A NATIONAL furniture chain is to build a warehouse and trade outlet on a Wear Valley industrial estate. MFI will open a branch of its subsidiary company, Howden Joinery, on the Abraham Industrial Estate, in St Helen Auckland, near Bishop Auckland.
WHEN he began searching for a base to design specialist sports footwear, Wayne Edy never dreamt he would end up renting a Methodist church hall. But from there, he has built a successful business, which involves his designs embarking on a remarkable
Thousands of leaflets and a mountain of flyers went into circulation as 45 businesses put themselves in the shop window yesterday. A tourism information day at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, provided a marketing opportunity for companies and organisations
THE company lined up to take over a stricken tourist railway says it will take a cautious approach if and when trains start running again. The Ealing Community Transport Group (ECT) is poised to run the Weardale Railway, in County Durham, once a deal
THE RSPCA and police yesterday condemned ''mindless thugs'' who skinned a fox and dumped its mutilated remains at a bus stop. The animal was skinned apart from a small piece of fur on its underbelly. Its tail had also been cut off. The fox's front
TWO hundred thousand exminers or their families will lose out on potential six figure compensation pay-outs if the Government goes ahead with controversial new proposals, The Northern Echo can reveal. Currently more than half a million claims for compensation
COMPENSATION claims on behalf of deceased miners will be assessed by a chest specialist if new proposals are accepted, Government officials have confirmed. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is due to lodge proposals with the High Court next
Government minister Nigel Griffiths faces a tough grilling when he meets concerned coalfields MPs tomorrow. The Coal Health Minister has been criticised by MPs, who fear that proposals to speed up compensation for pitmen will restrict the right to
THE Government has caved in to protests and withdrawn controversial plans to impose compensation settlements on ex-miners. In what amounts to a victory for The Northern Echo's Justice for the Miners campaign, Coal Health Minister Nigel Griffiths has
LAWYERS representing thousands of ex-miners have urged the Government to make improved compensation offers. Yesterday, legal experts advising former pitmen warned Government officials that the only way to speed up the painfully slow lung damage compensation
PLEAS to increase compensation offers to ex-miners have been rejected by Government officials, The Northern Echo understands. Last night, an influential MP warned that the Government risked "shooting itself in the foot" by failing to make generous
A FINAL judgement over proposals to speed up compensation payments to former miners could be only days away. Mr Justice Turner told both parties in yesterday's High Court hearing to put forward a joint submission for his consideration. The judge
A FINAL judgement over proposals to speed up compensation payments to former miners could be only days away. Mr Justice Turner told both parties in yesterday's High Court hearing to put forward a joint submission for his consideration. The judge
THE widows of former miners are to be offered flat rate payments of £1,200 as part of new proposals to speed up respiratory compensation payments. The offer comes from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) submitted to the High Court in advance
Fast-track payments to former miners could begin as early as February, according to Government officials. Following a court judgement last month, it is expected that tens of thousands of ex-miners will receive faster payments for lung damage if they
READERS have responded well to The Northern Echo Lifeblood campaign and donated blood, according to figures. Within days of the launch of the paper's blood donor appeal on March 22, National Blood Service (NBS) officials in the region noticed an increase
A FATHER whose life was saved by a massive blood transfusion is competing in the Great North Run to recruit more donors. Instead of pounds and pennies, Mike Livermore, 41, from Newton Aycliffe, will guarantee ten extra donors for the National Blood
NEW and lapsed blood donors in the region have been urged to come forward following new restrictions to protect supplies against a deadly disease. Fears that blood transfusions could help to spread variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) - the human
A WOMAN who is petrified of needles has helped her colleagues win a loyalty award for services to the blood donor service. Denise Corrigan, a corporate procurement officer for Durham County Council, has always had a fear of needles - but that has not
ONE year after The Northern Echo urged people to give blood to stop hospitals running dry officials say the battle has been won. Exactly a year ago, we highlighted fears that blood supplies for the region's hospitals could be put at risk because of
A PENSIONER who has helped save countless lives by giving blood is losing the fight to save his own. Ron Springthorpe, who has terminal cancer, will today receive an award from the National Blood Service for donating 100 pints of blood. The accolade
TWO North-East donors have been honoured after giving enough blood to supply their local hospital for ten days. Between them, they have donated a total of 176 units. Sandra Bradley, 62, from Wells Close, and Ernest Dixon, 68, from Willow Road, both
A CHARITY has called on the Government to do more to stop children buying alcohol in the wake of the deaths of two North-East boys. Stuart Adams and Lee Mullis died when they were hit by a train while messing around on tracks in Darlington. On Wednesday
TRESPASSERS and vandals who endanger lives by messing around on railway lines will have nowhere to hide this summer - as the police launch a crackdown. Rail bosses hope by stepping up uniformed and plain-clothes patrols, they will catch and prosecute
A two-day roadshow which promotes rail safety and gives youngsters the chance to sample alternative activities, is finally arriving in Darlington next week. The town is one of four places in the country which have been selected because they are rail-crime
Young people from Darlington are reaching new heights this week as a trampolining course is being staged at Hummersknott Comprehensive School. The classes are running until Friday from 2pm and 5pm, with three one-hour sessions each day. The first hour
Hundreds of youngsters tried out activities as a summer roadshow rolled into a North-East town. More than 600 children and teenagers took part in a host of sporting and fun activities during day one of the two-day No Messin' event, in Darlington.
A ROADSHOW designed to teach children about the dangers of trespassing on the railways has been hailed a big success. About 1,500 children took part in two days of activities No Messin' Live and organisers said they had been polite and well-behaved
Drink-fuelled anti-social behaviour has become more prolific in recent years, increasing people's fear of crime. OLIVIA RICHWALD hears how a North-East police force is recruiting shopkeepers to the front line in its fight back. TWENTY years ago,
OFF-LICENCES in Darlington have been signing up to a project to reduce anti-social behaviour. The over-21 scheme is designed to cut the amount of alcohol being drunk by children, by preventing people aged 18 to 20 buying drink for younger children.
Youths who dice with death on railway lines could be caught by a helicopter that will be patrolling the region's skies. Yesterday, rail bosses unveiled their £1m weapon in the battle against trespassers and vandals who put lives at risk by tampering
A TRAIN operator is pioneering a music project designed to keep children off the railways. Aspiring musicians can download their material on to a website, which is supported by top recording artists and music company EMI. Northern Rail's venture
The Government's top safety watchdog said last night it would "not rule out" forcing landlords to fit carbon monoxide alarms in rented properties. The Health and Safety Executive, which says that it is enforcing tougher safety rules, said it may consider
THE Government has rejected calls for stringent new regulations on carbon monoxide checks in a bid to avoid more fatalities this winter. Thousands of North-East students have already received leaflets warning them about the dangers of the deadly gas
NEW laws to cut the number of deaths caused by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning should be in place by the end of the year, Government officials revealed last night. More than four years after the Government first pledged to tackle deaths from CO poisoning
GAS suppliers will be urged to pledge £25m to a campaign to cut the number of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning at a meeting next month. A working group set up by the Government has been told that between £22m and £25m must be spent to hit the
GAS suppliers are declining to fund a multi-million pound TV advertising campaign to cut deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning, The Northern Echo can reveal. The firms will reject a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) study that concluded up to £25m
Three quarters of people living in the North-East are at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, experts have warned. Survey results released last night revealed that 77 per cent of people in the region have no carbon monoxide (CO) alarm in their homes.
FAR fewer people are dying from carbon monoxide poisoning as the message hits home about the dangers of old gas fires and boilers, new figures show. Only 12 lives were lost nationally in the 12 months to March last year, the lowest figure since statistics
THE campaign to prevent carbon monoxide deaths has taken a new turn with a warning to keep climbing plants away from air vents and flues. Garden centres throughout the country are to back the move with posters and on-thespot advice. British Gas
THE campaign to prevent carbon monoxide deaths has taken a new turn with a warning to keep climbing plants away from air vents and flues. Garden centres throughout the country are to back the move with posters and on-thespot advice. British Gas
A HARD-HITTING campaign will warn university and college students of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. The campaign, by British Gas, urges students to demand their landlord shows them a gas safety record - the certificate required by law showing
A television campaign will highlight the deadly danger posed by badly fitting gas appliances. Five short films, the first of which was being screened last night, are being broadcast to warn how carbon monoxide fumes, which have no taste or smell, can
TEESPORT owner PD Ports last night confirmed it had received a takeover approach. Although the company declined to name its mystery suitor, The Northern Echo understands it is Australian investment bank Macquarie, which has built up a range of transport
Allowing any more ports in the South of England to expand would put enormous strain on road and rail networks in the South-East, a leading planning body has warned. In its state of the nation report, which highlights weaknesses in the UK road, rail
TEESPORT owner PD Ports is lobbying the Government to halt further expansion at "overheated" Southern ports to allow it to invest £300m in a deep-sea container terminal on the Tees. This terminal would allow retailers to bring in goods from the Far
TEESPORT owner PD Ports is to be sold to a consortium of investors for £246m, it revealed yesterday. Middlesbrough-based PD confirmed it had accepted an offer from a new company called Endeavour Ports, which was set up by the investors for the acquisition
MORE than £5bn of potential investment in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries could be threatened if the Government does not allow Teesport to expand, industry leaders warned last night. The warning came as owner PD Ports revealed it was being
TEESPORT owner PD Ports is backing a takeover bid from Australian investor Babcock and Brown, it emerged at the weekend. The owner of the Tees and Hartlepool ports has recommended its shareholders accept an offer of 150p a share, valuing the Middlesbroughbased
RESIDENTS in an unemployment blackspot have submitted an 800-signature petition to the House of Commons in support of plans to expand Teesport. Redcar MP Vera Baird last night petitioned the House of Commons to support Teesport's hopes of building
THE race to bring thousands of jobs and millions of pounds worth of investment to the region intensified last night after the Government dealt a major blow to the expansion of a port. Despite overwhelming opposition from residents in Harwich, Essex
THE takeover of Teesport operator PD Ports by Australian investment fund Babcock & Brown (BBI) could be complete within a week. BBI said it had won control of more than 90 per cent of PD Ports shares after bidding about £337m for the company. Sources
One pensioner who handed over his life savings to the three cowboy builders, last night told how he was completely fooled by the callous trio. Meanwhile, the net is closing on doorstep criminals throughout the Northern region with the introduction
A GANG of "chronic alcoholics" are facing jail after they admitted conning vulnerable pensioners out of more than £150,000 - and spending it in the pub. Eleven households were preyed on by the men, who carried out unnecessary, shoddy and sometimes
HOUSEHOLDS are being warned to be on the alert for cold-callers going from door to door offering tree-cutting and gardening services. Trading standards officers in North Yorkshire fear that with the bad weather people may want to take advantage of
A NORTHERN Echo campaign to save residents from the heartache and misery of doorstep crime is working, trading standards officers say. A report released yesterday by North Yorkshire Country Council shows that the number of residents visited by doorstep
HOUSEHOLDERS have been put on alert after a pensioner paid £500 for illegal work at his NorthEast home. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has condemned the workers who persuaded 82year-old Thomas Shaw to have his drive concreted - then took him
A BUILDER tried to trick a 90-year-old pensioner out of her life savings by charging £6,340 for a £5 job. The partially-sighted and deaf pensioner, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, gave the conman a blank cheque to pay for work to replace a single
A roofer who charged £1,037 for materials worth just £35 has been handed a suspended prison sentence. James Varey, who ran his own business, Varey Roofing, Building and Joinery, coldcalled on 57-year-old Ronald Pratt in Northallerton, North Yorkshire
POLICE are hunting two "despicable" conmen who targeted seven pensioners in one day. Detectives have issued an urgent warning after the spate of doorstep crimes in North Yorkshire. In one of the worst incidents, the two thieves stole several hundred
TASK forces have been set up to tackle the growing problem of obesity in Darlington. One in five adults in the town is classed as obese - with a body mass index of over 30 - and obesity can reduce life expectancy by up to nine years. The task forces
A £1.1M mobile gym based on one used by Ferrari Formula One champion Michael Schumacher has been unveiled in the region. Dreamt up as a way of helping people exercise more in isolated parts of Wear Valley, in County Durham, it is due to hit the road
WE'VE finally done it. Six years after The Northern Echo launched a campaign to cut waiting times for heart patients, we have hit our target. In 1999, we highlighted the disgrace of heart patients dying on the waiting list by launching The Chance To
SENIOR officials are leading from the front in the battle to improve health in a North-East town. The chief executive of Darlington Primary Care Trust, Colin Morris, is in training for the Sherwoods Chevrolet Darlington 10k Road Run, along with finance
THOUSANDS of people from accross the North-East will be in County Durham this weekend to take part in an eightmile walk through some of the region's most spectacular countryside. About 4,000 people are expected to arrive in the Weardale town of Wolsingham
Thousands of people withstood the sweltering heat to walk an eight-mile route through some of the region's most breathtaking scenery yesterday. About 4,000 walkers converged on Wolsingham, County Durham, to take part in the British Heart Foundation
ORGANISERS of one of the region's most popular sporting events have issued a reminder that the deadline for entries is looming. The Sherwoods Chevrolet Darlington 10K Road Run will be held on Sunday, August 14. Entries are already pouring in for
A TRAVELLING gym is putting residents through their paces in a quest to improve an area with one of the worst health records in the country. The £1.1m Wellness on Wheels (Wow) initiative is taking exercise on the road, reaching villages and towns in
DURHAM are hoping Steve Harmison will be fit for their second C & G Trophy match against Warwickshire at Riverside on Sunday, May 7. The England paceman has started running as he recovers from his shin injury but the opening match in the 50-over competition
ROADS were closed for several hours after sodium cyanide leaked from a tanker. About 40 firefighters worked for more than four hours to clear up the chemical, which leaked from the tanker in three locations near Portrack Lane interchange, on the A19.
THE name of former Durham carpetmaker to the Queen, Hugh Mackay, has been bought by a Middlesbrough company. The name of Hugh Mackay carpets, which went into administration and closed a year ago with the loss of 238 jobs, will be revived by Whitestone
AS if Steve McClaren did not have enough to worry about after two semi-final defeats in the space of four days, he is also now in danger of missing out on the England job that appeared to be his for the taking less than a week ago. Brazilian Luiz Felipe
NEWCASTLE UNITED are to consult top American specialist Dr Richard Steadman in yet another attempt to get to the root of Kieron Dyer's injury problems. They want Dyer's troubles sorted out once and for all, but there is a growing concern that there may
DOGS ON SHOW SEEKING HOMES: SALTBURN Animal Rescue Centre holds its monthly dog viewing on Saturday, May 6, at the bandstand, Saltburn, from 10am to noon. The charity's next monthly meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 3, at 7.30pm, in The TocH premises
THE founder of Waterstone's yesterday confirmed he was trying to buy the book chain back for £280m - but only if owner HMV drops its interest in rival Ottakar's. Tim Waterstone went public with his private equity-backed offer amid fears that HMV was stalling
THE father of missing shopworker Jenny Nicholl is facing a possible jail sentence after admitting downloading child pornography. Brian Nicholl, 49, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, appeared in court yesterday and admitted 16 charges of making indecent
UNIONS were yesterday working on a rescue package that could prevent the closure of Goodyear Dunlop's Wearside plant. Mark Wilson, regional officer of the GMB union, said talks to save the Washington tyre factory and many of the 585 jobs were still in
IT is 21 years since the bitterest industrial dispute in British history came to an end. The miners' strike was a final attempt by communities to protect a way of life that revolved around the pits. Then, coal was a dirty fuel, poisoning the atmosphere
A CORPORATE chauffeur franchise has expanded across the North-East. Minster Chauffeurs now has a presence in Darlington and Middlesbrough thanks to Richard Crofthill, a retired managing director of a haulage firm, and Steve Wells, a former Safeway supply
A NON-league football club could fold unless volunteers replace officials who are retiring. Brandon United, facing relegation from the Arngrove Northern League's first division, is losing its long-serving chairman, treasurer and secretary. Without them
TWO sisters have teamed up to promote one of the Greek islands to holidaymakers around the world. Maria Fletcher, from Hartlepool, has set up a website to boost bookings at her sister Moira's small holiday apartment rental business in Paleokastritsa,
HUGE overpayments which caused hundreds of thousands of families financial problems during the first year of Gordon Brown's flagship tax credit system appear to have been repeated in the following 12 months, according to a report published yesterday.
AS if Steve McClaren did not have enough to worry about after two semi-final defeats in the space of four days, he is also now in danger of missing out on the England job that appeared to be his for the taking less than a week ago. Brazilian Luiz Felipe
GEORGE McCARTNEY would have loved the chance from day one of the 2005/6 campaign to prove his worth with Sunderland in the Premiership. Instead, after months of injury heartbreak, McCartney spent most of the campaign on the treatment table while the club's
North-East software company Datawright has made five appointments after contract wins. The new recruits will all be based at Datawright's offices in Washington, Wearside. DAVID ILEY, PAUL CHARLTON and PETER GILLARD have all joined as software developers
CHRIS RIGGOTT has reassured Middlesbrough supporters that the heartbreak of losing the first of this week's semi-finals will not have a negative effect on their only other chance of lifting silverware this season. After the despair of missing out on the
FORMER prison officer Mark Davison has found the key to his own business. Mr Davison, 40, from Easington, County Durham, worked in the prison service for ten years until an accident forced him to retire on medical grounds. Struggling as an unemployed
ACCORDING to the old adage, "it's not what you know, it's who you know". People you have yet to meet could hold the key to a major contract, an exceptional recruit or a professional service that could save your company money. But are you making the most
SUZANNAH Clarke has a voice that can knock your socks off. It has soared round some of the top opera houses of the world. Right now, it's bouncing off the far less glamorous walls of a seminar room at the University of Teesside. Suzannah is just testing
HOT on the heels of teachers threatening industrial action over the Government's education policies, health workers are warning of strikes over job cuts in the National Health Service. Industrial action in schools will do most harm to our children. And
POETS will be reading their work at Darlington's Crown Street Library. Three North-East poets will be coming to the library to read for the Poetry Reading Group. The first session, on Wednesday, May 3, at 2pm, will be given by Bob Beagrie, from Middlesbrough
INFORMATION boards will help visitors to find their way around the historic sights of a County Durham town. Eight information boards have been commissioned to highlight the heritage of Bishop Auckland by the town's Community Partnership, working with
DARLINGTON'S failure to achieve promotion may be imminent, but former star Craig Hignett still finds it hard to accept that Quakers are not already in the division above. Hignett was part of the Darlington side that last season just missed out on the
LANDSCAPING expert Harry Turner is heading for the Far East - and the Olympics of the horticultural world. Mr Turner, who is a lecturer at Askham Bryan College, near York, will be heading to Japan in 18 months' time as both the UK Skills training manager
THE priest who officiated at the marriage of a police officer who died as he transported a prisoner to custody is coming out of retirement to conduct his funeral service. PC Joe Carroll died when his car overturned on the A69, near Corbridge, in Northumberland
DARLINGTON MP Alan Milburn is preparing to move his constituency office to new purpose-built premises on the outskirts of town. Mr Milburn, who has worked from his current office in Victoria Road for the past 14 years, is relocating to a suite in the
AS the last of the children trudged out of the new £37m Education Village yesterday, Darlington Borough Council officer Kevin Duffy breathed a sigh of relief. "It has gone extremely well today," he said. "The kids came in brilliantly, there was one small
A BOY was killed when arsonists set fire to his house in a tragic case of mistaken identity, a court heard. Dean Pike's badly burned body was found by firefighters on the landing of his home - which no longer had stairs because of the 1,000 degrees Centigrade
A TEENAGER chipped a tooth after losing control of his car on a busy trunk road in Teesside. The 19-year-old man was driving along the road in Dormanstown, Redcar, at 7.45pm last Tuesday when he lost control of his blue Peugeot near the ICI roundabout
A MAN who stabbed a bar boss during a fight outside his pub has been jailed for more than four years. Steven Downing was told he was a danger to the public and would serve a further two years on licence following his release from prison. The 26-year-old
RICHMOND MP William Hague has donated £5,000 to a £2.4m restoration project. Mr Hague presented the cheque to trustees of the Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust at an event on Friday night. Hague, Hog and Honky-Tonk saw 500 people enjoy a performance
Council chiefs have approved a 350-yard bus lane - costing £1.1m. The buses-only lane outside Newcastle City Council offices has sparked outrage as the lanes normally cost only a few thousand pounds to install. Liberal Democrat council leaders say the
A SOLDIER who is leaving the Army this week and plans to set up his own business is the latest winner of the region's Postcode Lottery £25,000 jackpot. Anthony Weldon, of Norburn Park, Witton Gilbert, who is in the DH7 6SQ postcode, leaves the Army on
PLANS have been unveiled for a £48m regeneration scheme for a north Durham community. The proposals tabled by the Esh Group aim to transform The Middles, South Stanley, with the construction of 300 homes. The plans, which have yet to be submitted for
A DURHAM multi-storey car park has received a national award for the level of security it offers. The 265-space Riverside car park, near The Gates Shopping Centre, has been granted a Safer Parking Park Mark, which was presented by Durham's Chief Constable
A SHOPPING spree in California sparked a County Durham woman into opening a bridal boutique. While staying with friends in the US, Marjorie Nightingale became enchanted by a range of gowns which she snapped up and brought home with her. "I went on to
TWO life-saving charities will benefit from an auction of promises to mark the 21st anniversary of an agricultural machinery company. Richard and Rachel Nichol, of CRG Nichol, based at Wilton, near Pickering, have organised the event, at the Knavesmire
BUSINESSES have been praised for pledging financial help towards the cost of printing a book about the heritage of the Bedale area over the past 150 years. The voluntary committee working on Reflections of Bedale, due out this year, had to work harder
A GROUP of young people are promoting the advantages of living in a multi-cultural Britain with the launch of a DVD for schools. The 17 teenagers from the Parkfield and Mill Lane area of Stockton, launched their film on Friday with the aim of helping
A RURAL market town is to lose another high street bank -the fourth to close. A branch of the Halifax, run on a franchise basis by an agency out of Paul and Co Accountants, on Galgate, Barnard Castle, has served the town for more than 20 years. However
A COUNCIL'S environmental expert visits a supermarket today as part of a recycling challenge. Asda, in Bishop Auckland, is taking part in the chain's Big Recycle month, and Wear Valley District Council's environmental project officer, Paula George, will
A BUSINESSMAN who survived a heart attack raised money from customers as a thank you to medical staff. Four months after he was rushed to the critical care unit at Bishop Auckland General Hospital, hairdresser John Rycroft went back yesterday to present
HEALTH professionals took their campaign to make all workplaces smoke-free to a town yesterday. They were on a double-decker bus that was touring North Yorkshire as part of the Smoke-free - Liberate the Workplace campaign. It is being run across the Yorkshire
WITH Alan Shearer's career hanging in the balance and Michael Owen's participation in the World Cup still uncertain, injuries are a hot topic among all football fans at the moment. So imagine my surprise when, as I sat at home nursing the knee injury
A COUNTRY lane will be closed for several days from Wednesday, May 3, while Yorkshire Water completes a project begun last summer. Contractors finished upgrading the sewer and outfall beneath the unclassified road between East View and Michary Lea, near
A SOFTWARE and services provider in the region is hoping business will flourish following a £235m deal between two US companies. Arjuna, in Newcastle, expects to win more training contracts following the acquisition of JBoss, in Atlanta, by the world's
A key part of the UK economy is the housing market, but making sense of it isn't always easy. For instance, figures released earlier this month by Nationwide show an average house price in the UK of £160,300 (Halifax, by contrast, says it is more than
OUTDOOR clothing company Barbour last night declined to comment on whether it had submitted a bid for wellington boot maker Hunter. Barbour, in South Shields, South Tyneside, last week confirmed it had requested information from accountant KPMG, which
OUTSTANDING AWARD: The Oil and Vinegar franchise, in Eldon Square, Newcastle, has won an award for outstanding performance. The accolade has been given to only five of the 100 Oil and Vinegar shops worldwide. Franchisees Mike and Gillian Ridley-Smith
A COASTGUARD told last night how his charity challenge turned to tragedy after two rescue operations on the UK's toughest peaks. One man died and two people were rescued during Paul Waugh's fundraising challenge to take on the UK's Three Peaks and the
BUSINESS in the Community North East has made two senior appointments. KAREN WILKINSON-BELL has been appointed regional director while GRAEME THOMPSON, managing director of ITV Tyne Tees, has been named chairman of the regional leadership team. Mr Thompson
A BOY was killed when arsonists set fire to his house in a tragic case of mistaken identity, a court heard. Dean Pike's badly burned body was found by firefighters on the landing of his home - which no longer had stairs because of the 1,000 degrees Centigrade
A SUMMER school could lead to a permanent escape from the daily grind for hopeful entrepreneurs across County Durham. This year, a week-long summer school is being planned by The Enterprise Group for people who dream of working for themselves. Mick Wood
BUILDERS merchant Travis Perkins has revealed that weak consumer spending was continuing to hold back sales at its Wickes operation, despite a recent pick-up in the housing market. Sales at Wickes, which was acquired in February last year, were 9.4 per
BUSINESS leaders in the region are being invited to learn more about some of the UK's most successful companies. Chief executives and senior managers are being invited to attend the Service Excellence Experience tour to find out how to build better relationships
A HOMOSEXUAL vicar who caused controversy in the Church when he married his partner in a civil ceremony last year is to retire from his position, it was announced yesterday. The Reverend Christopher Wardale, vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Darlington,
DEAN ASHTON has said sorry to Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer for the aerial challenge which is threatening to end the Aussie's World Cup dream, writes PAUL FRASER. Schwarzer underwent surgery on a fractured cheekbone at a Darlington hospital
A nice Mr Talbot from Northallerton wrote to tell me he "always" enjoys reading this column. Letters like this go into the glass case above my pictures of Lana Turner and Freddie Flintoff. In fact both of them are housed there. I wrote straight back to
EACH year, more than 46 per cent of Royal Mail's post handled in the North-East comes from a warehouse in Peterlee. The MetroMail business, part of the Saga group, handles 200 million items of mail each year, which is printed, put into envelopes and sorted
JED THIRKELL has been appointed to the sales team at Jennings Subaru's dealership in Cargo Fleet Lane, Middlesbrough. The 43-year-old, from Darlington, has more than 27 years experience in the motor industry since leaving school at 16. His first job was
ONLYTIME WILL TELL (2.30) has the look of a ready-made winner in Southwell's Betfred Million Selling Stakes. If the race were a handicap the eight-year-old would be conceding lumps of weight to most of his rivals, but being a stakes event he's able to
BOSSES at a cash-strapped hospital trust have been warned that spending cuts on temporary staff have to be speeded up. The County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is looking to shed 700 jobs over the next three years to save money and adapt
INTERNET search company Infoserve has announced plans for a £9m flotation to fund expansion plans that include the creation of more than 150 jobs on Teesside. Infoserve is based in Leeds but has the majority of its staff in a sales centre in Stockton.
A mother told yesterday how she held her seven-year-old son in her arms after he fell from a 40ft tower block. Tragically, Adam Tiffin's death was the second time in less than a month that his mother Paula had lost a child. She endured the agony of carrying
DEEPER CONCERNS: RE The Big Issue question, Should Cherie Blair pay back her hairdressing bill? (Echo, Apr 22). This is a matter for Labour Party members - the only comment I would make is that she could probably have got just as good a hairdo in Trimdon
IT might be at the opposite end of the table, but Micky Barron believes his Hartlepool United teammates can utilise their experience of fighting it out for promotion to win their relegation fight. Pool are three points from possible safety with six to
RAMPAGE: TOTAL DESTRUCTION Publisher: Midway, Platform: PS2, Price: £14.99: Family friendly? 12+ GIANT monsters laying waste to impressive cityscapes, incredible scenes of devastation, hidden power-ups and shallow gameplay - this has to be the latest
The column charts the progress of restauranter Bill Oldfield in his quest to put more eateries on the North-East map. BILL Oldfield may become the best known gentleman of that name since the former assistant chief constable of West Yorkshire, he who head-hunted
GORDON BACHE has joined North Yorkshire Timber (NYT) to lead its sales centre in Darlington. The 29-year-old was an assistant manager with B&Q and is a graduate of Strathclyde University. He has a postgraduate diploma in retail management from Manchester
CHANGES have been proposed to improve the efficiency of a hydroelectric plant at the North-East's largest reservoir. The plant, at Kielder Water, Northumberland, generates electricity from water passing through turbines in the reservoir's dam. It is operated
The past 50 years have seen the decline of coal as a fuel source in the UK. But, as Business Editor Julia Breen reports, thanks to developments in clean coal technology, the Government is viewing coal as part of the UK's energy needs. IT is 21 years since
David Cameron wants us to drive greener cars while Gordon Borwn has set hight taxes for driver of petrol guzzling 4X4s. But, asks Dr Glen Reynolds, when are politicians going to challenge the real threat of global warming - the aviation industry? WHETHER
INTERNET search company Infoserve has announced plans for a £9m flotation to fund expansion plans that include the creation of more than 150 jobs on Teesside. Infoserve is based in Leeds but has the majority of its staff in a sales centre in Stockton.
A FORMER call centre manager has started her own complementary therapy business. Gil Flynn has set up Croft Holistics, which she runs from converted premises at Sheppards Croft, School Aycliffe, County Durham. She employs a range of therapies, including
THE Newcastle office of law firm Eversheds has appointed TIM HILL to its regulatory team. He joins from rivals Dickinson Dees, where he specialised in resolving business disputes. More recently, he has specialised in civil and criminal regulatory matters
Tim and Beverly Roberts have taken over a luxury cattery in the region. In the past, the couple had trusted the Rainton Gate Luxury Cats' Hotel to look after their pets and jumped at the chance to run the business. Mr Roberts will continue as an air traffic
Crutes Law Firm has appointed family law expert CHRISTINE BLOUNT. Ms Blount, who joins from a County Durham practice, has been appointed as unit manager and will lead the firm's family department. She has experience in family cases, including children's
THE priest who officiated at the marriage of a police officer who died as he transported a prisoner to custody is coming out of retirement to conduct his funeral service. PC Joe Carroll died when his car overturned on the A69, near Corbridge, in Northumberland
AN increasing number of global companies are addressing the problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions. In a report by US investment organisation Ceres, 76 US and 24 non-US top 100 companies were profiled, giving most credit to those with a sustained
A HUSBAND and wife team have opened a visitor attraction. Mark and Jackie Wilson have set up Playdale Farm Park at their home in Cayton, Scarborough, North Yorkshire. For more information about prices and opening times, contact Playdale Farm Park, on
AS the second shift clocked on for work at the Peugeot factory in Ryton, Coventry, last week, no one had any inkling that company managers were on their way to deliver bad news. Although none of the staff were in any doubt that the ageing plant was fighting
AN Internet company has installed a network across the region that it hopes could increase its turnover to £8.5m next year. Knowledge IT, in Washington, Wearside, has spent £1m installing its Nexent system in North-East exchanges. The system allows it
CHRIS RIGGOTT has reassured Middlesbrough supporters that the heartbreak of losing the first of this week's semi-finals will not have a negative effect on their only other chance of lifting silverware this season. After the despair of missing out on the
A TEENAGE thug has been locked up for three years for a series of street robberies on youngsters. Scott Kirwan stole mobile phones from most of his victims after attacking them or threatening to beat them up. A court was told yesterday how 19-year-old
l FINANCE broker Tees Valley Finance, in Stockton, which specialises in helping businesses find finance, has recruited SARAH HAIGH as vehicle and business development manager. The company was launched in September by Derek Kewley, with his wife, Kendra
BRASS band-playing twins Ben and Tim Cauldwell have earned their Duke of Edinburgh gold award thanks to their musicianship. The pair travelled to France as part of a music ensemble for the residential part of the award and helped with a Scout group for
A 24-year-old man was rescued from a cherry picker 30ft above the ground, after its supporting legs collapsed and it fell against the Sage offices in Gosforth, Newcastle, yesterday. A spokesman for the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said the man
DARLINGTON will try to hold on to its floral crown tomorrow when the Northumbria in Bloom judges make their first visit of the year. Two judges will tour the town for the spring judging of the competition. Darlington is competing in the small city category
THE Ingleby Barwick Residents Network will be holding a car boot and table top sale on Saturday, May 20, from 10am to 2pm. Up to 5,000 people are expected to flock to the sale in and around All Saints School, near Tesco roundabout. Entry will cost 50p
A leading Darlington Conservative has died at the age of 84. Ian Walter Forrestal Paterson died on Monday, April 17, at Darlington Memorial Hospital. Mr Paterson was born in 1921 and attended Holy Family School and St Mary's Grammar School, in Darlington
JED THIRKELL has been appointed to the sales team at Jennings Subaru's dealership in Cargo Fleet Lane, Middlesbrough. The 43-year-old, from Darlington, has more than 27 years experience in the motor industry since leaving school at 16. His first job was
YOUNGSTERS on Teesside have looked to the past to improve their playtime activities. Old-fashioned playground games, involving hoops and skipping ropes, have been uniting children, increasing exercise and reducing playground incidents at Lakes Primary
PEOPLE with mobility difficulties can explore Tees Valley Nature Reserves thanks to an electric scooter event. Stockton Borough Council is running the Scenes of Stockton ramble in partnership with Stockton Shopmobility, on Monday, for users of electric
A mother told yesterday how she held her seven-year-old son in her arms after he fell from a 40ft tower block. Tragically, Adam Tiffin's death was the second time in less than a month that his mother Paula had lost a child. She endured the agony of carrying
PUPILS can enjoy a new £3,000 all-weather play area built by volunteers at a primary school. The hard playing surface took 12 volunteers nearly 140 hours to build at Knayton Primary School. A hundred square metres of grass was replaced with 15 tonnes
THREE explosions last night rocked the Egyptian resort city of Dahab at the height of the tourist season, killing at least 22 people and wounding more than 150 at one hotel. The attackers struck a day after al Qaida chief Osama bin Laden issued a taped
MEMBERS of a village dramatic society are rehearsing for a musical revue to be held next month. The show, in Hutton Rudby, will begin by celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Sound of Music, with songs and sketches. Part of the performance will be in
HELP and advice will be available today for people in east Durham caring for young people with special needs. The event for parents and carers is being staged at Shotton Hall, in Peterlee, by East Durham Positive Inclusion Partnership (EDPIP). A total
A COUNCIL has been encouraging tenants to keep their rent account clear of arrears by entering them into a free prize draw. Tenants living in Wear Valley, who have a clear rent account and no breaches of tenancy, were entered into the draw last month
Villagers celebrated the Queen's 80th birthday at the weekend. Although the Queen's birthday was on Friday, people in Hutton Magna, near Barnard Castle, held their festivities on Sunday. Dozens of residents turned out to celebrate in the village hall,
A MAN who overcame learning difficulties to write a book sold copies to raise money for his local church. Jason Wilson, 22, of Coundon, could not read or write until recently, but last year penned Travels of a Grasshopper, about his time travelling around
A Take That fan lost her unborn baby and is fighting for her life after going into labour at the opening show of the band's tour. The woman left her seat just before the end of the gig and went in toilets where she collapsed. She was rushed to hospital
A THEATRE company has been created to perform open air plays in the Dales based on local legends. The Penny Plain theatre company grew from an idea for a fringe festival at Grassington, in Wharfedale, and rehearsals have started on the first production
A multi-million pound legal clash between Darlington-based Cleveland Bridge and the contractors for the new Wembley Stadium gets underway in the High Court today. A specialist judge in the Technology and Construction Court in London will hear the complex
PREPARATIONS for the grand re-opening of a historic park got under way yesterday with a warm-up concert from a brass band. Parts of Darlington's South Park have been closed for several months while a £3.9m restoration project has been carried out. It
TIM Rawlinson has joined specialist recruitment agency Primary Asset Recruitment. The 38-year-old, from Washington, Wearside, has been appointed business development manager at Primary Asset's Newcastle Quayside headquarters. He has ten years' experience
The threat of industrial action in the NHS was rising last night as the Government failed to soothe mounting anger over job losses and privatisation of services. Union bosses warned they would not stand by and watch staff suffering in a "climate of fear
AN investment fund has poured more than £4.2m into science and technology companies during the past two years. NorthStar Equity Investors' fund has helped to develop the commercial potential of a number of inventions. The North-East Proof of Concept Fund
IT'LL BE 25 years on Tuesday since a North-East team won at Wembley. Managed by the extravagantly permed Colin Richardson, Whickham of the Wearside League beat Willenhall Town 3-2 in the FA Vase final after being two down in ten minutes. The programme
LINGFIELD Warehousing has appointed SIMON GINSBERG as business development manager. He will work with potential occupiers to attract more businesses to the warehouse developments at Lingfield Point business park, in Darlington. Marchday, owner of Lingfield
NEWCASTLE UNITED are to consult top American specialist Dr Richard Steadman in yet another attempt to get to the root of Kieron Dyer's injury problems. They want Dyer's troubles sorted out once and for all, but there is a growing concern that there may
DEAN ASHTON has said sorry to Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer for the aerial challenge which is threatening to end the Aussie's World Cup dream, writes PAUL FRASER. Schwarzer underwent surgery on a fractured cheekbone at a Darlington hospital
THE man who died after his Mazda 323 collided with a brick wall on Middlesbrough's Ladgate Lane in the early hours of Monday has been named by police. Alan Coxon, 31, from the Park End area of the town, was travelling eastbound along Ladgate Lane when
OUT-OF-HOURS clubs will get a boost to their publicity thanks to The Northern Echo's Communigate free web-hosting service. Staff from Busybodies, in Ouston, and Dipton Out of School Hours Club, both in County Durham, have been attending training sessions
THE father of missing shopworker Jenny Nicholl is facing a possible jail sentence after admitting downloading child pornography. Brian Nicholl, 49, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, appeared in court yesterday and admitted 16 charges of making indecent
We may be a nation of couch potatoes, but it seems that nowadays we spend more time slumped in front of our computer screens than glued to the traditional goggle box. Like many other people who grew up during the so-called golden age of TV, I have been
NEARLY 5,000 Romanian and Bulgarian workers could move to the North-East after their countries join the EU, an influential think-tank claims. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) today publishes a report that predicts 56,000 people will migrate
I last wrote about the increase in commodity prices nearly nine months ago. That related to China's massive appetite for base metals and raw materials, which showed no signs of letting up. Since then, the four main UK-listed mining companies have continued
Changes to planning rules that will shape the development of our region in years to come have moved closer following a public inquiry earlier this month. A panel of four inspectors invited interested parties who had made submissions to last year's public
A survey carried out by the Institute of Advanced Motorists back in February found that as many as 75 per cent of working drivers receive neither an assessment of their driving skills nor any training. Almost as many were not given any guidance on simple
A HOMOSEXUAL vicar who caused controversy in the Church when he married his partner in a civil ceremony last year is to retire from his position, it was announced yesterday. The Reverend Christopher Wardale, vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Darlington,
LANDSCAPING expert Harry Turner is heading for the Far East - and the Olympics of the horticultural world. Mr Turner, who is a lecturer at Askham Bryan College, near York, will be heading to Japan in 18 months' time as both the UK Skills training manager
A HARLEY-Davidson riding grandmother is the newest member of the management team at construction group MMP. Lesley Clode is every inch the experienced, professional head of human resources - until she hits the road to unwind. The 52-year-old grandmother
