Archive

WHEN an agent goes undercover and becomes truly 'native', how much can you trust him? CIA agent John Wells is the only one to crack Al Qaida, but in the process has turned Muslim and become disenchanted with American policy. He is sent back to his

EVIL has taken to the steamy streets of Philadelphia and detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano are landed with the hottest case around - tracking down a killer who recreates Hollywood's most horrifying murder scenes, capturing them on film and inserting

FORMER Mossad agent Juval Aviv had a hand in many of the Israeli intelligence agency's most high-level operations and his thriller, based on the mysterious death of Robert Maxwell, reflects his experiences. Although Maxwell died bankrupt and disgraced

A SWEEPING, emotional, rollercoaster of a novel that chronicles the lives of English actress Harriet Smithson and French composer Hector Berlioz, who meet after Harriet embarks on a bold project to bring Shakespeare to Paris. The time is 1827 and Smithson

NED Kelly is in Palm Beach paradise. A job that is a holiday with pay; a babe, Tess, who is too sexy for her bikini and a $5m heist that just can't go wrong. When it does and Tess and the rest of his crew are dead meat, Ned is left running for his

MAFIA boss Don Dominic Cavello has hundreds of crimes on his conscience and hundreds of influential people in his pocket and so it should come as no surprise when he pulls a stunt that wrecks an unbreakable case. Feisty actress and reluctant juror

A new world sauvignon this week, it has a straw yellow colour and a bouquet of flowery peaches. On the palate there are tropical fruit and citrus flavours with a little gooseberry in the background. It's 12% alcohol with perfectly balanced acidity. A

A FACTORY worker has died after an altercation with a colleague at a County Durham meat packing plant this morning. Police and the ambulance service were called to Jacksons Wholesale Meat Supplies, in Moor View, Wheatley Hill at 6.30am after a 59-year-old

DETECTIVES investigating a sex attack in a park have made a further appeal for witnesses. Police say they are still hunting three men who carried out a serious sexual assault on a woman in West Bank Park in York on Thursday, July 27. Officers have been

A BRAZEN car thief is travelling around North-East garages stealing a series of progressively more expensive vehicles. The man went to a car dealership on Yarm Road, Stockton, at around 5.15pm yesterday and spoke to a salesman with a view to taking a

AS war correspondent Kate Adie says in her foreword: "I came a child to Boldron, near Barnard Castle, and never realised that a decade before, the local farmers had relied on the Land Girls in their Aertex shirts and corduroys; that rows of barracks at

HOW about this? "Helen passed illegal substances on to Telemachus and Menelaus and, if she lived today, would have been nicked faster than you can say, 'Let's see what's in your amphora, sunshine'." Alex Boot writes with scintillating wit and panache

A LOUSY LULLABY When I grow up, Gran, what will I be? Will I join in Big Brother, be a star on TV? Sing on Pop Idol, find fame for a day? Make a few millions selling stuff on e-bay. Play footie for England, score goals willy nilly Win on the

RIGHT TO DIE: Many readers will have seen recent episodes of the ITV soap Emmerdale, particularly the one in which Sam gave in to wife Alice's pleas for help to die. Alice had suffered from lymphoma for months and the cancer had spread to her brain

A THAI prostitute today admitted to running a brothel in Darlington. Woranut Brown, 41, took an "active role" in the day-to-day management of the massage parlour, in the town's Duke Street, and was paid £80 a week. The premises were raided by police

QUESTION Indi was diagnosed with haemobartonella following an operation for a suspected twisted gut proved a misdiagnosis. He has subsiquently been getting over the opperation (having to have his stitches re-done as they came apart-due to the steroids

QUESTION My cat has developed arthritis and my vet. told me to give her one baby asprin every three days. I have always heard that asprin is poisonous to cats. What shoud I do? Rosetta ANSWER Dear Rosetta Asprin is very toxic in cats and even a very

QUESTION My cat has had her thyroid removed because she had hyperthyroidism. She seemed well after the operation but then seemed to be in some pain. She had to be taken into my vet's surgery for two nights to get some pain relief before being x-rayed

QUESTION What can I do to help my cat retain her apetite? I am now giving her intravenous daily. She has tested negative for diabeties. I have tried force feeding erher milk and baby potted meat. I know she is old but I could like to make her last days

QUESTION My cat was prescribed synoquin to help with arthritis. After one capsule his previously slight kidney problem became acute resulting in 48 hours on a drip before the decision was taken that nothing could be done. Could the synoquin and the sudden

QUESTION I have a male cat who loudly meowes over and over again when he wants fed - I try to not feed him until he quietens down but it is very hard as he will meow loudy and repeatedly until he gets what he wants and he normally ends up being sick

QUESTION I have had my British shorthair since he was a kitten, unfortunately he was sold to us with a permanent allergy to almost every food type without the breeder telling us. He went to the vet many many times and lastly had a blood test done to

QUESTION My cat is constantly drinking water, also loss of appitite. It's always been a thin animal but I think weight loss as well. Is diabites possible? Sarah ANSWER Dear Sarah I would think that your cat is more likely to have problems with kidney

QUESTION I am getting a cat from the RSPCA and he suffers from diarreoha. I've tried him all sorts of food and the only one that seams to work is Eukanuba intestinal but this is becomeing rather expensive. He has been on treatment for it but no luck

QUESTION One of my cats has just been diagnosed with a struvite problem, it was so sever that she's been hospitalised for three days after being unable to pee. The big problem is that she's a fussy eater; other problems are that I have to feed two cats

QUESTION My tom Brian has recurring worm problems. I give him tablets every 3 months to no avail. Would taking him to a vet for treatment be any more beneficial? Tracy Craig ANSWER Dear Tracy It would be worth speaking to your vet about alternative

QUESTION My female cat is pregant can I de-flea her, what can I use that is safe? Thanks Maz ANSWER Dear Maz There are a number of very effective and safe products available from your vet (the best ones are prescription only) which are safe to use

QUESTION Two years ago, my 16 year old tabby was given 6 months to live due to extensive cancer in her intestinal tract and bowels. I have been taking her for chemotherapy and steroid treatments and she seems to be doing well. She has the occasional

QUESTION My cat has just been diagnosed with a tumour in the colon and local lymph gland. What is the optimum treatment and what else can we do to prolong his quality of life? Sarah ANSWER Dear Sarah It really depends where the tumour is. If the

QUESTION My cat was diagnosed with FIV in July 2002. After an initial steroid booster and anti-biotics he was ok. I have since been giving him vitamin and mineral supplements and he has not been ill at all. Is it possible that a mistake could have been

SUNDERLAND defender George McCartney has joined West Ham in a deal worth £1m with Clive Clarke joining the Black Cats.

QUESTION Our 14 year old cat was, until a few months ago, the picture of health and very fit and young for her years. The she began to vomit fairly regularly, particularly after meals and I thought I could see some weight loss, although the vet did not

We have two British short hair cats that are nearly two years old. Just recently we have had problems with them weeing on the bed and on the sofa and even a small amount in their cat basket. We're not sure if its one or both of them. We've taken them

My cat, Max is a male, one year and eight months old. About a week ago, Max developed a urinary blockage, my vet said to bring him to the clinic that very night ... he is thank god, very good and very dedicated. There was a great deal of blood in the

I have two cats, one male Persian and one female with short black hair that I adopted when she was pregnant. They both get on great together and both use the litter trays provided usually without problems. The only problem I have is that the female

My cat suffers from cystitis of which he was diagnosed with a year ago. Since then he has been eating s/d hills. Eight weeks ago he was constipated and had to have an operation to remove the bowel content. On the x-ray it showed that he has a problem

Publisher: Empire Formats: PS2, PC Price: £34.99 Family friendly? 3+ ARCADE-inspired racing titles have endured a hard time on the PS2 ever since Burnout 3: Takedown raised the bar almost impossibly

Publisher: Vivendi Universal Formats: PSP Price: £34.99 Family friendly? 18+ Oh how this game could have been rubbish. The last stab at a Miami Vice game was so bad it almost hurt to play. But

A REUNION has been held in Darlington of young people involved with a Prince'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

A RECYCLING roadshow will take a pitch next to regular traders at Hambleton's markets this week. The district council is working with environmental group Enventure to raise recycling awareness among the district's residents. Officers will give advice

WELLWISHERS gathered to mark the 90th birthday of a former mayor who still campaigns avidly as a town councillor. Grace Buckle, a member of Richmond Town Council for 24 years, was treated to a party at the town hall. She was mayor of the town in 1987

A VILLAGE plagued by vandals - some believed to be as young as 13 - is to become a priority zone for police. Swinton, near Malton, has been declared a hot-spot following the latest incident in which 87 beer cans and 478 beer bottles, many of them broken

WHITBY Community College has come out of special measures. Ofsted inspectors say the college is making satisfactory progress towards raising standards and performance and has been removed from special measures status. They say teachers' planning has

A HEALTH professional who began his working life as a hospital kitchen porter has been appointed senior physiotherapist working with adults with learning disabilities. Louis Bell, originally from Consett, first joined the NHS in 1992, delivering food

AN initiative has been launched by Scarborough firefighters to keep youngsters busy during the summer holidays. Play with Football Not with Fire has been organised in partnership with Scarborough Football Club and the East Riding County Football Association

DURHAM MP Roberta Blackman-Woods has announced the winner of her Youth Hostel competition. The lucky person is Annah Thompson, of Framwellgate School, who will attend a one-week hostel residential camp with friend Kayleigh Ridley. Ms Blackman-Woods met

ONE shopper will win £200 in vouchers just for parking their car this week. The car park at the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, in Durham City, has been declared crime-free for the seventh consecutive year, and presented with the Park Mark accreditation

BUSINESSWOMEN from North Yorkshire gathered for the first event at a newly-opened centre. The Women in Business day was the inaugural conference at the Innovate centre, at Colburn. More than 25 delegates attended the seminar, which aimed to raise awareness

A PARISH Council is appealing to villagers to help police catch vandals who smashed up three roadside seats. Three of the four wood and wrought-iron seats, on a verge in Kaysburn Road End, Langley Park, were attacked at the weekend and badly damaged,

FANS of Abba can catch one of the best tribute bands to the Swedish stars. The show, Abba!, is being held at the Galtres Centre, in Easingwold, on Friday, October 13. Tickets are £12 for adults and £10 for children with early booking recommended. The

BIKERS are raising cash for a conservation site. More than 100 motorbike enthusiasts are expected to head for Washington Wetland Centre tomorrow for a charity ride-out across the town. The centre's car park became the venue for a new regional bike meet

RESIDENTS' views are needed on plans to provide cash and advice to elderly and disabled homeowners living in poor accommodation. Richmondshire District Council's draft private sector housing assistance policy follows a survey of privately-owned homes

CCTV CAMERAS: RE Liberal Democrat Councillor Ben Ord's letter about CCTV cameras at Spennymoor (HAS, Page 4, Aug 2). Criticism is, perhaps, implied at the fact that only Liberal Democrat councillors and the police were in attendance at the St Paul's

HUNDREDS of people enjoyed the hustle and bustle of a Georgian country fair at a popular open-air museum. The event was recreated at the Beamish Museum, near Stanley, where there were authentic tents from the early 1800s, demonstrations of corn-dolly

THERE is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats, Ratty told Mole. Taking a page out of Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, the Tales From The Tees storytelling festival is this year taking to the river

HOUSEHOLDERS are being urged to keep their properties secure over the summer months. Sedgefield Community Safety Partnership has issued guidelines which cover a number of key areas. Residents are being reminded of the dangers of leaving windows open

A MAN was stabbed yesterday. The 23-year-old man was attacked with a bladed weapon outside Cruddas Park Flats, in Elswick, Newcastle, at 12.25am by youths who may have arrived in a vehicle. The victim suffered serious head and leg injuries and is in

BUDDING gardeners have been given a power boost after a donation of cash. The green-fingered group at Preston Lane Allotments Association, in Stockton, manages a site offering a basic course for newcomers to the gardening. It has used a donation of £250

A MAN has turned his bad experience of education on its head by training to be a teacher. David Wilson-Stonestreet was expelled from school at 17 and failed all his GCSEs. He grew up feeling an academic failure, but more than 15 years later, he has changed

A DRUG user was found asleep in a disabled woman's car after breaking into it near her home. The 62-year-old owner was taking her dog for an early morning walk when she spotted Paul Jefferson, 31, in the Volkswagen Polo in Redcar, east Cleveland, on April

A SEASIDE town is celebrating another successful Yorkshire Day event. Residents across east Cleveland have been taking part in readings each Yorkshire Day for the past ten years. This year, BBC Radio Cleveland's Stewart Macfarlane lead a group around

THE first phase of repairs to a museum roof is nearing completion, with staff delighted that it is on schedule and within budget. Scaffolding went up at the French chateau-style Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, last September, with the

ONE of two workers badly burnt in a flash fire at an oil refinery has died. The man, an electrical supervisor in his 50s, received first degree burns in the fire at the ConocoPhillips terminal at Seal Sands, Teesside, last month. He was admitted, along

TOUGHER taxi licensing regulations have been introduced by a council despite an outcry among cabbies. Sedgefield Borough Council now insists that all taxi drivers pass advanced driving and local knowledge tests before being granted a licence to operate

A BURLY scaffolder who knocked a woman unconscious after she attacked his sister has been spared jail. Mark Cameron - jailed for four years in the 1990s for stabbing a man to death - was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for the community

Teenage vandals have been fined by police after scrawling graffiti on a hillside. GTN - an abbreviated form of Grangetown - appeared on a rockface on the Eston Hills, in east Cleveland, in white, 14ft letters. A police helicopter spotted six teenagers

Two builders who conned an 89-year-old widow out of cash she had saved to pay for her funeral are behind bars. Paul Bradshaw convinced Ethel Sullivan she needed urgent repairs to the roof of her home in Church View, Hesleden, County Durham in January.

THUGS who shot a horse through the eye at point-blank range have reinforced the region's reputation as being one of the cruellest areas in the country.Last night, the RSPCA condemned the attack that left a 16-year-old horse without an eye and a 13-year-old

WHEN a group of North-East pilgrims had their flight home from Budapest cancelled at the last minute, there was one cry: "Get us to the church on time." The group of 44 included a vicar, choir and organist booked for two weddings the next day. But after

ROAD policing units in part of the region are planning to move to a new base after force merger plans were dropped. Cleveland Police's traffic department is looking to relocate, and the police authority will today discuss Wynyard Park, near Billingham

POLICE are taking an interest in a bridge building project in the region. Workers clearing the bed of the River Tees for a new £14.3m bridge, have so far fished out the wrecks of four burnt-out cars from the river. It is not known how long the wrecks

A MAN who complained about a foul smell coming from GNER trains was told it could be down to the "wrong type of brake linings". Peter Brown, a former railway engineering inspector, complained about the smell from trains passing near his garden. He contacted

COUNTY Durham's adopted Royal Navy ship is to return to the UK after rescuing thousands of British nationals from war-torn Lebanon. Command carrier HMS Bulwark played a major role in the evacuation of about 4,400 British nationals last month after they

THE funeral takes place tomorrow of a retired Anglican priest who was one of the first women to be ordained. The Reverend Marjorie Brook, a former chairwoman of Saltburn Churches Together, died in a retirement home at Saltburn, where she had moved to

Cutting Edge: My Child's Psychic (C4); Britain's Fattest Teenager: Hidden Lives (five): I can't decide which is scarier - an eight-year-old boy who sees dead people, a teenage girl who believes she has the power to heal or 32 stone Jonathan Wallace

Once a stage and TV hypnotist, Paul McKenna is now a motivational coach, with top businesses and A-list stars among his clients, he tells Woman's Editor Sarah Foster how he's finally found fulfilment. I REACH the hotel room of Paul McKenna on the second

THE first major milestone in the refurbishment of Darlington's Dolphin Centre was reached yesterday, when the new £400,000 swimming facilities were unveiled. After being closed for five months - as part of the £5m revamp of the town's

A SHOP manager last night spoke of his anger after his window was smashed by vandals, causing about £3,000 worth of damage. The window of the Weigh and Save store, in Bondgate, Darlington, was broken at about 12.35pm on Sunday, when the town centre

THERE are many things of which the North-East can be justifiably proud. But its record on animal cruelty is not one of them. The region has repeatedly topped the league of shame for animal cruelty and it has been The Northern Echo's sad and all-too-regular

INSURANCE company Royal & Sun Alliance (R&SA) said restructuring of the group had not so far affected its North-East call centre. In June, the company, which employs about 640 people in Sunderland, said it was axing 1,000 jobs in the UK over the next

A MAN whose crime spree is said to have caused him "enormous shame" was last night starting two years behind bars. Paul Wilson, 32, was yesterday jailed after he admitted a string of offences committed across Darlington last year. Wilson's

POLICE yesterday won their bid to confiscate more than £5,000 from the brother of murderer Robert Chapman. Chapman, 37, from Hartlepool, was convicted last year of the shooting of retired miner Fred Fowler, in a pub in Hendon, Sunderland. Police found

CARAVAN dealership Barrons North-East has acquired three new franchises for motorhome sales. Barrons, based at Burtree Gate, near Darlington, will have the rights to sell La Strada, Adria and Autocruise from next year. Nick Markl of Barrons said: "The

QUORN owner Premier Foods said yesterday that strong sales of its meat-free products helped half-year pre-tax profits more than double to £27.9m. The group, which bought Quorn makers Marlow Foods last year for £172m, confirmed that it was investing

WORKERS at a car parts manufacturer will have to wait even longer to find out whether they will lose their jobs, it emerged last night. TRW Automotive, in Peterlee, County Durham, announced in April it was moving a production line to Eastern Europe and

CLOSED-CIRCUIT televion (CCTV) specialist 2020 Vision has completed one of its biggest contracts to date, with car manufacturer Nissan. The North-East company installed a surveillance system to protect £22.5m worth of vehicle stock at Nissan's distribution

CHARTERED town planner SIMON PHILLPOTTS has been appointed in the residential development department of property specialists Strutt & Parker. Mr Phillpotts, who will be based at the firm's Harrogate office, joins the firm with nine years' experience and

A FAMILY butcher has won a contract with supermarket chain Asda to supply sausages to five stores in the North-East. MI Dicksons, of South Shields, said the deal will help safeguard 250 jobs and strengthen its presence in the region. The company, which

CAR dealership Pendragon said yesterday its £506m acquisition of North-East-based rival Reg Vardy had helped boost first-half profits, despite a slowdown in the new car market. The group said pre-tax profits before exceptional items rose to £42.3m,

DEBBIE LUNN has been appointed as communications co-ordinator at Service Network. The University of Northumbria graduate brings more than two years' experience of working in business publishing. Service Network is an organisation which represents and

A NEW business liaison manager has been appointed to support businesses on the Longhill and Sandgate industrial estates, in Hartlepool. MAURICE BRAZELL will act as an intermediary between businesses based on the estates and outside agencies, including

LAW firm Crutes has appointed paralegal LAURA ROBERTSON. Ms Robertson, from Gateshead, joins the conveyancing department and will be advising clients on the purchase and sale of private houses. She will be based at Crutes' Newcastle office. Ms Robertson

CLIONA FENIX has joined the Newcastle branch of the Allied Irish Bank as a business banker. Having started her career with the bank in Dublin in 2000, Ms Fenix brings experience in commercial lending, financial advice, securities and credit administration

CAROL WATTS has been appointed as director of enterprise programmes at Teesside Business School. The 39-year-old studied in Middlesbrough as an 18-year-old, moving from Hong Kong to study a BA degree at the former Teesside Polytechnic, when she met her

THE Royal Bank of Scotland has appointed CHRIS ACASTER as senior manager in its North-East commercial banking team. Originally from Derbyshire, he joins the Newcastle office having lived and worked in the region for more than 12 years. He has experience

BUSINESS technology firm, Washington-based Knowledge IT, has appointed JEFF LONGSTAFF as an associate director. The 40-year-old has 24 years' experience in the IT sector and will be responsible for new business acquisition and account development. He

Like Football League action, Darlington return to Accrington Stanley tonight for the first time in 45 years. The last time they headed that way, Monday August 28 1961, Seaham lad Alan Spence put the Quakers ahead after just 45 seconds. It was the Monday

STEVE Caldwell has rejected suggestions that Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Coventry highlighted a losing mentality in the Sunderland ranks, and claimed his team-mates need to cut out their costly errors rather than receive a wholesale mental makeover.The Black

NEWCASTLE UNITED boss Glenn Roeder will step up his interest in Real Madrid midfielder Thomas Gravesen this week, having edged closer to offloading Amdy Faye.Faye was at Charlton yesterday undergoing a medical and is expected to complete a move to The

TV personality Noel Edmonds says it saved his career - now North-East businessman Stephen Richards has written a book on the virtures of Cosmic Ordering. He talks to Woman's Editor Sarah Foster.IN certain interviews there's a pivotal moment; a point

FURIOUS farmers are spending thousands of pounds harvesting the junk fly-tippers dump on their land.Old tyres, broken fridges, scrapped computers and garden rubbish make up the unwanted crop farmer Robert Campbell and other landowners in the area regularly

LOSING the first game of the season wasn't part of the plan at Hartlepool United. But, as they go to Macclesfield tonight, the weekend's defeat to Swindon will go a long way to making sure they turn it around at Moss Rose. After dominating against Dennis

AN animal charity has urged dog owners to take responsibility for their pets, after significant increases in the number of stray dogs being destroyed. Across the North-East and Yorkshire, there were marked increases in the number of strays put to sleep

GLORIOUS Goodwood marked a significant turning point for this year's Racing North ten-to-follow with Crosspeace recording a remarkable double, with the icing on the cake provided by Borderlescott, successful in the Stewards' Cup.As far as the profit and

SPARKS could fly at Catterick this afternoon if as expected High Voltage (5.00) turns on the power.Karl Burke's sprinter enjoyed a lucrative three-year-old campaign in 2004, but then drew a blank last year which resulted in his handicap mark falling from

A WOMAN who got involved in the North-East drugs trade after moving to the region for work was last night starting two years behind bars.Mother-of-one Evadney Salmon, 36, was jailed after she admitted being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.The

A BUS driver who took a wrong turn and crashed his double-decker into a railway bridge - slicing off its roof - has been suspended.The 54-year-old was driving the X61 Arriva bus to Scarborough when he hit the Victorian bridge in Middlesbrough.The accident

BARRY Conlon is ready to put his injury nightmare behind him and has targeted a 20-goal season on his return to Quakers.The 27-year-old marked the beginning of his second Darlington spell with a hat-trick at the weekend, two years after leaving the North-East

THE decline and fall of the Roman Empire was notoriously accompanied by circuses, lurid live sex shows and blood-letting in the Colosseum. Anything the Romans did, we can do worse. Last Saturday night in Clerkenwell - 300 yards from my front door - they

THE parents of a man who died on a paradise island may never know the truth behind their son's death, a coroner has concluded.Nick Robinson was electrocuted while trying to fix a water pump in a well on the Kenyan holiday island of Lamu, in 2000.Mr Robinson

Recommendations from readers made for a memorable Saturday breakfast, a visit to a pub with notable memorabilia and a good value early eveing meal.Readers recommend from time to time, a thought which is much appreciated. Within a few weeks, one of the

LEE CATTERMOLE has given Middlesbrough a timely boost after an exploratory ankle operation suggested he could be fit for the new season.The 18-year-old was in Manchester yesterday morning to establish the extent of ligament damage to the joint, and the

HOW THE WEST WAS LOST by Alexander Boot (I B Tauris, £24.50, ISBN 10: 1 85043 985 0) HOW about this? "Helen passed illegal substances on to Telemachus and Menelaus and, if she lived today, would have been nicked faster than you can say, 'Let's see