The Prime Minister has laid down plans to leave a North-East legacy when he steps down next week. Tony Blair will spearhead a new foundation that aims to find a new golden generation of sports heroes to follow in the footsteps of Steve Cram and Brendan
A chip shop worker today revealed how he faced down an armed robber - with a fish slice dripping in hot fat. Malcolm Butters, 63, was closing up on Friday evening at the Green Lane Fish Bar in Acomb, York, when he was confronted by a man carrying a gun
A police officer has been suspended from driving whilst an investigation looks into an accident last week when a patrol van responding to a 999 call was in collision with an oncoming car in County Durham. The un-named officer may be subject to further
THE BMW 1 Series isn't conventionally pretty. It's a bit boxy, a bit dour and, until now, has come in five-door only. The new three-door doesn't really improve aesthetics a great deal, but who cares when the drive and the interior owes more to
ENGLAND wrapped up a 3-0 series victory over the West Indies by recording a seven-wicket win in the final Test at Riverside this evening. Durham all-rounder Paul Collingwood hit the winning runs as the hosts successfully chased down the 110-run target
ENGLAND need 86 more runs to complete a memorable victory over West Indies in the final Test of the series at Riverside. The hosts were 24-1 at tea on the final day after Monty Panesar and Steve Harmison combined to bowl out the tourists for 222 in their
A disabled dad was brutally beaten then gunned down in his own home when his wife's "obsessed" admirer plotted to kill him, a court heard. Love-struck Paul Bourne had spent more than a decade trying to win over Joanne Lowden, it was claimed.
Price: £9,595 WHAT HAS happened to all the sporty hatchbacks? I don't mean hot-hatchbacks, the market is saturated with those at the moment, I'm wondering what became of those affordable and fun-to-drive cars like the Citroen Xsara VTR or the
Brulines performs ahead of expectations PUB equipment group Brulines has reported a 50 per cent increase in annual turnover to £16.76m. The Stockton-based company, which floated on the Alternative Investment Market in October last year, said its trading
A 12-mile length of overhead cable has brought chaos to the main Kings Cross-Edinburgh line today. Trains have been cancelled at the cables on part of the line near Peterborough came crashing down. Passengers have been offered full refunds.
Environmental campaigners lobbied passengers at Newcastle Airport today, trying to persuade them to travel by train instead of air. Greenpeace set up special booths opposite check-in desks as passengers queued for morning flights. Campaigners dressed
ENGLAND will have to take a couple of quick wickets after lunch if they are to inflict the third Test defeat of the series on the West Indies today. With the admirable Shivnarine Chanderpaul once again proving difficult to dislodge, the tourists headed
A GIRLS' football team is celebrating after coming third in a national tournament. The six-a-side team from Hurworth Primary School, near Darlington, competed in the English Schools' Football Association National Finals at Keele University. The
A REFERENDUM on the future of local government in County Durham has come down overwhelmingly against the creation of a single unitary authority. The referendum, organised by Durham's district councils, found that 76.4 per cent of respondents opposed
An 18th century bridge which was nearly swept away in an intense flash flood exactly two years ago reopened today after £1.3 million of repairs. The Shaken Bridge at Hawnby, near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, was badly damaged when freak weather caused
A groom-to-be was criticised by police after he jetskied naked down the Tyne. A video, posted on website YouTube, shows the man - who is on a stag night - on the back of a jet ski cutting through the Tyne under the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.
A GIRLS' football team is celebrating after coming third in a national tournament. The six-a-side team from Hurworth Primary School, near Darlington, competed in the English Schools' Football Association National Finals at Keele University. The Year
MORE than 700 Durham University staff, students and alumni attended the 175 Palatinate Ball at the Racecourse on the evening of Saturday, June 9. Retired athlete and TV presenter Steve Cram and world record triple jumper and Durham graduate Jonathan
AS a Briton who has lived in Japan for five years I felt I had to respond to what I thought was an unbalanced article - The Dark Side of Japan (Echo, June 14) - about the dangers of living here. The article takes an admittedly sad case, but fails
I FEEL I must come to the defence of Pete Winstanley, although I'm sure he doesn't need anyone to do this, but recent letters to HAS have criticised him as being anti-British. Mr Winstanley is perfectly entitled, in our democracy, to criticise
RE your coverage of the death of PC John Henry in Luton town centre - a brave and dedicated officer who has made the ultimate sacrifice in the execution of his day-to-day duties attempting to safeguard the public. I was somewhat dismayed to see
I HOPE French President Nicholas Sarkozy succeeds in his touting of Tony Blair as the European Union's first full-time president (Echo, June 16). Given the ruinous way Mr Blair has destroyed our nation (devolution problems, Home Office not fit
WE are hearing a lot about reform of local government and improvements in the operations of waste collection, disposal and recycling. A proposal has been quietly floated by Government ministers that a "quango" be set up to run waste operations
HAVING read recent contributions to HAS, I fear I may have confused the ethos of multiculturalism with the multiracial Britain I am proud of. In all sincerity, I wonder if anyone can enlighten me on what multiculturalism actually means. Does it
I WAS interested to read the publication of the Secretary of State's proposed changes to the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the North-East. It was, indeed, interesting to read the next stage in the preparation of this crucial planning framework
MANY experts believe that IT is becoming a commodity for any small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, most companies in the future will expect their IT services to be on tap whenever they need them. A recent report by e-skills UK and Gartner
I'VE worked in recruitment for many years and want to start my own agency. Are there any particular issues I need to be aware of in setting up my own company? First of all, you need to think about the form the business is to take. This decision will
BUSINESSES are being urged to protect their products and ideas before promoting them to ensure they will not fall victim to losing their brand. While larger firms usually employ legal experts to ensure their Intellectual Property (IP) is protected, for
IT solutions specialist Waterstons has helped Teesside tank storage company Vopak UK take advantage of the latest virtual server technology. Durham-based Waterstons has introduced Vopak to leading virtualisation technology, to help guard against the loss
A NORTH-EAST data centre is growing by an average of 20 per cent each year with the boom in reliance on IT in the region, and predicts that further growth could be yet to come. ZebraHosts, in Newcastle, provides server hosting to businesses across the
INVESTING into UK shares is not always guaranteed to provide a healthy return. This had certainty been true for long-term shareholders in Cadbury Schweppes, the UK's largest confectionery and soft drinks company. However, more recently, the shares have
LAW firm Dickinson Dees has seen another record year of growth with both its turnover and profits increasing. The Newcastle firm saw its turnover increase last year by 17 per cent to £56m, with significant growth in all areas of the practice. Profits
LAW firm Eversheds is giving students an insight into life as a lawyer through a series of placement sessions at its Newcastle office. Young people who are considering a career in law met partners in the practice to learn how a commercial law firm works
AN engineering company's admission to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) has been overseen by North-East law firm Watson Burton. Chesterfield Special Cylinders joined the junior exchange last week under the name of its newly-formed holding company
PLANS to use one of the North-East's most spectacular animals to boost the region's economy are taking shape. The catalyst has been the release over the past three years of 94 red kites in the Derwent Valley, near Gateshead, restoring them to the region
A SPECIALIST training company has added a new IT course to its programme. Taitec Training, which has sites in Newcastle and Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has launched the CompTIA A+ certification, which is acclaimed by major companies such as Xerox, Dell
AN IT consultancy has invested in modern premises in Sunderland as it looks to expand. PCI Services has moved to the E-volve Business Centre, at Rainton Bridge Business Park, with support from Sunderland City Council's business investment team. The company
You cannot see it - it passes straight through our body without you even noticing it - and yet it makes up ninety per cent of the universe. Francis Griss joins the search for dark matter here in the North-East. IT is one of the Holy Grails of science
A MARITIME training company in the region has won a contract with one of the Far East's largest shipping companies. Seafarer Services.com, based in Newcastle, has won a deal to recruit and train staff for Chinese company Cosco Dalian Manning Corporation
The European Commission has cleared the £11.1bn buyout of Alliance Boots by its deputy chairman Stefano Pessina and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). Regulators said it had received no complaints about the deal and said it posed no anti-trust problems.
MARKETING and communications agency Pearsons has teamed up with a PR business to help clients promote their achievements in a number of new ways. Pearsons has a reputation on both a regional and national scale for delivering innovative marketing and digital
BUSINESSES are being urged to play a bigger role in protecting rivers and other waterways from the effects of pollution. One of the Environment Agency's concerns is the widespread use of illegally connected drains. Agency experts discovered that one
The impending skills shortage in North-East industry is at the top of most business agendas, but statistics reveal that only 33 per cent of young people plan to stay in the region because of the lack of opportunities. Deborah Johnson looks at the role
CHEMICALS and paint company ICI has turned down a £7.2bn takeover approach from the Dutch-owned firm behind Crown paints, it announced yesterday. ICI, which is best known for Dulux paints, told Akzo Nobel that its proposal undervalued the business and
A REGISTER that provides North-East companies with access to business support has attracted its 1,000th member. The North East England Service Provider Register, set up by One NorthEast at the beginning of last year, helps firms access the support for
Businesses in the region have the chance to put themselves forward for a stake in a £300,000 prize fund for training and investment in their workforce. The Edge Awards reward employers who are committed to providing learning opportunities for their staff
The UK's third-largest DIY chain, Focus, is to be sold to US investment fund Cerberus for £1 after suffering financial problems. Owners Apax Partners and Duke Street Capital have agreed to sell their shares for a nominal sum.
ENERGY efficiency company Eaga has seen its share price fluctuate in its first ten days of trading, after seeing it soar by 20 per cent during its first day on the London Stock Exchange. The Newcastle firm floated on June 7, with a list price of 181p,
ARRIVA last night dismissed rival Virgin's claims to have launched the first environmentally-friendly biodiesel train in Europe. The North-East train and bus company told The Northern Echo that it had been running trains in Germany on biodiesel for the
A BOGUS doctor who joined a slimming club and gave injections to members was yesterday jailed for three-and-a-half years. Fraudster Scott Walker, 25, stole drugs and syringes from the home nurse who cared for his grandmother, and hired taxis to
A BRITISH pilot attempting to land at all 206 airfields in the UK to break a world record and help a charity has called at a North Yorkshire RAF station. Polly Vacher, 62, stopped off at RAF Leeming during her flight in a light aircraft to raise awareness
YOUNG people have been recognised for their work in their community at an awards ceremony that could become an annual tradition. Northallerton mayor John Prest welcomed the initiative by Northallerton Rotary Club, which was held in the town's Black Bull
A DERELICT cinema that closed last year despite a campaign to save it will be reopened. The Odeon, in Blossom Street, York, shut in August last year, with the company citing increasing pressure because of competition from two modern complexes in the city
OFFICIALS want to see no-waiting signs at a junction because they say drivers are risking children's lives. North Yorkshire County Council is recommended to introduce the signs at Cross Lanes, Richmond, in spite of six objections, including a 14-name
FORMER school pupils with a combined age of more than 2,000 have gathered for a reunion. The 26 pensioners attended the former Yorebridge Grammar School, in Askrigg, near Leyburn, in the Second World War. The group, known as the Old Bessonians, held their
A THEATRE officer has seen her work go on display at the venue where she works. Patchworks quilts made by Sue Jones, duty manager and catering supervisor at the Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, are exhibited in the first and second-floor bars until July
MORE than £800 has been raised at a school summer fair and car boot sale. One of the most popular attractions at the event at Brompton-on-Swale CE Primary School, near Richmond, was a ducking stool, with sitting targets made of teacher Adam Firmin, governor
In today's celebrity obsessed society, the role of models your children choose probably won't be your cup of tea. ROLE models are an important part of growing up - and how parents wish that teenagers would aspire to be like Marie Curie or Sir Winston
A CHARITY that helps deaf and hard-of-hearing children across Teesside could close after losing its funding. The Child Deaf Youth Project, in Middlesbrough, has been improving the lives of deaf youngsters for more than ten years. But this year it has
Keen to try something different to combat her anxiety, Jackie Walton, 38, from Thirsk, went to Norway to volunteer on a Eco Farm. Here, she writes about her experiences. I HAD suffered from anxiety on and off for quite some time and was getting increasingly
Culling badgers is not an effective way to control the spread of tuberculosis (TB) in cattle, scientists said yesterday. Independent government advisors have concluded that, due to low benefits and high costs, a cull of the wild animals can "make no meaningful
COUNCILLORS are to consider what to do with £50,000 set aside for a footbridge project scrapped because of unexpectedly high costs. Plans for the bridge over Bedale Beck, in Bedale, which was aimed at improving pedestrian safety beside the busy A684,
COUNCILLORS' PAY I WAS interested to read Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon's comments recently regarding councillors' pay. Because there is such a wide diversity of serving councillors' income from other sources, it is a difficult subject to address. In
A PIONEERING court aimed at bridging the gap between the justice system and the community has been welcomed. The Middlesbrough Community Justice Court, based in Teesside Magistrates' Court, was launched in April as one of 11 new-style courts being tested
WORK on a £6.8m business centre in Derwentside is expected to start early next year. Derwentside District Council has secured funding to develop the three-storey centre at Tanfield Lea Business Park, near Stanley. The aim is to provide a wide range of
ONE of the most successful jazz trumpet players this side of the Atlantic will play at Durham's Gala Theatre on Saturday. Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen will be reliving all their hits, including Midnight in Moscow and When I'm 64. Tickets cost £13, £12
HOSPITAL PRAISE I DON'T know why people complain about our NHS. Recently, I attended the cardiology department of the University Hospital North Durham for a heart pacemaker implant and I was treated like a VIP. You are put at ease by the nurses with their
A CHARITY that provides on-site counselling for County Durham schools has carried out a study to evaluate its impact on pupils' emotional well-being. The Place2Be works within the schools so counsellors are on-site and familiar, which the charity believes
A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl has won a £50 shopping spree at the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, Durham. Victoria Evans was chosen from more than 200 youngsters who took part in the Holiday Treasure Hunt at the centre. The Sedgefield Primary School pupil was
NORTH-EAST SAS hero Chris Ryan is returning to the region to find men tough enough to take on an ultimate challenge. Mr Ryan, who has become an author and TV presenter since leaving the forces, is hosting an assessment day in Catterick, North Yorkshire
HAVE pity on me for I am a satirist and the job is getting harder by the day. Anything silly I invent in the morning has usually been surpassed by something even barmier by lunchtime. How about this: I woke up the other day to hear the BBC telling us
PARADISE A paradise for little birds or so it seemed to me, As they bathed in a little stream and flew from tree to tree. There mid the primroses, celendines and daisies too All their needs were met for their Heavenly Father knew. They sounded really
POLICE have imposed a series of on-the-spot fines as part of a continuing operation to crack down on under-age drinking in north Durham. On Friday, between 7.30pm and 10pm, two 15-year-old schoolgirls, closely supervised by plain clothed police officers
ENTHUSIASTS have spent a year compiling the history of their rural area in words and pictures - which have all gone into a book that money cannot buy. The 102-page hardback volume tells how life has changed in the past century in the farming district
Lenny's Britain (BBC1, 9pm), Holby Blue (BBC1, 8pm) I CAN'T remember Lenny Henry being funny, because I have only been alive for 23 years. For some reason, the BBC still happily shovel licence payers' money into his pockets. Lenny's latest offering -
POLICE are planning spot-checks to stop drivers from parking illegally in a town centre. Heavily worn road markings and abuse of the disc parking system introduced in Bedale more than ten years ago are being blamed for problems faced by visitors and residents
Redheugh Boys Club - boys' own, if not quite boys only - celebrated 50 years of football and of fraternity with a golden jubilee dinner on Saturday. It was the club which nurtured the likes of Paul Gascoigne, David Hodgson, Ian Branfoot and Don Hutchison
STUDENTS are being given a taste of Greek culture as part of a summer learning project. Year nine pupils from Brierton, English Martyrs, High Tunstall, Manor College of Technology and St Hild's sescondary schools, in Hartlepool, are taking part in a Greek
LEVELS of dangerous pollutants affecting a town have increased during the past two years, according to a survey. In 2005, air pollution checks showed that Yarm was narrowly ahead of Middlesbrough in terms of PM10 emissions released by diesel engines.
AN ANGLICAN deacon has died from a heart attack less than a year before he was due to be ordained as a priest. Father Terence Percival was deacon of the Traditional Anglican Church and worked at the Havelock Centre, in Darlington, helping people in the
TEN-TO-FOLLOW pick Tax Free (3.05) gets the nod for a decent each-way bet in the King's Stand Stakes on the first day of Royal Ascot. The David Nicholls-trained sprinter has done us proud having won all three of his races since being put forward in the
As many slimmers have discovered, it can be hard to shed the pounds - but what if exercise is out, which means you're left with just a diet? Women's Editor Sarah Foster meets a woman who has the answer. YOU wouldn't think it seeing her now, but June
A SET of signs were repaired yesterday after council bosses noticed they were pointing the wrong way. The ten signposts were erected earlier this month - at a cost of £13,805 - to show the direction and walking time to Darlington's landmarks. They are
A MAN from Darlington has been arrested on suspicion of theft after police in Teesdale recovered hundreds of pounds worth of copper insulating cable from a gipsy site yesterday afternoon. Officers found the cable during a patrol of a gipsy site in Winston
A HOSPICE worker blamed transport problems for her son's poor attendance at a Darlington school, a court was told yesterday. Vicky Craggs' car was off the road when her 15-year-old son missed 21 full days at Haughton Comprehensive between November 6 and
THE Pedestrian Heart will soon have a series of handrails installed - but a councillor says a spate of accidents proves they are too late. Darlington Borough Council confirmed yesterday that three accidents on the High Row steps have been reported to
TOWN CENTRE ONCE again a letter is published which uses the dictionary definition of a pedestrian as a reason for banning bicycles from Darlington's Pedestrian Heart (HAS, Page 10, June 18). Do the writers of these letters appreciate that their definition
Shoppers will be given smoke-free advice this week. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Health and Safety Team will hold advice sessions at supermarkets across the borough ahead of the smoking ban, which comes into force on July 1. Cabinet member for
A TEENAGE motorist was yesterday warned he faces jail after he admitted responsibility for the death of a female passenger. Liam Toye, 18, was driving a Peugeot 306 that went out of control and hit a stone outbuilding outside Sherburn Hospital, near Durham
SUNDERLAND hope to make further additions to their squad this week, but chairman Niall Quinn has told supporters not to forget about the men who won the Championship title last season. Having already spent £3m on Greg Halford, Quinn will step up his
Darlington want to sign Adam Boyd and held talks with the former Hartlepool United striker yesterday. Quakers boss Dave Penney discussed terms with Boyd and his agent at the 96.6TFM Darlington Arena, but Quakers face fierce competition for the forward
NEWCASTLE UNITED'S James Milner has been integral to England Under-21s' progress to the semi-final of the European Championships, and insists there is plenty more to come from him and the team. After overcoming Serbia 2-0 on Sunday night, Stuart Pearce's
PEOPLE have been collecting their keys ready to move into new bungalows in what used to be a rundown terrace in Angus Street, Hartlepool. Bulldozers are already flattening 347 houses in the town's Mildred and Mayfair Street areas to make way for more
TOWN hall planners have been awarded a £55,000 grant to continue their progress in meeting Government targets. A little over a year ago, Stockton Borough Council's planning team was failing to meet strict Government performance targets. But now it has
PLANS to erect a ten-turbine 25 megawatt wind farm have been approved by councillors. The Butterwick Moor windfarm will be built about a mile east of Sedgefield Village. Work is expected to start next year and each turbine will be up to 110 metres high
PARENTS have criticised a local authority for not doing enough to stop the spread of a highly infectious disease. They say Darlington Borough Council should have provided more information after a pupil at the town's Mount Pleasant Primary School contracted
DURHAM have been granted permission to play Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison in tomorrow's Friends Provident Trophy semi-final at home to Essex. England opener Alastair Cook will be available for the opposition and Durham are praying for fine weather
A VALUABLE family heirloom was taken in a burglary last week. Police are appealing for anyone who has been offered the engraved watch to come forward with information in a bid to track down the thieves. The Record stainless steel watch, with a black leather
Royal Ascot sees the cream of the sport descend on Berkshire. As racing writer Colin Woods (Janus) explains, the region is again well represented at the finest Flat meeting of the year and gives his five to follow this week. ASK anyone in the business
AN environmentally-friendly golf course will open at Bishop Auckland next year. Castle Golf received planning permission from Wear Valley District Council for Eleven Arches golf course at Flatts Farm, Toronto, in 2002. The 120-acre, 18-hole golf course
A SINGLE mother was ordered to do 40 hours unpaid community service after she pleaded guilty to benefit fraud yesterday. Susan Bowen, 33, of Norfolk Place, Henknowle, received payments of £2,401.09 in income support while working part-time between October
THE landlord of a pub in Teesdale says a licence to serve alcohol late into the night will give him a "fighting chance" against the other pubs in the village. The White Swan, in Evenwood, was granted a licence to serve alcohol until 1.30am on Fridays
A COUNTY councillor has taken a step back from politics to promote volunteers.North Yorkshire county councillor Gareth Dadd helped at Norby Luncheon Club, in Thirsk, run by Thirsk, Sowerby and District Community Care Association.It runs once a week on
Ambitious and innovative, the Gourmet Spot in Durham promises diners 'huge amounts of fun'.THE word "spat" is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a tiff, dispute or quarrel. That it can be anything else from oyster spawn to a gaiter - short for spatterdash
LETTERS from a teenager written more than 100 years ago detailing life in South Africa during the Boer War have been unearthed by his son.Philip Sefton's father, William Horner Sefton, served in South Africa for two years in the war.During
A SINGING policeman is taking to the stage to help school children on his beat.Steve Mann spends his working life walking the paths of rural north Durham, as a community support officer for Esh Winning. But in the evenings, the 46-year-old picks up a
HUNDREDS of budding violinists tuned up with a mass masterclass yesterday.Children from ten primary schools took part in a series of workshops with tutor Jeremy Matthews, which culminated in a performance at Hill View Infant School, in Sunderland.Since
Remploy, the county's leading employer of disabled people, is proposing a complete shake-up which could see six North-East factories close or merge. Chatherine Jewitt talks to workers about how they believe proposals will afftect them.WORKING at a Remploy
RAILWAY police will patrol services and stations on the entire length of the East Coast Main Line in a crackdown on theft.In Operation Falcon, which will run from today until Friday, British Transport Police (BTP) officers will conduct high-profile on-train
AN angry mother has criticised an NHS hospital trust in the region for failing to pay for life- changing treatment for her son.Fourteen-month-old James Hall, of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, suffers from plagiocephaly.The problem is also referred
PEDAL power is here to stay at one school on Teesside.Ron Lowes, a member of Middlesbrough Council's executive, responsible for transport, yesterday cut the ribbon to open a cycle shelter at Park End Primary School, in the town's Overdale Road.Week-long
AN Aston Martin commissioned by the King of Belgium has gone on sale at a North-East workshop, where it will be restored to its former glory. The 1955 DB2/4 Vignale Coupe was discovered in the US by Aston Workshop owner and enthusiast Bob Fountain, from
THE family of a woman who defied breast cancer by becoming a charity fashion model is organising a fundraising event in her memory.A year after Ruth Wallace, 32, from Guisborough, east Cleveland, died in The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough
AUTOMOTIVE students are preparing to work flat out in a karting challenge that could attract regional glory.Fifteen Darlington College students taking a vehicle maintenance and repair course have secured £10,000 for the motorsport initiative.They have
THIS is the face of a bogus social worker who called at the home of young child with an accomplice purporting to be a health worker.When challenged by the child's mother, the couple were unable to produce identification and left the address, in the Beckfields
Yorkshire v Sussex (County Championship): Day Four Yorkshire went to extraordinary lengths to stop themselves from sacrificing half-a-point in their top-of-the-table LV Championship clash against Sussex which ended in a draw at Headingley Carnegie yesterday.And
WALKERS should have access to the whole English coastline, the Government announced today.Environment Secretary David Miliband said he wants to open up the whole of the coastal area to the public.The problem is that, at present, parts of the coast are
TODDLERS took inspiration from Hollywood when they took part in a sponsored event.Forty-five children, aged from only six months, dressed up in costumes to raise money for Barnardo's. Many children at the High Bank Day Nursery, in Stapleton, near Darlington
A FORMER television talent show contestant will lead an all-star cast at her home town's pantomime this year.Zoe Birkett, Darlington's star of Pop Idol, will take the lead role of Snow White this Christmas at Darlington Civic Theatre. She will be joined
THREE appointments have strengthened the team at the company managing Wear Valley's 4,500 council homes.Dale and Valley Homes has brought in two directors and promoted a former housing officer.Pat Wanless, who is now director of operations, will return
POLICE are investigating 29 North-East men suspected of links to an internet child sex abuse network used by paedophiles around the world, The Northern Echo can reveal.The UK-based leader of the online paedophile pornography forum was jailed yesterday
AUTOMOTIVE students are preparing to work flat-out in a karting challenge that could attract regional glory.Fifteen Darlington College students on the VRQ vehicle maintenance and repair course have secured £10,000 for the motorsport initiative.They have
PARENTS, pupils and staff at a school managed to dodge the heavy rain to enjoy a spectacular summer fete.The event attracted hundreds of people to Broomfield School, in Northallerton, and raised almost £2,000.Stalls, games and attractions drew the crowds
AN arts group has said a fond farewell to its tutor of 11 years.Members of the Esh Winning Arts Group, which has met in The Comedian pub, Sunniside, presented Nicholas Leake with a 2008 calendar, featuring paintings created under his guidance.Each page
A GROUP of students has won a national competition for the sixth time in the contest's 16-year history.The team from St Michael's School, Billingham, was named overall winner in the Citizenship Foundation's National Youth Parliament Competition. Individual
US "ghost ships" are finally likely to be broken up off the North-East coast after the main opponent backed down at the eleventh hour.Hartlepool Borough Council yesterday denied that huge amounts of taxpayers' money had been wasted after it decided it
MUCH higher public spending in Scotland than in the North-East is a price worth paying to prevent the break-up of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair said yesterday.Giving evidence to MPs at Westminster, the outgoing Prime Minister gave his most honest account
CHILDREN at a Teesdale nursery have been building on their classroom education after a visit from a brickmaker.Peter Marshall, from brick manufacturer Hargreaves, visited youngsters at Cockfield Nursery to show the class how bricks are made.Pupils watched
THE Army has changed its policy on charging a search team for training on military land in the wake of criticism after the death of a soldier.Following an investigation by The Northern Echo, Army bosses have reduced a fee levied on Swaledale Mountain
RISING football star Jak Mitchell celebrated his 11th birthday in style at the weekend - by taking part in an international football tournament with Newcastle United's junior team.Yesterday, he arrived home from school to find his house bedecked in the
A LOCAL council has won the first stage of its legal battle to halt the creation of unitary authorities.A High Court judge yesterday granted Harrogate Borough Council, along with two other authorities, permission to challenge the Government's unitary
A BRA and pair of knickers were to blame for a sewage leak that damaged more than 20 homes and caused excrement to flow down a street.Northumbrian Water said yesterday the underwear had been flushed down a toilet and became snagged on a sewage pipe under
A SCHOOLBOY racing driver is refusing to give up his dream of emulating his hero Lewis Hamilton, despite suffering a string of setbacks.Since Tom Maddison started racing karts in May last year, he has been dogged by injuries, crashes and engine problems.But
AS part of his benefit year to celebrate a decade of service at Durham, Paul Collingwood is due to host a cookery master class in London next Tuesday. No matter what he produces at the end of it, it will not be tastier than the feast he served up for
FRESH from reviving hopes of a Riverside win over the West Indies with his fifth Test century, Paul Collingwood is the leading candidate to become the England one-day captain later this week. Just hours after the 31-year-old brought his country back into
DURHAM coach Geoff Cook last night paid tribute to Shane Warne, whose astonishing efforts in continually pulling his side off the ropes were rewarded with a 50-run victory for Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. Test cricket's leading wicket-taker set up an exciting
MIDDLESBOUGH boss Gareth Southgate is determined to keep Stewart Downing at the Riverside this summer, but Everton remain hopeful of pulling off an audacious swoop for the England international. The Northern Echo revealed Everton's interest in Downing
BOOKMAKER Neville Porter yesterday revealed the company is to "substantially" outperform its £14m annual turnover target with all three branches of the business exceeding expectations. The County Durham firm said predictions for its recently-launched
IN the last weeks of his time in power, Tony Blair - unburdened from the restraints of being Prime Minister for much longer - appears to be in the mood to get a few home truths off his chest. Last week, it was his forthright attack on the media he had
THE first artificial snow slope in the region could be opened as part of a football club's new sporting village.Darlington Football Club officials are already drawing up ideas for the second phase of their multi-million pound plans even before the first
AN animal rights campaigner is to run naked through the streets of a Spanish town in protest at an annual bull run. Emma Phipps, 19, from Sherburn village, near Durham City, will run through Pamplona, in Northern Spain, in protest at the traditional Running
As Tony Blair prepares to step down, a controversial film and book claim that the New Labour Government has vanquished many civil liberties. Author and director Chris Atkins explains why we should be worried WHAT are we prepared to give up in
A DRAMA company from County Durham can boast a truly authentic Shakespearean production after flying in Two Gentlemen of Verona to perform in their play of the same name.The Barnard Castle-based Castle Players will have two opera singers from the city
CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to fight on after a North-East firm appeared closer to winning the right to break up so-called US ghost ships. Able UK was blocked by Hartlepool Council from dismantling four rusty ships amid environmental fears that the area would
PARENTS have criticised a local authority for not doing enough to stop the spread of an infectious illness. They claim Darlington Borough Council should have provided more information after a pupil at the town's Mount Pleasant Primary School contracted
A BRA and pair of knickers were to blame for a flood that damaged more than 20 homes and caused excrement to flow down a street. Northumbrian Water said yesterday that the underwear had been flushed down a toilet - but later snagged on a sewage pipe
A BOGUS doctor who joined a slimming club and gave jabs to members was yesterday jailed for three-and-a-half years. Fraudster Scott Walker, 25, stole drugs and syringes from his grandmother's home nurse and hired taxis to deliver made-up prescriptions
