PLANS to transform a golf club into a multi-million pound tourism and leisure complex are being unveiled to the public tomorrow (Saturday). As Washington Developments secures complete control of Woodham Golf and Country Club, near Newton Aycliffe, in
A MAN died earlier today when his silver Audi TT sports car veered across the northbound carriageway of the A19, near Washington, hitting the back of a Volvo truck. The Audi left the road, half a mile south of the A1290 junction, and overturned. Police
A 13-YEAR-OLD girl who led her gran to safety after a fire broke out in her home has been praised as a lifesaver by firefighters. The teenager, who was visiting her gran's home in Hamstead Road, Normanby, Middlesbrough, earlier this evening was in a
A MAN was awarded a million pounds damages today for a hospital's mistakes at his birth - 27 years ago. Anthony Louca, a chef's son from Middlesbrough was a 36-week premature baby born at the town's Carter Bequest Hospital in September 1979. His mother
POLICE have arrested two suspected drugs dealers after seizing cocaine from a house in County Durham. Officers from Bishop Auckland police station recovered the class A drugs, with an estimated street value of £7,000, in the teatime raid on Thursday.
AN inexperienced motorist's "lunatic" driving led to the death of a young passenger, a court heard. Liam Robert Toye, 18, was today sentenced to three years in a young offenders' institution, having previously admitted causing the death of 16-year-old
A NEIGHBOUR of a mother accused of murdering her four-year-old daughter told a jury today how she reported her to social services because she was "so angry" at constantly seeing the youngster at her bedroom window looking sad. Leticia Wright died from
GRAEME STORM remains in contention in the Scottish Open but has plenty to do after a frustrating second round. The 29-year-old, the overnight leader on Thursday, made four bogeys on the last nine at Loch Lomond to card 72, one over, for today. Storm's
A WOMAN who harrassed a psychologist for 16 years after falling in love with him during a work placement produced a bizarre stalker's manual which she sent to him. Anna Smirnoff inundated the married dad, his family and colleagues with obscene letters
A MAN has described how he discovered his best friend lying dead on the floor of his home, having been fatally stabbed to death. Lance Gray said he feared at first that Peter Hoe had committed suicide and thought he may have slashed his wrists. He
A mother has been arrested after her toddler was found wandering the streets of Darlington. Police arrested the mother after her son, who will be three on his next birthday, was found near the town's Clifton Road cattle mart. Police carried out house-to-house
THIS is a silver VW Golf, one of two cars used in an armed hold-up of a Tesco store in central Middlesbrough, this week. Detective Inspector Chris Sadler, heading the manhunt for the machete armed robbers, said: "I believe two vehicles were stolen from
A motorcyclist who died in a road collision involving his motorcycle and a tractor has been named by police. Graham Simpson, 31, was killed on the A171 at Moorsholm - outside Mount Pleasant Farm - near Whitby, on Wednesday. Mr Simpson worked as a miner
A MAN has been awarded damages of £1m following a hospital's mistakes at his birth 27 years ago. Anthony Louca, a chef's son from Middlesbrough, was born premature at the town's Carter Bequest Hospital in September 1979. His mother Marilyn was left
A worker has been injured after an oxyacetylene cylinder exploded at a chemical gas factory, it has emerged. Residents and staff from two factory premises were evacuated after the oxy-acetylene cylinder, then caught fire, at the BOC premises in Barley
MICHAEL CHOPRA has signed a four-year contract at Sunderland, after passing a medical at the Academy of Light this morning. The former Newcastle United striker has now completed a £5m switch from Cardiff City, who have made a £4.5m profit on the player
THE Law Society is to make ex-gratia advance payments to former miners who have yet to be compensated for receiving inadequate professional services from their solicitors. There have been cases of solicitors refusing to pay miners for the mis-handling
A factory was evacuated today and nearby roads closed after an explosion. The incident happened at a BOC plant, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham. Police said there were no reports of any injuries. A force spokesman said it appeared that an oxyacetylene
JAMES MILNER has pledged his future to Newcastle United by penning a new long-term deal at St James' Park. The 21-year-old was on the verge of leaving the Magpies for Aston Villa last August but his turnaround in fortunes on Tyneside has been capped
THE Spennymoor Boxing Acade- my Annual Presentation Night was held at Whitworth Hall,Spen- nymoor. M.C.and entertainer for the night was Johnny Mac The Knife,and Spennymoor 's full squad of 24 box- ers received club caps from ABC Scaffolding rep
NORTHERN League crowds have increased for the fifth successive year -and the league is one of only a handful in the country that make that proud boast. Figures released by the league show a massive 16 per cent increase in crowds to just over 84,000
Paul Drinkhall will be the overwhelming favourite to defend his title at the second UK School Games in Coventry next month. In addition to wining the individual gold medal,the 17-year-old from Cleveland led the North-East team to victory at the
A Network Rail employee has been arrested in connection with the Cumbria rail crash in February this year where a Virgin intercity train left the rails. British Transport Police confirmed The 46-year-old man has been arrested following the Grayrigg train
A TODDLER was found wandering the streets of Darlington alone this morning wearing nothing but a nappy. The boy, believed to be aged between two-and-a-half to three years-old, was found walking along Clifton Road, in the South Park area of the town,
POLICE have seized cocaine with an estimated street value of £7,000 after a teatime raid on a house in County Durham last night. Officers from Bishop Auckland police station discovered the haul of cocaine when they executed a warrant at around 6.40pm
Residents and staff from two factory premises were evacuated after a fire at a chemical gas plant this morning. The alert followed an explosion of an oxy-acetylene cylinder, which then caught fire, at the BOC premises in Barley Mow, Birtley, near Chester-le-Street
A FORMER soldier who last saw service more than 50 years ago has rejoined the colours. Bryan Cockburn served with The Green Howards between 1954 and 1956 during his National Service and was posted to Cyprus for what he describes as "the best two
SPENDING PRIORITIES CATTERICK Garrison is finally going to get a £20m swimming pool and sports complex (Echo, July 3). Great news for the military and civilian population. Even better news for the champagne-popping county and district councils
PEOPLE living in rural areas have set up their own charitable trust to ensure that elderly neighbours can remain in their own homes for longer. Elderly people from Upper Eskdale, on the North York Moors, faced moving miles away from friends and
A SCHEME to build a church meeting hall has divided a North Yorkshire village over its design. The Church of the Holy Cross, at Swainby, near Northallerton, uses a former grade-II listed school as a meeting place. But Whorlton Parochial Church
A RUNNER has raised more than £800 to help boost a charity which aids sick children from Chernobyl. Cassie Boynton, 20, of Thornton- le-Street, near Thirsk, is raising money to help the Friends of Chernobyl's Children. The Leeds University student
A CAMPAIGN to improve an often-forgotten aspect of home safety has been extended. Building on its successful Sheducate initiative, Hambleton Community Safety Partnership is now selling halfprice shed alarms. Earlier this year, the partnership
A POLICE tape of a girl's terrified 999 call as her boyfriend's car was chased and rammed by a stranger helped jail the driver for 18 months yesterday. Mark Brockhurst, 20, pursued the couple's Citroen Saxo for 11 miles along unlit country lanes
HEARD the one about the Darlington footballer's son who's now Belgium's top stand-up comic? Joking apart, it's true. Teesside lad John Agnew was the Quakers' outside left in the mid-1950s, marrying his third wife - a Belgian called Josephina
CLARK Keltie faces a race to be fit in time for the new season, after it emerged last night the midfielder will require a hernia operation. The midfielder, who recently signed a new one-year contract, faces a month on the sidelines. Quakers former
Flowers play a prominent part in all sorts of occasions... and not just prettily displayed in pots and vases PIVOTAL, life-changing moments only happen every now and again. Mine happened last month when my brother asked me if I would be godmother
AL QAIDA has condemned the knighthood given to author Salman Rushdie. Such anger is perfectly understandable. After all, for years al Qaida and the Taliban have worked hard debasing, degrading, insulting Mohammed and his teachings, turning his teachings
IS it just me, or am I being paranoid? As a white, British male, it seems one cannot say or do anything in this country for fear of offending the Muslim community. Unfortunately, I do not wish to live in an Islamic state under Shariah law and would
I FULLY agree with John Phelan's opinion about the troops in Iraq (HAS, June 29) - get them out and home as soon as possible. I was in the Second World War, but we knew the enemy - they wore uniforms. In Iraq, our troops can't distinguish friend
I WAS interested to read Chris Lloyd's Saturday column with its references to the east Cleveland ironstone mining industry (Echo, July 7). From 1956 to 1962, I worked as an apprentice electrician at North Skelton Ironstone Mine. The mine had a
THE planet and all its mineral wealth and productive resources are owned by a tiny fraction of the world's population. This is capitalism. It is this and this alone that is the cause of hundreds of millions of unnecessary deaths through starvation
PETE Winstanley (HAS, July 10) offers little in the way of hope for the people of Palestine and in particular the 1.5 million who live in Gaza. He finds the thought of an Egyptian incursion to end the strife and impose stability, law and order
GORDON Brown is obviously a member of the Magic Circle, so good is he at the sleight of hand. During Tony Blair's years, Mr Brown was never around when a lead was needed; was conspicuous by his absence during any crisis; and now, at last when he
A NUMBER of people are against the idea of an updated European Union treaty without taking time to fully understand the situation. There is a wide variety of issues to consider and to be able to take all factors into account the agenda must be
THERE is still time to take part in the Stockton International Riverside Festival community carnival. This year's theme has been inspired by the town's railway heritage. Carnival organisers are holding drop-in sessions, open to everyone, at Spark, a
A VILLAGE is being transformed into a wildlife haven, in a community effort. A wide range of organisations have worked together to boost the conservation value of Greatham, on the outskirts of Hartlepool. The improvements have been led by the organisers
A COLLEGE has become one of the first in the North-East to win a Matrix standard. Redcar and Cleveland College - motto Raising aspirations, exceeding expectations - has been given the Government accreditation for the learning and support services it provides
A NEWLY qualified plumber has been recognised as one of the ten best JTL apprentices in England and Wales. Matthew Daniels, from Guisborough, was chosen from nearly 10,000 apprentices at an awards ceremony at the Tower of London run by one of the leading
A MODEL railway display rolls into Hartlepool this weekend. The Hartlepool Model Rail Exhibition will be held at Manor College of Technology, Owton Manor Lane, on Saturday and Sunday, between 10am and 5.30pm. More than 30 model railway layouts will be
PEOPLE have a chance to direct crime-fighting operations. Residents in North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, can have their say when if they meet representatives of the Safer Middlesbrough Partnership next week at the start of an operation in which agencies will
A CHARITY has organised an event to help older people sort out insurance for their possessions next week. Age Concern Derwentside is holding the event on Wednesday at its office, in Betjeman Close, East Stanley. People who attend have the chance to win
THE Anti-Crime Party candidate himself earned a ticking off from police yesterday when he tried to campaign outside a supermarket. Party founder, secretary and Sedgefield candidate Norman Scarth had travelled from Bradford to campaign outside Tesco, in
THE Christian Party's representative in the Sedgefield by-election has launched an attack on Tory leader David Cameron, accusing him of headline grabbing statements. Tim Grainger said Mr Cameron had recently issued a politically correct message in his
BRITISH National Party candidate Andrew Spence said the tyres of his pick-up truck had been slashed. Mr Spence said the vehicle was attacked outside his family home, between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The Consett farmer said the cost of replacing
A COUNCIL has been praised by an independent watchdog for continuing to give good value for money. District Auditor Steve Nicklin, who carried out the Audit Commission's anual audit on Stockton Borough Council, says the local authority is in a sound
TWO football hooligans were involved in a large-scale disturbance after a derby match between Hartlepool and Darlington, a court was told. Yesterday, Darlington supporters Andrew Dalton and Adam Webb were banned from attending any league matches anywhere
A COMMUNITY'S history has been set - not in stone, but in metal. The story of Eston, beginning with the discovery of ironstone in its hills in 1850, has been incorporated in a sculpture commissioned by the town's proud residents. The town's sometimes
SEDGEFIELD will be better off under the Liberal Democrats' new tax plans, the party leader said yesterday on a visit to the constituency. Menzies Campbell dropped in on Hurworth School, in a village where the Lib Dems have just gained a councillor at
RESTRICTIONS on a life-extending new drug for kidney cancer patients have been extended to Scotland. Health service providers in Scotland have been told not to fund the £23,000-a-year drug Sutent because it fails the cost effectiveness test. The same
PIGS Large black Class 336, Boar born July 1 to December 31, 2006: 1 S J Richardson, Sale. Gloucestershire old spot Class 330, Boar born July 1 to December 31, 2006: 1 Mr & Mrs M Hicks, Balsall Common; 2 M Kiddy & Son, Gamlingay, Sandy. Class 331, Boar
We spend a third of our lives doing it, yet little is really understood about the body's need for sleep. Women's Editor Sarah Foster speaks to one woman who gets by on very little. WE'VE all experienced the results of having insufficient sleep - our eyes
North-Easterners just love to dress up, which has helped one stay-at-home mum develop a successful business in Bishop Auckland. HAVING a party? Then you might need the party godmother - not forgetting her dad to blow up the balloons. Whatever the party
YOUNGSTERS who learnt to play the clarinet in only ten months staged a concert for parents yesterday. Twenty-seven year four pupils, aged eight and nine, at Finchale Primary School, Durham, showed off their skills with the instrument - a C rather B flat
THREE council accounts department workers hope to raise £3,000 for a charity that makes dreams come true for terminally-ill children. Christine Kipling, Paul Tuffnell and Peter Rafferty, who work for Durham County Council, will do two sponsored bike
DURHAM City Council may have to allow development on a greenbelt if a company is refused permission to build 250 houses on derelict land in Bowburn, a public inquiry has heard. The council last year denied Hallam Land Management and Commercial Estates
THE antecedents of Mukhtar Ibrahim, the leader of the July 2005 bomb plot, make interesting reading. Before graduating to terror, he was a sex offender and a mugger. A career criminal. In a strange way, I find this revelation reassuring. It emphasises
A MAN has won a Rotary Club squash tournament for the 17th time. The latest success of John Shaw, a member of Durham Bede Rotary Club, came in the Rotary North-East District's squash contest. Club president David Williams presented him with the tournament
A ONE-DAY blitz on untaxed vehicles resulted in four cars being seized and one man being arrested. Easington District Council joined forces with the police and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) this week as part of an on-going campaign to
A PLAQUE in memory of a young community champion has been unveiled in Seaham. David Pattison, who died in April aged 19, worked tirelessly for disabled people and for the refurbishment of the Westgrove shopping area in Westlea. The plaque coincided with
The Shield (five, 11pm), DIY SOS (BBC1, 8.30pm) If you've missed a few episodes of a series, you have to hope that the "previously on..." segment before the programme proper will make everything crystal clear. Alas, all the rushing about and rapid-fire
ONLY one in three hospitals in the North-East and North Yorkshire have met a tough national target which calls for heart attack victims to be given clot-busting drugs within an hour of calling for help. Five of the region's 15 hospitals - in Sunderland
WOODCRAFT Stickmaking Class 5, Walking stick, one piece of wood, plain: 1 D Gardner, Northallerton; 2 D Love, Cumnock; 3 G Flintoft, Whitby. Class 6, Walking stick, horn head, plain: 1 G Flintoft, Whitby; 2 D Love, Cumnock; 3 D Gardner, Northallerton.
A SCHOOL band hopes to enjoy regular overseas trips after its first international tour hit the right note. Spennymoor School Band travelled to Germany last month to perform two concerts in the Cologne region. They enjoyed the tour so much they are now
A TOWN boxing club has rewarded its boxers and behind the scene volunteers. At its annual presentation night, Spennymoor Boxing Academy thanked volunteer Alan Heron for his tireless fundraising by presenting him with an unsung hero award. Other awards
A FARMER'S wife has launched a booklet to teach children where their food comes from. Kate Dale, from Boroughbridge, near Ripon, wants youngsters from urban and rural areas to learn the value of the countryside, and how farmers work to preserve it. Farmer
CROOK CARNIVAL CONGRATULATIONS to the Crook Town Carnival committee for providing the residents with a magnificent day of entertainment last Saturday. I understand that attendance was slightly up on last year and considering the weather that we had had
THE latest look for Wear Valley's affordable houses will be unveiled to the district's 4,500 tenants next week. A show home opening in Low Willington, next Thursday, will give people the chance to choose how they want their properties to be improved.
THE sports hall of a council leisure centre will be closed during the summer for redevelopment. The hall, at Sedgefield Borough Council's Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre, will be closed from Friday, July 20, until Monday September 10. The work will include
A TOWN park created to provide safe recreation space is being hailed nationally as a success. Town Park, in Newton Aycliffe, has been cited as a shining example to councils across the country considering similar schemes or experiencing anti-social behaviour
The owners of a stunning Teesdale garden, which opens to the public in aid of charity, have been given recognition for their efforts. Jonathan and Caroline Peacock moved into Ravensford Farm, in Hamsterley, near Bishop Auckland, in 1984, and have transformed
TWENTY retail outlets in the North-East formerly owned by stricken supermarket chain Kwik Save are being sold, with a high level of interest already received from potential bidders. The stores are being sold after Kwik Save was put into administration
TWO men escaped unhurt when a car they were in crashed on a sharp bend. The accident happened on the B6282, between Middleton-in-Teesdale and Eggleston, on Wednesday evening. The vehicle ended up partly off the road and the road was closed for more than
DURHAM County Council's fostering services have been officially rated as "excellent" for the second year running. In a review by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), it was praised for the commitment of its managers, staff and carers in maintaining
A FAMILY-OWNED construction firm in the North-East has secured two contracts worth £4.4m. Newcastle-based Dorin Construction was awarded a £2.7m contract to build a 50-bed nursing home and seven-bed respite bungalow at Grindon, Sunderland. It also
A FORKLIFT truck driver stole from his employer after only two days because he did not want a job, a court heard yesterday. Gary Mills, 45, pleaded guilty to stealing a bottle of aftershave from Savers, on June 29, when he appeared at Darlington Magistrates
FIRE CREWS were called to a blaze at a house in Grange Road, Darlington, yesterday. The fire broke out in the roof of a bungalow while repairs were being carried out. No one was hurt. Crews from Darlington Fire Station were called at 12.30pm. Watch manager
IT WAS a wonderful weekend, we are told, for sport in Britain. For me, however, it merely confirmed that most of those who travel to watch sport, rather than rely on the telly, derive the greater part of their pleasure from the atmosphere rather than
England Lions debutant Adil Rashid has identified master batsman Sachin Tendulkar as the prize scalp he wants above all others this weekend. Teenage leg-spinner Rashid is looking forward to realising his lifelong dream of simply bowling at Tendulkar when
DURHAM will consider following the example of Friends Provident Trophy opponents Hampshire if Scott Styris continues to struggle in the match against Sussex starting at Horsham today. Hampshire have signed West Indian Daren Powell to replace Australian
DRAINAGE SYSTEM DURING my almost daily walk into town from the Geneva Road area of Darlington, it is impossible not to see the blocked-up state of most of the road drainage system. If money had been spent on this, I feel it would have been better received
A WOMAN who lost her memory because of a brain condition suffered continuous domestic violence at the hands of her alcoholic boyfriend, a court heard yesterday. Matthew James Clark was warned he could be jailed after admitting assault at Darlington Magistrates
Jeremy Snape is hoping his contribution on and off the pitch could sway England's selectors into including him in the final 15-man squad for this winter's inaugural ICC World Twenty20 championship. The 34-year-old Leicestershire all-rounder played the
THE new owner of Newcastle United, Mike Ashley, yesterday made another acquisition by paying £5m for a 60 per cent stake in outdoor leisure chain Field and Trek. The billionaire's Sports Direct International business made the move for the retailer,
ENGINEERING company Whessoe Oil and Gas is to increase turnover to £250m within the next two years after winning contracts worth a combined total of more than £500m, it was revealed yesterday. The Darlington firm, which specialises in building
SOFT ground conditions pose no fears for Gunfighter, fully loaded and ready to fire in York's Hearthstead Homes Handicap. Originally purchased for a cool 100,000 guineas as a yearling, Gunfighter's price plunged to just 2,800 when sold to join Malton's
YOUNG farmers set pulses racing yesterday when they attended a cattle parade in the buff. The brazen beefcakes, who all come from the York area, were showing their cattle off. They decided to bare almost all to help promote a new calender called Yorkshire
A BRICK company is opening a new facility which will help boost turnover by two thirds and increase production by a quarter. The York Handmade Brick Company has invested £700,000 in its new special products building at its site in Alne, near Easingwold
SIXTY children at a Darlington primary school have starred in a comedy reworking of a classic fairy tale. Year six pupils at Heathfield Primary School, who have just completed their SATS, performed Cinders, a musical version of Cinderella with an alternative
WE are repeatedly told that the criminal justice system is struggling to cope - that cases are taking too long to be processed because the courts are over burdened. The Crown Prosecution Service must, therefore, weigh up more carefully than ever which
The national curriculum for 11 to 14-year-olds is being replaced with the aim of being more relevant to today's pupils. Lindsay Jennings looks at what the changes will mean for teachers and children. THE restrictive nature of the national curriculum
INTERNET company Infoserve has pledged to invest £2m in its workforce training after recruiting 200 new staff. The Darlington firm has recently embarked on a recruitment drive to raise its staff levels from 125 to more than 300, and said it was braced
THE brother of a man stabbed to death in his home told a jury yesterday of "my worst nightmare" after his two best friends were arrested for the murder. Anthony Hoe was accused under cross-examination of fabricating evidence to frame David and Terry Reed
A PLANNING application has been submitted to Teesdale District Council to demolish an old property known as Platelayer's Cottage and build another home in its place at The Mill, in Ramshaw, near Barnard Castle.
A TEAM of young people who turned old jeans into bags, pencil cases and other accessories has won this year's Future Business Magnates title. The group from Belmont School Community Arts College, named Decycle, was last night announced the winner of the
FALKLANDS war veteran Simon Weston OBE gave young people an inspirational speech before the Young Business Magnates award ceremony. The former Welsh Guard, who suffered severe burns during the conflict, said the contest was character-building for the
THE ladies will take to the stage at a "New Blood" music night next Thursday. Girl-only bands Belladonna, from Darlington, and Jennie And The Bets, from Newcastle, will line up alongside Richmond's The Love Cats, and acoustic artists This is the New Black
GRAEME Storm last night promised to make the most of his "rich vein of form" after a sparkling round of 65 left him in a four-way tie for the first-round leadership of the Scottish Open. Two weeks after claiming his maiden European Tour title in France
NEWCASTLE boss Sam Allardyce will run the rule over Argentinian trialist Aldo Duscher later today as he steps up his preparations for the start of the new Premiership season. And as he continues to rebuild the squad inherited from his predecessor, Glenn
AN Italian wine cellar has opened for business in Durham Markets. Giovanni Viglianisi, who owns Giovanni's Enoteca in Gilesgate, will sell only Italian wines from the store, which he launched to expand his business into Durham City centre. Mr Viglianisi
A POPULAR children's story is being brought to life at a Darlington school. This week, Carmel RC College students will be performing a musical version of the CS Lewis classic, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The show involves more than 80 students
Women are invited to take part in a bike ride from West Park, Darlington, to Archers Ice Cream Parlour, Walworth, on July 22, from 11am. Call 01325-388721.
TWO football hooligans were involved in a major disturbance after a derby match between Hartlepool and Darlington, a court was told. Yesterday, Darlington supporters Andrew Dalton and Adam Webb were banned from attending any league matches anywhere in
BROWNIES have been learning how to help save the planet by recycling waste. The 27th Darlington Brownies contacted Darlington Borough Council to ask how they could get more involved in recycling. Recycling Officer Phillippa Scrafton sent pads and pencils
HARTLEPOOL United defender Robbie Elliott last night backed fellow Geordie Michael Chopra to become a massive success at Sunderland. Chopra will become one of the few players to have represented both Newcastle and Sunderland when he completes a £5m move
PUPILS gave their teachers a "muchos gracias" after a Spanish day at school. Reid Street Primary School, Darlington, held the day on Wednesday to strengthen their links with Spain. Foundation and key stage one pupils, aged three to seven, enjoyed Spanish
PUPILS from a deprived area have been finding out where their food comes from. The six and seven-year-olds got to see, pet and feed farm animals, explore a medieval village, visit a Bronze Age burial ground and see Roman remains at Ulnaby Hall, Heighington
Dapper Designer Clothing, in Houndgate Mews, Darlington, will hold its official opening tomorrow, with promotional offers and free drinks.
THE former owner of Newcastle United FC, Sir John Hall, yesterday cast an eye over one of the region's most derelict shopping centres and declared: "It's a disgrace. It has to be revamped."Sir John, who developed the Gateshead MetroCentre, was campaigning
A SIX-MINUTE film that features boys in a North-East Scout troop has won a prize at a US film festival.It was produced by Sam Forsyth as part a recruiting campaign organised in Barnard Castle to encourage boys all over Britain to join the Scouting movement.Under
HOSPITALS across the region have raked in millions of pounds in parking charges in the past year.A Freedom of Information request submitted by The Northern Echo to seven North-East and North Yorkshire hospital trusts has revealed that a total of £4,760,221.27
GREAT Yorkshire Show director Bill Cowling said he was delighted with the success of this year's three-day event.The extra £100,000 spent on wet weather contingency plans, mainly in the car parks and trade stand areas, proved to have been well-spent.Mr
ENVIRONMENT Secretary Hilary Benn has been praised for acting swiftly to help flood-hit farmers.Within hours of hearing the plight of farmers during his visit to the Great Yorkshire Show, he suspended a condition that stops farmers using machinery or
PUBS in the region saw the biggest drop in sales in the country after the introduction of the smoking ban.Figures compiled by trade magazine the Morning Advertiser, showed that sales were down 6.2 per cent in the first seven days of the ban compared to
A RESTAURANT prized for its floral displays had its blooms sabotaged hours before the judging of an annual competition. Ministers, where former Prime Minister Tony Blair has dined many times, was commended in last year's Northumbria in Bloom competition
WITH long-term target Chris Baird having spurned Sunderland's advances to join Fulham, Roy Keane has admitted that it was proving difficult to attract some of his leading targets to Wearside.Despite speaking to Sunderland officials earlier this week,
WITH AZ Alkmaar refusing to lower their £4m valuation of Gretar Steinsson, Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is considering a move for Charlton's Luke Young as he attempts to solve his right-back dilemma.Southgate has held a number of discussions
Winston Churchill has been cut from a list of key historical figures recommended for teaching under a secondary school curriculum published yesterday.Ministers announced reforms to the national curriculum for 11 to 14-year-olds to bring secondary education
THE locations of 500 planned prison places - including 60 in the North-East - were revealed yesterday as it emerged overcrowding is contributing to a sharp rise in inmate suicides.Justice Minister David Hanson told MPs that most of the new places would
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD was burned, bitten and beaten to death by her mother and her mother's lover, a court heard yesterday.The jury was told how Leticia Aalayah Wright spent her final days staring forlornly out of her bedroom window before she died of severe
AN investigation has been launched into how forensic evidence came to be dumped by the sackful in a town centre alleyway.The refuse, including DNA swabs, body and paint samples and fingerprints, was found discarded in more than a dozen evidence bags.Council
THE Minister responsible for championing the North-East at the heart of Government has joined the growing criticism of a controversial planning strategy for the region.Nick Brown MP, appointed Minister for the North-East by Gordon Brown, said he would
A SCHOOL community remains in shock after 22 pupils were injured in a bus accident.Staff and students at the English Martyrs School, in Hartlepool, have been offered counselling as they come to terms with the tragedy.The town was left shocked when a school
MYSTERY surrounds the death of a North-East holidaymaker whose body was found in a flat in Tunisia. Police in the North African country have launched an investigation after Colin McDermott, 73, was found dead in his friend's holiday home. It is believed
A COUPLE who love helping out at their local museum have been given an award for customer care. Dorothy and Stanley Barker were delighted to receive the honour after 20 years as volunteer guides at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham. For
AN MP's warning about security fears at a North-East airport has been backed by a local councillor.However, Councillor Doris Jones has said increased night-time flying was not the answer to prevent Durham Tees Valley Airport being a terror target.Yesterday
