The Government is set to cut funding for one of its flagship law and order measures due to severe financial pressures, it was revealed today. Although no formal decision has been announced, the Home Office has already warned areas operating the 101 non-emergency
A BID to increase the sentence imposed on a man involved in a so-called "happy slapping" torture attack has been blocked. The Attorney General has refused to grant leave to appeal in the case of Lukas Bazelak, who was jailed for two years in July.
A NOVICE motorcyclist has been banned from the roads for three years for causing an horrific accident on a notorious country lane "racing circuit". Ross Huntington had passed his test just three weeks earlier when he overtook a car on a blind summit
IT'S the time of year when all that glisters probably is gold as entertainers put on their finery to attend the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville. Now in it's 41st year, the CMA event takes place at the Sommet Centre next Thursday with
A woman's battle for compensation from the sex attacker who ruined her life before he went on to win £7m has been heard by the House of Lords today. The retired teacher, identified only as Mrs A, is asking five Law Lords to correct a law which bars her
The widow of a North-East Gulf War veteran is hoping an inquest in Newcastle today will end her four-year fightfor official recognition that Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) played a part in her husband's death. Michael Kozak died on 9th October 2003 after
To dogs, cats and other animals, Guy Fawkes Night may seem more like War of the Worlds than a historic celebration. Noisy fireworks are frightening to animals, who don't realize that the explosions are entertainment, not danger. After fireworks displays
A HUSBAND and wife have been charged with the manslaughter of a father-of-two. The 34-year-old man and 32-year-old woman, from the Eastbourne area of Darlington, will appear before magistrates next Thursday (Nov 8) in connection with the death of Wayne
A PLAY area on a Darlington estate is to be removed after residents raised concerns over anti-social behaviour at the site. The swings at Harrowgate Farm will be taken down after a survey among people living in the area found that most wanted
SIX blood donors have been honoured after helping to save the lives of 1,425 hospital patients. The National Blood Service gave the six Darlington donors a crystal award as part of a ceremony for 47 donors in Teesside. Gilbert Allinson has made
SCHOOLCHILDREN took the next journey on their virtual tour of the world in an initiative designed to protect the environment and improve the health of the nation. Pupils at Holy Family Primary School, in Darlington, were treated to a taste of
A SINGLE mother who was inspired by her son to set up her own business has won a national award. Diana Jackson, who went from working voluntarily at a local sports coaching company to running her own successful business, has been presented with
SAFER streets, improved lighting, less traffic and more activities for young people have all been put forward as ideas to improve a Darlington ward. Newly-elected councillors Jenny Chapman and David Regan, from the Cockerton West ward, heard
A SCHEME to get more youngsters involved in sport is being picked up by scores of youngsters across Teesdale. The Positive Futures project started in the summer and has resulted in sports groups being set up all over the dale. Where possible,
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a teenager was knocked unconscious as he waited in a taxi queue. The 16-year-old victim was attacked as he and a friend were waiting for a cab at the rank in Bishop Auckland Market Place, at about 2am on
A SCHOOL is being backed by the Government to boost subjects that will better equip its pupils for the world of work. Spennymoor School has been awarded specialist technology status, which comes with an extra £100,000 a year towards staffing and
THE family of a man who died in a motorcycle accident will present a trophy at a memorial kickboxing event held in his honour. Lee Smith died when his motorbike hit a lamppost in Newton Aycliffe on June 3. Mr Smith, 33, held three British titles
COUNCILLORS have criticised a health trust which, they say, has kept residents in the dark over a long-awaited new health centre. Plans for a £2.5m health centre for Chilton were first tabled more than five years ago. Sedgefield Primary Care Trust
A DIPLOMATIC crisis was averted when a charter was signed to strengthen twinning links between Richmond and a town in France. Members of Richmond French Town Twinning Association visited St Aubin du Cormier, in Brittany, with which it signed a
A TALENTED teenager has been named a Lord Lieutenant's Cadet for North Yorkshire. Jade Lawson, 18, of Bagby, near Thirsk, has been a member of the Air Cadets for five years. She is a flight sergeant in 2487 Squadron, based at Easingwold. A keen
SHODDY workmanship in a council-owned development is putting tenants' lives at risk, councillors say. A report to Richmondshire District Council said residents had complained about the standard of work carried out by contractors working at Dale
A JOINT operation has taken a tough line with young drivers who cause problems in Bedale. North Yorkshire Police and the Vehicle Operators and Standards Agency (Vosa) mounted the sixhour operation at the weekend to target so-called boy racers whose
TWO young landscape gardeners will soon be on their way to Japan to represent Britain in an international competition. Keith Chapman, from Hackforth, near Bedale, and Tim Lancaster, from Leeds, will be among 22 young tradespeople flying the flag
A 24-HOUR emergency control room managed by Chester-le- Street District Council's Careline Service will begin service on Monday. A council spokesman said the control room would provide a "local, personal, high-quality 24- hour, seven-day-a-week
ENVIRONMENT Agency staff yesterday celebrated success by planting hundreds of trees. The employees, based at the agency's Newcastle office, recently won a gold award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). The accolade
A CHURCH will celebrate its 150th anniversary at the weekend. Members of the congregation of St Andrew's United Reformed Church, in Blackhill, near Consett - known throughout the area as The Pres - have planned two days of activities for the occasion
A CRACKDOWN on illegal bonfires has already saved a potential £64,000 in call-out costs to emergency services. Easington District Council's campaign for the run-up to Bonfire Night was launched in conjunction with Durham and Darlington Fire and
A CLUB for former airmen is to close after 40 years. Members of the Durham branch of the RAF Association (Rafa) voted for closure at a meeting held in the club, in Crossgate, on Tuesday night. Last orders will be called on December 31. The building
A COMMUNITY stalwart has been praised for her efforts in brightening up a town. Doreen Myers was named as Guisborough Town Council's Citizen of the Year. The accolade was in recognition of her work as one of the founding members and former chairwoman
A BUS designed to keep youngsters on the straight and narrow arrived in Redcar yesterday. The scheme, co-ordinated by Safe in Tees Valley and Redcar and Cleveland Youth Inclusion Programme, is aiming to prevent or reduce anti-social and criminal
STUDENTS have been learning how to tell a story through an art exhibition. The 15 young people, from High Tunstall College of Science, in Hartlepool, have spent six weeks carrying out an after-school programme in conjunction with Hartlepool Museums
A BURGLAR was mauled by a police dog after officers were called to deal with a break-in at a derelict house. James O'Driscoll refused to come out of the boarded-up property, in Middlesbrough, and was found hiding in a boiler. A court heard yesterday
NATURE enthusiasts are invited to an afternoon of activities in a historic woodland this month. Gisborough Priory Gardens is hosting the event on Sunday, November 11. Between noon and 3pm, there will be activities for all the family organised by
BINGE drinkers will be targeted under the latest police campaign to clamp down on anti-social behaviour. Under the banner of Operation Nightsafe, Cleveland Police will work closely with its partners in health, fire, local authorities and trading
A GLOBAL recruitment and personnel agency has been awarded a £2m contract that will see it take on staff for opportunities in Europe and Africa. Wolviston Management Services, based in Stockton, will recruit up to 40 people over the next two
THE region's centre for emerging technologies has secured a contract to manage the Government's latest initiative to promote the sector nationally. The North-East Centre of Excellence for Nanotechnology, Micro and Photonic Systems (Cenamps) will
BREWER Scottish and Newcastle (S&N) yesterday confirmed it has started legal action against potential suitor Carlsberg, over the alleged breach of its lucrative Eastern European drinks business. S&N said it has opened formal arbitration proceedings
TELECOMS company BNS Telecom Group is creating at least 40 jobs in the region, after predicting significant growth in its core divisions over the next year. The Northumberland firm - which announced earlier this week that it was to close its network
CRISIS-HIT mortgage lender Northern Rock yesterday confirmed it was continuing discussions with a number of third parties as part of its strategic review. The Newcastle-based plc, which is widely expected to be taken over after being provided
YOUR Comment column (Echo, Oct 29) analysed the answer former Scottish Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind offers to the famous West Lothian question about devolution to a Scottish Parliament. It is suggested this proposal could eventually lead to the
YOU refer to immigration "enriching our culture" (Echo Comment, Oct 30). I disagree. First, we are already awash with so much culture - a million books and pieces of music and 100 TV channels - that it is impossible for anyone to get to grips
MAY I thank everyone who attended a fundraising event at Poplars Adventure Mega Maze, Knaresborough, earlier this year? "Music at the Maze" was held on August 1 - Yorkshire Day - to raise funds for Saint Michael's Hospice, Harrogate. Thanks to
I THINK there is a great need for a Liberal Democrat party at a time when the confrontation between the two main parties and leaders is becoming more personalised and there are miniscule differences in policy and outlook. If the Lib Dems think
THERE has been a renewal within football circles of the debate surrounding the issue of standing terraces at Premier League football grounds. The discussions usually centre around the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 and the ensuing Taylor report
THE pavements and footpaths around the area of Heron Drive, Albatross Way, Shearwater Avenue, etc, in Darlington, are in an abysmal state. They are, in my opinion, a serious health and safety risk and have been this way for some considerable time
MAY I draw your readers' attention to the current phase of Hambleton District Council's master plan for the development of Northallerton? In it, the authority has allocated the Castle Hills site for housing development. We believe Castle Hills
RE your report about the 34-year-old mother found dead on Seaton Carew beach, near Hartlepool (Echo, Oct 30). I give up hope of the North-East ever getting a fair deal when even The Northern Echo prints a dark, dismal close-up of Teesside and tells
I DO not believe in heavy-handed punishment, but if a child is naughty and ignores listening to its parent, then a slap on the legs will bring him/her to order. There are so many youngsters today out of hand for the obvious reason they have not
This week we're hot on the tea trail with a stirring account of one man's single-minded fundraising HE was the Rington's tea man of his long-gone day, a black-clad philanthropist said to have been as peculiar in mind as in body. Isaac Holden died
AN ELDERLY woman has been killed in a two-car crash on the A68, near Consett, County Durham. The woman, believed to be from Margate, in Kent, was driving a silver Honda Civic 1.4 north on the A68 when she failed to negotiate a sweeping left hand bend
AS weekends go, it wasnt a barrel of laughs. We lost the Rugby World Cup final, Lewis Hamilton missed out on the motor racing world championship, and Elvis the hamster died. We knew something was wrong as soon as we arrived home from a night out
MISSED Billy Llewellyn's funeral but, better late than never, caught up with the wake. It was tremendous, Mr Punch overseeing arrangements - pointedly, poignantly - from a place of honour amid the buffet. Billy was the Punch and Judy professor,
FORCES are being marshalled at Westminster for a looming attempt to cut the time limit for most abortions below 24 weeks. But the result of the first Parliamentary battle for 17 years over this most emotive of issues is likely to be looser - not
A GREAT deal has happened since the farcical and disturbing years of George Reynolds' reign as the chairman of Darlington Football Club. When the Quakers' new stadium in Neasham Road opened in 2003, the town was dealing with an unpredictable chairman
Hes renowned for being a flirt and for his conquests off the dance floor, but Strictly Come Dancings Brendan Cole tells Womens Editor Sarah Foster hes just a normal guy IT isnt hard to figure out where Brendan is amid the crowd. Hes at the centre
TEN-TO-FOLLOW National Hunt horse Jass (2.00) shouldn't let the side down in Newcastle's two-mile Novices' Hurdle this afternoon. Trainer Keith Reveley has high hopes for the progressive fiveyear- old, a ready winner for the Lingdale stable when
"YOU just hope the players will not let you down. Sadly Flintoff did. We went to Sydney for a vital match against Australia and a fielding practice was arranged for 10am. Flintoff turned up still under the influence of alcohol. Flintoff was
ENGLAND batsman Alistair Cook insists he is not interested in any of the sensational revelations in former head coach Duncan Fletchers new book. Fletcher, who was succeeded by Peter Moores in May, claimed in Behind the Shades, which has been serialised
BRADLEY SAUNDERS has immediately turned his attention towards winning a medal after fulfilling his first wish at the World Amateur Boxing Championships. After defeating American Javier Molina in the early hours of yesterday morning, the Sedgefield
COLIN Montgomerie, the record eight-time winner of Europe's Order of Merit, did not hide his feelings yesterday about the fact that Ernie Els is not in Spain this week to try to clinch his third money-list title. The Order of Merit meant a lot
LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO'S 12- year international career is set to end after English rugby's ruling body expressed their displeasure at his criticism of coach Brian Ashton. Dallaglio and Mike Catt lambasted Ashton over a lack of preparation and organisation
ANDY Murray is desperate to establish himself as one of the best players in the world'' by earning a place in the Masters Cup in Shanghai following his second-round win over Jarkko Nieminen in the Paris Masters. Murray's 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory
Tottenham 2 Blackpool 0 TOTTENHAM started the Juande Ramos era by reaching the Carling Cup quarter-final at the expense of Blackpool - but the new boss was shown how tough his new job will be. On the face of it they are two matches from Wembley
ROY KEANE will again be forced to tinker with his backline in Sunderland's next outing and goalkeeper Craig Gordon admits that constant changes in defence have affected the Wearsiders' form. After naming the same back four for back-to-back fixtures
NEWCASTLE manager Sam Allardyce has admitted his side's dismal away record has heaped the pressure on them to maintain their form at home. The Magpies host Portsmouth on Saturday with only Aston Villa having managed to deny them all three points
MIDDLESBROUGH'S Dong- Gook Lee has suffered a further setback in trying to revive his stuttering career after learning he could face a ban for off-thefield behaviour in his native South Korea. During a week in which the full extent of Andrew Flintoff's
ROY Keane is ready to raid his former club Nottingham Forest to secure the services of versatile midfielder James Perch. The 22-year-old is a product of the Forest Academy and manager at the City Grond, Colin Calderwood, will find it difficult
THE Football Association cast aside their caution yesterday and announced England will join the race to host the 2018 World Cup. A board meeting at Soho Square yesterday, which was expected to merely take the first tentative steps towards a bid
TEACHERS at a North-East comprehensive school were left puzzled yesterday after the Prime Minister appeared to mistakenly believe he had visited their school. Staff and governors say they have never met Gordon Brown - who also got the school's name
A PRIVACY watchdog has ordered a police force to delete computer details of a man's criminal convictions, which date back more than 25 years. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said Northumbria Police was being excessive in keeping on file
A BLIND woman staged a wheelchair protest yesterday after a decision over her care was rebuffed. June Wilson, who also suffers from depression, has been left almost housebound since social services cut her care package from 35 hours a week to an
TRAVEL advisors will be knocking on doors across the country urging people to make more environmentally-friendly journeys following the success of a trial scheme in the North-East. The Government has given the go-ahead to officials going door-to-door
A BRITISH soldier who braved Afghan rebels on a six-month tour of duty said it was simply a case of getting on with the job. Signaller Wayne Blackburn, 22, of Peterlee, County Durham, was part of Operation Herrick, at Bastion, southern Afghanistan
Tuesday night caused a huge headache for the emergency services on Teesside, as youngsters ran riot. Graeme Hetherington reports DRIVING around the streets of Middlesbrough and its surrounding areas under the cover of darkness revealed the lengths
Newton Aycliffe 8 Darlington Mowden Park 3rds 8 Newton Aycliffe Rugby Club hosted local rivals Mowden Park in a friendly at Moore Lane. Another good Aycliffe turnout saw more new players join the ranks. Not having beaten Mowden in recent years, Aycliffe
A TV presenter has been awarded an honorary degree by Teesside University only days after he defended Middlesbrough in a vitriolic outburst on live television. Sky Sportsf Jeff Stelling, who supports Hartlepool United, launched into a twominute
THREE teenagers are facing life behind bars for the murder of a young father who stood up to drink-fuelled thugs. Kevin Johnson, the father of a sixmonth- old boy, was stabbed to death outside his home by teenagers who had spent the night drinking
SHARP-EYED volunteers at a charity bookshop have managed to spot an extremely valuable first-edition novel in a pile of unwanted fiction. It is believed the copy of Kazuo Ishiguro's A Pale View of The Hills could sell for well over £1,000. The
A FARMER wants to build fishing lakes on his land after becoming fed up with flooding. Alan Marsay drew up plans to create two coarse-fishing lakes and a natural pond on part of his family-run Hilton House Farm, near Yarm. At Stockton Borough
DARLINGTON Football Club has made its biggest signing of all time by persuading pop legend Sir Elton John to play on its pitch next summer. The Balfour Webnet Darlington Arena event on July 5 is expected to attract a sell-out audience of 18,000
TAXPAYERS could be forced to pay the £1m bill for an appeal into one of the North-East's longestrunning planning battles. Able UK sparked a two-week public inquiry after it appealed against Hartlepool Borough Council's decision to refuse planning
COUNCILLORS have criticised a health trust which they claim has kept residents in the dark over a long-awaited new health centre. Plans for a purpose-built £2.5m health centre for Chilton, County Durham, were first tabled more than five years ago. Sedgefield
Rock star Meat Loaf has pledged to carry on despite falling ill at his Halloween gig. The singer walked off stage six songs into his set at the Newcastle Arena complaining that he felt unwell. Fans had paid £35 for a ticket to see him at the Newcastle
