THE Princess Royal will visit the region this week to help a North-East factory celebrate its 40th anniversary. The princess will be the guest of honour at the celebrations at Cummins Engine Company, in Yarm Road, Darlington, on Wednesday. She will then
Peterlee chairman Trevor Davies admits the club is facing an uncertain future after they lost 4-1 at home to Alnwick. Peterlee, seventh in the First Division in 2003-04, are facing a second successive relegation after dropping into the bottom two with
Mark Pitman, who was on the mark at Newbury yesterday, has been resurgent in the last couple of months and looks likely to have a couple of winners at Folkestone this afternoon. His Deo Gratias, who ran arguably his best race over hurdles on his reappearance
FOURTEEN-year-olds should be the centre of educational attention to ensure the country has the necessary skills for the future, according to former Education Secretary Estelle Morris. Speaking to staff and students at Darlington College, the Arts Minister
Arcalis took his first classy step towards championship honours with a highly-impressive victory in the Pertemps 'Fighting Fifth' Hurdle at Newcastle. Heavy rain during the day turned the ground to soft, conditions which were generally regarded as unsuitable
SUNDERLAND Football Club chairman Bob Murray was hit in the face with a glass while he enjoyed a meal in a restaurant with manager Mick McCarthy. The assault happened at Vujon, an Indian restaurant on Newcastle's Quayside, at 11pm on Friday. Mr Murray's
THERE was a time when David Hodgson and Darlington were a match made in heaven. Rookie manager met rookie club ten years ago and it was from there that Hodgson's Darlington love affair began. As in any relationship, it was far from smooth. And, after
ALAN Murray last night admitted Newcastle were "leaving themselves with no toes" after their propensity for shooting themselves in the foot reappeared again at Goodison Park. The Magpies assistant manager conducted the post-mortem into his side's 1-0
The Queen's Sister (C4) THERE'S a saying that you should never let the facts get in the way of a good story. It's a sentiment that the makers of this TV movie about Princess Margaret took to heart. It was clear from the outset this film was going to have
RESIDENTS and businesses on Hartlepool's Headland are being urged to give their views on car parking and traffic at two consultation events this week. The survey is being carried out by the North Hartlepool Partnership to help it identify potential improvements
A GRANDFATHER was left lying in a pool of blood after two youths beat him senseless in a North-East social club. Police were last night appealing for witnesses to the attack, which left the 62-year-old with serious head injuries. Police say Harry Hall
BEING on a football pitch, surrounded by 32,000 people isn't the best place to be when you're having a bad day at the office. Ask Sunderland's Jon Stead. Still searching for his first goal for the Black Cats, the former Huddersfield and Blackburn striker
NORTH-EAST soldiers are being blamed for a rise in violent crime in a town close to the border between England and Wales. Chepstow, near Bristol, has earned a reputation for violence - and Inspector Jim Walker, of Chepstow police, is in no doubt that
TOURISM bosses in one of the region's historic cities are hoping a series of events will help struggling tourist attractions. Thousands of extra people are expected to visit York over the coming weeks for the St Nicholas Fayre, which was held this weekend
Willington were bitterly disappointed when a near 100-year membership of the Arngrove Northern League ended with relegation last May but after racking up three consecutive victories, they are in with a chance of an immediate return. Successive wins over
SMOKING BAN: IT IS strange that, in the debate over a total smoking ban, The Northern Echo seems to be unbalanced and biased in favour of the hysteria and fanaticism of the no-smoking brigade. I wrote a good letter pointing out how passive smoking is
TAKING tea and scones in the peaceful surroundings of the Dorchester hotel in London is not a place you expect to find Neil Marshall. His first two films have led you to expect the sound of screaming and buckets of blood and guts rather than the gentle
THE battle for this year's Christmas No 1 single is set to confuse the record-buying public, with Geordie-led rock band The Quireboys releasing the same record as the angelic Choirboys. Both are signed to Universal, both have made versions of Eric Clapton's
MARK Tinkler ended a near 12-month barron spell on Saturday, with his first goal since last December. The midfielder netted the only goal at Bradford, but it was his first since a 5-1 FA Cup win over Aldershot on December 4, 2004. His previous League
ALUN ARMSTRONG has revealed how he was prepared to rejoin Darlington during the summer, before reservations over his fitness cooled manager David Hodgson's interest in the striker, writes Lee Hall. Hodgson stalled on offering Armstrong a new contract
IT was, as Martin Scott jokingly indicated, a right kick in the unmentionables for his players. Twenty minutes after securing his fifth away win of the season, Scott was beaming as he told of how much it meant to his squad. "The players in the dressing
IT has become something of a tradition for Newcastle's players to throw punches when they visit Goodison Park. More pertinently, it has also become customary for them to throw away points. Last season, Graeme Souness was handed an FA fine after Shola
TWO parents have been given suspended jail sentences for failing to ensure their children regularly attended school. Amanda Kelly and Paul Evans, both from Darlington, were warned that if their children's attendance did not improve within a year, they
An English football fan stabbed to death in Amsterdam after travelling to watch Middlesbrough play a Uefa Cup match was named today by police. Brendan O'Connor, a 36-year-old married man who lived in the Teesside area before moving to Camden Town in north
The collapse of the recent rape trial in South Wales over the issue of whether an unconscious female could remember giving consent to sexual intercourse followed the ICM poll on rape published earlier in the week. According to the poll, most people in
NORTH-EAST soldiers are being blamed for an alarming rise in violent crime in a town on the border between England and Wales. Chepstow, which is near Bristol, has earned a reputation for violence - and Inspector Jim Walker of Chepstow police is in no
A CHORUS of Blaydon Races and the demands of their 150 fans kept Blaydon on the pitch long after they had given division one club Nottingham an almighty fright in the sixth round of the Powergen National Trophy. Despite facing the wind, Blaydon led 12
DARLINGTON Railway Centre and Museum will be visited by Father Christmas on December 17 and 18. Across the weekend, the museum will also be hosting a range of traditional Victorian festive games. Admission costs £3.50 for adults and concessions and £5
FIVE young men are taking the next step in their Army careers by passing out of their training academy. The men graduated from the Infantry Training Centre, at Catterick Garrison, after completing their basic training. Brothers Barry Briggs and Albert
SHALLIE is standing quietly while osteopath Zoe Boyle works her magic. She is manipulating his shoulder, rubbing over the area in circles while Shallie drops his head acquiescently and his eyelids lower a fraction. Next, Zoe runs her hand over his back
THURSDAY late night shopping in Darlington is to get a boost from the Town on the Move bus. The L8 Night Shopping campaign, which starts on December 1, will be promoting bus travel to the town centre by offering a prize draw for all bus passengers and
TRADING Standards officers in Darlington are re-issuing warnings to residents to be on their guard against any post they may receive from a company called Glide Delivery. Darlington Borough Council's consumer advice team has had complaints from residents
PARENTS in Darlington have been learning how to encourage and improve their children's numeracy skills. Groups of parents at Bishopton and Redmarshall School took part in the Family Numeracy course. The course is one of many available to parents through
ASTHMA services in Darlington are to get a boost to help the thousands of people who suffer from the condition. Asthma affects more than 6,000 adults and countless children in the town and is on the increase, prompting the town's health services to launch
A TRIAL clinic set up on Newcastle's Quayside to care for minor and alcohol-related injuries treated 20 patients on Friday and Saturday nights. The temporary medical centre is designed to free up Newcastle General Hospital's accident and emergency department
A HOSPICE will benefit from a performance when a pantomime comes to town. Chaplins Theatre Company will present Cinderella in a one-off performance at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre on Sunday, December 18. The event has been organised by Somerfield supermarket
A LICENSING battle over a takeaway has gone to appeal after claims that a councillor fell asleep during the hearing. Thariq Mohammed was seeking a 5am licence for his premises to sell food under the new late licensing laws. Mr Mohammed said one member
TV agony aunt Denise Robertson will honour 59 volunteers who have given their time to make a difference in their communities. Mrs Robertson, from Sunderland, who appears on ITV's This Morning programme, will present Year of the Volunteer medals, along
VILLAGERS are being urged to help prevent their new park from being vandalised by youngsters. Craghead Community Park, which includes a multi-purpose pitch, was recently completed with funding from the £30m Barclays Spaces for Sports programme. Craghead
A LONG-AWAITED community hall on the outskirts of Durham has opened its doors to the public after a five-year fundraising campaign to get it built. Belmont has not had a venue for community activities for more than 14 years, but the area now has a £677,000
A DURHAM women's organisation is raising money to prevent malaria in pregnant women and children in Africa. Soroptimist International of Durham is supporting Soroptimist Roll-Back Malaria, a joint project with the World Health Organisation, to fund insecticide-treated
NORTH Yorkshire residents are to be given a chance to learn more about local issues this week. On Wednesday, a parish forum is being held for residents of western Richmondshire in West Burton Village Hall, at 7pm. Richmondshire District Council will outline
MARKET towns in part of North Yorkshire could start charging for parking as a local authority tries to find ways to raise extra cash. Hambleton District Council has revealed it needs to save £600,000 over the next six years to make ends meet. However,
PEOPLE in North Yorkshire have been warned to be on their guard against bogus charity collectors. A series of complaints have been received about leaflets being pushed through doors in York from a charity purporting to be collecting clothes for eastern
At around 4.15pm on the first day of the season all was well with Darlington Football Club. Hopes were high, new signings had bolstered the squad and Clyde Wijnhard had just given Darlington the lead at Rushden and Diamonds with a second half penalty.
RESIDENTS and businesses on Hartlepool's Headland are being urged to give their views on car parking and traffic at two consultation events this week. The survey is being carried out by the North Hartlepool Partnership to help it identify potential improvements
MORE than 40 people turned up to help load a truck with aid destined for Romania. With only two days to go, Convoy Aid's Rod Jones was beginning to think he and his wife would be the only ones lifting the 42 tons of humanitarian aid local people had collected
YOUNG people living in more than 20 parishes on the North York Moors are being urged to take advantage of an educational trust which provides funds for books and tools. The John Stockton Education Foundation covers parishes from Thornton-le-Dale west
A PUB'S regulars have gone the full Monty in aid of charity. Customers at the Grey Horse pub, in Consett, County Durham, have become the latest in a line of groups to bare all for a good cause. The Grey Horse Studs calendar will raise money for the Orchid
VISITORS to Helmsley Castle can learn about the origins of Christmas traditions this weekend. Costumed characters from historic re-enactment duo, Heuristics, will be at the castle on Saturday and Sunday to explain the stories that lie behind Christmas
THE North-East has been chosen to host a multi-million pound initiative to improve design. The Design Council has chosen the region to be the first in the country to stage Designs of the Time in two years' time. The scheme, which will be launched tonight
COMEDY legend Eric Sykes helped to pull in the crowds to the launch of a new North-East bookshop. People from across the region flocked to the Waterstone's store, in High Row, Darlington, as Sykes cut the ribbon to open the shop. He later chatted happily
DAVID Hodgson has slammed suggestions he should leave Darlington and made it clear he is not about to walk out, despite being under pressure during an indifferent campaign. Saturday's draw at home to struggling Rushden and Diamonds means Quakers have
When dogs and horses put their backs out or an old shoulder injury crops up, who treats them? Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings meets an animal osteopath. SHALLIE is standing quietly while osteopath Zoe Boyle works her magic. She is manipulating his shoulder
A SERIOUSLY ill teenager has been given the ride of a lifetime in the back of a police armed response unit. Kieran Owen was diagnosed with a brain tumour a year ago after he started feeling ill, but his family is determined that he gets the most out of
TAXI drivers last night hit out after they were branded irresponsible for organising a strike at short-notice. Cabbies across Darlington staged a one-day strike on Friday, November 18, as part of a long-running feud with the borough council over changes
Former Northern Echo football writer Ray Robertson recalls the time he was handed a tricky task - tracking down the genius that was George Best. It was ahead of Jim Platt's testimonial game at Ayresome Park in 1981. Jim, a fellow Northern Ireland international
WHILE progress in Europe continues to be made, there is one growing frustration domestically that is restricting Middlesbrough from enjoying another record-breaking campaign - failure to cement themselves in the top half of the table. Even though this
FACED with the prospect of popping a sun-dried worm into my mouth left me feeling less than enthusiastic about the task that lay ahead after watching ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Thankfully the three bowls of grubs that I was faced with
CHAMPIONS for the environment have been honoured at a ceremony. Prizes were handed out in ten categories at the annual Pride in Your Neighbourhood Awards in Hartlepool. They recognise the work of individuals and groups across the town to protect and enhance
OFFICIALS are recommending research to help reduce the number of drug addicts dropping out of treatment schemes. Almost 10,000 people in the region are receiving treatment for substance misuse, according to the latest figures being analysed by the North-East
An heroic teenager whose mother committed suicide last year has been praised by police after he jumped into an icy river to save a woman from drowning. Sean Hammersley said the tragic death of his mother led him to strip off and dive into the River Tees
POLICE were last night still trying to establish the circumstances behind a suspected double suicide at a North-East beauty spot. Two men fell to their deaths from a clifftop near South Shields, South Tyneside, within minutes of each other. Witnesses
A DUTCHMAN was still being questioned last night about the murder of a North-East man stabbed to death outside a bar in Amsterdam. Detectives investigating the incident, which left one Teesside man dead and another seriously injured, arrested the man
Police appeal in club attack: A MAN had his jaw broken in three places in an assault at a Teesside nightspot. The 35-year-old was dancing on the floor of The Deck, in Bath Street, Redcar, at about 1am on November 19, when he was attacked from behind.
FIRST TransPennine Express has unveiled a train soon to enter service in the North. The first of a fleet of 51 trains being built by Siemens for the rail firm was unveiled in Germany. The 100mph Class 185 Pennine diesel train was shown off by Moir Lockhead
A POPULAR non-league footballer is waiting to see if he can resume his career after he suffered a suspected heart attack. Whitby Town player Graham Robinson is recovering at his home in Guisborough, east Cleveland, after it emerged he developed a blood
The loss of 85 jobs at an engineering firm is the latest in a series of knocks a former North-East mining village has suffered over the years. David Roberts spoke to residents who have views about how this latest setback will affect the village. What's
DOWNBEAT Steve McClaren last night warned his Middlesbrough players to cut out defensive errors or risk ending the campaign wondering what might have been. Boro drew 2-2 with West Brom at the Riverside Stadium and have still only kept two clean sheets
A former scoutmaster who kept photographs and videos showing the sexual torture of children was caught when police found a home-movie made for him by a North-East paedophile. David Daines, 44, was caught with a camcorder tape of a nine-year-old boy who
A British aid worker is among four Westerners who have been kidnapped in Iraq. Norman Kember, of Pinner, north-west London, is a former secretary of the area's Baptist Peace Fellowship, who is believed to be in his 70s. He and two Canadians were taken
The world of rallying is in mourning after the untimely death of England's only world champion - Richard Burns. The former Subaru and Peugeot works driver died last Friday after a long battle with a brain tumour. The 34-year-old won the 2001 FIA World
FORGOTTEN man Dave Walder swept dramatically to Newcastle's rescue with the last kick of the match to secure four invaluable points at Kingston Park yesterday. Not even in the squad for some recent games, Walder was sent on as a half-time replacement
A member of the General Medical Council today appeared before one of the council's own disciplinary panels over job references he gave for a disgraced surgeon. Professor James Drife, from the University of Leeds Medical School, is accused of painting
THREE schoolgirls have won through to the finals of the World Irish Dancing Championships. Charlotte Westray, 13, of Woodstone Village, Fence Houses, County Durham, and Collette, 15, and Simone, 16, Hesketh, of Carrville, Durham, will dance in their respective
TODAY we wish Sunderland AFC chairman Bob Murray a quick recovery from his injuries sustained in a disgraceful incident in a Newcastle restaurant. As chairman of a football club languishing at the bottom of the Premiership table, Mr Murray can expect
A TEAM of climbers went to great heights to raise hundreds of pounds for good causes. A team of three brothers and two former school friends completed the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge by climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales
A FORMER pit heap is being transformed into a picturesque woodland providing a haven for residents. More than 100 people who live in and around Willington joined representatives from Durham County Council, the Woodlands Trust and the Territorial Army
What's closing now? asks one customer in the Lateshopper store in Evenwood, County Durham, as he pays for his copy of The Northern Echo. The newspaper has just announced the loss of 85 jobs at engineering firm Eliza Tinsley from its base in the small
FEARS of drink-fuelled disorder after the introduction of late-licensing laws appeared unfounded yesterday as police across the region reported a quieter shift than usual. On the first weekend after pubs and clubs in the North-East and North Yorkshire
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: Monday The Red Lion, 10 Front Street, Chester-le-Street, 2.30pm-7pm Workingmen's Club, Haughton
A VILLAGE'S new community park has been named after a police officer who was stabbed to death answering a routine call. Sergeant Bill Forth was murdered in Sunniside, near Whickham, Gateshead, in 1993, after he was hit with sticks and repeatedly stabbed
Deborah Johnson spent Saturday night on the town in Darlington and found the response from drinkers to the new late-licencing laws was not as enthusiastic as most people expected. WALKING through the town centre at 2am on a Sunday can be a scene of mayhem
MOWDEN Park eased to their third successive win on Saturday, but it will be a totally different proposition away to second-placed Nuneaton this week. They will be without five players, including the Northumbria University contingent, who are going to
AFTER more than 40 years of helping keen readers and telling people to keep quiet, Jennifer Moutrey will soon be stamping her last book. The senior library assistant for Darlington Borough Council is retiring next month after working across five decades
A STRETCH of road that is barely 250 metres long has got the residents of Ingleby Barwick up in arms. The village is split into two definitive groups, those who want the disputed section of Lowfields Avenue re-opened and those who are desperate to keep
POLICE have closed down a pub and plan to ask magistrates to extend the closure. Northumbria Police raided the British Lion, in Carlisle Street, Felling, Gateshead, and seized what they believe to be cocaine. They ordered the pub to shut for 24 hours
FIVE young men are taking the next step in their Army careers by passing out of their training academy. The men graduated from the Infantry Training Centre, at Catterick Garrison, after completing their basic training. Brothers Barry Briggs and Albert
THE organisers of the third annual Grand Durham Duck Race hope the event will have raised as much for charity as last year. The race, which involved 20,000 plastic ducks being pitched into the River Wear and racing a short distance, was held earlier in
A CHURCH has set up a memorial to parishioners who died fighting in the Second World War to mark the 60th anniversary of the conflict's end. A brass plaque containing the names of 11 men from the parish of St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic Church, in Chester-le-Street
DURHAM'S MP has praised a university student's organisation for its efforts to promote sexual health. Labour MP Roberta Blackman-Woods received a petition from Durham Students' Union (DSU) calling on the Government to improve access to treatment advice
TELEVISION agony aunt Denise Robertson will honour 59 volunteers who have given their time to make a difference in their communities. Mrs Robertson, from Sunderland, who appears on ITV's This Morning, will present Year of the Volunteer medals, along with
YOUNGSTERS in a former pit village have been busy mapping up out the future of their community. Durham City Council and the West Rainton and Leamside Community Partnership are asking people at West Rainton what improvements and facilities they would like
WORK has started on a £1m project to deliver services for children. The first turf has been cut for two multi-purpose centres for SureStart Shildon and Newton Aycliffe West. Representatives from SureStart were joined by Sedgefield Primary Care Trust (
Blyth are another £3,000 richer after they battled through to the first round proper of the FA Trophy after a 1-0 win at Marine. Blyth had the better chances and scored the only goal on the hour when Gareth Williams netted from a Scott Bell corner. Whitby
A POPULAR non-league footballer is waiting to see if he can resume his career after he suffered a suspected heart attack. Whitby Town player Graham Robinson is recovering at his home in Guisborough, east Cleveland, after it emerged he developed a blood
AN independent butcher hopes to win the retail war against its superstore neighbours thanks to its award-winning home-made produce. Allison's of Ferryhill, between Safeway and Co-op supermarkets in Market Street, Ferryhill, has landed a haul of awards
PENSIONERS looking for love are bringing their tactics up to date - at speed-dating sessions. The sessions came about after the Duchess of Northumberland asked local senior citizens how they would like to celebrate the creation of a new garden pavillion
FOUR youngsters will help to light up Hartlepool this Christmas after designing their own festive illuminations. Lucy Briscoe, ten, a pupil at Stranton Primary School, Simone Harker, ten, Jade Lenehan, ten and Callum Bourke, eight, who all attend Lynnfield
MICK McCarthy issued a damning verdict on the rock-bottom team he has moulded by declaring half of them wouldn't get in any other Premiership side. After watching his Black Cats cut adrift at the bottom of the league following a 1-0 loss to fellow strugglers
REDCAR and Cleveland Borough Council has issued an urgent plea to the Government to allocate funds to help maintain the air ambulance service. The council believes that, instead of the service having to rely on charitable donations, it should receive
POLICE are hunting a gang of youths who viciously attacked two men outside a row of shops on Teesside. One victim suffered significant head and neck injuries when he was struck with a bottle during the assault outside the Redhill road shops, Stockton,
A WOMAN has been left shaken and extremely distressed after a thief grabbed her bags as she walked home on Teesside. The 55-year-old victim had been to the Co-op, in Normanby Road, Normanby, when she was approached from behind by a youth on a bicycle.
PUPILS at a County Durham school are getting hooked on a new hobby which is help- ing to preserve traditional skills. Students at Barnard Castle School are meeting once a week to tackle the art of fly-tying with keen angler and biology teacher Mark Fuller
TWO attractions have benefited from the hard work of local volunteers. Richmondshire District Council held a ceremony to say thank-you to the 38 volunteers who help at tourist information centres and give guided walks of Richmond. Eleven volunteers give
IT has become something of a tradition for Newcastle's players to throw punches when they visit Goodison Park. More pertinently, it has also become customary for them to throw away points. Last season, Graeme Souness was handed an FA fine after Shola
THE village of Sinnington, near Pickering, has been named the most idyllic place to live in Yorkshire. According to a survey carried out by Cambridge University, the village has emerged as having the lowest level of adults suffering from mood and anxiety
Detectives were last night continuing to hunt for two men suspected of murdering Pc Sharon Beshenivsky as a third remained in custody. Mustaf Jama, 25, and Muzzaker Imtiaz Shah, 24, were still on the run, nine days after Pc Beshenivsky was shot dead and
