Archive

  • Pair who profited from the 'fag house'

    A MOTHER and daughter who ran a lucrative cigarettes and fireworks trade from their home were arrested after a neighbour died in a house fire started when a rocket was pushed through his letterbox. Nora Mitchel, 58, and her 28-year-old daughter, Linda

  • Dog-minding service to open

    A DOG creche service for owners who work during the day is due to be opened in Newton Aycliffe. It will be run by two former workers at the dog rescue centre in Sadberge, and will also have an open day to launch the service. Gill Crawford and Andrea Rogers

  • Addict stole to feed heroin habit

    A DRUG addict broke into schools to steal computer equipment to sell to fund his heroin habit, a court heard. Daniel James Plaice, 27, made between £250 and £1,000 from the sale of the stolen computers, helping him to meet his £150-a-day heroin addiction

  • Hospital staff raise money

    STAFF at a Darlington hospital have raised £2,000 for a mental health charity. Staff at Middleton St George Hospital raised the money for the local branch of MIND. Staff have been organising charity raffles, holding dress down days, as well as making

  • Academy backers want way forward

    SUPPORTERS of a controversial academy have said they hope to work with governors from one of the threatened schools to find a common way forward. The group, which is backing plans for the academy in Darlington, held its first meeting this week and has

  • Star-gazers prepare for night out of this world

    STAR-GAZERS have been invited to voyage 800 million miles to take a close-up peek at Saturn. The magnificent ringed planet is one of the stars of the show as the Forestry Commission stages its first nightwatch events of the year. They take place in Chopwell

  • Roeder's video nasty is an eye-opener for defence

    AS if a first Premiership clean sheet in almost three months wasn't a novel enough occurrence last weekend, Newcastle's much-maligned defenders have spent the last five days experiencing something even more unusual - specialist coaching. Among the myriad

  • Hear All Sides

    BUS STATIOn: WHY is the once Darlington Bus Station not a bus station any more? I worked for this company when this bus station was built, and before that for the old lead yard, so I know a bit about local and long-distance services. And at 88 I can still

  • 'Ministers snubbing county' over police merger concerns

    COUNCILLORS say Government ministers have snubbed an invitation to visit the county to discuss police merger plans. Two letters were sent to Home Office Minister Hazel Blears inviting her to attend a meeting with all councils in North Yorkshire. The letters

  • Asylum-seekers are jailed for attacking fellow Iraqi Kurd

    TWO asylum-seekers have been jailed for stabbing a fellow Iraqi Kurd who owed them money. Hassan Ali, 24, was jailed for 18 months and Mevan Salim, 20, was given 18 months' detention in a young offenders' institution for the attack in Middlesbrough. The

  • Reopening rail line would cost £48m, firm says

    REOPENING an 11-mile rail link between Harrogate and Ripon would cost £48.2m, consultants have estimated. The cost for an almost identical route to replace one shut nearly 40 years ago was given to a meeting in Harrogate. The consultants' report revealed

  • Motorists and walkers targeted in campaign

    MOTORISTS and pedestrians are being targeted by a new initiative to make roads safer. A leaflet offering a range of useful information and advice on how to prevent and avoid accidents has been produced by Hartlepool Borough Council. Copies of the free

  • Meetings held to improve way of life

    A NEW effort has been launched to improve life for people in North Yorkshire. Agencies from across the county, including councils, are attempting to develop a "local area agreement". The agreements are three-year deals between the Government and councils

  • Councils divided over homes plan

    A PARISH council is backing a development that includes low-cost housing, but planners are recommending refusal. Land behind the Lamb Inn, at Rainton, is set aside for 13 homes, to include eight affordable properties. Rainton with Newby Parish Council

  • Boateng can show his worth as Boro take on champions elect

    ONE REPORT this week claimed George Boateng had agreed a new four-year deal with Middlesbrough worth a reputed £10.5m. Wide of the mark, but a sign of the Dutchman's importance that his worth was talked about in such figures. Boateng returns to the Boro

  • Steve's showing a lotta bottle

    PREPARATIONS are under way for the new season at a visitor attraction. Steve Jaques, from Wolds Way lavender farm, at Wintringham, near Malton, took delivery of a new bottler this week. The machine will help him fill bottles of lavender-based cosmetics

  • Market control handed over to local group

    ONE of the county's markets will soon be under new management. The management of the market in Bedale will be taken from Hambleton District Council by the local town council The transfer of the markets charter -and all responsibility for the weekly gathering

  • Cinema's appeal in town still strong

    THE appeal of watching movies on the big screen is not diminishing in Northallerton. The town's cinema may have disappeared many years ago, but audiences for the town's monthly film nights are growing. Last week, 60 people turned out to see the two films

  • Father's day killer sent to secure mental hospital

    A MAN who killed his former partner by stabbing her 40 times and cutting her throat only hours after being judged safe by mental health workers has been sentenced to be detained in a secure hospital. Craig Sexton, 32, of South Shields, South Tyneside,

  • Crackdown on truants begins to pay dividends

    A CRACKDOWN on youngsters skipping school is beginning to deliver an improvement in attendance records in Middlesbrough schools. Latest figures have shown that attendance in schools for the past school year was almost 91 per cent -a rise of just over

  • Teenager with mild autism was gang victim

    FOUR friends have narrowly avoided being locked up for what a judge described as the appalling treatment of a teenager with mild autism. Alex Hope, 19, was bullied by the gang after they forced their way into his car and ordered him to drive them around

  • Students raising green issues

    STUDENTS from a north Durham sixth form college have been encouraging other young people to be more environmentally aware. St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, in Lanchester, held its first Environment Week. The idea was suggested by year

  • £3.8m lift for stem cell research

    WORK starts today on a £3.8m upgrade of fertility and stem cell research facilities at a leading science centre. The investment, at the Centre for Life, in Newcastle, will form part of the Science City project, and will make the centre eligible for a

  • Naturalists field club seeking new members

    A GROUP from north Durham which enjoys nature walks is looking for more members. Consett and Vale of Derwent Naturalists Field Club go on countryside walks all over the region. The club was founded in 1907 to enable the coal miners and steelworkers to

  • 4.7pc rise in taxes, but improvements planned

    COUNCIL taxpayers in Middlesbrough are facing a 4.7 per cent increase in their annual bill. The rise in the town's portion of the tax means most households in the town will pay about 60 to 70 pence a week extra. But council bosses believe the extra £6m

  • Agency names and shames over flooding risk

    A COUNCIL has been named and shamed in an Environment Agency report. Middlesbrough is one of a number of UK councils mentioned in an agency report for having ignored "critical advice on flood risk when granting planning permission". An example cited was

  • Potentially hazardous road to get 40mph limit

    HIGHWAYS chiefs have endorsed plans to introduce a 40mph speed limit on a potentially hazardous road. Durham County Council's highways committee agreed to the limit in Trout's Lane, Hartside, Durham. The move follows concerns raised about the road, which

  • Volunteers help themselves back into work

    UNEMPLOYED people could find work by volunteering for local charities. The Pertemps Employment Alliance (PEA) - an organisation running Government-funded initiatives - has seen an increase in people in work after spending time helping local charities.

  • Biker killed as he tried to flee officers

    A biker was killed and his pillion passenger left fighting for life after a crash as they tried to flee police. Officers in a patrol car tried to pull over the powerful motorbike but the rider refused to stop and hit a parked car. James Johnson, 19, was

  • Burglar confronted in attempt to take car

    A BURGLAR was confronted by a householder as he attempted to drive away in the man's car. Thomas Adey was reversing the vehicle from outside the home in Low Pittington, near Durham, early on August 18 last year. Durham Crown Court was told the householder

  • Vandals target grave of man in 'candy floss queen' trial

    THE grave of the man acquitted of one of the North-East's most notorious murders has been desecrated by vandals. The family of Lawrence Wood said they were devastated when they heard of the damage to the headstone, which stands in St Mary's Church, in

  • 'I cannot believe he wants to sue police'

    THE son of murder victim Ann Heron said last night he was dismayed to discover her former husband was planning to sue police. Michael Cockburn, Ann's youngest son from a previous marriage, spoke out after it was revealed retired businessman Peter Heron

  • Helen is tackling rugby ref challenge

    HAVING 30 men at your beck and call at the sound of a whistle could be seen as every woman's dream - but for Helen Miller it is a scenario she acts out every weekend. As the only woman rugby referee in Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria, the 36-year-old

  • Comment from The Northern Echo: Scandalous treatment

    CANCER is the illness that many of us fear most and, for Helen Feldon, this fear was realised when she developed breast cancer five years ago. On expert advice, she underwent the pain and trauma of a mastectomy, only to find, on being examined, that she

  • Teesdale Talk: Delight as youth club opens after interval

    THERE was delight among many young people this week when it was agreed that a youth club can be relaunched in Mickleton after an unhappy interval of about a year. It closed when the previous leader moved away and there was a lack of local adults willing

  • Hasselbaink determined to give pal Terry a hard time

    JIMMY-FLOYD Hasselbaink is ready to give as good as he gets when he comes up against John Terry this afternoon - someone he tips to become the next England captain. Terry, the Chelsea skipper, is renowned for his hard-line approach to the defensive game

  • Laminate firm invests £750,000

    LAMINATE worktop manufacturer Wilsonart has invested £750,000 in equipment at its factory in the region. Wilsonart said it was investing the money in specialist machinery at its plant in Shildon, County Durham, to make it more competitive. Globally, Wilsonart

  • Patients who never forgot a caring GP

    WHEN Marjorie Bradley appealed for help in The Northern Echo to find the mystery mourner who had been leaving flowers on her late father's grave, she had no idea it would unearth evidence of a bond between a doctor and his patients that has spanned four

  • Boateng can show his worth as Boro take on champions elect

    ONE REPORT this week claimed George Boateng had agreed a new four-year deal with Middlesbrough worth a reputed £10.5m. Wide of the mark, but a sign of the Dutchman's importance that his worth was talked about in such figures. Boateng returns to the Boro

  • Foreign arrivals get an eyeful as art goes on show in airport

    GEORDIES already have a reputation for wearing very little, but for the next two months, visitors to the North-East will get more than an eyeful when they fly into the region. A poster of 1,700 naked people by The Sage concert venue, in Gateshead, has

  • Albany Northern League

    West Auckland manager David Bayles believes his team hasn't turned bad overnight, writes Ray Simpson. West, who are at Horden today, lost against ten men at second division Whickham in the semi-final of the Durham Challenge Cup in midweek, and Bayles

  • Man found dead in cell died of drugs dependency

    A MAN found unconscious in a police cell died because of a dependency on drugs, a jury decided yesterday. The family of John McDonnell said they were unhappy with the verdict and are considering civil action. The 33-year-old, from Ripon, North Yorkshire

  • Police officer jobs may be cut to cover £8m deficit

    POLICE chiefs have warned they may be forced to cut officer numbers unless the Government helps cover an £8m financial black hole. Although Durham Constabulary believes it can protect front-line officers in the short-term, the force admits cuts may become

  • Police officer jobs may be cut to cover £8m deficit

    POLICE chiefs have warned they may be forced to cut officer numbers unless the Government helps cover an £8m financial black hole. Although Durham Constabulary believes it can protect front-line officers in the short-term, the force admits cuts may become

  • Davies learning the hard way

    AS DARLINGTON chairman Stewart Davies sits in one of the executive boxes at his club's palatial home, he is able to survey a sea of empty seats. It is a Thursday morning, two days before his side entertain League Two opponents Bristol Rovers, and while

  • Smiles all round as Robson shoots Pool back on track

    A FIRST win in 11 attempts and Hartlepool United are up to the heady heights of 16th in League One. More importantly, there is a smile on everyone's face around Victoria Park again - it hasn't been this lively since the end of last season. Matty Robson's

  • Briareus is worth a flutter

    ANDREW BALDING'S Briareus (3.10) represents an excellent each-way value bet at around 16-1 for Newbury's totesport Trophy Hurdle. The £125,000 two-miler is one of the most sought-after handicaps and commensurate with its status, National Hunt superpowers

  • Roeder's video nasty is an eye-opener for defence

    AS if a first Premiership clean sheet in almost three months wasn't a novel enough occurrence last weekend, Newcastle's much-maligned defenders have spent the last five days experiencing something even more unusual - specialist coaching. Among the myriad

  • Premier Commentary: Tale of the tapes for Chelsea's £21m misfit

    SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS has been studying tapes of his Chelsea appearances, while spending time looking on from the stands in recent weeks. A sign of an under-performing professional rather than a rising star intent on going to the World Cup. Going on Wednesday's

  • Can I claim any help with my dental costs?

    Q I am nearly 65 and my wife, who is 63, has £54 a week State Pension. Mine will be £142. We have a mortgage of £75 a month but no savings. What can we claim in benefits and help with dental costs? A Pension Credit of about £9.93 a week and Council Tax

  • Proctor pleads with fans to play a part in promotion push

    SO often in the past David Hodgson's appeal for support has fallen on deaf ears. But as in-form Darlington entertain fellow high-flyers Bristol Rovers this afternoon, assistant manager Mark Proctor feels there is no better time than the present for the

  • Eagle's legacy preys on mind

    OVER the next two weeks, the 20th Winter Olympics will create a host of incredible sporting images. Downhill skiers reaching speeds of 85mph, bobsleighers flying around 90 degree bends less than an inch above a sheet of unforgiving ice, and snowboarders

  • Proof positive

    Being hopeless at maths didn't prevent Gwyneth Paltrow empathising with her role as the daughter of a mathematician in Proof. She talks to Steve Pratt about marriage, babies and how she loves living in London. Gwyneth Paltrow, the publicist says, doesn't

  • School speed limit raised

    THE speed limit outside a primary school's gates is to be increased - after residents complained about noisy traffic- calming measures. The headteacher of Lakes Primary School, Christopher Evans, has criticised a council decision to remove a series of

  • Towns play for high stakes in casino race

    TWO towns are locked in a race to be the casino capital of North Yorkshire offering gamblers 150 slot machines. Representatives of Harrogate and Scarborough borough councils have told the Government they are keen to secure one of a limited number of licences

  • Oliver backing Crook to follow Jarrow example

    Crook Town manager Alan Oliver will point to the example of Jarrow Roofing when they go to Arnold Town in the last 16 of the FA Vase today. Crook, who started the competition as 250-1 outsiders but are now down to 25-1, have battled their way through

  • Council official is suspended

    A COUNCIL official has been suspended from her post. Darlington Borough Council has confirmed that Lynn Dougan, who was the head of the learning disability service in the social services department, has been suspended. However, the authority said it will

  • Community hall to get new lease of life

    ENTERPRISING dales residents could breathe new life into a rural community hall under budget proposals being considered by councillors next week. The ground floor of Stanhope Town Hall could be opened up to new businesses under a Biz Fizz initiative encouraging

  • Offenders putting the work in at centre

    OFFENDERS ordered to do unpaid community work as part of their sentence are helping victims of crime through a Newton Aycliffe-based scheme. The County Durham Probation Service sends low-risk offenders to complete carpentry workshops at Miller House,

  • Parking problem plan

    MEASURES have been taken to try and resolve parking problems at a Darlington primary school. Parents of children at Alderman Leach Primary School are concerned a serious accident could take place when children are being dropped off. Six drop-off points

  • School broken into for the third time in two months

    A SCHOOL in Darlington has been burgled for the third time since Christmas. Thieves broke into Firthmoor Primary School and stole an overhead projector from the computer suite between Thursday night and Friday morning. It is the third projector to be

  • Charity members are encouraged to get cooking

    A HEALTHY appetite has been given new meaning with a cookery course in Darlington. Darlington Primary Care Trust (PCT) has been helping people at the mental health charity Mind appreciate that food can be cheap and healthy at the same time. The PCT's

  • Dogs can be left in a safe pair of hands

    A DOG creche service for owners who work during the day is due to be opened in Newton Aycliffe. The business was originally planned for Darlington, but its owners could not get planning permission. It will be run by two former workers at the dog rescue

  • Have a natter at knitting group

    THE Bishop Auckland Knit n' Natter group meets on Friday at the Four Clocks Centre, in Newgate Street, from 10am to noon. Beginners and experienced knitters and crocheters are welcome. Admission is £3 including refreshments. Call 07870 955294 for more

  • Toast and spray paint make unlikely recipe for success

    AN art gallery has opened in Middlesbrough offering a taste of something a little different. To promote the opening of Kitch-en, the owners spray painted 200 pieces of toast and handed them to shoppers. One of the creative forces behind the project, 21

  • Foreign arrivals get an eyeful as art goes on show in airport

    GEORDIES already have a reputation for wearing very little, but for the next two months, visitors to the North-East will get more than an eyeful when they fly into the region. A poster of 1,700 naked people by The Sage concert venue, in Gateshead, has

  • Former pupil turns the tables

    RETIRED teacher Norma Robinson swapped roles with a former pupil when she enrolled on a college computer course. Mrs Robinson, 75, signed on for a course at Bishop Auckland College's Community Centre, in the Royal Corner, in her home town of Crook, where

  • Scarred for life over cheating girlfriend

    A MAN was left scarred for life for having a relationship with a girl who cheated on her boyfriend of nine years, a court was told yesterday. David Williams, 25, was chatting with three friends in a pub when another drinker approached and asked him if

  • Your cancer test may be too costly

    HOSPITAL bosses have apologised to a woman with a history of cancer after she was told funding problems meant she could be denied a potentially lifesaving test. Helen Feldon, 38, from Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, lives in fear of ovarian cancer because

  • 'Shake-up may cost county £48m'

    PLANS to reorganise councils in North Yorkshire could cost £47m, Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh says. Communities Minister David Miliband announced proposals to consult shire councils on the future of local government last week. He has insisted that no

  • Reporting of abuse rises a quarter after campaign

    A CAMPAIGN urging victims of domestic abuse not to suffer in silence has been hailed as a major success as it enters into its final phase. The initiative in the Hambleton and Richmondshire areas has focused on the devastating effect domestic abuse can

  • Albany Northern League

    West Auckland manager David Bayles believes his team hasn't turned bad overnight, writes Ray Simpson. West, who are at Horden today, lost against ten men at second division Whickham in the semi-final of the Durham Challenge Cup in midweek, and Bayles

  • Firefighters called to golf club blaze

    THIRTY firefighters were called to tackle a fire at a golf club yesterday. The blaze was discovered by the secretary of Bedale Golf Club, in Leyburn Road, Bedale, North Yorkshire, at about 8.45am. Firefighters arrived at the club to find smoke coming

  • Drug addict jailed for school thefts

    A DRUG addict broke into schools to steal computer equipment to sell to fund his heroin habit, a court heard. Daniel James Plaice, 27, made between £250 and £1,000 from the sale of the stolen computers, helping him to meet a £150-a-day heroin addiction

  • 11/02/06

    WAR MEDALS: RE the letter from R Moore (HAS, Feb 3) about medals for aircrew who served during the Second World War. Those who attacked German cities were awarded a France and Germany Star which caused a lot of arguments and the occasional fight because

  • Teenage parents get help from group

    A YOUNG parents' group will be launched in Shildon next week. Tots and Teens will be opened at the Jubilee Centre on Tuesday, and is open to parents aged 13 to 19 from the area. The group has been set up by health visitors from Sedgefield Primary Care

  • Territorial Army calling on men to join new platoon

    THE Territorial Army is setting up an infantry platoon for aspiring soldiers in the Durham City area. The Tyne Tees Regiment, which has battalion headquarters at Gilesgate, just off the city centre, has launched a recruitment drive to attract part-timers

  • Chance for smokers to kick the habit

    SMOKERS in north Durham are being offered help to kick the habit. A Stop Smoking Group has been formed at Pelaw View Centre, in Sherburn Road, Gilesgate, Durham. It will meet every Tuesday, starting next week, from 1pm to 2pm. Deborah Scott, smoking cessation

  • Drive to reduce violence with taxi-rank marshals

    TAXI ranks in the region are to be monitored by security guards to tackle violence among late-night revellers from next weekend. Two marshals will be at the rank opposite the Louisa Centre, in Stanley, on Fridays, and the rank in Trafalgar Street, Consett

  • Youth centre graffiti design to highlight healthy eating

    YOUNG people started work last night on a graffiti design to highlight the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables. Up to 25 people from Stanley met at the Stanley Youth Centre for a permanent "5 A Day" graffiti wall. They also got the chance to try some

  • Hasselbaink determined to give pal Terry a hard time

    JIMMY-FLOYD Hasselbaink is ready to give as good as he gets when he comes up against John Terry this afternoon - someone he tips to become the next England captain. Terry, the Chelsea skipper, is renowned for his hard-line approach to the defensive game

  • Second car superstore will open in the spring

    A SECOND car "superstore" is to open in the region this spring. Used car specialist Carcraft plans to develop the £15m vehicle sales centre at Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, close to the A1(M). The announcement came only two months after Richville,

  • Your cancer test may be too costly

    HOSPITAL bosses have apologised to a woman with a history of cancer after she was told funding problems meant she could be denied a potentially lifesaving test. Helen Feldon, 38, from Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, lives in fear of ovarian cancer because

  • Intandem takes off with contract to woo ex pats

    A PUBLIC relations and marketing company has landed a jumbo contract with budget airline Thomsonfly.com Intandem, which is based in York, has won a contract to run a PR campaign to help the airline promote tourism to the UK for British people living in

  • Cup is a welcome relief for Bishops

    Bishop Auckland can forget about their league position when they go to Woodley Sports in the quarter-finals of the UniBond League Chairman's Cup today. Not many clubs place much importance on the competition for the losers in the early rounds of the League

  • Young and old give royal visitor a warm welcome

    THE Earl of Wessex was in the North-East yesterday, visiting three projects in the region and meeting both young and old. Prince Edward enjoyed a day in County Durham, taking in a stage performance by local youngsters, launching a young people's service

  • At Your Service: Big brothers

    The massive miners' chapel in Hetton-le-Hole is directly across the road from The Commercial pub... though mercifully few of the Methodist congregation have given in to temptation. UNTIL they sank the Lyons colliery in 1821, just 276 country folk lived

  • Chips are down as Ban the Pan campaign is launched

    CHIP pans will be consigned to the rubbish bin if a hard-hitting campaign proves to be successful. Fire chiefs are using National Chip Week to persuade people to get rid of their chip pans following the death of a Stockton man in December. Cleveland Fire

  • Another dentist stops NHS treatment

    THE crisis surrounding dental treatment is growing after another dentist announced he would stop offering adult NHS treatment. Barry Parker's surgery, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, is one of three in the Galgate area of the town which serve Teesdale's

  • Dyer for England - Roeder

    GLENN Roeder last night insisted that Newcastle midfielder Kieron Dyer still has time to force his way into England's World Cup squad. Dyer, who has spent this season battling against both injury and illness, made an eagerly-awaited return to action with

  • The kanga who may roo the day

    WHEN I was a boy, I lay awake on a warm summer's night and, from behind the safety of my dark curtains, listened to the birds' final flourishes of the day in the churchyard opposite. I thought I could hear all kinds of exotic squawkings and squeakings

  • Champs seek treble

    POWERFUL Morpeth Harriers will be chasing a hat-trick of victories in today's North-East Road Relay Championships at Gateshead. The Northumbrians lifted the handsome Royal Signals Trophy for a second year when the championships moved in 2005 to Saltwell

  • Trustees try to raise cash to get hot water back on

    OFFICIALS from a housing development where elderly people have been forced to manage without hot water for two months last night insisted they were doing all they could to resolve the problem. Several houses on the Sir ED Walker Homes development, in

  • Second car superstore will open in the spring

    A SECOND car "superstore" is to open in the region this spring. Used car specialist Carcraft plans to develop the £15m vehicle sales centre at Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, close to the A1(M). The announcement came only two months after Richville,

  • Everything looks Rosie

    AYR'S course officials are banking on a rise in temperatures to compensate for the loss of yesterday's meeting due to the current cold snap. The Met Office has thankfully issued an upbeat forecast, which is potentially good news for Rosie Redman (2.50

  • Laminate firm invests £750,000

    LAMINATE worktop manufacturer Wilsonart has invested £750,000 in equipment at its factory in the region. Wilsonart said it was investing the money in specialist machinery at its plant in Shildon, County Durham, to make it more competitive. Globally, Wilsonart

  • Elliott is keen to make the most of Burke's influence

    TEESSIDER Anthony Elliott is looking forward to teaming up again with Australian full back Matt Burke when Newcastle Falcons visit London Irish tomorrow. Burke was a late withdrawal with a knee injury when Elliott made an impressive comeback on the left

  • 'Child obesity capital' will host fat talks

    A NORTH-EAST town which holds the unenviable record as England's childhood obesity capital is to host an international conference on fighting the flab. Middlesbrough is the venue for a Valentine's Day gathering of UK and foreign obesity experts, organised

  • Busman's holidays on cards for Cats

    SUNDERLAND'S victory-starved squad, rooted firmly at the foot of the Premiership, have been told to forget about booking their summer holidays - until an unwanted record, already associated with the club, has been avoided. When the Black Cats suffered

  • Eagles are in seventh heaven

    The Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles recorded their seventh consecutive British Basketball League Championship victory as they overcame the last team to beat them, the TCS Chester Jets, 90-79 at the MetroRadio Arena. An even first quarter saw the home

  • North-East pride rests with Quakers - Mick

    MICK McCARTHY has light-heartedly paid tribute to Darlington boss David Hodgson for proving that it is possible to guide a North-East club into the upper echelons of their respective tables. Newcastle United and Hartlepool United have both sacked their