ROY Keane has made four changes to his Sunderland side as the Black Cats look to extend their unbeaten run to four games at QPR this evening. Daryl Murphy has shaken off a pelvic injury to take his place in attack - the Irishman replaces his compatriot
POLICE were shocked to find that a driver who had led them on an 80mph car chase before crashing through a hedge was a double amputee. Officers were even more stunned when they discovered just how Robert Bate had managed to outrun them in his battered
A MASKED intruder robbed a 68-year-old businessman at knife point in his own home last week, Durham police revealed today. The robber raided a house in Shildon, County Durham, and threatened the owner before making off with his £14,000 car and cash.
A MAN has been sentenced after a string of sex attacks on a horse. Mark Woollen was caught with his trousers down engaging in a sex act with a horse, called Molly, and had been spotted riding her around a field with no trousers on. He was today given
ROY Keane yesterday confirmed Ben Alnwick has probably played his last game for Sunderland, writes Will Scott. The 19-yearold goalkeeper is sidelined with a shoulder injury, but will join Tottenham Hotspur when he makes a full recovery.
SPOTS duly knocked off all-comers, Lol Cullinan is the new World Skilful Dominoes champion. "I still think it's 90 per cent about what you pick up," he said and in so doing made the point for tournament supremo Charlie Donaghy, because in this
ONENIGHTINLISBON (1.20) should on all known evidence make a bold bid to resume her winning ways in todayfs six-furlong Novice Stakes at Lingfield. Karl Burkefs juvenile picked up a couple of races at Musselburgh and Beverley during a mid-summer
HR specialist and executive search firm, GFI, which has just relocated to Grey Street, Newcastle, has announced the appointment of PETER ANTHONY to its board of directors. Formerly founding director of Elan Computing, one of Europes largest recruitment
WATES Construction has promoted ALAN MASKELL to regional business manager in the North-East. Operating from its offices on the Team Valley estate, in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, he will be responsible for the leadership and growth of the Newcastle
SUNDERLAND-based wet stock monitoring solutions firm, Edensure, has promoted its business development manager LINDA CASH to operations manager. She joined Edensure four months ago from its rival firm Fairbanks and impressed bosses with her expert
JAMES KYLE has joined the Newcastle office of global financial services firm UBS as a client advisor. In this role, he will offer clients across the region the firm's range of wealth management products and services - including hedge funds, real
IT company Advantex Network Solutions Ltd, based in Houghton-le- Spring, has appointed JAMES MILLER as an account manager with the task of managing new business and driving the company's growth plans forward next year. Advantex designs, installs
Sandersons Estate Agency has expanded its lettings team in Darlington. SUE NELSON has joined the firm as lettings manager and, together with assistant letting manager BEN QUAINTRELL, she will lead a team of four.
SARAH HALL, a post graduate student from Newcastle Business School, has taken up a senior management position at PR and marketing firm Golley Slater, in Newcastle. The 29-year-old, from Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, has been appointed as account
SALLY AITCHISON has been promoted to regional managing director for TFM, Metro Radio, Magic 1170, Magic 1152 and CFM. Her role will be to ensure the individual stations continue to operate effectively in local markets while sharing the best practice
THE managing director of Teesside radio station 96.6TFM, CATH ELLINGTON, has been promoted to managing director of Big City Charities for Emap Radio. She will be responsible for overseeing the charities of all the 32 radio stations in the extended
Stockton based Baines Jewitt Chartered Accountants has appointed SARAH COLLETT as a graduate trainee. She obtained a Business and Finance degree at Durham University The firm has also welcomed ANDREW PEART as a trainee accounting technician.
PROFESSIONAL services group KPMG has made three promotions in its Newcastle office. CHRIS SCOTT, who joined KPMG in 2001, has been promoted to transaction services director. He has worked on some high-profile transactions, including the takeover
UP to eight jobs could be created with the launch of a furniture company at a multimillion pound business complex. Three new posts have already been filled at Furniture Traders Ltd, at Concept Business Court, Thirsk Industrial Park. The recently-opened
A MACHINE parts manufacturer in Tyne and Wear has created a new division in its company that could help create jobs in the region. Birtley-based MST has invested more than £250,000 in creating its new MiniMax business, which it hopes will
A MACHINE parts manufacturer in Tyne and Wear has created a new division in its company that could help create jobs in the region. Birtley-based MST has invested more than £250,000 in creating its new MiniMax business, which it hopes will
INDUSTRIAL services group Chieftain has invested in new premises on Teesside. The Tyneside-based group has relocated its R Blackett Charlton industrial business to Middlesbrough after outgrowing its previous base at The Wilton Centre. The move
DARLINGTON'S latest bar opens on Thursday - and it is a family affair. 10 Crown Street, named after its address, is owned by Susan McGee, who will run the bar with her sister, Sara, and her two stepbrothers, John and David Wilson. The Wilsons already
POLICE are taking their winter crime prevention campaign on the road following a spate of house burglaries. In the first two weeks of November there were 44 break-ins at homes across Darlington, the Wear and Tees areas, and Sedgefield. Police
A DARLINGTON woman has shaved her hair off to support her twin sister through chemotherapy and raise money for the hospital where she is being treated. Elizabeth Clark, 47, cut off her shoulder-length locks to raise more than £700 for Darlington
AN award recognising disabled facilities has been awarded to the Darlington Education Village. The Darlington Access for All Award is presented by the Darlington Association on Disability each year. The Education Village received this year's
YOUNGSTERS in Darlington have for the first time been handed the chance to decide how they want money on youth facilities in the town to be spent. A Government-funded pot, handled by Darlington Borough Council, has been rebranded and is to
CHRISTIAN AID The children of Romania Need our help again once more. We've packed our shoe boxes To the top just like a treasure store. There's things for every little girl and also for the boys. Teenagers are not missed out, We don't just send them toys
Even though the eating out season is hotting up, there was time to check out a brand new pub grappling with the secret of success when it comes to entircing customers. AT Richmond Golf Club, where I addressed the annual dinner of the local Conservative
A MEETING will be held next week to examine opportunities arising from the increased interest in local food and farm shops. Organised by the North Yorkshire Farming and Wildlife Advisory group, it will take place in the Farmers Cart farm shop, Towthorpe
NEARLY 400 people gave their opinions on how to make Barnard Castle a better place during a three-day consultation earlier this month. Organisers and council leaders said they were happy with the outcome of the exercise, which asked shoppers, visitors
STUDENTS will take to the catwalk to model the latest clothing ranges at a fashion show next week. More than 30 youngsters from Bishop Barrington School and Mathematics College, in Bishop Auckland, will take part in the production on Monday. The show
A CHURCH will appear in a national calendar after winning a place in the finals of a competition for its work with youth groups. St David's Church, at Tudhoe, near Spennymoor, won £100 in Ecclesiastical Insurance's national competition to recognise churches
A RURAL community group may abandon its attempt to open a £540,000 training centre in the Yorkshire Dales. The Rejuvenate Wensleydale group planned to turn a former garage in Aysgarth, near Leyburn, into a base for courses aimed at local people and visitors
A NEW advice service has been launched to help tenants make ends meet. Housing for Hartlepool, which took over running the town's council housing in 2004, has joined forces with the West View Advice and Resource Centre to provide the free, independent
LANDLORDS will come under scrutiny at a public meeting to improve the quality of life for tenants. The project by Hartlepool Borough Council's Neighbourhood Services Scrutiny Forum is to examine a wide range of issues relating to private-sector rented
NORTH Guisborough Community Forum is holding a jumble sale in Sunnyfield House, Guisborough, on Saturday, from 10am to noon. A bingo will be held on December 12, at Guisborough Football Club, Eyes down at 8pm.
MULTICULTURALISM: PETE Winstanley condemns my apparent "us and them" view of society and ostensibly suggests that ethnic minorities are embracing British culture as they would their own, with no evidence to substantiate this (HAS, Nov 23). He also claims
PROFESSIONALS have been saluted for working to improve the quality of life. A Georgian-themed garden restoration at Sunnyfield House, Guisborough, was described as a perfect place to escape to, by judges at the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's third
BEREAVED relatives are being given the chance to remember lost loved ones this Christmas. Middlesbrough-based Teesside Hospice has unveiled its annual Tree of Life, in The Mall, Middlesbrough. People are given an opportunity to hang a bauble on the tree
VISITORS to a library can enjoy the magic of an Arabian Night next week. Former Durham University lecturer Dr Hussein Dabbagh will be at the Clayport Library, in Durham City, on Wednesday, December 6. Dr Dabbagh, who was in the department of Middle Eastern
ABSTRACT images of the coast and countryside are to go on show from this weekend. An exhibition of digital pictures by Durham City-based photographer Fred Wilkinson opens at the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery on Saturday. Mr Wilkinson
Here's another act of pre-emptive self-abasement - Tony Blair expressing his deep sorrow for Britain's involvement in the slave trade. Of course this doesn't go far enough for the knockers who delight in condemning every aspect of British history and
A COUNCIL worker has retired after 21 years of service. Kevan Addison started work with Richmondshire District Council as a joiner in 1985. He worked his way up to become senior supervisor of the contracting services unit at the council's Gallowfields
A CHOIR is joining forces with one of the region's best-loved brass bands for a Christmas concert. Durham Choral Society will team up with the Reg Vardy Band for a concert at Elvet Methodist Church, in Durham City, on Saturday. The programme will include
SCRAP metal thieves are targeting farms in the county. Since June 1, thieves have stolen more than £20,000 worth of metal goods from farms and businesses in the Hambleton area. Items include copper cable, pig troughs, scrap plumbing and lead. Police
VISITORS to a picnic area will be able to rustle up their own Christmas presents. Countryside rangers from Durham County Council will stage the event at Broompark Picnic Site, on the outskirts of Durham City, on Saturday, December 9. They will be helping
TEENAGERS enjoyed the glittering taste of an ancient craft, swapping the world of books for the world of the silversmith. Craftsman Vincent Ashworth led a workshop for Year 10 pupils at Cundall Manor school, between Thirsk and Ripon, showing them how
TODDLERS braved the wind to step out on their first sponsored walk. Participants, aged from under two upwards, took part in walks staged by Bearpark Kindergarten, near Durham, in aid of the BBC's Children in Need appeal. The kindergarten caters for children
DETECTIVES investigating the murder of a 48-year-old father have released details of a vehicle they are trying to trace. Keith Weightman, 48, of St Cuthbert's Drive, Felling, Gateshead, was found with a stab wound at the rear of the town's Crowhall Lane
A RE-FORMED school choir are hitting all the right notes as they prepare for a series of seasonal performances. Pupils and teachers at The King's Academy, Coulby Newham, are tuning up for a string of Christmas recitals under newly-appointed head of music
IT is heartbreaking enough when a young life is lost as a result of enemy fire in a war zone. But the death of 24-year-old Christopher Maddison, from Scarborough, resulted from serious failings by his own commanders - and that must make his loss even
THOUSANDS of young people are going to the polls this month . Pupils in 41 schools will be voting into office the new members of Derwentside's Young People's Forum (YPF), a campaigning body of elected representatives with a budget of £10,000 to spend
A FORMER soldier turned to crime after his discharge from the Army because of stress, a court was told. David Dunn, 26, who was drinking heavily on his return to civilian life, took part in a noisy house break-in a few doors from a friend's home. Durham
A MAN with a history of violence ruined a period going straight when he carried out a street attack. Durham Crown Court heard that Darren Waugh, 23, had served custodial sentences for violence, including one for biting off someone's ear. But, after his
A PUNGENT yet unidentifiable smell -the sort that lingers in the nostrils for hours -is the first sign of the horrors that await. But that is only the start of your ordeal. Stepping inside the shed where hundreds of animals were discovered dead and emaciated
TONY Blair appeared yesterday to rip up a key Government pledge to close the North-South divide when he urged people to not to worry about it. Speaking to regional journalists in London, the Prime Minister said the gap between rich and poor in the North-East
MORE than 300 people packed into a Teesdale venue on Friday to see a concert showcasing the area's best musical talent. The Big Live Gig, at the Jersey Farm Hotel, Barnard Castle, featured ten of the dale's most promising bands. Tickets for the event
The New Paul O'Grady Show, Channel 4: JUDITH Chalmers looked a wee bit startled as she took the helm of the good ship O'Grady while its resident captain is on holiday. Sitting in the middle of what appeared to be a German Christmas market stall in a
THREE Middlesbrough schools are opening their doors to local communities and are offering an afternoon of free activities to pupils, parents and residents. Activities on offer include art and craft workshops, jewellery making, smoothie making, sports
MIDDLETON in Teesdale's carnival queen will switch on the village's Christmas lights on Saturday. Katie Murtagh will do the honours beside the Bainbridge Fountain, at 4pm. During the afternoon there will be a Farmers' Market, starting at 2pm, and shoppers
AN unusual knitting spree looks set to bring in thousands of pounds to Durham County's Age Concern organisation, It was some weeks ago that the Innocent company, which makes mini-bottles of smoothies, challenged residents in the area to join a national
RESIDENTS of a market town are to be consulted on plans to build a multi-million pound supermarket on their doorstep. Tesco superstore this week submitted a full planning application to build a 30,000sq ft store in Spring Wood Road, Guisborough. If Redcar
LOCALS are celebrating the reopening of their pub after it was feared time had been called for the last time. The Fauconberg Arms, in Coxwold, which has been shut for 18 months, has reopened with a new landlord. Owned by the Newburgh Priory Estate, the
BRITAIN'S rail network operator said yesterday it was running a "success story" after punctuality improved and it posted profits for the first time. Network Rail, which is in charge of railway infrastructure, said that passenger numbers were now at levels
POLICE in south Durham are taking their winter crime prevention campaign on the road following a spate of house burglaries. In the first two weeks of this month, there were 44 break-ins at homes across the Wear and Tees, Sedgefield
FIRE chiefs are warning of the dangers of chimney fires after a spate of such incidents across the county. Chimney fires usually represent one per cent of the workload for the county's fire and rescue service, but the figure has been five per cent this
THE proportion of women applying to become firefighters has almost doubled after a recruitment campaign targeting females. Only 31 out of 711 people who applied to North Yorkshire Fire Brigade last year were women -4.4 per cent. This year, 53 out of 626
POLICE who bugged a tyre depot as part of a drugs crackdown heard a sinister plot to kidnap and torture a man who had stolen money from a gang at gunpoint. Asad Majid wanted to hold the rival hostage and chop off his fingers for double-crossing friend
COMPANIES in the region will today learn how to work together to boost their chances of winning lucrative contracts for the London 2012 Olympics. A masterclass, which is being held at the Gosforth Park Marriott Hotel, near Newcastle, is the first in a
THE cream of a college's students and staff were rewarded for their efforts last night. Darlington College's annual awards ceremony celebrated outstanding contributions to education and study and recognised the achievements and obstacles overcome in vocational
NORTH-EAST housebuilder Bellway last night dismissed claims it had made a takeover approach to rival Wilson Bowden as "pure speculation". Leicester-based Wilson Bowden yesterday confirmed it was in talks with a number of parties regarding a possible offer
PLANS to expand operations at a County Durham quarry and safeguard scores of jobs for the next 30 years have been drawn up. The owners of Eldon Quarry, near Bishop Auckland, want to expand the site to produce sufficient raw materials to feed production
Consumers are spending more on ethical products - such as organic food and green energy - than on beer and cigarettes, according to a report. The amount spent on ethical products hit £29.3bn last year, the Co-operative bank said. The increase compares
NORTH-EAST fashion designer Scott Henshall has told how he was proud of his jungle achievements and had never tackled anything as hard in his life. Speaking to The Northern Echo yesterday, the outspoken Hartlepool guru said he had achieved everything
TWO North-East graduate civil engineers have been chosen to act as apprentices to the Institution of Civil Engineers' new regional chairman and national president. John Jeffrey has recently taken over the regional chairmanship of ICE North-East and searched
BUSINESS confidence in the region has increased to a three-year high, leaving the rest of the UK in its wake, a report has shown. North-East members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) are the most optimistic about economic
WEALTH management firm SFM expects to double its £4m turnover in the next 18 months and create 40 jobs. The Gateshead firm was set up four years ago after managing director Malcolm Graham identified a need for specialist lawyers working in the field
SUPERMARKET Sainsbury has renewed a contract with a North-East milk supplier to deliver to one of its divisions. Embleton Hall Dairies, in Wingate, County Durham, will continue to supply milk to Sainsbury's 59 Bells stores for another year, after the
TWO HUNDRED jobs will be created as a care home company expands across the region. Gainford Care Homes, which was one of the fastest growing companies in the region in 2004, plans to open its ninth residential care home in January. The £3m site in Seaham
Publisher: Vivendi Formats: PC, PS2, PSP, Xbox Price: £34.99 Family friendly? 18+ THIS is the fourth free roaming shoot 'em up created by Scarface developer Radical and is by far the best. Based
A TALENTED young guitarist is celebrating after he won a competition.Joel Finnan, 13, of Chester-le-Street, won the young musician title at Stockton Music Festival.Joel, who studies at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle, has been playing classical guitar
HUNDREDS of emaciated and decaying carcasses were recovered from a North-East farm yesterday on another black day for animal cruelty in the region. Sickened animal welfare officers recovered 264 dead mice, guinea pigs and rabbits, which were surrounded
THERE have been 190 suspensions of pupils at an education centre in the past three months - a rate of more than three a day. Darlington Education Village says the suspensions were part of efforts to improve discipline at the centre, which opened in April
THE Prime MInister last night pledged to look carefully at the controversial decision to restrict access to dementia drugs. Mr Blair told The Northern Echo that the Government would not ignore the outcry provoked by the issue. The Prime Minister pledged
A soldier found hanged in a barracks had been bullied by other recruits in the months before his death, an inquest has heard. Stuart Henderson, 18, who served with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, was found dead at Episkopi barracks, in Cyprus, on September
Darlington's defensive woes will force manager Dave Penney into more changes tonight as they aim to continue this season's cup success.Mansfield Town visit the 96.6TFM Darlington Arena in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy as Quakers bid to reach the Northern
STEWART Downing is in line for a return to the Middlesbrough line-up for Saturday's test against Manchester United.Downing has missed Boro's last two fixtures, the 0-0 stalemate with Liverpool and the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, with a groin strain, but
FOOTBALL-MAD Alan Toward faces a future barred from the sport he loves because of his huge feet.The 14-year-old, from Middleton-in-Teesdale, near Barn-ard Castle, has massive size 17 feet and is unable to find football boots that he can wear to play for
A CATALOGUE of errors led to the death of a young student as she enjoyed a white-knuckle rollercoaster ride, a court heard yesterday.Gemma Savage, a student at Durham University, was killed five years ago when two cars collided on the Treetop Twister
ONCE upon a time there was a former nurse called Christine Martin. She lived near Crook, where she'd grown up and gone to school, and ran two successful businesses - a care service for the elderly in their own homes, and a posh car hire business, which
CONSIDERING it is only three days since he had the lower part of his right leg amputated, Dave "Aldo" Alderson is in remarkably good spirits as he speaks from his hospital bed in Sidon, southern Lebanon.The former soldier, from Saltburn, east Cleveland
NEWCASTLE United striker Antoine Sibierski is determined to prove he can save Glenn Roeder £10m in the January transfer market.The free signing from Manchester City has surprised many with his goalscoring prowess - Sunday's strike against Portsmouth was
SUNDERLAND manager Roy Keane revealed he prepared for tonight's Championship fixture with Queens Park Rangers by having a family day out at the pictures. Keane was the focus of the nation's viewing himself when his Sunderland team extended their unbeaten
CORUS yesterday gave Brazilian steelmaker CSN more time to make a formal takeover bid to rival the £4.3bn offer from India's Tata Steel.Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) had been under pressure to table an offer for the Anglo-Dutch steel group before
