOUNESS faces an anxious week after learning injured Newcastle United midfielder Emre could be forced into a premature return to action for his country. Emre joined up with the Turkey squad yesterday ahead of the crucial qualifier with Albania
Almost two-thirds of women now diagnosed with breast cancer are likely to survive at least 20 years, experts predicted yesterday. Using statistics from the past 30 years, Cancer Research UK estimates that 64 per cent of women newly diagnosed with breast
Northern Foods, which has a factory in the region, today reported a pick-up in sales but warned trading remained tough with outbreaks of bird flu pushing up the cost of chicken. The firm, which makes Goodfella's pizzas and Fox's biscuits, said it had
A city that introduced Britain's first congestion charge is applying for funding to examine an extension to the scheme and drive traffic out of its jammed centre. A £2 charge was introduced three years ago for motorists entering a medieval street in Durham
BOSSES at a North-East hospital faced with a million pound compensation bill have decided not to appeal against the award. Last month, an employment tribunal ruled that South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust racially discriminated against Dr Feyi Awotona
Bishop Auckland's new boss Brian Healy admits he's been thrown in at the deep end, writes Ray Simpson. Healy, a former Bishops player who also turned out as a pro with Torquay and Darlington, will take charge of his first game tomorrow night with Bishops
Thieves ransacked a family home as a mother and father tended to their son who had been knocked down by a car. Seven-year-old Callum Wilson was hit while he was playing on his scooter near his home in Gateshead. In the commotion, his parents, Ian and
A 23-YEAR-OLD woman has paid only £1.74 for a luxury cruise after winning a competition in The Northern Echo. Emma Davidson, from Pry Rigg Farm, in Sproxton, near York, won the £2,000 holiday after making the lowest bid for it in a text competition. She
THE first black Archbishop of York has received racist hate mail, including letters daubed in swastikas and packages containing excrement. Ugandan-born Dr John Sentamu, the Church of England's second in command, told The Sunday Times: "I have been a victim
A COMPANY building "chopper" motorbikes has relocated to a North Yorkshire business park. North-East Custom Choppers manufactures custom- made bikes and motorcycle components. It has moved to the Gallowfields Trading Estate, in Richmond, from Northumberland
The ground is going to be very testing at Ayr this afternoon and Castanza, who showed much improved form when last seen in summer and is fancied to go close in the racinguk.tv Handicap over seven furlongs at the Scottish course. From the in-form Hughie
Two schoolboys seemed to have the world at their feet when they posed with their team a decade ago. Today, one is a houshold name, but for the other, life took a tragic turn. Neil Hunter reports. Lee Fitzgerald was a talented midfielder with the promise
The trouble with Cock-a-Doodle-Do was that he cock-a-doodle-didn't. Not every often, anyway. In a four year racing career on what might be termed the back tracks, the horse went unplaced and penniless over both flat and all weather courses, winning twice
FACILITIES for sport and the arts in East Durham are to get a major boost this week with the opening of a £716,000 development at Seaham. Durham County Councillor Alan Fenwick is to open the new multi-sports hall and arts room at Ropery Walk Primary School
