SPORT-LOVING youngsters got a taste of the action this week to prepare themselves for a healthier future. Hundreds of children descended on Eston Sports Academy, in Middlesbrough, on Thursday to take part in a large-scale activity day aimed at sowing
A FORMER soldier has been spared jail despite having hundreds of images of child pornography on his computers. Police found the pictures when they were investigating Kevin Fuller for an offence of money laundering in 2004. Searches of two computers revealed
ONLINE marketing network buy.at has secured its future growth following a £7.3m boost from investment firm Cazenove Private Equity (CPE). The Newcastle company was launched in 2002 by Perfiliate Technologies Limited and has expanded to provide marketing
POLICE MERGERS: AFTER reading the letter (HAS, Mar 10) from Councillor Dave McLuckie, chair, Cleveland Police Authority, it is plainly obvious why the authority is reluctant to accept modernisation because the tone of the letter was predominately doom
TWO brothers have been jailed for an attack which left a man with a fractured leg and part of his ear missing. Scott McDonald, 22, was locked up for 18 months for causing grievous bodily harm to Clive Buxton on July 1. David McDonald, 25, was given an
DETECTIVES hunting the killer of shopworker Jenny Nicholl have launched a fresh appeal for the teenager's missing possessions. Police still want to find the 19-year-old's mobile phone and jewellery box. The appeal came after search teams discovered Jenny's
Shildon manager Gary Forrest reckons today's first division relegation battle at Thornaby is his side's biggest game of the season. Shildon go to Teesside in fifth-bottom spot, just one place and one point above their opponents, who haven't won a league
KEMPTON'S new all-weather track faces its first serious test this afternoon with a handful of potential Classic candidates contesting the two Listed races on the card. None of the current leading contenders for the 2,000 Guineas are engaged in the £28,000
BLAYDON'S promotion bandwagon rolls into Darlington today for a clash between the meanest and most prolific forwards in National Three North. Darlington's pack have scored 53 of their 86 league tries this season, ten more than Bradford and Bingley, their
CHRIS Riggott last night paid tribute to the bravery of Emanuel Pogatetz after his central defensive partner was ruled out for the rest of the season following a facial fracture. Pogatetz, who has earned the nickname 'Mad Dog' because of his no-nonsense
REGGAE stars UB40 are to perform an outdoor concert in the region later this year. The band, one of Britain's biggest acts of the past 25 years, are to play at Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside Ground, at Chester-le-Street, on Friday, July 28. The
AUDIO visual firm ZeroPlus UK expects to more than triple turnover in the next two years. The company, which is moving into new premises in Gateshead, has secured investment through fund management firm NEL and landed a series of contracts. ZeroPlus,
HAD things been done differently, some would say more effectively, Newcastle United could have been facing Tottenham this afternoon with both Jermaine Jenas and Michael Carrick forming part of the midfield. Instead the England pair, who both have eyes
JUSTIN Hoyte admits he feels guilty about leaving Sunderland in the lurch at the end of the season. Hoyte returns to Arsenal in May, when his season-long loan at Sunderland terminates. The 21-year-old defender will be leaving his team-mates to contemplate
Weatherfield is a dangerous place to live. And an even more dangerous place to die. Natural causes isn't a phrase found on the death certificate of residents. Those famous cobbles are running with blood, thanks to the likes of Katy, the wench with the
Q Will my friend lose her pension if she and I share my house as companions? Her husband died five years ago when she was 58 and she has a pension based on his National Insurance. I am a widower. A If she still receives a Widow's Pension, paid to women
PLAYERS in C4's hugely popular new hit, Deal Or No Deal, don't know if they'll win 1p or £250,000. But presenter Noel Edmonds wins every day, thanks to a multi-million pound contract that will keep him and the gameshow on the screen for many years to
FONTWELL'S Southern National Chase promises to be a war of attrition for which Calvic (2.55) has the perfect credentials, writes COLIN WOODS (Janus). The remaining three scheduled weekend National Hunt fixtures been have wiped out by the wet weather but
CANCER patients and support groups have voiced fears that future access to a promising chemotherapy drug could be restricted after new guidance was issued to the NHS. Alimta, a drug which was developed by Newcastle University scientist Professor Hilary
A MAN was pressured into selling a stolen van on the eBay Internet sales site. Durham Crown Court heard that Clifford Crawford went along with the arrangement "without a great deal of enthusiasm". The vehicle, which belonged to a van hire company, was
TRADING standards officers in Darlington have renewed appeals for householders to beware of companies that may be collecting donations under false pretences. The warning came after another resident contacted The Northern Echo to say she had received a
STUDENTS at a Darlington school opened a Fairtrade restaurant for two nights. Carmel College's Fairtrade group served 40 guests, with patrons included parents, teachers, headteacher James O'Neill and two visiting teachers from Spain. The students devised
THE doors have closed for the last time at a North-East maternity unit after the numbers of pregnant women using the facility dropped to an unsustainable level. Langbaurgh Primary Care Trust (PCT) first sounded the alarm bells in June last year after
A BUSY couple who devote their lives to public service celebrated their golden wedding yesterday. Councillors Sonny and Margaret Douthwaite spend many hours working for the good of their home community of St Helen Auckland, near Bishop Auckland. They
A LOGISTICS firm with turnover of more than £60m is planning to grow after undergoing a structural reorganisation. The Stiller Group, based on Teesside, intends to increase its turnover, customer base and employee numbers by putting in place a long-term
APRIL Fools Day it may be and there's a nervous smile around Hartlepool this morning. A furiously fought and entertaining home draw with Oldham lifted Pool out of the bottom four, for a few hours at least. It was the third home draw from five under Paul
NEWCASTLE Falcons are still on course to salvage something from the wreckage of a dismal Guinness Premiership season, progressing to the last four of the European Challenge Cup after a comfortable victory over Connacht at Kingston Park last night. The
THE families of Red Caps murdered in Iraq last night vowed they will not rest until someone is brought to book after an inquest ruled the soldiers were unlawfully killed. John Hyde, whose 23-year-old son, Lance Corporal Ben Hyde, was one of the men who
Until late last year, Noel Edmonds was just the forgotten resident of Crinkley Bottom. Now he's back on our screens six times a week with a multi-million pound gameshow deal. Steve Pratt looks at the fortunes of the comeback kids. PLAYERS in C4's hugely
DESPITE seeing their numbers decimated over the years, Women's Institutes are still proving they are a force to be reckoned with in a North dale. From ten groups just after the Second World War, the number of WIs in Weardale, County Durham, has shrunk
TWO of the leading candidates for the vacant England post go head-to-head at the City of Manchester Stadium tomorrow, with Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce insisting his Middlesbrough counterpart Steve McClaren ticks "all the boxes" required of Sven-Goran
A COUPLE who spent most of their married life on the other side of the world are reliving their first holiday together. Ronald and Joyce Walker will take a second honeymoon to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. The couple, from South Side, in
A HAIRDRESSING trainee from Chester-le-Street has beaten off stiff competition to secure a top title at one of the country's biggest contests for coiffeurs. First year Durham Business Club apprentice Joanne Price, 17, came third in the fantasy section
THE long-term future of a swimming pool appears to be in doubt after a survey confirmed that more than £1m would be needed for repair work. Hetton Pool, part of the Hetton Sports Complex in Barnard Park, in the former pit village, was shut at the end
A PLAN to install traffic humps on a residential street is being fought by some residents who fear the scheme will affect their property prices and quality of life. But council officials believe the benefits to road safety and the reduction in casualties
THE past week has seen young actors from around County Durham take to the stage in a variety of roles. In south Durham, actors from opposite ends of the globe have forged lasting links through an international theatre exchange. The Jackass Theatre group
AN accounts clerk left her job at a window company keeping a £2,880 customer's payment as a parting shot, a court has heard. A jury found Alison Ebuware guilty of theft after a five-day trial at Durham Crown Court. Earlier, the court heard that Ebuware
STREET cleaners are getting to grips with one of the Hambleton district's stickier problems. They are out on the streets of Thirsk and Stokesley with a team of gumbusters to rid the towns of discarded chewing gum. Advanced machinery is being used to give
FIFTEEN years of hard work come to fruition today with the opening of a £600,000 community centre. Belmont Parish Hall will be opened this afternoon to replace the Old School Centre, which closed 20 years ago to make way for housing. For the past 15 years
A FOOTBALL festival has proved an exciting learning experience for 600 girls. All-girl teams from more than 50 schools competed in the Three Lions Girls World Cup Festival, three months ahead of the real World Cup. Each team adopted a country playing
AN ancient duck pond in the centre of a village has been illuminated. Work to light up a fountain is now complete at the Norton centrepiece and the lights were turned on for the first time at a ceremony. Plans to revamp the site were drawn up last year
DURHAM University opened its laboratory doors to nearly 1,000 young scientists. Pupils from secondary schools across the region attended the annual Durham Science Festival to get a taste of what it would be like to enter the career world of engineers,
Two young string players will perform at the next concert arranged by Sowerby Music. Violinist Jiafeng Chen, 18 and cellist Christina Clunies-Ross will play at St Oswald's Church, in Sowerby, from 7.30pm next Saturday. Tickets cost £8 in advance from
A scheme is under way to help more boat owners to enjoy the delights of the North Yorkshire coast. Pontoons are to be installed in Scarborough's inner harbour, providing 60 permanent floating berths and additional space for visiting boats, with dredging
BUSY stops on a flagship North Yorkshire route will soon be telling waiting passengers what time the next bus is arriving. Transport chiefs have selected stops on the Leeds-Harrogate-Ripon route (Route 36), for the system. It locates the next bus via
COUNCIL bosses are taking a lesson from the household fridge - to rate the energy efficiency of their buildings. From today, North Yorkshire County Council will display energy efficiency "labels" - resembling those displayed on electrical goods - on ten
TONY BLAIR opened a revamped school by video yesterday after his schedule forced him to cancel the appointment. The Prime Minister was flying back from Indonesia, but he opened Moorside Community Technology College, near Consett, near County Durham, with
STREET buskers will sing it out in a Pop Idol-style contest to win a town's first busking permit. The winner of Stockton Borough Council's Busk Idol competition will also get the chance to use a recording studio. Auditions will be held at the Georgian
TWO of the region's biggest sporting events, which attract thousands of spectators and competitors, are being held on the same day - raising fears of traffic chaos. But organisers say plans are already being put in place to avoid potential traffic problems
ONLINE marketing network buy.at has secured its future growth following a £7.3m boost from investment firm Cazenove Private Equity (CPE). The Newcastle company was launched in 2002 by Perfiliate Technologies Limited and has expanded to provide marketing
A NEIGHBOUR who braved choking smoke to rescue a 17-month-old baby was last night praised by her mother. Father-of-two Spencer Carter woke to the sound of breaking windows and smelled smoke after a wheelie bin fire -thought to have been started deliberately
DOZENS of young people whose bravery, determination and work in the community have shone through were honoured at a ceremony in Durham Castle yesterday. The Shrievalty Awards, funded by the High Sheriff of Durham, the Durham Agency Against Crime (DAAC
TWO firms in the North-East have received additional funding to develop a website for use by companies in the renewable energy sector. Imass and Econnect have already researched and piloted the website, which allows companies planning to develop renewable
A DAIRY firm that recently closed one of its processing plants in the region yesterday said it was trading in line with expectations. Arla Foods has ended production at its site in Benton, Newcastle, more than a year after announcing its intention to
MARKS & Spencer put the finishing touches to its restructuring yesterday by selling US supermarkets business Kings for £35.4m. The New Jersey-based chain, which operates 26 stores, was acquired by M&S in 1988 but is no longer seen as a core part
DOG lovers in the region are paying a small fortune in vet bills after their pet returns from kennels, a survey has found. According to research, one in ten dogs contracts an illness while in kennels. The report by Direct Line Pet Insurance found that
It's back to league action for Cleadon SC today when they attempt to take another step towards the double after reaching the final of the league cup. They visit Coxhoe Athletic who are confident of reaching a mid-table position after languishing near
MAIN PROBLEMRE: residents warned of gas main upgrade at Brookfield in Middlesbrough (Echo, Mar 20). I am one of the residents who have already endured hell for three weeks now. Mud everywhere; poor quality and late reinstatements; barriers everywhere;
DEFENDING champions Sunderland Harriers are set to achieve their third-ever grand slam of six senior men's team victories in the final Start Fitness North-East Harrier League meeting of the season at Blaydon today. The Wearsiders, who crowned their Centenary
THE behaviour of Middlesbrough fans has been praised by police, despite outbreaks of violence during the club's match in Switzerland this week. A 21-year-old Teesside man was last night still in custody after a steward at the St Jakob Park stadium, in
WHEN Franz Beckenbauer and the rest of Germany's 1966 World Cup team were given a tour of the building site that is Wembley 11 days ago, he declared England should bid for the 2018 finals. At this rate, given the announcement yesterday from the Football
ON Wednesday afternoon, we rapidly discovered ourselves swept up in a political storm in a teacup. It was all about the word 'rapid'. Every TV station and newspaper in the country wanted the background on Ashok Kumar's supposed indiscretion. He wanted
DESPITE gloomy predictions, NHS dentistry in the North-East appears to have emerged largely intact from the biggest-shake up since 1948. From Teesside to the Scottish border, more than 90 per cent of all dental practices are staying with the NHS. But
TWO teams of students from Hummersknott School and Language College enjoyed success in different competitions. Samuel Curran, Brogan Dinsdale, Peter Hall and Thomas Walton were third out of 18 teams at the regional heat of the Salters' Festival of Chemistry
RESIDENTS have complained that a new concessionary bus pass scheme could leave pensioners worse off when making some journeys. Because the County Durham concessionary fare scheme does not include Darlington, pensioners coming into the town from outside
PUPILS and staff at a preparatory school turned back the clock 60 years to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance. Several other fundraising events were held at Raventhorpe Preparatory School to raise £1,014 for the service. Children and teachers
GOVERNORS at a top-performing Darlington school voted unanimously last night to free it from local authority control. Hurworth School Maths and Computing College will be a foundation school from April 24. Governors hope that by gaining foundation status
DOZENS of children at a Darlington school are enjoying new nursery facilities. Youngsters in the foundation stage at Gurney Pease Primary School moved into a new building this week. After Easter, the school is also planning to open a parent and toddler
DARLINGTON ACADEMY: I WAS very pleased to hear that a way forward has been obtained for the Darlington academy. This will allow the Church of England and the local authority to develop the education it is able to offer to the children of Darlington, and
THE Durham branch of the Western Front Association meets at 7.30pm on Monday, April 10, in the Durham Companions Club, Ainsley Street, Durham City. Guest speaker will be professor John Derry, who will give a talk entitled Hindenburg and Ludendorff - A
THE uncertainty surrounding Newcastle United's 22nd post-war manager is rubbing off on the squad, with Turkish midfielder Emre claiming he will reassess his options when an appointment has been made. Since he arrived from Inter Milan in the summer, life
FORGET next month's FA Cup final and erase from your memory Manchester United's Carling Cup triumph in February. Now try to imagine the excitement building up to tomorrow's Football League Trophy final. Difficult? Probably. But for fans hailing from both
WHEN recruits join the armed forces, they must accept that they may be sent to war, and that their lives may be placed at risk. Their loved ones must also face up to that possibility. But what no one who joins the armed forces should have to accept is
AMONG the particular responsibilities of learned columns such as this one is from time to time to explain the meaning of arcane ecclesiastical terms with which the general reader may be unfamiliar. One of these is "benefice service", or sometimes "united
TWO consecutive defeats may have done little to enhance any lingering hopes of securing a play-off place but, ever the optimist, manager David Hodgson thinks otherwise. Despite conceding five at home to Carlisle a fortnight ago and last week's defeat
SCHOOL patrol officers are changing their uniform for the first time in two decades in a bid to clamp down on impatient drivers. Patrol officers in Redcar and Cleveland have become the first in the North-East to trial a new safety coat after an increase
A TOWN'S war memorial is to be refurbished. And the Friends of Seaham War Memorials hope to gather the names of war dead from the town who are not already listed on the cenotaph, in the town park, off Stockton Road. Names of several previously unlisted
YOUNG musicians have fought it out in a battle of the bands competition. Pupils from years eight to 11 at Queen Mary's School, Thirsk, took part in the annual competition. The groups included Toxic, Singa Mingas, Pink Ladybirds, Red Cows, Pink Sheep and
A STRAY dog was found by RSPCA inspectors with its mouth taped shut and its fur partially shaved. The female Doberman-type dog was found in Cockfield on Wednesday with gaffer tape around her mouth and suffering from mange, along with cuts and sores. The
PLANS to increase the cost of taxi licences by 15 per cent a year for the next five years have been met by anger from drivers. Ryedale District Council has proposed the new fees to try to make its taxi licensing service break even. But taxi drivers say
A PARK is to be upgraded by a housing developer after planners gave it approval to build 167 houses in part of north Durham. Derwentside District Council granted Bett Homes North-East planning permission to build 100 homes on land south of Lime Street
THIEVES who burgled a town centre hair salon stole more than £1,000 that was destined for two local good causes. The raiders broke into Images Hair and Beauty Salon, in King Street, Spennymoor, overnight on Wednesday and made off with about £1,500. When
A COUPLE who met while working in dance hall cloakrooms have celebrated 50 years of marriage. Family and friends gathered yesterday to celebrate the golden wedding anniversary of Robbie and Bertha Walker, of Hipswell, Catterick Garrison. The couple met
A BUSY couple who devote their lives to public service celebrated their golden wedding yesterday. Councillors Sonny and Margaret Douthwaite spend many hours working for the community of St Helen Auckland, near Bishop Auckland. They are the only husband
PUPILS from a rural primary school are forging links with schools across Europe. Students and teachers form Montalbo Primary School, Barnard Castle, recently returned from a cultural exchange visit to Hungary and are planning another to the Czech Republic
A FOOTBALL festival has proved an exciting learning experience for 600 girls. All-girl teams from more than 50 schools competed in the Three Lions Girls World Cup Festival, three months ahead of the real World Cup. Each team adopted a country playing
THE Grim Reaper got a first whiff of the impending doom and disaster augured for Sunderland after their abject surrender against Charlton Athletic in this season's curtain-raiser. Ever since, the prophet of death has stood menacingly by the Stadium of
A HAND-OUT lifeline on which destitute asylum seekers depend is drying up on Teesside. Urgent appeals are being sent to churches this weekend as demand for help threatens to outstrip money coming into the Mary Thompson Fund, a registered charity. Concerned
A HEADTEACHER is returning to his former school. Michael Abraham is to return as head of Teesside Preparatory School, in Eaglescliffe, in September after working for a year at a preparatory school in the Lake District. The school said Mr Abraham was a
A CAR crash that claimed the life of a teenage girl has inspired a theatre project designed to boost road safety. The group behind the project got together after the sister of one of the members died in a road accident near Richmond, North Yorkshire,
TWO businessmen used an army of cleaners in an elaborate benefit fraud. Police codenamed the two-year investigation that caught Philip Rowland and David Wrightson Operation Hilda, after Coronation Street cleaning lady Hilda Ogden. National Cleaning Systems
