MOTORISTS are turning bridge repair works on Teesside into a danger zone. Despairing works managers have had to call in the police as drivers defy a 30mph speed limit introduced while work continues on the A66 Surtees Bridge, on the edge of Stockton.
THERE will be an inflation rise in fuel duty from midnight. The fuel duty escalator will not be restored. The rise will come to 1.25p a litre. From February, air passenger duty will rise from £5 to £10 for most flights.
A MAN who took his parents' car without permission and crashed it into a traffic light when he was nearly four times over the drink drive limit has been sent to prison. Mark Steven Errington, 21, had taken his parents' car after an all-day drinking session
DARLINGTON Borough Council is spending £20,000 replacing the town hall's front canopy. The flat-roofed canopy was built as part of the town hall 35 years ago. According to the council, it has been retaining water for a number of years, which could cause
TESCO has received another setback in its bid to gain a foothold in a North-East town. The supermarket group is linked to a plan for a small shop in Darlington, despite the recent rejection of a huge scheme that would have transformed a quarter of the
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former chief executive of Teesdale District Council and chairman of the South Durham Magistrates' bench. Eric Fell died at Richardson Hospital, in Barnard Castle, on Monday, aged 64, after battling with lung cancer. He was
A MAN who responded to his neighbour's kindness with an attack on her was warned by a court yesterday that he was facing jail. Harrogate magistrates heard how Elizabeth Horner often took meals to Terrence McGowan, who lived alone, but when she went to
A COLOURFUL festive effort has been launched to raise funds to help seriously-ill youngsters and their families. Hambleton District Council hopes to raise more than £2,000 with a Christmas display. The civic centre, in Northallerton, is being lit up
A SPORTING and recreation facility in a village is on course to open next year. The Hillside Rural Activities Park in Knayton, near Thirsk, will include cricket and football pitches, tennis courts and a 1,400-metre jogging track on a 28-acre site near
ONE of the most successful exhibitions in the 25-year life of Redcar's Kirkleatham Museum will come to an end this weekend. Titanic: Honour and Glory, will complete its six-month stay on Sunday. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's museums service has
A SCHOOL is celebrating after receiving a glowing report from Government inspectors. Children at Wheatlands Primary School, in Redcar, impressed the Ofsted inspectors with their promise to their school and the community. The Ofsted report highlighted
COUNCIL plans for a mobile information unit were put on hold yesterday because more investigations are needed into likely costs of £60,000 to £80,000. The executive of North Yorkshire County Council had been asked by the communications scrutiny committee
A LEISURE centre is offering classes to help young people prepare for the Christmas season. The Rainbow Leisure Centre, in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, is holding arts and crafts workshops where children can make cards, decorations and presents. Classes
COMMUNITY campaigners who have had their efforts recognised for making their local area a safer and better place are to help the Government deal with anti-social behaviour. The five volunteers have been invited to share their experiences and knowledge
EASINGTON District Council has begun the search to find east Durham's sporting stars. It is inviting nominations for the annual District of Easington Sports Awards, to be presented in February. They honour the achievements of residents of all ages, including
A SENIOR councillor in Durham City is urging the university to shelve plans to ask students who live in college for a £276 rent increase. Carol Woods, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the city and a member of the city council cabinet, has
COUNCIL waste officers will this week launch a roadshow urging people to recycle the extra waste that will be produced this Christmas. Durham County Council officials in Santa Claus outfits will tour the county give recycling tips, advise on waste problems
TEENAGERS have been given the chance to take part in a project aimed at increasing opportunities to speak out for themselves. Eleven students from Woodham Community Technology College, Newton Aycliffe, are taking part in a project with Investing in Children
A COUNCIL chairman is counting on slave labour to boost his 12-month charity appeal. Eight volunteers are offering their services at a slave auction being held in Crook on Saturday night to raise money for the town's parent and carers group, which supports
RESIDENTS are being urged to attend public exhibitions on a housing development that campaigners fear will dwarf a village. Persimmon Homes North-East has lodged a detailed planning application with Chester-le-Street District Council for 252 homes and
FUTURE engineers are being given a helping hand thanks to a £270,000 project. South-West Durham Training's School for Skills opened yesterday in a refurbished annex of the Newton Aycliffe-based training centre. The scheme gives 14 to 19-year-old engineering
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former chief executive of Teesdale District Council and chairman of the South Durham Magistrates' bench. Eric Fell died at Richardson Hospital, in Barnard Castle, on Monday, aged 64, after battling with lung cancer. He was
Former England and Yorkshire off-spinner Richard Dawson writes exclusively for The Northern Echo throughout the Ashes. THE defeat will be very hard to take for England. I got up about half five, saw the score and I couldn't believe it. Australia
TESCO has received another setback in its attempts to gain a foothold in Darlington. The supermarket chain is linked to a plan for a small shop, despite the recent rejection of huge scheme that would have transformed a quarter of the town centre. Last
CAMPAIGNERS last night claimed victory in the fight to save a mothballed North-East rail route from the threat of development - raising hopes it can be reopened. Network Rail announced it would join a study to reinstate the 21-mile long Leamside line,
GARETH SOUTHGATE last night asked referee Mark Halsey to have another look at the incident that led to George Boateng being sent off late on in Middlesbrough's defeat at Tottenham. The situation was sparked by Boateng squaring up to Aaron Lennon after
HOSPITAL bosses have urged staff to crack down on patients who smoke, despite reports that care workers have been verbally abused. A small number of patients being treated at the South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, particularly at The James Cook University
Newcastle Falcons will have an eye on Twickenham next Tuesday, as prop Oliver Tomaszczyk takes part in the Varsity Match. The 20-year-old former England Schools international starts at loose head for Oxford University against Cambridge, earning a Blue
YOU could lose yourself in the picture on Page 3 today, even though it is just an artist's impression. The Earth - so small, so white, so blue, so far away - looks beautiful, and the thought of people living on the surface of the alien, inhospitable moon
REDCAR'S Mike Dunn is through to the second round of snooker's Maplin UK Championship after an impressive victory over world number 25 James Wattana. Resuming at 4-4, Dunn won five of the next six frames to record a comprehensive 9-5 win at York's Barbican
A YOUNG man has told how he saw his cousin drown as they cooled off during a summer heatwave. Robert Beddell, 18, and Mark Stoker, from Murton, east Durham, went for a dip along with friend Lance Gourley. They ignored warning signs at Water Gate Lake,
Harbrook has formed a global partnership with the international market leader in internet networking. Harbrook, based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has struck a deal with Cisco Systems, whose software is integral to more than 90 per cent of networks
UNIONS involved in the Remploy pay dispute yesterday accused the Government of interfering in talks involving factories that employ disabled workers. Officials said negotiations affecting the 83 factories run by the company, which employ 500 people in
A 35-YEAR-OLD man was attacked and beaten by a gang of young thugs who turned on him after he challenged them about breaking into his van outside his house. One police officer likened the youths to "vultures circling" their victim as they carried out
GLENN Roeder last night claimed he was "absolutely certain" that Obafemi Martins would live up to his £10m price tag in the second half of the season. Just as Andriy Shevchenko has struggled to adapt to life at Chelsea, so the Magpies manager feels it
PUB equipment company Brulines yesterday announced plans to create at least 40 jobs after a strong half-year performance. The Stockton business reported a 102 per cent increase in turnover, from £4.56m last year, to £9.24m for the same six-month period
CAMPAIGNERS yesterday condemned gas suppliers for refusing to spend one per cent of their profits on a TV advertising campaign to cut deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning. A Westminster meeting heard that a levy would raise £19m - enough to fund twice-daily
BEMUSED residents in a quiet North-East hamlet have been on their best behaviour after a huge CCTV system was fitted in the local bus stop. People waiting for a lift into town from Merrybent, near Darlington, have found themselves under the constant gaze
HEXHAM'S predicted heavy ground holds no fears for Sabreflight (1.50), who loves nothing more than slopping through the mud. Howard Johnson's mare showed she was fully effective under similar conditions when running right away from Charlotte Vale to score
SLAVE TRADE CT Riley (HAS, Dec 1) says that only black African slave traders objected to the abolition of slavery. Does he seriously think that Europeans who profited from this vile trade did not also object? Of course, the Africans traded in slaves -
A 41-STONE university student has been told to lose weight or die before he reaches 30. Newcastle University undergraduate Colin Ord has to shed 24 stone or face dying within a decade. The 21-year-old has now embarked on a diet and fitness regime to turn
A MASKED gang who terrified a family in their own home while armed with two knives, a screwdriver and a CS gas canister have been locked up. Stephen Kenny Ashes exploded into violence in the dock and five officers were needed to restrain him. Also jailed
PROBABLY the most admired figure in British science, the severely-handicapped Professor Stephen Hawking, looks forward to mankind conquering space. The Cambridge University cosmologist, who speaks through an artificial voicebox, has just received the
Holby City (BBC1) Secrets Of The Lost Fighter Pilots: Revealed (five) 'They're doing me for drunken driving," revealed Mark. "That's a bit of a downer," replied a colleague, a little unnecessarily you might think. Mark ended up drunk, smashing a bottle
THE gates of HM Prison Wealstun slammed shut and this time George Reynolds was on the outside.The man who lost millions on what many believe was a grand act of folly gained his liberty on licence yesterday after serving just over 12 months of a three-year
THE 'Roy Keane razzmatazz' might be beginning to wear off, but Darren Ward feels a return to normality has assisted Sunderland's attempts to climb the Championship table. Three months ago, Keane's arrival at the Stadium of Light was accompanied by an
PLANS for a £300m expansion of Teesport that could bring up to 5,500 jobs to the region have been boosted by two reports issued to the Government. Port operator PD Ports have hailed the Eddington report on transport and Barker planning report as a huge
CAMPAIGNERS last night claimed victory in the fight to save a mothballed North-East rail route from the threat of development, raising hopes it could be re-opened. Network Rail announced it would join a new study to reinstate the 21-mile Leamside line
TRIALS of two prototype vehicles from engineering company The Tanfield Group could lead to orders worth £24m and significant job creation in the region, it was announced last night. Two divisions of parcel delivery service TNT are testing the first
THE man convicted of the infamous gangland murder that inspired the classic Michael Caine film Get Carter, has suffered a potentially fatal blow to his bid to clear his name. Dennis Stafford, 73, who now lives in Stanhope Castle, County Durham, served
OH gosh! Uncork the ginger beer! Disney are going to do a cartoon version of The Famous Five. Jolly good! Or not. The Disney version will apparently be so up to date that it will be about the original gang's children, though maybe grandchildren would
There being no room at the in-tray, the charming little story which follows may be considered as an overflow - overmatter, as proper journalists say - from the John North column. It makes an increasingly forgotten point, nonetheless. In an age of ten-second
WHILE most people are worrying about Christmas, some parents have other things on their minds. Anyone with a child approaching primary or secondary school age will be poring over their application for a school place. A child's education can shape their
Notts County 0 Hartlepool United 1 ANDY Monkhouse is a lucky charm when it comes to Hartlepool United, and last night they reaped the rewards.He scored on his professional debut for Rotherham in 1998 against Pools, and he was part of the Swindon Town
Tottenham Hotspur 2 Middlesbrough 1 IT was not the best of days for Gareth Southgate. After being accused of being naive by Sir Alex Ferguson, he then witnessed his fifth away defeat as Middlesbrough manager.To make matters worse, with time running out
Wycombe Wanderers 1 Darlington 0 Darlington came down to earth with a bump at Adams Park last night as their seven-game unbeaten league run ended.Quakers never got to grips with Wycombe's pace and power in the first half and they got off lightly considering
GEORGE Reynolds, the former football club boss jailed for tax evasion, was a free man last night after serving 14 months of his three-year sentence.The former safe cracker walked out of Wealstun open prison, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire, just before
