THE successful regeneration of a former holiday hotspot has received an international environmental award. The 18-month programme at Crimdon Park and Dene, on the Durham Heritage Coast, has received a national silver recognition in the Green Apple Environment
A NORTH-EAST man accused of murdering a young mother 14 years ago will be the first person in Britain to have his case referred to the Court of Appeal under double jeopardy laws, it was revealed last night. Billy Dunlop, 42, faced two trials for the murder
ESKIMO PIE (1.35) possesses the perfect profile to make a winning debut over fences in the Beginners Chase at Newcastle. Having won two novices' hurdles last season the progressive six-year-old is now qualified to go handicapping over the same obstacles
THE husband of a mother-of-three, whose killing led to one of the region's longest-running investigations, was charged with her murder last night. Retired businessman Peter Heron, 70, is accused of the murder of his wife, Ann, whose throat was cut at
JONNY Wilkinson yesterday called on Newcastle Falcons to give a capacity crowd something to shout about in tonight's Sky-televised match at home to London Irish. Only 300 of the 10,200 tickets remained yesterday for the Guinness Premiership clash and
WHILE recapturing the form which established him as one of Europe's most cultured midfielders, Gaizka Mendieta has provided further evidence that Spanish footballers can cut the mustard in the Premiership. Mendieta returned to the Middlesbrough first
CLUB captain Micky Barron is ready to return to the Hartlepool United fold, with a glowing reference from boss Martin Scott. Barron, with 326 Pool appearances to his name, has not kicked a ball in the first team since the play-off final defeat back in
THE SUFFERING: TIES THAT BIND Formats: Ps2, PC, Xbox. Publisher: Midway. Price: £39.99. Family friendly? No. 16+ HORROR is insanely popular with the games community at the moment and, when done right, it can provide the kind of visceral thrill that's
THE SUFFERING: TIES THAT BIND Formats: Ps2, PC, Xbox. Publisher: Midway. Price: £39.99. Family friendly? No. 16+ HORROR is insanely popular with the games community at the moment and, when done right, it can provide the kind of visceral thrill that's
JONNY Wilkinson yesterday called on Newcastle Falcons to give a capacity crowd something to shout about in tonight's Sky-televised match at home to London Irish. Only 300 of the 10,200 tickets remained yesterday for the Guinness Premiership clash and
THE frail old men featured on page three of The Northern Echo today are the last of a truly special breed: the only remaining survivors of the Great War. Less than a dozen remain of the men who served their country in unimaginable, merciless conditions
A health union has claimed that newly-qualified nurses in the region are having to do bar and shop work because hospitals cannot afford to employ them. Durham is one of five areas of England where new nurses are struggling to find work with local hospitals
DETECTIVES investigating four robberies believe they may be linked. A man has twice used a hammer to threaten staff and an unidentified weapon was used at another raid. Cash was taken from the till during three of the robberies. They happened at shops
Marcus Trescothick can finally concentrate his mind on captaining England in the first Test against Pakistan in place of the injured Michael Vaughan. Trescothick received confirmation yesterday what he surely must have been suspecting from the moment
PUB group Punch Taverns posted a 28 per cent rise in profits yesterday and pledged to spend millions in the region on acquisitions and refurbishments. Punch, which acquired Hartlepool-based Pubmaster for £1.2bn in 2003, said it was always looking to buy
WE have the skills of the world in here!" says Jenny Medhurst, in the middle of a temporary shop in Middlesbrough. In the quick guided tour, we see sterling silver jewellery from Indonesia, Alpaca bed socks from Peru, handmade paper from Malawi and Nepal
A TROPHY for outstanding achievement will be received by two pupils from a village school next Wednesday. Philip Ward and Thomas Wigham, both 16, of Hurworth School Maths and Computing College, near Darlington, have gained the highest GCSE exam qualifications
A CHARITY has launched a raffle to keep it going after funding was withdrawn. Until two years ago, the County Durham Society For The Blind and Partially Sighted received an annual grant from the Royal National Institute For the Blind. The charity, based
DARLINGTON has been shortlisted for a top award for road safety. Beacon status is the highest accolade the Government can give to a local authority. To be shortlisted for beacon status, Darlington Borough Council must have demonstrated it is committed
THE Crown Prosecution Service in North Yorkshire successfully prosecuted 84 per cent of racially motivated crimes over the past year. A total of 37 defendants were accused of racially motivated or aggravated crimes, an increase on last year's total of
AN inn in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales has been officially reopened after a £500,000 facelift. The owners of the White Swan in Middleham, Paul and Helen Klein, bought the old post office next door to create a 60-seat brasserie and five new bedrooms
A BISHOP Auckland charity shop is facing a second crisis this year because of a lack of local donations. Gifts of items for sale have tailed off since the Barnado's store opened in Newgate Street last year, and it can only stay open because goods are
A NEW recruitment company is using its launch event to raise money for charity. Bubble People, of Stokesley, will hold a balloon race at the party, on December 1. The balloons will be released from the company's head office, Equity House. The winner,
THE 59th Stockton Music and Drama Festival takes place over the next three weeks. It is being held at Teesside Prep and High School, Eaglescliffe, with sessions beginning at 9.30am and 1.30pm. This Saturday, the choral competitions will be judged with
A BUSINESS development in Darlington due to be unveiled today will create up to 200 jobs and could help lure investors to the region. Gateshead-based Easter Group has bought ten acres of land at the Faverdale East Business Park to build 190,000 sq ft
A YOUTH scheme that was facing closure because of a funding crisis is now on the road to recovery. Ryedale Child and Youth Projects has been saved by help from Ryedale District Council and a £25,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund. The scheme runs youth
WITH the highest number of people on incapacity benefit in the country, east Durham has been targeted for a £1.6m back-to-work scheme. More than 11,000 people draw the benefit in the Easington district and the launch this week of the Aim High Routeback
STUDENTS are finding that giving blood is a real treat Undergraduates at the University of Teesside are being rewarded with vouchers for free 500ml tubs of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, following donor sessions at the Middlesbrough campus this week. The
A CHARITY that provides home comforts to people in need has been re-launched after an expansion of the service. The Action Care Team for Spennymoor (Acts) celebrated achieving charitable status and a cash windfall. A £90,000 grant from the Big Lottery
COUNCILLORS have backed a plan they hope will encourage more youngsters in County Durham to study foreign languages. Durham County Council is concerned that the number of pupils learning languages such as French, German and Spanish to GCSE level has fallen
YOUNG Durham musicians are being invited to join in jazz and world music jam sessions that start this weekend. Being held at Alington House, North Bailey, Durham, they are being organised by Durham City Arts' Free Range Music project for brass and wind
THE husband of mother-of-three Ann Heron, whose throat was cut as she sunbathed at their home near Darlington 15 years ago, appeared in court charged with her murder this morning. Retired businessman Peter Heron, 70, was arrested on Wednesday at his home
A BID to lure the musical pomp of the Last Night of the Proms to the Tees Valley is launched today. The BBC team that organises the event is visiting the region today on a reconnaissance mission to select a possible venue for a regional satellite concert
MURDER victim Ken Todd was finally laid to rest today - just two days after the funeral of his beloved mother. Almost a month after the 62-year-old was killed on an island in the Caribbean, family and friends said their final farewells at a private service
THE economic future of the Tees Valley could be jeopardised by road chiefs, it was claimed yesterday. The North-East Chamber of Commerce estimates that the Highways Agency could halt £700m of development and 9,000 jobs from coming to the Tees Valley because
PEOPLE living in isolated villages and deprived communities will suffer if cuts to a county's bus network are implemented, a councillor warned last night. Durham County Council's cabinet has approved a package that will axe ten subsidised services and
More than 2,000 mourners gathered in York yesterday to say farewell to much-loved television presenter Richard Whiteley. Mark Foster reports THEY came to say a final farewell to Richard Whiteley yesterday - and love, laughter and affection were the order
THE economic future of the Tees Valley could be jeopardised by road chiefs who have the power to stop urban regeneration, it was claimed yesterday. The North-East Chamber of Commerce has estimated that the Highways Agency could potentially halt £700m
A MAN jumped from a railway viaduct while grieving for his mother, an inquest heard. Ewan Felton suffered multiple injuries after the 100ft fall from the bridge near Durham Railway Station. He landed on a patch of grass in North Road at about 11.30am
PARTY'S OVER: It says something when a fan of Darlington FC for almost 30 years and one who's not missed a home game for almost ten years makes the decision to choose a children's party over his beloved Darlo. That's exactly what I have done, though.
ONE of the first groups in England to help young children with Downs Syndrome prepare for education has been set up in the North-East. The Darlington Downs Syndrome Educational Trust is one of only three organisations of its kind, the other two in Bristol
MOVES to force fuel companies to explore renewable energy sources were announced by the Government yesterday, boosting an emerging industry in the region. Suppliers of vehicle fuel will have to ensure five per cent of sales come from renewable sources
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to create a city academy in Darlington has taken a new twist. Hurworth School's governing body said its advisory group had decided the scheme was not in the school's best interests. Governors had originally supported the closure of
Darlington's exhaustive search for a striker finally came to a conclusion last night when Tresor Kandol agreed to sign on loan from Dagenham and Redbridge. After scoring against Hartlepool United in the FA Cup last weekend, Kandol will go straight into
A POLICE chief appealed to motorists to slow down after the 26th smash on Teesside's roads in 48 hours. Inspector Eric Robinson, head of the Cleveland Police traffic unit, said common sense seemed to have gone out of the window. He said: "These types
A pensioner has been arrested over an alleged hit-and-run accident. Police were looking for a driver after an incident on Tuesday in which a car allegedly struck a 70-year-old woman, shattering her hip and knee and causing head injuries. The incident
A TEAM of ghost hunters got more than they bargained for when they downloaded the photographs of their latest investigation. A spooky figure was reflected in a mirror - and no one could recognise who it was. The team from York paranormal investigation
BUSINESS software group Sage has agreed to pay £78.4m for French rival Adonix. Sage, which employs 1,200 staff at its Newcastle headquarters, is expected to complete its buyout of the business management software firm within a week. Adonix, which has
THE husband of a mother-of-three, whose killing led to one of the region's longest-running investigations, was charged with her murder last night. Retired businessman Peter Heron, 70, is accused of the murder of his wife, Ann, whose throat was cut at
Human stem cells could one day provide us with a 'repair kit' for our bodies. Health Editor Barry Nelson met North-East scientists who are working in this fascinating area of research A team of North-East scientists are optimistic that their research
DETECTIVES are examining closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) tapes in the hope they will reveal the killer of shop assistant Jenny Nicholl. A team of officers is reviewing hundreds of hours of footage from cameras in Carlisle, in Cumbria, and Jedburgh
For millions of soldiers killed in the First World War, the battlefield was their only resting place, their graves forever unmarked. Now, historian Neil Hanson has traced the lives and deaths of three of these soldiers. AS soon as it was light, crowds
AS Justin Hoyte prepares to help England Under-21s take a huge step towards the European Championships tonight, the enterprising full-back has revealed a determination to return to Arsenal when his loan spell with Sunderland ends. Hoyte has been one of
TWO radically contrasting films touching important life issues are to be premiered by their young makers next week. The movies, made by two groups attending a Barnardo's advice centre, will be shown to an invited audience, including Hartlepool Mayor Stuart
A MAN chased a 13-year-old girl down a street and slapped her across the face, after accusing her of staring onto his window. Last night, Bishop Auckland Police issued an e-fit of the man who is believed to be about 39-years-old, of medium to heavy build
PUPILS at a Darlington school are being encouraged to ride to school to mark the opening of their new bike shed. The shed at Hummersknott School and Language College will be officially opened on Monday. The school was one of six in the borough to get
A CAMPAIGN group trying to save a landmark hotel from demolition has begun the process of what is believed to be Darlington's first ever parish referendum. The Save the White Horse Group is hoping parishioners in Whessoe will vote against the demolition
A BURGLAR who was caught hanging out of the bathroom window at a house he had broken into was yesterday locked up for more than four years. Andrew Hall, 28, escaped from the property in Middlesbrough, but left behind fingerprints and was picked out in
PEOPLE aged 50 and over are being offered advice on benefits and other issues, in Bishop Auckland this afternoon. Age Concern County Durham is hosting a tea party in the Four Clocks centre, Newgate Street, from 1pm to 3pm with experienced workers on hand
STUDENTS took part in a new scheme to brighten up their area yesterday. More than 100 children from North Road Primary School and St Mark's playgroup planted more than 4,000 bulbs, daffodils, crocuses and snowdrops in Darlington's North Park. Among the
WITH the highest number of people on incapacity benefit in the country, east Durham has been targeted for a £1.6m back-to-work scheme. More than 11,000 people draw the benefit in the Easington district and the launch this week of the Aim High Routeback
MORE than 50 budding sports stars fought it out in a new football festival. Five teams from Catterick and Scotland joined three local sides at Bedale in the first of what is hoped will become an annual event at Bedale's floodlit pitch. Organisers Pip
SCHOOL pupils got building work underway on a £600,000 children's centre supporting families in Weardale. When it opens next summer, the building, at Stanhope's Barrington School, will be one of the first of 30 centres being developed by Government initiative
Sensitive Skin (BBC2) Doc Martin (ITV1) IT was the moment when Freddie "Parrotface" Davies appeared in a white naval uniform and declared that he was Frustration that I gave up on Sensitive Skin. I knew he was supposed to represent that feeling because
THE successful regeneration of a former holiday hotspot has received an international environmental award. The 18-month programme at Crimdon Park and Dene, on the Durham Heritage Coast, has received a national silver recognition in the Green Apple Environment
A Japanese akita dog bit a pensioner as she tried to stop it attacking her terrier, a court heard. The 79-year-old woman was walking her Yorkshire terrier, Benji, on on a public walkway, known as The Black Path, in Leadgate, near Consett, County Durham
A MEDICAL expert has claimed a doctor accused of killing three patients should have told one of the men that the morphine injection could kill him. Dr John Grenville told a jury that that he would have warned 59-year-old Frank Moss and his family that
KEEPING unprofitable bus services on the road in County Durham will drive the transport budget £700,000 into the red unless action is taken, officials have warned. For years, Durham County Council has heavily subsidised scores of rural routes and late
DURHAM will begin life in division one of the County Championship next season by making their first visit to Canterbury since 1998. Following Surrey's relegation, Kent are the only team who have been in the top-flight since the advent of two divisions
AN 18th century mill which featured in a major television series will soon be open for business following a £1m restoration project. Gayle Mill, near Hawes, North Yorkshire won through to the final three in BBC 2's Restoration series last year. It was
WHETHER they are all backs, as a journalist originally described them, or All Blacks, as the misprint appeared, the New Zealand rugby team look as invincible now as they did on their first trip to these shores 100 years ago. Some say the misprint occurred
