TWO North-East holidaymakers facing trial in Greece on charges arising out of an alleged broken-bottle attack on the island of Crete seven years ago lost their High Court battle against extradition today. The extradition to Greece of Michael Tonge, 28
THE Stewart Downing Auction is drawing to a close - so act fast if you want to lodge a bid for one of the items that the Middlesbrough winger has made available. There are four pieces of rare and exclusive memorabilia to bid for, including the
A MAN has today been remanded in custody charged in connection with the death of four-year-old Leticia Wright. Peter Seaton, 21, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, appeared before Huddersfield Magistrates charged with causing or allowing the death
EXPLORATION is generally seen as a Western European thing, but Felipe Fernandez- Armesto whips off the blinkers to show that pathfinders can be found in every culture and in every epoch. He ranges from the Phoenicians and the Polynesians to the
By remarkable chance, the London Olympics in 2012 will coincide with the 400th anniversary of Britain's first-ever Olimpicks'. Harry Mead reports. THE brainchild of Cotsold lawyer Robert Dover (1581-1652), Britain's first-ever Olimpicks' were staged
GO behind the bright lights and glitz of Las Vegas and you find a vicious and brutal city, where the innocent and vulnerable are natural victims, and even the strong are not safe. Vegas has been shocked by the shooting of a celebrity while enjoying
THE latest and last heart-warming saga featuring indomitable Merseyside neighbours Mollie Bennet and Nellie McDonough who stand by each other, their family and friends through thick and thin. A wedding leads them to visit a Liverpool shop for the
HANG on to your seat belts, you're in for a hell of a ride as Alex Barnaby's love for high speed and penchant for breaking the rules puts her on the starting grid against assorted lowlives, as well as a shrink-wrapped body with a hole in its head
THE main trouble with a Douglas Kennedy novel is that once you've started reading it, it's difficult to stop. Temptation is no exception as would-be screenwriter David Armitage finally finds fame and TV fortune and is invited to the private island
THE third Shardlake novel follows the famous Great Progress of the Tudor court to York, where Henry VIII hopes his presence will restore his authority after a recent rebellion in the North. The hunchback lawyer Shardlake is instructed by Archbishop
IMAGINE "wrinkly elephants... squishysquashy squelching", monkeys "hanging, dangling" and grizzly bears "paws catching, jaws quickly snatching" and you'll have an idea of what fun it is to read aloud from this book. The stunningly bright pictures
IN this unusual book about monsters, every double page contains different possibilities. For example: "If it's a farawayin- the-forests monster, that's that. But if it's an under-your-bed monster... either it eats you, or... you make friends and
BAT - being the sort of lady who hangs upside-down - sees the world differently from most people. For example, in her eyes, the grass grows above and the sky hangs below. All the other wild young animals decide she's totally bonkers until Wise
TWINS James and Amanda are fast asleep in their attic bedroom when a mysterious girl with a broken wing crashlands on their roof and climbs in through the window. Hilary, as she calls herself, looks exactly like an angel - but her behaviour is
EACH year Piccadilly Press and The Guardian newspaper organise a short story writing competition for teenagers. Anyone who believes young people to be a bunch of unimaginative illiterates should read this collection of the current ten winning stories
PINK cowboy hats, flashing light bunny ears and plenty of dirrty-looking female outfits pepper the three-quarters full arena as the US diva emerges a little late for her Tyneside show three years and 20 minutes to be precise. Fans waiting since 2003
A MINE clearance expert from the North-East who had his leg blown off by an Israeli anti-personnel mine has spoken of the moments after the blast. The Northern Echo reported how 42-year-old David Alderson, was seriously injured as he tried to rescue
PAUL Walker takes a letter from his desk. It's in a tidy cursive hand. The words are poison. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' represents a man lost in a fog - how sad," it says. "Even sadder to read you are chaplain to a mental
ARSON is suspected following a workshop blaze on Teesside today. Youths were seen on the roof of the two storey, end of terrace premises in Sun Street , Stockton, shortly before the building was engulfed in flames. Arriving to find the lock-up "well
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Sunderland 1 IN the build-up to last night's meeting with Roy Keane, Wolves boss Mick McCarthy claimed the frenzied media interest had turned the game into "Chipperfield's Circus". But, by the time his side had completed
A FRENCH firm which manufactured a rollercoaster which fatally injured a North-East student will go on trial today. Durham University student Gemma Savage died from her injuries after two cars collided on the Treetop Twister ride at Lightwater Valley
AUSTRALIA completed an emphatic 277-run win in the opening Ashes Test after England's resistance crumbled in the first 21 overs of the final day at The Gabba. And ABC Sport columnist Glenn Mitchell believes England's bowling selection for the second
AFTER a largely inconsistent start to life under Roy Keane in the Championship, there could quite easily have been a large degree of disappointment that the club are not making larger strides towards a Premiership return. Not so. After five years of failing
NOSES would grow decidedly longer if anyone pretended they'd never seen an ice show before, but a little history is being made this Christmas with the arrival of the Hungarian ice pantomime Pinocchio in Harrogate. Boss of the Budapest-based company Euroice
ECONOMIC FORUM: STATEMENTS made concerning the North-East Economic Forum (Echo, Nov 17) sound like a lot of fancy talk and will, I suppose, make the politicians feel as if they are doing a grand job. The problem, as I see it, is the case that Newcastle
MORE than 90 young people will display their musical and theatrical skills when they take to the stage at Middlesbrough town hall. They are taking part in Showreel, a variety show which is the culmination of a comprehensive arts programme co-ordinated
A COUNCIL is warning residents to be wary of doorstop sellers in the run-up to Christmas. The warning is part of a range of advice being issued by Hartlepool Borough Council's trading standards team in National Consumer Week. Michael Welsh, the council's
AN MP encouraged supermarket shoppers to part with sought-after vouchers to help local schools buy computer equipment. Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP, Ashok Kumar, was showing his support for the Tesco Computers for Schools programme
A COUNCILLOR who has championed community and young people's issues for many years has been nominated for an award. Ryedale District and town councillor Natalie Warriner is one of three nominations for the Yorkshire's Unsung Hero title in a competition
A DRAMA group is preparing for its Christmas production. The Easingwold Players will perform Annie, the story of an orphan trying to find her parents. Along the way, she stays with the billionaire Daddy Warbucks and meets some colourful characters.
PREPARATIONS are under way for a charity fashion show in aid of a hospice charity. North Yorkshire charity Herriot Hospice Homecare is organising the event with Hamiltons store, of Northallerton. Proceeds will go towards the charity's work supporting
YOUNGSTERS were rewarded for their interest in the environment and helping with conservation. Six Nidderdale Young Rangers received certificates when they held their John Muir Award day at Lime Tree Farm at Grewelthorpe, near Ripon, at which they made
AN ancient copy of The Northern Echo, found by Marie Lowson in a house at Eggleston, tells the story of a dreadful disaster which shocked the country. It is dated June 18, 1883, and records how 188 children died in the Victoria Hall, in Sunderland, after
SCHOOLCHILDREN in a village braved wet weather to witness their new play area being opened by Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman. The £30,000 recreation ground at Bowes, near Barnard Castle has been completed after nearly two years of fundraising and planning
A £400,000 domestic abuse support service has been launched. The service, which will offer victims round-the-clock support and a response within 24 hours of a complaint, was promoted at an event held at the civic centre, in Crook. The display helped
ECHO CAMPAIGN: I WELCOME The Northern Echo's Shopping For A Future campaign to revitalise Spennymoor Shopping Centre (Echo, Nov 25). I accompanied Echo reporter Catherine Jewitt when she interviewed local shopkeepers and I would like to thank her for
EDUCATION; AS a parent with children at Hurworth Comprehensive School, I would like to broadly welcome the educational choice offered in the initiative put forward by Darlington MP Alan Milburn (Echo, Nov 23). He is suggesting that children disadvantaged
TEACHERS and pupils from four countries have spent the past week at a primary school. Eight teachers and five children from Germany, Poland, Cyprus and Austria were at Cotherstone Primary School, Teesdale, as part of the Comenius Project, which promotes
FATHER Christmas will be well camouflaged when he visits Hamsterley Forest next month. Forest managers are turning back the clock by replacing the modern red-clad Santa with an older version of Father Christmas, who will be dressed in green. Before Santa
FEARS that changes in pub opening hours could lead to an increase in crime in the Hambleton district have proved unfounded. The latest police figures revealed that violent crime across the area dropped 13 per cent over the past six months. And licensing
YOUNGSTERS have been shown how a friendly attitude on the playground can help prevent bullying. Pupils from Norton Primary School, in Stockton, received the training to become "playground friends" and lunchtime supervisors, as part of national Anti-Bullying
VILLAGERS have called for lorries to be banned from the roads of a village. Sadberge Parish Council has asked for a 7.5-tonne weight restriction on roads into the village except for access and deliveries. Councillors made the request after feedback from
THE last "I do" was spoken at a register office as it staged its final wedding. Darlington Register Office closes this week before moving to a new office, which is part of the £5m refurbishment of the Dolphin Centre. At 10.30am on Saturday, Darlington
NORTH Guisborough Community Forum will hold a jumble sale in Sunnyfield House, Westgate, Guisborough, on Saturday, from 10am to noon. A meat bingo will be held on Tuesday, December 12, at the Guisborough Football Club, at 8pm. Proceeds are for a children's
YOUNGSTERS proved to be the cream of the crop when it came to caring for others. Health and social care students at Darlington College staged a charity afternoon tea in aid of the Meningitis Research Foundation. Staff and other students packed the college
FATHER Christmas swapped his sleigh for a fire engine to arrive in style for a seasonal lights switch-on event. Festivities began on Saturday morning, in Saltburn, when local bands took to the streets to perform Christmas carols. Youngsters enjoyed Punch
HAVING spent most of last season lying on his back on the Sunderland treatment table, Stephen Elliott last night claimed he was "up and running" and relishing the rest of the current campaign. The Republic of Ireland international made just 11 senior
YOUNG film-makers from New College Durham have had their film screened at a national film festival. Pixel Attack, created by second year National Diploma media students Steven Meikle, from Ushaw Moor, David Brady, from Newton Hall, and Simon Troughton
A NEW community group has organised a charity bag-pack on the busiest shopping day of the year. The We Care group was formed to raise money for community projects in Skerne Park, Darlington. Members eventually hope to fund a shelter for teenagers and
RESIDENTS have helped to draw up an action plan for an area of Darlington affected by anti-social behaviour. The list was made after a meeting at Whessoe Village Hall last week to discuss the problems in Harrowgate Hill. A survey was passed round for
SCORES of pupils excluded from a free transport scheme to the site of their new college are celebrating after a council reversed its decision. The 83 youngsters living in two east Cleveland villages have been told they can now join the scheme when their
PLANS to renovate a rundown park went on show at the weekend in an attempt to canvas local opinion. North Park, in Darlington, is to undergo a £300,000 transformation after funding for the work was pledged by Darlington Borough Council. More than 200
Hartlepool United 2, Wycombe Wanderers 0. WHEN it comes to strikers, Hull City have their fair share of front men. And Hartlepool United hope they can take advantage of the Tigers' liking for collecting predators. As Stuart Elliott, Hull's goalscoring
FLICKERING images of young soldiers enjoying a sports day before leaving for the First World War are among poignant moments caught on film in a collection of more than 14,000 reels. The footage, taken at Ripon racecourse in the summer of 1916, is a snippet
DANNY Wilson was quick to praise his central defenders on Saturday, after a second consecutive clean sheet. Ben Clark and Micky Nelson kept the dangerous Wycombe attack quiet as Pools made it four games without defeat. While Darryl Duffy took the honours
AN operation will target crime in part of Darlington from today. Police, council workers and firefighters will lead the initiative in Haughton West until Saturday, to reduce the number of offences, clean up the area and reassure residents. Also involved
A CO-OP department store is expected to close early next year, with the loss of 34 jobs, unless a buyer can be found soon. The store, which has been in Chester-le-Street's Front Street since 1869, sells furniture, clothes, household items, electrical
Teesside Athletic clinched their sixth consecutive victory but they had to come from behind before defeating local rivals New Marske in the Monkwearmouth Charity Cup. The Seasiders are second from bottom but have shown improvement in recent weeks and,
A FEMALE Santa will oversee this year's festivities at a woodland haven. The age of equality dawned for chiefs at Guisborough Forest and Father Christmas has been toppled from his festive pedestal by Susan Jacklin, from New Marske, east Cleveland, who
THE painstaking reconstruction of a folly in an historic parkland has received a national award. The Temple of Minerva, the centrepiece of restoration work on buildings in Hardwick Park, in Sedgefield, County Durham has received a commendation in the
A COUNCIL'S bid to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions has won Government praise. Easington District Council is formulating an action plan to help with the global problem and has signed the Local Authority Declaration on Climate Change. Its proposed
West Auckland striker Mattie Moffat became the league's top scorer when he netted all five goals in their 5-1 thrashing of bottom club Bedlington. Manager David Bayles described his display as "awesome". Bedlington must be sick of the sight of Moffat,
A STOCKTON teenager has been shortlisted for a top sports award. Sixteen-year-old Jessica Dickons is one of five youngsters who will be put to a public vote in BBC Look North's Sports Kid of the Year competition. Jessica, a member of Tees Active Sports
AN organisation has been set up to help people get back into work. The Derwentside Employment Team is working for Derwentside District Council to support people who want to find a job. The team, which is based in Consett, is planning a series of lifestyle
BRILLIANT teenage discovery Felicity Milton claimed a host of senior scalps as she won automatic selection for the European Cross Country Championships in Italy next month by finishing runner-up in the Reebok Cross Challenge and European Trials in Liverpool
AN animal sanctuary will begin work this week on an education and welcome centre after scooping a £50,000 prize in a television competition. The Ark on the Edge, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, looks after more than 50 animals, many of which have
A TEN-strong group of conservation volunteers are celebrating the first anniversary of their work on the North York Moors. Known as the Coasties, members of the group have been working in their own time to make a difference to the Heritage Coast. The
A HISTORY and arts project highlighting 25 of the North-East's busiest old railway stations culminated in the opening of an exhibition yesterday. Steam Secrets was unveiled by television botanist Professor David Bellamy at Locomotion: The National Railway
Bath 20, Newcastle Falcons 14. Newcastle boss John Fletcher pulled no punches after the defeat at Bath on Saturday. ''I thought we were incredibly poor, probably slightly worse than Bath,'' he said. "It was an incredibly poor game, obviously not helped
A VISITOR centre that will open early next year to promote Bishop Auckland's heritage has been given a £45,000 funding boost. The Discovery Centre, which was formerly located in the town's market place, will reopen in January at a former cycle shop in
THE curtain goes up next month on a pantomime which marks an important milestone for a small theatre group. The Glenholme Theatre Club, at Crook, is staging its 20th panto - appropriately called The Wizard of Crook - at the town's St Catherine's Community
Newcastle United 1, Portsmouth 0. AFTER a five-hour wait for a league goal from open play at St James' Park, Antoine Sibierski gave Newcastle supporters a real reason to use the scarves handed out at the turnstiles yesterday. If the Magpies' fans had
IT is a matter of concern and regret that the true cost of staging the Olympics in 2012 was seriously underestimated when London's bid to host the event was made. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has admitted that the cost of the Games will rise by £900m
GLENN Roeder called for a half-time hero at St James' Park yesterday, and told goalscorer Antoine Sibierski he could be his man. The deadline day free signing from Manchester City grabbed his first league goal for the Magpies to clinch a vital three points
A RUGBY player paralysed when he broke his spine when a scrum collapsed during a match two years has his sight set on a place in the Great Britain wheelchair rugby team. John Burgess, 40, is one of 20 players picked for the squad and is hoping he can
A NORTH-EAST football club has launched a new website. Darlington Football Club's new commercial site has gone live to run alongside its official league site. The site,www.darlingtonfc.com, offers an extensive range of interactive features complimented
The Stewart Downing Auction is drawing to a close - so act fast if you want to lodge a bid for one of the items that the Middlesbrough winger has made available. There are four pieces of rare and exclusive memorabilia to bid for, including the shirt Downing
THE UK has become a poorer location for business in recent years because of its tax regime, according to executives taking part in a survey. The Confederation of British Industry poll of executives in almost 100 firms showed that two out of three were
A REPLICA of a Saxon burgh, a farm and parkland have been included in a vision for the redevelopment of a North-East town centre. Darlington Civic Trust has released its own proposals after plans by Tesco to redevelop a quarter of the town centre were
A SEA of black and white greeted Newcastle United's players yesterday, after thousands of football fans received free scarves. They were handed out to fans ahead of Magpies' Barclays Premiership clash with Portsmouth at St James' Park. And the move paid
Darlington 1, MK Dons 0. If win No 4 for Dave Penney a week earlier was stunning, win No 5 was, for different reasons, similarly impressive as a ten-man Darlington put in a archetypal backs-to-the-wall performance to record a fifth consecutive victory
POLICE have seized heroin and cannabis from three addresses. Four people were arrested for possession with intent to supply following the raids in the Norton Grange area of Stockton on Friday. In a house on Argyll Road, herbal cannabis worth £300 was
A YEAR of significant energy price rises while suppliers made large profits has caused a downturn in customer satisfaction, a survey says. About 60 per cent of the 7,500 people questioned did not believe they were getting value for money, said price comparison
CONSERVATIONISTS say the site of a controversial riverside apartment development, rejected by the Government, should be turned into a park or used for some other leisure purpose. The City of Durham Trust, along with Labour MP Roberta Blackman-Woods, was
AFTER winning all their home games Darlington Mowden Park picked up their first away point of the season in a 19-19 draw at Preston Grasshoppers. Scrum half Andy Foreman nipped over five minutes from time to secure the draw in a match in which the notoriously
BILLINGHAM led the way on a good weekend for the top Teesside clubs, with Middlesbrough strengthening their lead in North Two East, while Stockton recorded their first win of the season. But it's Billingham who are really starting to make people take
CHESTER-le-Street District Council is highlighting the dangers of Aids in the run-up to a worldwide day that will focus the illness. Today, the Civic Centre is hosting a day-long seminar, with speakers on a variety of topics related to creating greater
Dave Penney remained pragmatic following Saturday's win over MK Dons, despite an erratic performance from referee Mark Haywood. The Leeds whistle-blower made some controversial decisions, the most noteworthy coming in the first half when he failed to
A Briton who spent 18 years in jail in Pakistan has told how he felt a "bolt of shock and fear" when he was sentenced to death. Mirza Tahir Hussain, 36, was a teenager when he was convicted of murdering taxi driver Jamshed Khan during a holiday to visit
GARETH Southgate last night piled yet more praise on the imperious Jonathan Woodgate following the defender's dominant display at Aston Villa, but warned the Premiership's attackers: "His best is yet to come". Woodgate maintained his sensational recent
ANY footballer who gives more than his all week in, week out is guaranteed to be a popular figure on the terraces. Football fans love a grafter. No matter what level of skill, if a player is willing to play with their heart on their sleeve, supporters
MARK Albrighton has expressed his bewilderment at falling out of favour at Boston United, but the defender revealed the opportunity to help out former manager Dave Penney was one he couldn't turn down. Albrighton has been a regular at Boston this season
'KNOWLEDGE is power. Information is liberating." So said Kofi Annan, outgoing Secretary General of the United Nations and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.It is a quote which underlines the importance of the Freedom of Information Act as a weapon in the
PINK cowboy hats, flashing light bunny ears and plenty of dirrty-looking female outfits pepper the three-quarters full arena as the US diva emerges a little late for her Tyneside show -three years and 20 minutes to be precise. Fans waiting since 2003
As part of The Northern Echo's Lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region:TODAYParish Hall, Newgate, Barnard Castle, 2.15-7pmMethodist Church Hall, Neville Parade, Newton
A MINE clearance expert from the North-East was recovering in hospital last night after his leg was blown off by an anti-personnel landmine. David Alderson was seriously injured as he tried to help rescue a shepherd stranded in an unmarked minefield in
DOZENS of complaints against a television advertisement filmed in the North-East have not been upheld, it has been revealed. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 83 complaints about the Virgin Trains advertisement, which was shot on farmland
THEATREGOERS in London's West End have provided a £25,000 lifeline for a North-East counselling service.Theatre bosses raised the cash by donating the proceeds of a gala performance - held to mark the sale of the millionth ticket for the hit musical Billy
FINALLY, Joanne Benson received the news she'd been longing to hear. She was pregnant after only her second course of IVF treatment. Yet just a week later her world was turned upside down when doctors told her she had cancer and advised her to have
Aston Villa 1, Middlesbrough 1 WHEN Hollie Harrington said, "I do", this summer, she knew she was going to become Mrs Malcolm Christie. What she could have been forgiven for failing to realise, however, was that she was marrying a Premiership footballer.Somebody
