After a technical difficulties the league website is now back up and running and will be updated every week. Teams can get all the latest league information, league results, top scorers info and a weekly updated league table. I will also include any match
PLANS that could transform part of a North-East town have been submitted. Developers Helioscity are hoping to build new shop units, 85 flats and a car park in Bishop Auckland, with work starting as soon as this summer. Major retailers are being lined
AN alleged joke about putting leeches on a woman's genitals has landed a North Yorkshire gynaecologist in front of a medical watchdog hearing. Dr Adrian Barnett, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Harrogate and District NHS Trust, also asked
Under 8's 4 -0 St . Francis Goalscorers;McConakey2, Jenkinson , Kelly M.o.m; Bradley Moncur. Report; First half evenly contested , Allstars got in front with a goal before half time . Second half Allstars dominated the game playing really good passing
A RENEWED police appeal was issued yesterday for witnesses to a road accident in which a car passenger suffered serious injuries. Three teenagers were in the Fiat Punto heading towards Thornley, in east Durham, on an unclassified road from the nearby
ECSTASY tablets with a street value of around £25,000 have been found at a house in the North-East. Officers from Stockton District Drugs Unit searched the house in Droitwich Avenue, Stockton, after obtaining a warrant to search the premises. A 20-year-old
A MAN arrested in a pre-planned police operation last week appeared before magistrates yesterday. James Macdonald Brown, of Ropery Walk in Seaham, was charged with robbery, and having an imitation firearm with intent to commit an offence, and was remanded
A 40-YEAR-old North-East man appeared before magistrates yesterday charged with murder. Ian Bains, of Strathmore Road in Springwell, Sunderland, who is charged with the murder of David McCully, 38, was remanded in custody by City justices. Mr McCully
NEWCASTLE boss John Fletcher has hailed England star Jonny Wilkinson's new two-year contract with the Falcons, claiming: He is the biggest name in rugby.'' Wilkinson has ended speculation about his future by agreeing fresh terms at Kingston
THE region's highest-ranking clergyman is heading for Rome later this month. The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, will be in the city from January 23 to 28 during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The Archbishop has been invited to Rome by
A SOLDIER based in North Yorkshire was killed and five injured by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today. The soldier, a member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was attached to 5th Regiment Royal Artillery
AN ESCAPED murderer who has been on the run for six days was arrested today. Lee Nevins, 24, who was serving a minimum 17-year sentence at top-security Frankland Prison in Durham, escaped from Sunderland Royal Hospital last Tuesday afternoon. A police
A PRIMARY care trust executive escaped a driving ban yesterday after being clocked at more than 100mph on a North Yorkshire motorway. Magistrates at Harrogate heard how James Stroyan, who manages a team of social workers, district nurses and housing
A FATAL accident involving a motorcyclist was caused mainly by the rider's speed, a coroner has ruled. Self-employed builder Alan Wilkinson was killed last August when his Honda hit the rear of a car turning into The Sidings restaurant in Station Lane
A MAN had an ear almost bitten clean off in an unprovoked street attack. A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said the 48-year-old victim was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where he was treated after having his ear almost severed
DAVE Penney has signed a two-year extension to his contract meaning he is to stay as Darlington manager until June 2011. With Quakers in the thick of the promotion race, chairman George Houghton has acted to reward Penney whose previous deal
ANGRY villagers have backed their parish councillors by expressing outrage at Darlington Borough Council's plans to withdraw £34,000 of grants for rural areas. Residents have said it is wrong that the proposal will result in them paying more than
TRIBUTES have been paid to a council stalwart who became Darlington's first honorary alderman. Former Darlington council leader James Skinner MBE, who served as a Labour councillor for 41 years and helped to establish comprehensive education in
YOUNGSTERS at a school near Darlington have been learning skills which could help create the next generation of community leaders. Pupils from Hurworth School Maths and Computing College have taken part in a course about effective school councils
A COUNCILLOR facing a £60 fine for parking his car eight inches outside a bay is forming a campaign group for disabled drivers in Darlington. Councillor Peter Freitag said the Disabled Drivers Action Group (DDAG) would support disabled drivers
BETTY MARTIN PLEASE tell Jim McTaggart that the source of the phrase Betty Martin - which he referred to in his recent column (Echo, Jan 19) - came not from any glossary of Teesdale language, but from Portugal. In the Napoleonic Wars, our soldiers
A CHILDREN'S playground which was gifted to young people has been given a £100,000 refurbishment. Fishburn Memorial Children's Playing Field was donated to the young people of the village after the Second World War by businessman, Arthur Santi
A GROUP of foot specialists are celebrating after their practice received an award. Teesdale Chiropody and Podiatry, in Barnard Castle, has been given an Accreditation from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists. Before receiving the award
A SCHOOL which has pledged to teach sciences as three separate subjects has backed up its promise with a £1.5m science and technology block. Barnard Castle School will teach biology, chemistry and physics, rather than a combined science option
A UNIQUE record of the history of a North Yorkshire church has been recorded by a local group. The history of St Eloy's Church, in Great Smeaton, has been compiled to create a Church Record. The work was done by the North Yorkshire and South
WINTER WALK ON Sunday, February 24, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is holding its Hearts First - Fountains Abbey Winter Walk, a new event for the area to raise vital funds to help support men, women and children whose hearts need a helping
A CRITIC of a plan to convert a barn into homes claims it will lead to second homes in the centre of a tourist town. The Black Swan Hotel, in Helmsley, is seeking to convert the barn and build on land to the rear. The plan is to create four
BUILDING society staff from Northallerton and Richmond have helped to raise more than £108,000 for a cancer charity. Branches of the Yorkshire Building Society in the two market towns of Northallerton and Richmond raised a combined total of £523
SANTA CLAUS has ditched his traditional red outfit for a green one in Ryedale to help spread an eco-friendly message. The Choose2Reuse campaign seeks to encourage people to reuse good quality but unwanted household items. The aim is to stop
BUSINESSES in Richmond and Catterick Garrison could be handed a cash boost of up to £25,000. The funding - from Richmondshire District Council and Yorkshire Forward - has been made available to help stimulate private investment in the Renaissance
A SHOWPIECE swimming pool and fitness complex is on course, and on budget, for its scheduled summer opening. The pools and general sports development, in Freeman's Place, Durham City, will be known as Freeman's Quay Leisure Centre. It will
A TEENAGER rescued by the Great North Air Ambulance has helped launch a supermarket's campaign to raise money for the charity. Craig Skinner was taken to hospital in an air ambulance after falling from his bike in woodland, near Coxhoe, in
BATTLE lines are being re-drawn after the submission of revised development proposals for former student accommodation blocks. Planning permission has been refused twice for proposed re-development of Kepier House, and neighbouring buildings,
CHANCELLOR Alistair Darling will today set out plans to provide Government backing for a private sector buyout of the stricken North-East bank Northern Rock. Under the proposals drawn up by investment bankers Goldman Sachs, the £24bn given to the bank
A DRUGS minder who said that a gang threatened to execute him unless he carried out their orders, has been jailed for four years. David Swainston, 23, told police he owed £900 to the gang for lost drugs, which they then increased to £3,000,
A BOOK party was one library's way to welcome the National Year of Reading. Liz Million, children's illustrator and author of books such as One Fat Cat and Elephant Rides Again, talked to families at Middlesbrough's Easterside Library, and
TEESSIDE florist Diana Kaye has won the National Flower Shop of the Year Award. The small Yarm High Street shop beat off all the UK chains, supermarkets and giants to win the top prize - and pick up a second award for top scoring Interflora florist.
STREET wardens will not be so footsore when patrolling a community, thanks to a public-spirited resident. Paul Fowell, who recently won a £1,000 prize for setting up a neighbourhood watch in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, has spent the money
MEMBERS of a community menaced by yobs have been trying to erase some of the scars. Led by Middlesbrough Council street wardens, local people - including youngsters - held a Transformation Day at Coulby Newham, near Middlesbrough, yesterday.
POLICE carried out drugs raids on six pubs at the weekend - and warned they would be back. Sergeant Paul Higgins, who led the sweep, said: "We are pleased with the success of the operation. It was a partnership between ourselves and licencees
TWIST Magic floundered in the testing ground and suffered a shock reverse at the hands of front-running Tamarinbleu in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot. All through the afternoon emphasis was on stamina, but when the 4-5 favourite ranged up
THE best known family in British ice hockey return to the ice at the Metro Radio Arena next month. On Thursday, February 28, as part of Shaun Johnson's testimonial game, dad Peter and brothers Anthony and Stephen line-up as part of a UK All
NEW MARSKE Harriers C the youngest team in the race C came from behind to win the Durham Cathedral Relays yesterday. Newly-crowned Cleveland Cross Country champion Russell Best, 17, finished in eighth place on the opening 3K leg, 20-yearold Lewis
THREE top-10 seeds crashed out of the Australian Open in Melbourne as the tournament heated up on the eve of the second week. But world number two Rafael Nadal had no such problems, advancing to the quarter-finals after his opponent, Frenchman
After the disappointment of losing out to bottom club Altrincham Kersal in North One, Middlesbrough turned in a positive display but ended up narrowly defeated 13-12 at home to Westoe. Boro were frustrated by the late unavailability of centre Lee
Durham City missed the opportunity to close the gap on West as they slipped to a 27-10 defeat at Driffield. League leaders West lost at Aspatria, but Durham were unable to take advantage as they slipped to only their second league defeat of the
North Two East leaders West Hartlepool lost their 100 per cent record when they went down 16- 5 at Aspatria. West got off to a slack start, conceding a try in the opening minute when an Aspatria maul led to a converted try. Both sides were reduced
Darlington gave their best performance of the season to see off Hull 18-17. After losing 51-11 on Humberside this season, Darlington must have feared the worst when they trailed 12-0 to a far bigger pack after only 13 minutes. However, Andrew
DARLINGTON Mowden Park's 35-14 defeat to Tynedale was overshadowed by a horrific injury to Ciaran McNicholas that held up play for more than half-an-hour. McNicholas suffered a broken leg in the closing stages of the first half, and play was suspended
Newcastle Falcons 97 Cetransa El Salvador 0 NEWCASTLE rattled up a cricket score against Cetransa El Salvador to make it a clean sweep of home quarter-finals for English clubs in the European Challenge Cup. The Falcons scored their bonus-point
THE clock may well be ticking down on Middlesbrough's hopes of strengthening before the transfer window closes, but manager Gareth Southgate wishes it was all over now. As well as keeping his options open with regard to signings, Southgate also
CONSETT boss Kenny Lindoe is confident that the Steelmen can clinch a last 16 place in the FA Vase when they replay against Poole Town this Saturday. The Northern League side returned from Dorset with a 1-1 draw on Saturday, and Lindoe believes
HARTLEPOOL gave one of their best performances of the season on Saturday when they rallied to defeat second-top Whitehaven in a seven-goal thriller. It looked all over for Pools when they trailed by three goals inside 18 minutes, the defence torn
BISHOP Auckland manager Brian Honour admits his side has a big relegation battle on its hands after they lost 2-1 at home to Billingham Synthonia. Bishops are now just a point above the relegation zone after four games without a win, and Honour
GRAEME Souness has held talks with the Scottish Football Association and insists he wants to become the next Scotland manager. Reports earlier in the weekend suggested the former Scotland captain was distancing himself from the vacancy. But
THERE are more than 350 events planned for Liverpool's year of culture, many involving sport. But there is one not on the official list which would be guaranteed to make the city a better place. That is for Tom Hicks and George Gillett to sell
KEVIN Keegan's return to Tyneside marks a new beginning for each and every member of the Newcastle squad, but nobody is more grateful for a clean slate than forgotten striker Shola Ameobi. Frozen out of the first-team picture by former boss Sam
THE surprise return of Ryan Valentine is to encourage competition for places as well as create strength in depth explained Darlington manager Dave Penney. Valentine signed on loan on Friday evening and made his second Quakers debut less than
DANNY Wilson is demanding his Hartlepool United players wake up and start to realise the situation they have allowed themselves to fall into. Last Friday's shocking home defeat to Cheltenham was a season's low, as they slumped 2-0 to the team
MANAGER Rafael Benitez believes the time has come for Liverpool to show the clubs snapping at their heels they will not become an easy target in the race for Champions League qualification. With a bitter battle for control of the club raging
LIVERPOOL co-owner Tom Hicks last night insisted he has no intention of accepting an offer for his stake in the club. Reports over the weekend had suggested Dubai International Capital - the investment arm of the Dubai Government - was preparing
Portsmouth 3 Derby County 1 HAT-TRICK hero Benjani and £5million new signing Lassana Diarra vindicated Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp's decision to reject the overtures of Newcastle as a six-match goal drought was finally ended at Fratton Park
Fulham 0 Arsenal 3 ARSENE Wenger believes his young Arsenal side are starting to show the traits of the 'Invincibles', when marauding wingers Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg helped Thierry Henry tear the Premier League apart. The Gunners maintained
Birmingham City 0 Chelsea 1 JOE Cole is confident Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro will have a big impact during the second half of the season after ending his five-month scoring drought in the Barclays Premier League. The Peru international, signed
MANAGER Roy Keane hopes to step up his recruitment drive this week after seeing his squad hit by yet more injuries prior to Sunderland's trip to Tottenham. In-form Kieran Richardson was the latest of a long line of casualties to have hit the Black
A CLEARER picture of the winners and losers on the high street should emerge this week, with the announcement of more retail trading updates. The minutes of the Bank of England's interest rate meeting will attract attention on Wednesday. The vote
ONE of the most high-profile entrepreneurs in the UK is launching a nationwide tour to create 5,000 businesses in the next two years. Doug Richard, one of the original stars of the TV series Dragons' Den, will today unveil ambitious plans to
MANUFACTURING in the North-East continued to experience "healthy growth" last year, despite the challenging economic environment, according to a report published today. The nationwide review, by manufacturers' organisation EEF and Grant Thornton,
WITH spells in three of TVs biggest shows C Coronation Street, Emmerdale and The Royal C to his credit, Paul Fox feels its time to give viewers a break from seeing his face. Now 28, when he left drama college his ambition was just to work. Winning
Messiah V - The Rapture (BBC1, 9pm) City of Vice (C4, 9pm) JOSEPH Walker, the new DCI in the latest Messiah thriller, comes equipped with something that no detective can do without - a nasty case of the flashbacks. This is a disease that particularly
He first hit our screens as a double act with his famous father, but now Dan Snow is going it alone. He tells Steve Pratt he's looking forward to next month's Yorvik Festival HISTORIAN Dan Snow's television career was almost scuppered by his father
Artist Norman Cornish was made an MBE in the New Year's Honours List. As an exhibition of his work opens in the North-East, Chris Lloyd meets the former miner who has chronicled the lives of pitmen in the region, a way of life now lost to us THE brushes
PRIOR to 1997 it was clear the Tories had been the architects of their own downfall. For the next ten years we have enjoyed an era of reasonable prosperity and I am sure if Tony Blair had not got involved with George Bush he could have been PM
EASTER Sunday this leap year falls on March 23. The full moon on Tuesday, March 18 - my birthday - is prior to the spring equinox on March 20. Why is this in opposition to the adage: "Easter happens on the Sunday following the full moon occurring
I WISH various individuals up and down this beloved land of ours would stop criticising our police who all try to do a good job within their own individual capabilities. Unfortunately, mistakes are sometimes made, this being put down to "human
I FOUND Peter Hale's letter (HAS, Jan 17) very interesting, but it isn't just about what Europe is doing to the world, it's also about what Europe is doing to itself. Every country within Europe took thousands of years to develop. The laws each
I WOULD like Alan Milburn to explain to me how taking money away from children in failing schools is going to improve their education (Echo, Jan 17). These children are often forced to attend these schools and it is not their fault the school is
JOHN Routledge's comments on our requirements for nuclear energy (HAS, Jan 14) are, I feel, totally correct. We desperately need nuclear energy production, and suggestions from Friends of the Earth or similar organisations that wind power can
OUR MPs could shortly be granting themselves a 2.6 per cent rise in their basic £60,000 pay, plus expenses and allowances, which could take them into the £150,000- plus range. For what? On three occasions I've viewed Today in Parliament and was
IT'S fair to say that last week's surprise announcement of Kevin Keegan's return to St James' Park inspired some interesting and varied reaction. These days, of course, the reaction starts pouring in on The Northern Echo's website within minutes
As two community groups in the region have shown, it's possible to take action to change things for the better. Jill Turner talks to one of the world's leading social entrepreneurs, Lord Mawson, about how you can make a difference HAVE you found yourself
TWO days ago, in the wake of David Cameron's call for a "national citizens' service" for 16-year-olds, we stressed the need to keep the so-called yob culture in perspective and resist fuelling the perception that our streets have been taken over
A YOUNG North-East athlete has been shortlisted for a programme to identify future world champions. Kate Avery is one of 15 girls from across the country who will try out for On Camp with Kelly - Dame Kelly Holmes' mentoring scheme. Kate, 16
A MAN who began life as an apprentice joiner in a North-East shipyard has written a book telling how he went on to work with some of the biggest stars in cinema history. Gordon Auty, 86, knew Charlie Chaplin, Charles Laughton, John Mills, Humphrey
A STUDENT remains unconscious in a North-East hospital two months after a fall near his digs. Third-year history student Peter Wake was found unconscious at the foot of concrete steps in an alleyway off Grape Lane, near the Elm Tree pub, in the
A TEENAGER has been jailed for glassing a pub landlord. Judge Peter Armstrong told 18- year-old Craig Bell that pub landlords had to be protected from people like him. Unemployed Bell, who had drunk between ten and 11 pints, thrust a glass into
TRAIN enthusiasts are bidding to bring a Victorian steam locomotive, created in the North-East, back to life.The Class G5 Locomotive Company has been formed by a group of North-East men to build a full-size, working replica of a No1759 G5 Class 0-4-4T
A DISTRAUGHT family is seeking answers after it emerged that a second patient had apparently taken his own life while under watch in a hospital's psychiatric block.Jason Walker, 34, from Yarm, Teesside, slashed his throat with a razor while under close
A COUPLE are launching an appeal to help their five-month-old son - because their postcode means they will receive no NHS help.Joe Pickstock was born with the abnormality plagiocephaly - or flat-head syndrome - which means his ears are not in line.Over
Manchester City 1 West Ham United 1 Sven-Goran Eriksson heaped lavish praise on rising goalkeeping star Joe Hart after he produced to a stellar display to preserve Manchester City's unbeaten home record in the Barclays Premier League.Carlton Cole produced
SIR Richard Branson's Virgin Group is reportedly planning a sweetened bid for Northern Rock as the Government prepares to outline financial support for a private sale.The Virgin-led consortium is understood to be working on an improved offer to gain the
Wigan Athletic 1 Everton 2 Wigan Athletic manager Steve Bruce believes Titus Bramble needs to improve on his concentration if he is to become a great defender.For the second time since Bruce's arrival as boss at the start of December, an error from the
THOUSANDS of GCSE examination papers are to be recalled after a North-East school raised concerns that teenagers were being asked to research a photograph depicting child abuse.Pat Armstrong, headteacher of Branksome School, in Darlington, contacted exam
NORTHERN roots have taken "a big lad from Tow Law" to a successful career in music on and off the stage.US star Justin Timberlake enjoyed Ian Donaghy's music so much he joined him on stage to sing two James Brown numbers.Along with his band, the 37-year-old
Tottenham Hotspur 2, Sunderland 0 Sunderland supporters must feel as if they are permanently trapped in a state of purgatory after witnessing yet another frustrating Premier League campaign. Defeat at Tottenham had all the hallmarks of previous away
Mansfield Town 0 Darlington 1 Perhaps it is a measure of Darlington's standards this season that they can win away from home and still not be entirely satisfied.At a club where they had not won any of their previous seven meetings, Quakers ground out
Blackburn Rovers 1 Middlesbrough 1 JUST when Middlesbrough looked to have cracked the Lancashire hoodoo which has been hanging over them this season, they were hit by an English county of a different kind - Derbyshire.For the second time since August
A JACK Russell was last night recovering after surviving a 27-hour ordeal trapped inside a cave.Five-year-old Nell fell about 80ft after disappearing down a hole on moorland in the Yorkshire Dales on Thursday afternoon.Frantic owner Mark Fawcett, 29,
NEWCASTLE manager Kevin Keegan has telephoned Alan Shearer to discuss a possible backroom role, but more detailed talks will not take place until the club's all-time record goalscorer returns from a charity trip to Uganda.Keegan spoke to Shearer on Friday
Newcastle United 0 Bolton Wanderers 0 AT least we now know there are limits to his powers.The messiah has returned, and yet Newcastle remain as stubbornly unwilling to play along as ever. Even the greatest of journeys must begin with the smallest of
HEAVY rain and snow is predicted for the region today - with forecasters warning people in some areas to prepare for possible flooding. Last night, The Environment Agency issued flood warnings in areas along the River Ouse and the River Derwent in North
FOOD and drink producers across the North-East will be showcasing their products on a national stage this week. During this week's Farmhouse Breakfast Week produce will be sampled by BBC Radio 2 DJ, Sir Terry Wogan. On Friday morning at about 8am Sir
