Archive

  • Inspirials make North-East return

    Inspiral Carpets, one of the doyens of the Madchester scene, return to the North-East this weekend. They play a greatest hits set at Digital, at Newcastle, on Sunday night (7.30) - followed by a DJ session with keyboard player Clint Boon until 1am.

  • Beckham dropped by McClaren

    FORMER England skipper David Beckham has been dropped from new boss Steve McClaren's first England squad. Also missing from the former Middlesbrough manager's 25-man selection for next Wednesday's friendly against Greece are David James and Sol Campbell

  • Police appeal: help us find attacker

    POLICE have issued a fresh appeal for help in catching burglars who sprayed liquid in a householder's face when they broke into his house. The 53-year-old man and his wife were confronted by two men who burst through the door of their home in Frank

  • Periodic vomiting and diarrhoea in cats

    QUESTION Our one-year-old spayed female cat Ella has times when she is vomiting and sometime diarrhoea. They are never so often as to worry us but I thought I would check. Is this serious she vomits about once a week and mostly after food. Pippa ANSWER

  • Help for a cat that frequently throws up

    QUESTION My cat vomits on the average of about every five days. He has done this for about 18 months. I have tried hairball food and also Laxotone, but I can't get the Laxotone down him very well. I also dewormed him. He is healthy (had blood tests done

  • A cat with a cyst

    QUESTION My cat has had a cyst on her side which recently burst. The vet cleaned it and gave her antibiotics,however it didn't heal. The vet has now advised us to have the cyst removed when she has an operation in four weeks on her teeth. In the meantime

  • A male cat with a hanging, balding tummy

    QUESTION I have just noticed my male cat has got a bald stomach and it seems very large which seems hang he has four nipples. Is this right? Sophie ANSWER Dear Sophie Male cats do have nipples and the stomach hanging down will be due to being overweight

  • Is cats fur thinning a sign of sickness or just age?

    QUESTION My cat's fur has been thinning more and more over the past month. The affected areas are just on her sides, on either side of her spine. I haven't ever seen her pulling it out and she doesn't seem to be bothered in any other ways. She hasn't

  • Our cat's coat is out of condition. What can be done?

    QUESTION My cat's coat is extremely dry, what vitamines or food can I give him to make it shinny and healthy? Donna ANSWER Dear Donna There could be many reasons for your cat's coat being out of condition and if your cat is itchy the reasons should

  • A cat pulling her fur out around her neck

    QUESTION In the past two months slowly but surely my cat has been pulling her hair out by the nape of her neck, She hasn't pulled hair out anywhere else but in this region. In the beginning the vet recommended changing her diet to Nutri diet, because

  • A cat with hair loss and developing sores

    QUESTION For the last three years my cat has lost her coat and developed sores over the summer months. This has normally cleared over the winter period or when she has been in a cattery. Following some recent mild weather, she has started to lose her

  • How to prepare your pregnant cat for giving birth

    QUESTION My cat is about to give birth and we are unsure as what to do. Please can you tell me what happens and what to do in case of and problems as she is only 9 months. Thanks Ruth ANSWER Dear Ruth Cats having kittens at 9 months should not pose

  • When to neuter a young cat

    QUESTION Hello! I have two six-month-old British short hair cats, and although they are wonderful, one of them has recently started marking his territory. The woman who sold them to us made us promise not to have them neutered until they are one year

  • Is it safe to deflea a pregnant cat?

    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

  • Superbike warning

    POLICE from four counties will be out in force when thousands of motorcyclists head for the region and the latest round of the British Superbikes Championship. And they have warned in advance that they will be taking a tough line on speeding and reckless

  • Fighting footballer fined

    A footballer who punched an opponent after he said he was 'taken out' by an over-the-top tackle was fined £250 and ordered to pay £750 costs. Redhouse Revolution player Gary Davison hit Redview player Mark Foster so hard he needed five stitches to

  • Hyperthyroidism in cats

    Bishop Auckland and Aycliffe vet Paul Wilson looks at hyperthyroidism in cats. A very common problem in older cats is hyperthyroidism, where the thyroid gland is overactive. Symptoms are hunger, loose motions, weight loss and a gaunt appearance.

  • Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

    This week in our clinic we have diagnosed Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) in two cats from the same household. The first cat was brought to see us because of a vague illness characterised by lethargy, a reduced appetite and intermittent vomiting

  • Letting a kitten outside for the first time

    QUESTION At what age can my kitten be let out by himself? Corinne Goater ANSWER It is normally safe to let kittens out about 1 week after their final vaccination. This way they are protected against infectious diseases from other cats. You must

  • Kitten with FIP

    QUESTION I noticed that my 7 month old kitten hadn't poo pooed in a couple of days and that his belly was getting a little bloated. I took him to the vet. She suspected FIP due to the small grade fever, bloated belly, fluid build-up in the abdomen, she

  • A cat with FIV

    QUESTION I have a young male cat who has FIV. The vet said he would only live about a week or two and he's held on since Easter. He sticks to me like glue and hate seeing him like he is, but I love him so much. How soon are we to discovering a cure to

  • Glucosamine for a cat's joints

    QUESTION What make of glucosamine would you recommend? I see there's a US product called Synoflex. Also Johnson Vet do a liquid form called 4Joints. Or would you recommend that Cosequin is the best? I'd prefer to purchase myself rather than having to

  • A cat with ear infections. What are the options?

    QUESTION My cat had an ear infection, then developed a chronically open eye, followed by horners sign, with unequal pupils, and pitosis of her eye. She developed bouts of severe vertigo. I have only had this darling animal 10 months and she has had three

  • A cat scratching at an injury

    QUESTION My cat caught himself on a bike he had a graze about the size of a 10p. I cleaned it up and it was healing fine but now he is scratching it and making it bigger, what can I do to stop the itching? Debi ANSWER Dear Debi Cats can develop a

  • A rescue cat with a very greasy coat. How can it be cleaned?

    QUESTION I have just taken on a cat from the CPL who has a very greasy coat. The only unaffected area is on the top of her head. The grease is fully through the length of the coat - which is long. It has been confirmed that she has a dermotological problem

  • Is there a way of telling if a cat is stray?

    QUESTION I have been feeding since May a Persian cat who I think "may" be a stray as it always seems very hungry when it turns up at night for food. It scratches and bites so I don't really want to touch it any more, but is there anyway of telling if

  • Martis rejects contract offer

    Northern Echo SPORT understands that defender Shelton Martis is on the verge of leaving Darlington after rejecting the offer of a two-year contract. The Dutchman is expected to join Hibernian whose manager, Tony Mowbray, was in the crowd for Quakers

  • Police probe as body found in river

    THE discovery of the body of a missing dementia sufferer found floating in the River Tees has started a major police investigation. Officers are treating the incident as suspicious after a post mortem revealed unexplained injuries on the body of Middlesbrough

  • Police investigate assault on rugby star

    POLICE are investigating claims that rugby union ace Rob Andrew was punched in the face in a confrontation at a top tennis tournament. The attack happened during the prestigious Northumberland Tennis Open at the North Jesmond Avenue club, in Newcastle

  • How can I protect my cat from getting viruses?

    How can I protect my cat from getting viruses? Stanhope Park Veterinary Practice says : Historically, cats have been vaccinated against Enteritis and the two major flu viruses. Vaccination has gone a long way towards the eradication of these diseases

  • How can I treat my cat's arthritis?

    QUESTION Frody has arthritis in his back legs. His legs have always looked a bit deformed and as he gets older he struggles to get around. Metacam helps but the vet says he should not stay on it permanently, hence the glucosamine, which helps a little

  • What is a heart murmur?

    QUESTION What is a heart murmur? Angie, UK ANSWER Dear Angie A heart murmur is the sound heard through a stethoscope if a part of the heart or a closely related structure has a defect. Heart murmurs are usually caused by defects in one or other

  • A hyperthyroid cat allergic to Methimazole transdermal gel

    QUESTION Our cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about a year ago. Our vet began treating her with Methimazole transdermal gel. She tolerated it for awhile and put on some weight. (She currently weighs six pounds.) After a few weeks she began having

  • Does my young cat have hypothyroidism?

    QUESTION I am a bit perplexed by the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism in my very young cat. She has been vomiting several times a day for a month but other than that there are no symptoms.She is a beautiful, shiny, happy cat who eats, excrets and sleeps

  • Metacam seems to be making my cat sleepy

    QUESTION Like one of your readers, my cat has recently been prescribed metacam for arthritic hips. I have been instructed to put 10 drops in his food every day. I am concerned after reading your advice. He appears sleepy and has no energy, but I'm assured

  • Managing food allocation with more than one cat

    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

  • Privilaged by a rare plant sighting

    I bounded into the room with a huge, excited grin on my face and a large white skinned cucumber in my hand. The first of my experimental polytunnel crop was had reached the showing off stage. I held the vegetable out in front of me and got the desired

  • A cat with severe food intolerance

    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

  • My cat is suddenly drinking a lot. What could be wrong?

    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, UK ANSWER Dear Sarah I would think that your cat is more likely to have problems with

  • Leaders romp to win

    Inshore Fisheries Langbaurgh League: It was top versus bottom when Broughton and Kirby met Scruton in Division One. The visitors managed only 83 all out in 26 overs which included 34 from Steve Brass with five boundaries. Matthew Smith was in excellent

  • Young Drew is king od the Castle 10K

    Darlington Harriers: DREW Inglis celebrated the biggest honour of his fledgling road running career last weekend when he was a commanding winner of the Auckland Castle 10k. The young Harrier crossed the line in 35 minutes 11 seconds, despite having to

  • Bays get that Friday feeling

    Cleveland Bays: TONIGHT sees a rare Friday evening of speedway action at South Tees Motorsport Park with the Cleveland Bays taking on the Hull Vikings in a five heat junior challenge immediately after the Redcar/Sheffield Premier League match at 7.30pm

  • Amanda takes the title

    COUNTY Durham racer Amanda Whitaker returned to England this weekend as newly crowned Champion of the Formula Atlantic Class of the Historic European F2 Championship. A class win and a second place in rounds 9 and 10 Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit

  • Prolific Hedley closing in on Durham run record

    HORDEN Cricket Club run machine Adrian Hedley has scooped The Northern Echo's Cricketer of the Month award for July after a phenomenal month at the crease. Hedley was up against some stiff opposition to win the prestigious trophy but after plundering

  • Middleton maintain lead at top after five wicket win

    Oxbridge Darlington and District League: MIDDLETON St George are still out in front in Division A following a five wickets victory over Rockliffe Park. When they batted first the visitors ended on 131 all out which included 56 by Swanwick. Rogers had

  • Quakers rained on Stanley's parade

    The Canine Workingmen's Club still chases its tail around Accrington town centre, though with nothing - no point in keeping a dog and barking yourself - to explain its extraordinary pedigree. The Dyers and Finishers Club adds a dash of local colour, the

  • Bishops ready to make their Northern League return

    Bishop Auckland play their first Northern League game for 18 years tonight at home to Newcastle Blue Star. Bishops waved farewell to the Northern League with a 5-0 win at Spennymoor in 1988 and joined the non league pyramid via the Northern Premier League

  • League teams keep a date with new folder

    THE Spennymoor Sunday League launched their new initiative this summer to encourage good administrative housekeeping among clubs. The league produced a set of folders, complete with the league crest printed on the cover, along with the new-look handbooks

  • Diarrhoea in young cats -- the causes and treatments

    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

  • Family event on the coast

    A CLIFFTOP family fun day takes place this weekend as part of a project to celebrate the region's coastal heritage. The free event takes place at Nose's Point, Dawdon, near Seaham, County Durham, from noon to 4pm on Sunday. Organised by the Nose's Point

  • Approval for demolition

    A SCHOOL'S plans for a teaching block for music, drama and teaching are progressing. Durham City councillors approved the demolition of the Salter Block at Durham High School for Girls, in Farewell, Durham. It will be replaced with a two-storey structure

  • Nursery beats vandals with a little help from its friends

    A POPULAR nursery targeted by vandals has been saved from closure thanks to a security system. Piglets Playgroup has suffered months of vandalism and criminal damage at its premises in Billingham. A burglary last year deprived toddlers of gifts and equipment

  • Children were spellbound at a wizards and witches day

    HARRY POTTERS and wannabe witches gathered to make potions and wands at a magical event. A country park was awash with robes and cloaks for the Wizard and Witch day with 60 children at the event. Wynyard Woodland Park, in Stockton, saw the youngsters

  • Disabled children ride off with prizes

    A TEAM of Teesside riders braved searing temperatures to compete in the Riding for the Disabled Association's national championships. And Jessica Boal, riding Murphy II, rode off with first prize in the junior section of her dressage class. Nine riders

  • Group helps young fans of local history

    YOUNG historians in Durham have a group that will help them investigate the secrets of the past. The Clayport Clewers is the new name for all children's local history events held at the Clayport Library, in Millennium Place, Claypath, Durham. The name

  • Landlord setting up group to protect stray pets

    A PUB landlord is hoping to call time on stray pets being put down by launching a new charity. Stuart Neil, landlord of The Victoria, in Witton-le-Wear, is planning to set up Strayaid to help stray dogs and cats in County Durham. Stray dogs collected

  • Free swims for charity fundraisers

    SWIMMERS in Northallerton are being offered free access to the pool to raise money for a national charity. Hambleton Leisure Centre is offering limited access to for people who want to take part in the annual Aspire Swim the Channel challenge. Each entrant

  • Suggest new use for old school

    RESIDENTS are being asked to suggest what should happen to an unwanted school building. Councillors in Richmond want to know what local people would like to see happen to the lower school, in Station Road, when the buildings are vacated in three or four

  • Hear All Sides

    MEETING VIEWS: THE opening paragraph of the article about a meeting at Stanhope over changes to rural ambulance services (Echo, July 25) gives the impression that all of the changes are supported throughout Weardale. This is not the case as witnessed

  • New home for welfare services

    A WELFARE service will soon be in new quarters. Durham County Council's welfare rights service, which operates from four offices around the county, is moving into the Rivergreen Centre, at Aykley Heads, in Durham City on Monday, August 21. The service

  • 'Failure to change bin days may cost up to £300,000'

    FAILURE to change to fortnightly collections of bins could cost Richmondshire council tax payers up to £300,000 extra a year, officials have said. The district council says it cannot meet tough targets on reducing landfill rubbish without introducing

  • Soggy end to holiday club

    A CHURCH has held the grand final to its week-long holiday club event with a Soggy Pants Competition. The competition saw participants drenched by water bombs in Applegarth Park. The event was part of a fun day to round off the Kidzone Holiday Club week

  • Legendary idea for kiosk

    THE legend of a lost drummer boy has been depicted on the back of an ice cream kiosk. Barrie Proctor has installed a Barrie's Ices booth in Richmond market place featuring the story of the Richmond drummer boy. Mayor Linda Curran said: "The kiosk is

  • Follow Sinbad's dress sense

    THE fantasy world of Sinbad is recreated on the stage of Richmond's Georgian Theatre next week. The family production, adapted from the original Grimm Brothers tale, follows the storybook hero on his seven voyages. Performances are next Thursday and Friday

  • Volunteer wanted to set standard

    A BOROUGH council is looking for a member of the public to sit on its standards committees. Local authorities are required to have a standards committee and a standards sub committee. By law, at least a quarter of the members must come from outside the

  • Stolen booze hidden in pushchair

    A heavily-pregnant woman stole four bottles of spirits by stuffing them into a bag hung over her baby's pushchair, a court heard yesterday. Dawn Virginia Foreman, 37, of Langdale Place, Newton Aycliffe, stole the spirits, worth £72.88, from Morrisons

  • Publican launches group for stray pets

    A PUB landlord is hoping to call time on stray pets being put down by launching a charity. Stuart Neil, landlord of The Victoria, in Witton-le-Wear, is planning to set up Strayaid to help stray dogs and cats in County Durham. Under existing guidelines

  • Man 'lost face' in family quarrel

    A TEESSIDE man felt he had lost face in his community when police arrested him after a marital row. The police were called in because of Mohammed Arif's argument with his wife, said Paul Newcombe, prosecuting. The Middlesbrough couple had been married

  • Pavilion gets £40,000 new look

    A FORMER cow byre and cricket pavilion in Ingleton has been reopened as a sports centre after a £40,000 refit. Former Ingleton cricketer Jim Nattress opened the pavilion, which residents hope will encourage youngsters to take part in sport. The opening

  • Charity trek raises £800

    CHARITY fundraisers trekked up one of England's highest peaks to raise more than £800 for a kids' club. Tim Cooper and Andy Dunning scaled England's second highest mountain, Helvellyn, to raise funds for The Learning Tree Nursery and Kids Club. The pair

  • Young people in drama workshop

    YOUNGSTERS in Bishop Auckland attended a theatre workshop designed to stop them causing drama later in life. The children, aged between 13 and 16, took part in the session at Bishop Auckland College last Friday. The group, led by Sergeant Mick Hutchinson

  • Free feast of music from around world

    DIVERSE sounds from around the globe will be heard in Durham City this weekend. The series of open air concerts will be held in the grounds of the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery. The eight-strong Zimbabwean group Umdumo Wesizwe will

  • Cathedral sets up events for children

    DURHAM Cathedral is hoping youngsters will take part in activities organised for the summer holidays. The Durham Embroiderers' Guild will run textile workshops for eight to 16-year-olds from Monday to Friday, August 25. The weekday sessions, from 10.30am

  • Youngster reunited with team that saved his life

    A PLUCKY six-year-old who was involved in an horrific accident earlier this year has been reunited with the airborne medics who saved his life. Craig Boardman was struck by a wagon near his home in Dishforth, which left him with serious head and internal

  • £2,000 reward to catch gun sadists

    THE hunt for thugs who blinded a horse has been given fresh impetus thanks to a local businessman. A £2,000 reward for information leading to the capture of those responsible is being offered by the boss of a hotel in Saltburn, east Cleveland. Jim Brennan

  • Two more fined in council crackdown

    A CRACKDOWN on fly-tipping and dog mess has continued with two further prosecutions. Easington District Council has promised action to clean up the district and, last month, secured two convictions at Durham Magistrates' Court. A 28-year-old Trimdon man

  • Police appeal after car fire

    POLICE are looking for witnesses after a car was set alight in a Teesdale village. A fire crew and an ambulance were called to Jubilee Court in Cockfield to deal with a fire in a silver Volkswagen Golf. No other property was damaged in the fire, which

  • Doctor proposing to build bigger surgery for village

    PLANS have been submitted to build a doctors' surgery in a north Durham village. Dr Jon Levick wants to create the facility on land between Dene Court and the Danes Engineering Factory in Hamsterley Colliery, near Consett. If it is approved, he hopes

  • Flat to rent - no pigs, no chickens

    PIGS are definitely not welcome at an historic North-East flat that has become available for rent. Keeping chickens is also banned - and woe betide anybody who puts a lighted candle under the bed. The rare vacancy has arisen at almshouses on Teesside.

  • Jailed for Asbo breach after abusing fire crew

    A MAN who breached his anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) by abusing firefighters called to an incident at his home was jailed yesterday. Gary Raisbeck was sentenced to eight weeks in prison for threatening officers as they attempted to extinguish an

  • Prison staff may vote to strike

    MAINTENANCE staff at North-East prisons could vote to take strike action in an ongoing row over pay, a union official warned last night. The Amicus union in the North-East said it will request a national ballot unless the Prison Service reaches an agreed

  • Edible art from India

    A North-East museum was given an Indian flavour this week. Artist and teacher Ranbir Kaur spent two days constructing an 8ft by 8ft Rangoli at the Bowes Museum, at Barnard Castle, County Durham. Her daughter, Ruby, also held drop-in workshops for children

  • Gig gear stolen

    A GANG stole £5,000 worth of microphones, sound and lighting equipment, using a ladder to scale the rear wall of Gisborough Priory, Guisborough, east Cleveland, after a concert on Saturday. Anyone with information is asked to call police on (01642) 302626

  • New breast cancer drugs backed by watchdog

    THE official NHS go-ahead for prescribing new breast cancer drugs looks certain later this year. Health watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has issued a final draft appraisal backing the use of three types of aromatase

  • Fight to make Wensleydale cheese solely in Yorkshire

    Wensleydale Dairy Products has launched a legal battle to prevent rivals from making the Yorkshire cheese anywhere else. The only company which makes Wensleydale Cheese in Wensleydale wants to prevent manufacturers outside the dale producing the cheese

  • Passengers refuse to let delays ruin holiday plans

    PASSENGERS at Durham Tees Valley Airport refused to let the delays and cancellations ruin their plans - reverting to trains and cars when there were no planes. Groups of young men and women -almost all dressed in sportswear or beach gear and carrying

  • Surgeon warns of online steroids

    DOCTORS have issued an urgent warning about buying medication on the Internet after a North-East woman put her sight at risk. Eye surgeon Scott Fraser and his colleague Dr Philip Severn, from the Sunderland Eye Infirmary, issued the warning after treating

  • Alliance posts profits before jobs axe falls

    INSURER Royal and Sun Alliance, which plans to axe 1,550 jobs by 2008, yesterday posted a 41 per cent leap in profits. The group, which employs about 650 people in Sunderland, said profits before one-off items rose to £333m in the six months to June

  • Station donation to aid renovation

    THREE years of hard work will pay off next week when the renovation of a station begins. Richmondshire District Council has handed the guardianship of Richmond Station to the community charity, Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust. Jim Jack, charity

  • Healthy expansion

    A LEGAL publishing firm has seen turnover double and expects to create jobs as it continues to expand. Cedrec Information Systems Ltd, which publishes environmental and health and safety information for clients including Coca Cola and Du Pont, is poised

  • Fire engine off to Belarus

    A RETIRED fire engine that has just completed a 13-year career will start a new life in Eastern Europe. The appliance, which was based at Wheatley Hill fire station, in east Durham, will leave for Belarus on Monday, where it will carry out a twin lifesaving

  • Firm builds reputation

    AN award-winning brick company has supplied 100,000 bricks to restore an iconic Manchester mill. The York Handmade Brick Company provided the bricks for Murray's Mill, based in Ancoats. The mill was built at the start of the Industrial Revolution and

  • Burning ambition keeps Tracey on track

    FOR more than 150 years, the job of locomotive fireman has been strictly men-only, but a female train enthusiast has brought it into the 21st Century. Tracey Parkinson has become the first woman in England to fire a steam locomotive on a main line.

  • A meal you can really sink your teeth into

    A DALES restaurant will need a very big dishy to serve the fishy which arrived in its kitchen yesterday. The Wensleydale Heifer, at West Witton, near Leyburn, took delivery of a 268-kilo Porbeagle shark caught off the Sunderland coast on Sunday. Jaws

  • Race to celebrate life of 'remarkable Mo'

    A RACECOURSE is staging a race tomorrow in memory of one the region's most popular figures. Thousands of racegoers at Redcar will be joining in the celebrations to mark the life of a remarkable politician and the town's most famous citizen. The course

  • Victim was not wearing seatbelt

    A MAN who died when the taxi he was travelling in swerved to avoid an animal in the road was not wearing a seatbelt, an inquest heard yesterday. Andrew Roland, 29, died of traumatic head and neck injuries after a taxi he was passenger in hit a brick bus

  • 'Cuts making trust close to being unsafe'

    NURSE shortages are making a 1,000-bed hospital trust "perilously close to unsafe", according to a union official. Ian Daley, a full-time regional officer with the Unison health trade union, said his members were "very, very concerned" at the situation

  • Care home group strikes deal to acquire rival

    A CARE home group run by the wife of Darlington Football Club chairman George Houghton has acquired a Scottish rival in a deal worth more than £20m. Executive Care Group (ECG), which recently relocated to Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, has taken control of

  • 'You do not want to cross me, I'll make your life hell'

    Former businessman Stephen Thoms, who has been banned from his home after terroroising his neighbours, appeared in court to be sentenced for his latest indiscretion. Stuart Arnold and Gavin Havery report. WITH his sharp suits and briefcase often in hand

  • The shape of things to come

    Fat Beauty Contest (C4); Supernova (BBC2); At times it seemed it was a case of mission impossible for Charlotte Coyle in Fat Beauty Contest, part of C4's Shape Of The Nation series. Organising a beauty pageant for big women gave her a big headache.

  • One the right lines for smoothing wrinkles

    Let there be light! Health Editor Barry Nelson looks at the remarkable work of two Durham doctors who could be sitting on a goldmine. IT was when friends started telling her she 'looked like she'd had a good night's sleep' that Jane began wondering whether

  • Getting a crush on fruit juice

    Children like to have lots of cool drinks during these warm summer days, but how do the various fruit juices shape up in terms of being a truly healthy option? Hot weather, thirsty kids - and that could mean fat kids too. Let them drink too many fizzy

  • Rail contract offers food for thought

    GNER has signed a four-year contract with catering supplier Rail Gourmet - and promised higher quality, better value food for passengers. It carried out a six-month review of its catering business and began a tendering process, inviting bids for the contract

  • Printers expands with new facility

    A PRINTING firm which saw its factory destroyed in a fire is creating jobs and looking to boost production at its new £15m facility. Reed Print and Design relocated from three sites in the region to one large production facility in Washington, Tyne and

  • August 11,2006

    CHRIS FOOTE WOOD: I AM deeply suspicious of people who style themselves as "liberal" as in my experience "liberals" have a list as long as your tax bill of the things they wish to ban. Chris Foote Wood is a Liberal Democrats Party councillor and supports

  • Time for action from the UN

    TODAY I will be speaking at a local mosque as part of the regular dialogue I have with the Muslim community of the Tees Valley. I expect the feedback to be similar to that I received at two other mosques I have visited recently. I have found that the

  • A slippery slope for charity fundraising

    CHILDREN from a Darlington nursery and holiday club enjoyed competing in a pentathlon yesterday. Youngsters from Topoli Joe Nursery, in Northgate, took part in an egg and spoon race, slide-a-thon, a penalty shoot-out, bean bag throwing and a treasure

  • Grape expectations

    Many people fantasise about pursuing their dreams but how many find the courage to do it? Lindsay Jennings talks to fa father of four who's gambling his future on a wine estate in South Africa. AS he pulled up the long driveway to Eaglevlei, Tony Hindhaugh

  • First orders for pub named after Echo editor

    THE final touches are being put together to transform a former printworks in Darlington into a bar. The £1.8m project has taken eight months, but The William Stead, in Crown Street, is due to open on Monday, August 21. The JD Wetherspoon pub is named

  • Man faces jail over calls to teenager

    A MAN could face a five-year jail sentence if he makes any more phone calls to a teenage girl, a court heard. Jimmy Bull, 32, was banned yesterday from contacting Kayleigh Kinnie, 19, or entering the Branksome estate of Darlington where she lives. Bull

  • Murphy aiming for a tidy Sedgefield double

    TOP jockey Timmy Murphy takes a trip to Sedgefield this afternoon in the hope of going away with a double via Palace Walk (2.30) and Mandingo Chief (4.30). Murphy rides the majority of David Pipe's horses, but trainer Brendan Powell snaps up the Irish

  • Whiskey fell from car after A1 crash

    A BOTTLE of Jack Daniel's fell from an overturned car as police tried to rescue the driver, a court heard yesterday. Once he was free, the rescued man tried to kick a police officer in the head. Geoffrey Robinson, 53, of Farm Close, Newcastle, was one-and-a-half

  • Team winning war on nuisance

    A TEAM set up to combat nuisance behaviour in Darlington is making strong progress. The anti-social behaviour team established by Darlington Borough Council has been praised by councillors for its performance. To date, the team, which was set up nearly

  • Tim in the running for 10k test

    RADIO presenter Tim West has been putting himself through the final stages of training as he prepares for the Darlington 10k run, on Sunday. Mr West, 32, has been training for the road race for three months and is going to use the experience as practise

  • Flats to get makeover

    WORK to improve two blocks of flats in a deprived area of Darlington is due to start. The council-owned three-storey blocks, in Stocksmoor Close, will be refurbished, with some flats being extended and all bed-sits being converted into flats. All flats

  • Debate on action plan

    COUNCILLORS in Darlington are to discuss how the authority will react in the event of a civil emergency. Darlington Borough Council's public protection and community partnerships scrutiny committee is to hear information on the requirements of the Civil

  • Disqualified driver jailed

    A MAN with a string of convictions for driving while disqualified was jailed for five months yesterday. Richard Henry, 28, of Stuart Avenue, Richmond, appeared at Northallerton Magistrates' Court to answer charges of driving while disqualified and without

  • Church does its bit in £900,000 village revamp

    A CHURCH will play a role in ae £900,000 village refurbishment project. The recent facelift of Durham Road, Chilton, began after the completion of a £9.1m bypass. The road used to carry 18,000 vehicles a day, but has been curved and features wider pavements

  • Boro keen on Gravesen deal

    HAVING initially being cool on the idea of accepting an offer from Real Madrid to sign Thomas Gravesen, Middlesbrough have warmed to the idea and are attempting to scupper his proposed move to Newcastle. Talks between the Magpies and the Danish midfielder

  • Stick with us, pleads Lawrence

    AFTER a defeat that felt like a 'knife in the stomach' on Wednesday, Liam Lawrence has urged Sunderland's success starved supporters to stick with them and inspire the players to a first meaningful victory during the Niall Quinn era. Despite Quinn's call

  • UEFA Cup diary

    MOST European trips offer the opportunity to learn a little of a city's history, but there are few places in the world where the past exerts such a powerful influence as it does in Riga. Perhaps that is because few places in the world have had as volatile

  • Goalscorer praised by Roeder

    HE might preside over a squad that is short of strikers, but Glenn Roeder last night hailed Titus Bramble as Newcastle's latest goalscoring hero after the defender's second-half header earned a 1-0 win over FK Ventspils. Bramble's 71st-minute strike from

  • A time to take comfort

    THE reputation of the British security services has been seriously undermined by high profile errors during the war on terror, most notably the shooting of innocent Brazilian, Jean Charles de Menezes, and the Forest Gate fiasco. But the events of yesterday

  • Details released in hunt for attacker

    DETECTIVES hunting a sex attacker have issued an e-fit picture of the suspect.The man attacked a 19-year-old who was out walking her dog in Starbeck, near Harrogate, on July 31.She was walking her golden retriever at about 3.50pm along the disused railway

  • Durham tie with Glamorgan in late thriller

    Glamorgan v Durham (Pro40 Overs League) Glamorgan and Durham shared the spoils in a dramatic tie under the Sophia Gardens floodlights after the home side lost two wickets from the final two balls.Robert Croft's side seemed to be cruising to victory after

  • In the nick of time

    TERRORISTS plotting to blow up passenger jets in mid-air could have been only days away from launching their mission to commit "mass murder on an unimaginable scale", it was revealed last night.Their plan was to detonate liquid explosive devices smuggled

  • Bramble rises to earn Magpies UEFA victory

    FK Ventspils 0, Newcastle United 1.A PLANE-FULL of Newcastle fans failed to make it to Riga yesterday after their planned flight was grounded on English soil.Last night though, in the Latvian capital's Skonto Stadium, the club's players successfully got

  • Chaos hits region's airports

    THOUSANDS of holidaymakers had their flights delayed or cancelled yesterday as the fallout from the foiled terrorist plot spread to the region's airports.Sixteen flights into and out of Newcastle International Airport, six flights in and out of Durham