SICK thugs who shot a horse through the eye at point blank range have reinforced the region's reputation as the animal cruelty capital of the country. RSPCA officials have condemned the attack that left a 16-year-old loveable horse without an eye and
A CONVICTED child rapist has been barred for life from mixing with young people after allegations he tried to groom two teenage girls. John Neville Kay, of Bridge Street, Stockton, was given an indefinite sexual offences prevention order at Teesside
The Redcar Bears face the Sheffield Tigers home and away this week and within 24 hours. The Tigers, having grabbed pole position in the Premier League, lost at home last Thursday to lowly Stoke and are determined to bounce back in style with
AN array of acting talent from Australia and New Zealand takes time off from making big Hollywood movies to act their socks off in a drama set in the Sydney suburbs. You can see the attraction for them after fluffy mainstream US movies but director
SMALL to big screen transfers usually go one of two ways - a slavish recreation of the original but with a bigger budget or a spoof-life approach with knowing nods to the source material. Michael Mann, who executive produced the original 1980s TV Miami
US5 are the new sensational boyband brought to us from the man who gave us Backstreet Boys, Nsync and O Town - Lou Pearlman. US5 have been taking the UK by storm doing many festivals and gigs up and down the country. US5 will be meeting fans and
DJ Shadow, widely regarded as one of the most ground-breaking and influential artists in modern music, has announced his first major UK tour in 4 years. The dates featuring several special guests, follow the much anticipated September 18th release
The Divine Comedy are set to play Newcastle University in support of their current critically acclaimed album 'Victory For The Comic Muse'. The latest single 'To Die A Virgin' will be the second single to be taken from the acclaimed album 'Victory
Currently on tour of the US, RANCID have just announced UK dates. The Californian punks, formed by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong in 1991, have over 150 songs to choose from every night and each set will be unique in itself. In other words you
A MAN who received a liver transplant recalled today the emotional meeting he held with the donors Australian family. John Gaffing, 49, from Gateshead, would have died from liver failure had Brett Vaughan not carried a donor card. The 28-year-old from
ONE of two workers badly burned in a flash fire at a refinery has died of his injuries. The man, who was in his 50s and an electrical supervisor at the Conoco Phillips complex at Seal Sands, Teesside, received first degree burns while he was in an electricity
FORMER Newcastle and England manager Sir Bobby Robson was released from hospital today, two days after being taken ill at a football match. Sir Bobby, 73, complained of feeling unwell while watching Ipswich Town's home game against Crystal Palace on
FORMER Newcastle and England manager Sir Bobby Robson was released from hospital today, two days after being taken ill at a football match. Sir Bobby, 73, complained of feeling unwell while watching Ipswich Town's home game against Crystal Palace on
THE RAF flew in for a spring clean at a North Yorkshire church at the weekend. A successful fundraising effort by Councillor Pamela Anderson, chairwoman of Ryedale District Council, played a key role in the regeneration of the village church at Amotherby
MORE stallholders are to be allowed to sell goods at farmers' markets in the Harrogate district. New radius rules for markets in Ripon Market Place and Harrogate town centre have been introduced. There had been complaints that the events, controlled by
MEMBERS of the public can have their say on the fire service's community safety proposals in the coming weeks. Six public meetings are being held in Hambleton. Among the issues up for discussion will be the controversial introduction of eight community
CHRISTIANS from the Richmond area travel to Africa later this year to help a charity which provides hope and a new start for prisoners. Jenny Hargreaves, from Richmond, local contact for the Christian Prisoners' Support Network (CPSN), and Suzanne Wood
A NEW crimefighting vehicle has taken to the road in North Yorkshire. Hambleton Community Safety Partnership has replaced the leased car that it has been providing for police for the past year. The car means community safety staff and neighbourhood policing
A RECORD number of children are using North Yorkshire's libraries. To celebrate the milestone, the county council is offering a free £10 book token to parents who register babies aged under six months as library members this month. Any static or mobile
A FELL walking club celebrating its 30th anniversary is looking for new members to join its ranks. The North Yorkshire Fell Club was started in 1976 and it holds walks every Sunday. It is holding an open day on Sunday, September 1, and is open to all
A TOWN'S public toilets are to be reviewed at a meeting on Wednesday. Hartlepool Borough Council's neighbourhood services scrutiny forum meets in the Civic Centre at 2pm, and residents can air their views. The examination follows a report to the council's
ORGANISERS ensured everything was at its blooming best as judging teams from Britain in Bloom descended on Harrogate. With a host of floral successes to its credit, Harrogate is bidding to become the first Champion of Champions. The town has reached the
A SPORTS enthusiast has landed his dream job. Simon Magson, 31, from Middlesbrough, has been appointed as Tees Valley Sport's new marketing, communications and events officer. Based at the University of Teesside, he will be responsible for promoting sport
POLICE have called for a review of a nightclub's licence following a number of incidents, including fights and under-age drinking. Shades, in Church Street, Hartlepool, has a licence to open until 4am. And although it is only open three nights a week,
A PARK will stay open while environment officials investigate poor water quality in a lake. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has assured residents that Locke Park, in Redcar, will remain open after pollution in the lake was discovered by the council's
COUPLES are being invited to say 'I do' again at a wedding fair later this month. Stockton Borough Council is inviting four couples to renew their marriage vows as part of its annual Wedding Fayre at Preston Hall, Eaglescliffe, on Sunday, August 27 and
POLICE are looking for a man in connection with a bottle of Champagne which was removed from a shop display. A police spokesman said the suspect entered the Co-op store in Sherburn at 8.10pm on Wednesday, June 14. He is alleged to have removed champagne
DAREDEVIL skateboarders showed off their skills on Saturday to fight it out for £1,000 in prize money. Hundreds of spectators gathered at Prissick Plaza skatepark, in Middlesbrough, as competitors demonstrated their talents on rails, steps, banks and
A LINK road from a proposed 24-mile motorway to a nearby village would damage an important nature conservation area, councillors are being warned. A special meeting of the environment committee of Richmondshire District Council will be held next Monday
The sunshine brought a big crowd to Middleton Carnival leaving organisers celebrating one of their most successful days. More than 1,000 people joined the fun on the school playing field on Saturday. They saw juggling, fire-eating, kites, helicopter displays
MOLE catcher George Bell took centre stage at the reopening of a village hall for two remote North Pennine communities. The 80-year-old delighted guests and locals with tales from his youth spent in the hall at Cowshill, in Upper Weardale, which has
A DISUSED cemetery sprang to life at the weekend with a host of activities, to celebrate the awarding of two grants, which will help restore the area. The Friends of Houghton Hillside Cemetery were granted £25,000 by the Local Heritage Initiative and
AUDIENCES were treated to the colour and rhythms of South Asian music and dance at the weekend. Kalapremi - Vividha, which means variety, was held in the grounds of the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery on Saturday and Sunday. The free
A SENIOR police communications officer has admitted Durham Constabulary got it wrong over two controversial call centres introduced to field non-emergency calls throughout the county. Chief Inspector David Cromarty made the admission during a debate with
THE Derwentside Domestic Violence Forum has unveiled plans for a conference at the Beamish Hall Country Hotel, near Stanley, on October 11 and 12. The forum's patron, Erin Pizzey, founder of the world's first women's refuge, will be speaking, as will
A SPORTING contest came of age in Bishop Auckland yesterday after a team of hospital doctors beat a cricket club XI at their own game. For 21 years, medics from Bishop Auckland General Hospital have challenged a side from the town's cricket club to a
A SENIOR police communications officer has admitted Durham Police got it wrong over two controversial call centres introduced to field non-emergency calls. Chief Inspector David Cromarty made the admission during a public meeting in Shildon called by
MINSTERS Restaurant took the first prize in Sedgefield Civic Trust's annual floral competition, which is open to all village gardens viewable from road or pathway. They will receive the George Robinson Trophy for commercial properties at a presentation
A SHOOTING syndicate and a restoration project have won annual North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty conservation awards. Garrigill Shoot won the natural environment category for habitat work at Yad Moss, on the high moors between Teesdale
THOUSANDS of people attended the 99th annual Osmotherley Show on Saturday. The show, on land at Home Farm, in Thimbleby, North Yorkshire, attracted a good turnout of horses, cattle and sheep. Visitors had the chance to watch sheep shearing demonstrations
PRIME Minster Tony Blair could face another election challenge from the father who caused him one of the most uncomfortable moments of his career. Reg Keys, who was driven to stand as a candidate in last year's General Election by the death of his 19-
A FORMER amateur footballer called on some big names from the professional game to help him buy back the use of his legs. Multiple sclerosis sufferer Kevin Cooper, a director at Crook Town FC, in County Durham, faces life in a wheelchair unless he can
THE mother of a four-year-old boy who died when fire swept through the family home has revealed his last words to her were: "I love you." Tommy Shotton had been in bed and wished mother Diane Curry good night when she went upstairs to check on him. Fire
THOUSANDS of spectators watched bikers on machines of all shapes and sizes for the 12th Bikewise event at the weekend. The event, staged by Durham Police's motorcycle section at its headquarters at Aykley Heads, Durham City, featured everything from a
TAKING a dip in a hot springs spa in the style of the Romans is a realistic prospect for visitors to a planned eco village, according to a study. Reports on geothermal hot water supplies at the proposed Renewable Energy Village at Eastgate, County Durham
CAMPAIGNERS in the North-East have criticised the Government's fight against alcohol abuse as problems continue to worsen in the region. North-East Regional Alcohol Forum (NERAF) chairman Kevan Martin last night spoke out against the lack of impact of
HOMECOMING hero Pete Shoulder made a triumphant return to his native North-East during a surprise appearance at the country's biggest free blues festival. The up-and-coming guitarist received a rapturous welcome when he performed a guest spot with the
TELEVISION presenter Griff Rhys Jones visited the region at the weekend to film a landmark for the BBC series Restoration. The Heugh Gun Battery, in Hartlepool, will appear on the series on Friday, September 8. It is one of the competing sites in the
NEW security arrangements and restrictions on alcohol meant a free music festival passed without incident at the weekend. Thirty-nine bands, with London ska-punk band Spunge playing the top spot, featured in the Richmond Live event, which began on The
A 69-year-old steam locomotive is back on track. Admirers of the Sir Nigel Gresley, named after its designer, thronged platforms at its permanent home on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) at the weekend. It was returned to service after a complete
CROOK'S FOR ME: I WOULD like to say a very big thank you to the kind, caring and thoughtful person who found my purse on a bench in Crook town centre on a busy Friday afternoon. This act of honesty restored my faith in the human race as this, unfortunately
NUMBER thirteen is considered unlucky for some although this may not be the case for Knot In Wood (3.20) at Ripon this afternoon. A high draw in sprints has often conferred a significant advantage this season and jockey Paul Hanagan will doubtless make
Being appointed visiting professor of music at Northumbria University means a welcome homecoming for opera star Graeme Danby. He talks to Steve Pratt about his North-East roots and his passion for Newcastle United. ONE night, Consett-born opera star Graeme
The Story Of Light Entertainment (BBC2); The Miracles Of Jesus (BBC1); Blizzard: Race To The Pole (BBC2): Radio, said Ed Stewpot Stewart at the start of The Story Of Light Entertainment, "was the mother of television - and they're still looking for
GRANSTON produced a characteristically gritty display to capture Thirsk's feature race on the Saturday, the £14,000 Ekos Consulting Handicap. Plenty of thoroughbreds prove to be big softies when the chips are down, but not Granston, who despite shouldering
A REUNION has been held in Darlington of young people involved with a Princes's Trust group. The Bishop Auckland Prince's Trust team celebrated its fourth anniversary with a party at the 96.6 tfm arena. The party was attended by more than 100 former students
AFTER a 30-year break, Alan Fothergill returned to his roots by signing up for a further education course. He completed a bricklaying apprenticeship at Darlington College in 1976, and has become the first person to sign up for a building diploma at the
CARDIAC patients in Darlington have used pedal power to help keep hearts beating across the UK. Patients attending the cardiac rehabilitation scheme at Eastbourne Leisure Centre got on their exercise bikes to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation's
PLANTERS are being installed in Darlington town centre this week as part of the Pedestrian Heart project. Several granite planters are being put it place to create a floral feature in the events space in Prospect Place. Officials from Darlington Borough
A SENIOR police communications officer has admitted Durham Police got it wrong over two controversial call centres introduced to field non-emergency calls. Chief Inspector David Cromarty made the admission during a public meeting in Shildon called by
A SCHOOL is opening a cafe to provide a safe place for its students to socialise in the evenings. The Chill Out Cafe, at Hummersknott School, in Darlington, will open at the start of the academic year in September, and will offer an out-of-hours safe
THERE are times when the law is so clearly letting society down, it is hard to understand why action hasn't been taken sooner. How can it be right, for example, for magazines to be allowed to promote "evidence erasing" software which allows paedophiles
PLANS for a multi-million pound housing and leisure development have been submitted. The company behind the £80m Coatham Links development in Redcar, east Cleveland, submitted its planning application to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. Work on
Hartlepool Utd 0 Swindon Town 1 ONE game down, 45 to go and Swindon Town might as well dish out an end of season award now.As far as individual performances go, Peter Brezovan's will take some beating this season.The Slovakian, making his debut after
Newcastle Utd 3 Villareal 3 NICKY Butt may have evoked memories of a World Cup qualifier with Argentina four years ago, after his virtuoso cameo performance against Villarreal on Saturday, but it is still unlikely the United midfielder's future remains
A CANCER survivor who was told she may never be a mother has defied medics by giving birth to triplets.Rebecca Hillary, 23, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in 2001, was warned that chemotherapy and radiotherapy may save her life, but would probably
IT'S been a long time in coming but Darlington RA finally celebrated their first win of the season in the Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division on Saturday.And they did so in style, defeating reigning champions Saltburn by a
A PREMIERSHIP boss and three of his former stars are believed to have lost about £250,000 after they invested in a mobile phone venture.Fulham manager Chris Coleman, 36, and his former players, Andy Melville, 37, Alan Neilson, 34, and Newcastle United
DAY-TRIPPERS escaped with their lives when the roof of their double-decker bus was sliced off beneath a railway bridge.Three people, including a 13-year-old boy, were last night still in hospital. Another three were released after treatment.Witnesses
FORMER Newcastle and England manager Sir Bobby Robson was released from hospital today, two days after being taken ill at a football match. Sir Bobby, 73, complained of feeling unwell while watching Ipswich Town's home game against Crystal Palace on
GARETH Southgate will step up his efforts to draft in new blood this week after seeing his Middlesbrough side succumb to Newcastle target Dirk Kuyt.The Feyenoord skipper wrapped up a comfortable two-goal win for the Dutch outfit in a game that only confirmed
Christony Companions, a North-East escort agency, is set to feature in a doumentary on Channel 4. Women's Editor Sarah Foster meets its owners and learns the truth about what it does.MY first contact with Christony Companions is on the phone. I've got
SUNDERLAND boss Niall Quinn expects to have at least two new signings in the squad to face fellow promotion hopefuls Birmingham on Wednesday night.The Black Cats kicked off their Championship campaign with a defeat at Coventry yesterday, with Quinn admitting
VIOLENCE was stepped up by both sides in the Middle East conflict yesterday, as diplomats in New York tried to reach agreement on a United Nations Security Council resolution to stop the bloodshed.Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired a massive barrage
PAEDOPHILES should not be able to escape prosecution by simply wiping child porn images from their computer hard drives, campaigners said yesterday.The law should be changed to allow the prosecution of perverts who use so-called "evidence erasing" software
READERS' letters are a vital part of a newspaper but they can't all be published. Sometimes it's simply a lack of space and sometimes it's for legal or ethical reasons. Delicate judgements have to be made.For example, I once had to reject a female correspondent's
Darlington 4 Macclesfield 0 AS far as dream starts go, David Hodgson's newly-assembled side have wasted little time in confirming their intentions for the season. Any reservations Hodgson may have had about fielding a starting line-up which contained
Coventry City 2 Sunderland 1 IN years gone by, being sent to Coventry implied being shunned or ignored. Perhaps Niall Quinn should have realised that the Midlands city was hardly the best of places in which to kick-start his footballing revolution.Given
WORK at a chemical plant rocked by an explosion is still suspended two months after the blast. Production at the Terra Nitrogen site on Teesside was halted by safety officials after the incident, which took place at the start of June. Two workers were
