HE might have salvaged Newcastle's season, but at least we now know caretaker manager Glenn Roeder is incapable of miracles. Beating the likes of Southampton and Portsmouth is one thing - taking on Manchester United at Old Trafford is quite another. While
WEATHER forecasters predicted last night that wintry conditions would improve after heavy snow fell over parts of Britain. The east of England was expected to be hit by more snow overnight, with Newcastle one of the worst-affected areas. But forecasters
A REFLECTIVE Glenn Roeder last night insisted full-back Peter Ramage retained his full confidence, despite the full-back's calamitous individual error condemning Newcastle to their first defeat under his caretaker control. And, after admitting the defender
A POLICE officer is facing a charge of assaulting a nurse after he was taken to hospital following an accident. PC Neil Chisholm has been told to stay away from work while colleagues investigate the allegation. The 23-year-old is alleged to have assaulted
PROPOSALS to slash the time that rapists and sex offenders spend in jail were met with outrage last night. Politicians of all parties and rape charities were united against the plans to cut sentences by 15 per cent, a move put forward following claims
Levels of the noxious gas nitrogen dioxide are said to be "dangerously high" at most airports in England, including one in the North-East. According to a report, levels at Newcastle International Airport have exceeded recommendations by the EU, which
PLANNERS are to decide whether to move a council's social care and health office from Stanley to nearby Annfield Plain. Durham County Council wants to move the service from the old school building, in Front Street, to a new building, in Greencroft Industrial
A COUNCIL has condemned plans for a shake-up of bus services across Teesside. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has put forward an emergency motion, with all-party support, following Arriva North-East's announcement it is to review its services across
PRIMARY school pupils have celebrated the opening of an adventure playground. Children at West Pelton Primary School were fully involved in drawing up the plans, after West Pelton Parish Council made a gift of £10,000. Headteacher John Heron said that
MEMBERS of a city's leisure centres are now able to book a badminton court from home or anywhere, as more services go online. A Durham City Council spokesman said the authority was committed to enabling as many of its services as possible to be accessible
THREE council staff are to lose their jobs and others will lose one of their traditional perks as the authority strives to tighten its belt. Hambleton District Council was capped by the Government last year after trying to impose a council tax rise of
RESIDENTS who would normally never visit a theatre are to have shows brought to them. Not only will they have the opportunity of watching a stage performance, but they will be offered hands-on experience in its production. Drama group Three over Eden
STAFF at a pet refuge fear that several of the animals in their care are failing to find new homes because they may need treatment in the future. Four of the cats and dogs at the Blue Cross animal adoption centre at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, appear to be
PEOPLE may discover today that their bank accounts have been emptied by thieves. Police are urging people who have been using two cash machines outside a supermarket to check their accounts as a matter of urgency - as both machines have been tampered
THE inaugural Best of Darlington awards have been hailed as the town's answer to the Oscars, and calls have already started for the event to become an annual occasion. A celebration ceremony on Friday night was attended by some of the borough's leading
THERE may have been a new manager, but it was the same old story at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. If points were awarded for commitment and effort, the Black Cats would not be in the humiliating state they find themselves at the foot of the Premiership
STEVE McClaren was quick to praise the impressive performance of one of his young stars, but admitted another could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Adam Johnson - labelled a little diamond by his boss - was a constant danger to Charlton despite
A FOOTBALL club issued an extraordinary statement last night threatening legal action against any member of its staff who leaked its chairman's private business dealings. The warning came as speculation was mounting that a takeover of Darlington Football
At the business end of the season any kind of victory will do, whether it be well-deserved or otherwise it is points that win prizes. And it's just as well because Darlington's performance on Saturday deserved very little. Chester City were not up to
Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney plays Darlington Civic Theatre this summer in a show with his eighth wife. Now 85, he talks to Viv Hardwick about his 80-year movie career, marriage and why he's not even thinking about retiring 'I'M not a legend, I'm just
A FOOTBALL club issued an extraordinary statement last night threatening legal action against any member of its staff who leaked its chairman's private business dealings. The warning came as speculation was mounting that a takeover of Darlington Football
TOMORROW'S game at Scunthorpe United can't come quickly enough for Hartlepool United. Friday's 3-1 win over Huddersfield at Victoria Park made it five games without defeat under Paul Stephenson and took Pool to 17th in the League One table. Confidence
WHILE Darlington Mowden Park comfortably completed the double over Kendal, they were not helped by events elsewhere in their battle against relegation. On the day when expansion of the national leagues became even less likely, Leicester Lions pulled off
KEITH REVELEY'S decision to try Welcome To Unos (3.40) over three miles for the first time could help pep up the nine-year-old, having flopped at Wincanton last time out. Following what was an uncharacteristically lacklustre effort, Welcome To Unos (3.40
Last year, Chris Baxter showed her scars from a double mastectomy in a topless photo shoot - and now she's done it again. She tells Women's Editor Sarah Foster why she wants the world to see her post-operation shape WITH her tousled curls and flawless
A PUZZLED Liam Lawrence feels trying to put a finger on why Wigan have enjoyed a 40-point swing over Sunderland since the two sides clinched promotion to the Premiership last May is impossible. The Black Cats won the Championship by seven points last
WHILE the life of an editor has its trials and tribulations, it also has its undoubted privileges. There are opportunities to meet extraordinary people, visit memorable places, and perform interesting duties. Indeed, as I write, the editor of the Darlington
DEDICATED family man Stephen Riddiough has told how he abandoned his step- father and friends in a last- ditch attempt to save their lives. The only survivor of the Spanish mountain tragedy said his stepfather, Colin, saved his life with valuable survival
THERE may have been a new manager, but it was the same old story at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. If points were awarded for commitment and effort, the Black Cats would not be in the humiliating state they find themselves at the foot of the Premiership
INSPECTORS will today start an investigation after a chemical poisoning incident in the region. Nine firefighters were among the 19 taken to hospital after a worker was overcome by fumes on Teesside. The 28-year-old had been cleaning a tanker at chemical
A CRACK cocaine dealer has been jailed by a judge for a total of three years, nine months. Police raided Robert Baines' home after he was arrested riding a stolen £300 mountain bike on May 6 last year A search warrant was executed at the property in Hundens
A SECURITY company that failed to tell a North-East caller he was ringing a premium rate line has been fined £5,000. Detroit Security Systems Limited, of Wembley, has been ordered to pay up after the phone regulator Icstis upheld a number of regulatory
MISSED THE POINT: Re your report 'Bid to cut tax rises defeated' (Echo, Mar 10). Your report has completely missed the point of the debate. I am quoted as saying that the Conservatives are bankrupt of ambition, which is true. But my comment was made not
HE might have salvaged Newcastle's season, but at least we now know caretaker manager Glenn Roeder is incapable of miracles. Beating the likes of Southampton and Portsmouth is one thing - taking on Manchester United at Old Trafford is quite another. While
At the business end of the season any kind of victory will do, whether it be well-deserved or otherwise it is points that win prizes. And it's just as well because Darlington's performance on Saturday deserved very little. Chester City were not up to
PROPOSALS to slash the time that rapists and sex offenders spend in jail were met with outrage last night. Politicians of all parties and rape charities were united against the plans to cut sentences by 15 per cent, a move put forward following claims
YOUNG pupils from a Durham school are picking up their pens and pencils as part of a design competition to help keep their school and surrounding village free from dog fouling. More than 140 pupils from Pittington Primary School have taken part in the
NORTH-East workers are "significantly better off'' than their higher earning cousins in wealthier parts of the country, according to a firm of management consultants. The Hay Group claims its research shows that the north-south divide, long a source of
PEOPLE are to be given a chance to have a say in plans to build a health centre in the heart of their town. Four GP practices could be housed in the new complex being proposed for the centre of Hartlepool, along with a dentist, pharmacist and optician
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to ensure an area of Teesside has its own dedicated health team. Government plans to halve the number of Britain's primary care trusts (PCTs), said to be spending about £54bn a year, have led to a hands-off call from east
A LARGE rural area of North Yorkshire is facing a rubbish disposal crisis. A landfil tip used by Ryedale District Council, at Caulklands Quarry, Thornton-le-Dale, is nearly full, according to John Brown, the authority's environmental co-ordinator. A North
IN the race to replace Sven Goran Eriksson as England boss Charlton's Alan Curbishley stole a march on his rivals yesterday, including Steve McClaren, with the revelation he has already been interviewed for the post. McClaren's much-changed Middlesbrough
A YOUNG dentist who is completing his post graduate training in east Durham is now sharing his experiences in the profession with dozens of school pupils. Olumide (known as Mide) Ojo, who is based at the Princess Road dental practice, in Seaham, has talked
TESSA Jowell is still, just about, in office and now another financial scandal is threatening to engulf Labour. It is said that you can buy an honour by donating to the party. More than a million appears to guarantee a knighthood or a peerage. These scandals
IT was the start of season 194950. After failing to score in Gateshead's opening game in the Third Division (North), Co Durham miner Eddie Passmore hit four in the second, was again on target in the third and fourth, claimed another hat-trick in the next
CONSERVATION officials are taking steps to protect an endangered species of bird in one of the region's beauty spots. Fears have been raised over the future of lapwings in the UK. The birds, also known as peewits because of their distinctive call, live
WEATHER forecasters predicted last night that wintry conditions would improve after heavy snow fell over parts of Britain. The east of England was expected to be hit by more snow overnight, with Newcastle one of the worst-affected areas. But forecasters
Clark Keltie's red card offence changed the game on Saturday but it went unnoticed by many, including Darlington assistant manager Mark Proctor. He was hoping to view the flare-up on the giant screen at the 96.6TFM Darlington Arena but Quakers are not
A SEX offender under investigation by police for sending lewd letters to his victims from prison has asked Tony Blair to help his campaign for law changes. In a series of letters sent to The Northern Echo, Lawrence Petch criticises the police and justice
WITH football pitches in Darlington almost as frosty as the relationship between Jose Mourinho and Barcelona's fans, there has only been one game in The Northern Echo Sunday Invitation League since the last column. The match which did survive the big
INSPECTORS will today start an investigation after a chemical poisoning incident in the region. Nine firefighters were among the 19 taken to hospital after a worker was overcome by fumes on Teesside. The 28-year-old had been cleaning a tanker at chemical
Kate O' Mara has made a career out of her sultry looks but now loves nothing better than a good, old fashioned murder mystery, as she tells Viv Hardwick GRACEFULLY ageing Kate O'Mara admits that facing an aggressive drunk in the street late at night has
THE first work by pitman painter Tom McGuinness to be auctioned since his death last month will go under the hammer in a North-East saleroom. Newcastle auction company Anderson and Garland expects a 1973 oil painting titled Night Shift to fetch up to
A WAVE and a smile to his family and friends, Kevin Ball stood proud as punch in the technical area ahead of his first game in charge. He had talked extensively of not knowing quite what he would do when he took his place in the dug-out and there was
