Archive

  • Threat of pubs ban for smokers

    DRINKERS who flout the smoking ban by lighting up in a pub could be barred from a whole network of licensed premises for up to a year. The warning comes from Trimdon and Fishburn Pubwatch and applies to all pubs in Fishburn and the Trimdons, in County

  • Man dies in traffic collision

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a man died. The accident happened on the A19 at Sunderland at about 10.10pm on Monday night. A collision took place on the southbound carriageway of the A19 between the A1290 and the A1231 near

  • Former football starlet jailed for meat cleaver robbery

    A JUDGE today locked up a weapon-wielding robber indefinitely after ruling he was a serious risk to shop-workers and people on the streets. One-time football starlet Norman Dickson was told he will be released only when parole board officials are convinced

  • From Autumn To Ashes Interview + Live Review – 21.01.08

    Eight years together with many line-up changes From Autumn To Ashes are still going strong. From New York they're ready to brace the UK as a support act for Hundred Reasons January tour. If there is one genre that has to prove itself to me time and time

  • Motorcyclist died after hitting lamppost

    AN inexperienced biker died after losing control of a powerful motorcycle, an inquest heard today. Brian Burlinson, 25, of Chapel Drive, Delves Lane, Consett, did not have a bike licence or insurance for his Kawasaki, but the engineer took it out for

  • Hundred Reasons – Newcastle Carling Academy 21.01.08

    Hundred Reasons are back with avengeance and ready to mesmerise their Newcastle fans once again. The band have always enjoyed this city and the support they get is just amazing. From the moment they hit the stage it's clear that they are so confident

  • Insulation will cost millions

    INSULATING every home in the region - to tackle rising heating bills and climate change - will cost a staggering £300m, it was revealed today. North-East councils told MPs that 500,000 homes required loft insulation and a further 450,000 were in

  • Sunderland land United defender

    SUNDERLAND have completed the signing of Manchester United full-back Phil Bardsley for a fee which could rise to £2m. The 22-year-old has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Stadium of Light and becomes Roy Keane's third addition of the January

  • Bulls Continue To Impress

    The draw for the first round of the Schools County Cup has been made with Egglescliffe Explosion (Y7), Newlands Ninjas (Y11) and Manor Heat (Girls U16) proceeding to the second round after drawing a bye pass. The game of the round, at least on paper,

  • OMD - The OMD Singles

    The OMD Singles by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark The atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the execution of French heroine Joan of Arc and society's fixation with electricity may not seem like ideal topics for chart-topping hits, but strangely enough

  • Skipper rescued - again

    Captain calamity Grant Nadolski had to be rescued by the RNLI - for the FOURTH time in less than a year. Grant, skipper of the 22-ft long Abbie Rose, was towed to safety after the boat's engine failed during a fishing trip on the River Tyne.

  • Teachers suspended

    TWO teachers at North-East school have been arrested and suspended while police investigate allegations of computer misuse. The two men, aged 28 and 34, have been released on bail but cannot return to High Tunstall College of Science in Hartlepool while

  • Life's a beach for offroaders

    FIVE people spent the night stranded on a North-East beach after their off-road cars got bogged down in sludge. Four of multi-terrain vehicles got stuck as each one was called out to rescue the other. The drama started at 1pm on Sunday when teenager

  • Passenger fled taxi without paying after four-hour trip

    A TAXI passenger fled without paying after running up a fare of hundreds of pounds on a four-hour journey from Newcastle to Scotland, police have said. The man hired the taxi outside a train station in Newcastle at around 10pm on a Saturday and the driver

  • Velocity Far From Thunder!

    The dramatic improvement in Thirsk saw them earn their second consecutive win to leap frog TU Lions B into sixth place with two games in hand. If they can win their next two, hey can potentially claim third place, which would be a massive change in fortunes

  • Subaru Impreza 1.5R

    PICTURE the scene. Mitsubishi has called a board meeting because it has managed to get its hands on some spy-shots of the new Subaru Impreza, the iconic car from its biggest rival. The lights go down and the sense of nervousness heightens, after

  • SEAT Freetrack

    THE PROBLEM with traditional 4x4s is that, although they may be great at some things, for everyday driving they don't make a lot of sense. Too big, too fuel-inefficient and too darn expensive to run, car manufacturers are exploring new ways of

  • SEAT Freetrack

    THE PROBLEM with traditional 4x4s is that, although they may be great at some things, for everyday driving they don't make a lot of sense. Too big, too fuel-inefficient and too darn expensive to run, car manufacturers are exploring new ways of

  • Rock musician died of natural causes, inquest hears

    A FORMER rock musician found dead in his cell at a North-East prison died of natural causes, an inquest found today. Michael Sanson, a former session drummer for stars including Sting and Gary Newman, died in the Westgate wing of Frankland Prison, Durham

  • FSA denies it lacked experience to handle Rock crisis

    THE UK's financial watchdog has denied that its senior management lacked the experience needed to deal with the Northern Rock crisis. Hector Sants, chief executive of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), insisted his top team was well-equipped with

  • Food sold at high prices by rogue traders

    CALLOUS rogue traders targeted an elderly man with learning difficulties in a doorstep sales scam that may have lasted months. Door-to-door salesmen have conned the victim, who is in his 70s and described as trusting and vulnerable, out of large

  • Bosses encouraged to recognise mental health issues

    BOSSES are being encouraged to look after the mental well-being of staff. County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT) has organised free workshops for employers in the Wear Valley to raise awareness of the mental health of their workers. The sessions

  • Major retailers lined up in proposals for town revamp

    PLANS that could transform the north of Bishop Auckland have been submitted to a council this week. Developer Helioscity is hoping to build shop units, 85 flats and a car park in North Bondgate, with work starting this summer. Major retailers

  • Plans to save projects before council change

    A BOROUGH council has set its final budget and made plans to protect long-term projects when it is replaced with a unitary authority. Sedgefield Borough Council's budget for 2008-2009 is the last to be determined by the authority before local

  • Cooks take fresh look at school dinners

    SCHOOL cooks returned to the classroom to hone their culinary skills and increase goodness of canteen food. Seven dinner ladies at Teesdale Comprehensive School, in Barnard Castle, are the first to take a City and Guilds qualification run by

  • Stage school inviting more youngsters to join classes

    A STAGE is inviting youngsters to join its ranks. Wingate Stage Stars announced it has a limited number of places available for local children, aged between four and 16. The group meets every Thursday at Wingate Community Centre, where lessons

  • Session to offer jobs in the care sector

    DOZENS of care sector posts will be on offer at a recruitment day this week. The event, at the Durham City Jobcentre, in the city's Hallgarth Street, will be held tomorrow, between 10am and 3pm. Vacancies include domestic assistants, handypersons

  • Police seek assistance to tackle youth gang

    POLICE have pledged to crack down on thuggish behaviour in a community and have appealed for information about a selfstyled gang of youths operating in the area. Consett neighbourhood Inspector Andy McConnell said those involved, and their parents

  • Northern Rock charity arm funds centre

    THE future of a community centre is assured in coming years, thanks to funding from the Northern Rock Foundation. Despite the crisis surrounding the North-East bank, its charitable foundation has pledged to continue to support worthy causes in

  • Bowling green’s future heats up public session

    CONTROVERSIAL proposals to create a bowling green and pavilion were discussed at a heated public meeting yesterday. Derwentside District Council, which promised to revamp facilities before selling off part of a public park, has suggested a different

  • Asbo for teenager extended by two years

    A TEENAGER serving an eight month custodial sentence for breaching his anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) has had the order extended by two years. Dale Carter, who has a record of causing havoc on the Pallister Park Estate where he lives, will

  • Council urges public to help it juggle tax and spending

    TAXPAYERS will have the opportunity to have their say on spending by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. The authority is holding a series of consultation meetings to discuss its financial plans to deliver a 4.9 per cent council tax rise, or

  • Students on air as radio station launches at university

    STUDENTS and staff at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, can now tune into their own radio station. UTRN (University of Teesside Radio Network), was launched yesterday, broadcasting from the School of Arts and Media's Aurora House. It

  • Teenager faces life for gang murder of disabled man

    A TEENAGER who took part in a drink-fuelled gang attack on a defenceless disabled man for sport is facing a life sentence after being convicted of murder. Brent Martin was repeatedly punched, kicked, stamped on and head butted by a man and two youths

  • Violent man told to chase his dream of university

    A JUDGE told a man to chase his dream of going to university and to put violence behind him. An early hours night street attack earned Richard Guy, 22, his third conviction for violence and the threat of prison if he does it again. Judge Brian Forster

  • Leeds midfielder signs for Pools

    Leeds United midfielder Alan Thompson is line for a swift Hartlepool United debut after moving to Victoria Park on loan. The former Newcastle and Celtic man - capped once by England - will start for Pools in tonight's home game with Southend United.

  • Hospitalised man arrested over "hit and run" death

    A MAN was arrested in hospital early today on suspicion of dangerous driving after what police described as a fatal hit-and-run accident. It followed the death of the driver of a Ford Escort car as a result of a collision with a BMW on the A19 dual carriageway

  • Council leader survives 'no confidence' vote

    THE leader of Durham County Council has survived a vote of no confidence. At a meeting of the authority's Labour Group, held at County Hall this morning, Coun Albert Nugent comfortably defeated a motion of no confidence proposed by rebel colleagues.

  • Young people encouraged to take up volunteering

    A NATURE lover is encouraging young people to try volunteer work. Rebecca Stanley, from Middlesbrough, is working for Tees Valley Wildlife Trust after gaining a degree in environment and development at Durham University in 2003. She spent six

  • Deportation recommended as Iraqi drug dealer jailed

    AN Iraqi drug dealer who sold crack cocaine and heroin was jailed for four years yesterday, and recommended for deportation. The judge at Teesside Crown Court told asylum-seeker Shirzad Yousef, 32, that the supply of crack cocaine on Teesside

  • Something old, something new

    WITH a weekend off behind them, Rob Wilson's Vipers will return to action in the coming week with a different look. When the Tyneside outfit arrive in Basingstoke on Saturday, fans will see the return of something old and the arrival of something new

  • Council urges public to help it juggle tax and spending

    TAXPAYERS will have the opportunity to have their say on spending by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. The authority is holding a series of consultation meetings to discuss its financial plans to deliver a 4.9 per cent council tax rise

  • Deportation recommended as Iraqi drug dealer jailed

    AN Iraqi drug dealer who sold crack cocaine and heroin was jailed for four years yesterday, and recommended for deportation. The judge at Teesside Crown Court told asylum-seeker Shirzad Yousef, 32, that the supply of crack cocaine on Teesside

  • Students on air as radio station launches at university

    STUDENTS and staff at the University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, can now tune into their own radio station. UTRN (University of Teesside Radio Network), was launched yesterday, broadcasting from the School of Arts and Media's Aurora House. It

  • Town gets Lottery cash to preserve its heritage

    A LOTTERY grant of £49,000 will help research and preserve the history and heritage of a town. The money, awarded to Middleham Town Council, will pay for a heritage officer to organise community events and to explore, record and protect documents

  • School rewarded as sporting opportunities praised

    PUPILS are celebrating after their school was awarded the Sportsmark for its commitment to fitness and health and its range of sports opportunities. Barton CE Primary School, near Richmond, received the award from the Department of Culture, Media

  • Lights team aims to raise £10,000 for town display

    AN appeal is being made to help raise £10,000 to boost this year's Thirsk's Christmas lights display. Thirsk and District Business Association's ladies group collects about £5,000 a year to pay for the lights. Their efforts were boosted last

  • Concern raised that pheasant unit would cause road threat

    FEARS have been raised that a commercial pheasant-rearing unit could cause a traffic hazard on a busy main road. The Urra Estate has applied for retrospective planning permission to change the use of land at Whingroves Farm, Chop Gate, near Stokesley

  • African pupils take part in visit... finally

    DESPITE the gloomy weather, a group of children from a small southern African kingdom were happy to be in Darlington after their trip was almost cancelled at the 11th hour. Ten pupils from Lesotho were stranded in Dubai for 24 hours when they

  • Questions over £14m road project ‘breach’

    CAMPAIGNERS have demanded answers over claimed breaches of planning regulations on a multi-million road project. Residents living near the £14.4m Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor have called in an ombudsman to investigate their concerns.

  • Hear All Sides

    PARKING I, TOO, found myself in a similar predicament to Councillor Peter Freitag, who was fined after his car overlapped into a yellow hatched area from his disabled parking space in Park Lane car park, Darlington (Echo, Jan 15). I had to park

  • Taxi rank fares badly, say angry cab drivers

    A NEW taxi rank on the site of disabled parking spaces is not wanted by disabled drivers - or even cabbies. Disabled drivers say the rank, which has space for nine taxis, takes up valuable parking space near Darlington town centre. Taxi drivers

  • Pupils ‘over the moon’ as school opens

    A LONG-SERVING school secretary has cut the ribbon to open a £3.5m school building. Pupils at Cockerton School, in Darlington, were taught in their new school yesterday after a year-long building project. Parents and former pupils were given

  • MPs Support Training for Young People

    The focus on improving the skills of the workforce and making the nation more competitive and profitable recently turned to young people in their teens. MPs have been debating plans for youngsters to stay in training or education until the age

  • North-East trio land top motorsport awards

    THREE of British motorsport's highest accolades were awarded to the North-East at the the Motor Sports Association's star-studded Night of Champions ceremony. The event, attended by Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton, saw Darlington rally driver Guy Wilks

  • FTSE’s worst day since 9/11 attacks

    MORE than £70bn was wiped off the value of blue chip shares yesterday, as the London market suffered its worst one-day fall since the 9/11 terror attacks. Yesterday's losses mean that the FTSE was down nearly 14 per cent on this year's opening

  • Plumbing firm’s share price plunge

    HEATING and plumbing group Wolseley saw its share price drop further last night as it warned the US housing slump had hit profits by almost a third so far this year - and warned the market was likely to get worse. The group, which has seen its

  • Dark cloud on holiday horizon

    ALTHOUGH a slowdown in high street spending was bound to happen at some stage, another dimension to our faltering economy might only become apparent when the summer arrives. Globe-trotting Brits who have roamed the world with a strong pound

  • Helmsley Group’s double swoop

    YORK-BASED property investment and development company, The Helmsley Group, has acquired Units 11 and 12 of Evolution at Wynyard Park, Billingham. The £1.5m offices have added to its clients' commercial property portfolio now valued at £100m

  • Directors named

    INTERNATIONAL property adviser DTZ has announced the promotions of Nicola Gilliead and Nick Atkinson to director status in the company's Newcastle office. As head of the valuation team based in the Newcastle, Nicola specialises in shopping

  • Take Pot luck!

    THE Newcastle office of business agents, Christie + Co, has been appointed to sell Pots and Pancakes, which is situated on Russell Street in the centre of North Shields. The business has a cafe and is ideal for Brownie, Scout and Guide groups, mother

  • Growth forecast

    DESPITE signs that the economy is slowing, occupiers of commercial property expect to expand their property portfolios on the back of continuing growth in output and employment over the next six months, the CBI/GVA Grimley Corporate Real

  • Regeneration role for CBRE director

    PROPERTY service provider CB Richard Ellis has appointed a new director to establish the company's regeneration team in the region. North-East born David Codling now holds the title of CBRE's regeneration director and will use his expertise to

  • Plans for care home

    DETAILED plans have been revealed for a £3.7m care home for the elderly on a riverside site on the outskirts of Darlington. The 67- bed care home is being built on the corner of Lakeside and Hammond Drive, near Darlington's South Park, on the

  • Refurbishment under way

    A £1m refurbishment programme has begun to transform a building at a North-East business park to provide highquality, air-conditioned office accommodation. The 12,000 sq ft building's original name of Carbury House will also be reinstated as part

  • Leader in its field happy to play supporting role

    For a company that is part of an international operation employing thousands of people, and with a central part of its business based in the region, Johnson Matthey maintains a surprisingly low profile. Deborah Johnson investigates JOHNSON MATTHEY

  • Long-awaited sheep sale to get under way

    ONE of the UK's most anticipated Texel sheep dispersal sales goes ahead tomorrow. The long-awaited dispersal sale of Richard Oates's Lumbylaw adult Texel breeding flock is at Carlisle Auction Mart. Originally scheduled for last September, the

  • Fears for national flock

    THE UK's national sheep flock is a target on the Government's hit list for livestock production, according to Frank Langrish, chairman of the British Wool Marketing Board. He told the annual conference in Bradford that he believed the Government

  • Quad bike safety warning

    TWENTY-THREE people have died using quad bikes at work over the past ten years - 17 involving head injuries. Now, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding farmers they must wear a helmet whenever they use an all-terrain vehicle. The

  • Politicians to address conference

    ALMOST 1,000 farmers are expected to attend the annual conference of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) - the centrepiece of its centenary year. Speakers include Hilary Benn, Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural

  • Holstein UK award for cattle breeder

    A FARMER from Northumberland has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by Holstein UK. The presentation took place at John Moffitt's Fi-Fie-Fo-Fum Creativity Centre and gallery, in Newton, Corbridge, near Hexham. Mr Moffitt joined what

  • Main-Tel sets sights on record turnover

    TELECOMMUNICATIONS company Main-Tel says its turnover will hit a record £2m this year following a period of intense growth. The Teesside company, a national supplier of business communication technology, said revenue had risen by 40 per cent

  • Groomed for success

    A MAN who was formerly unemployed has set up in business and vowed to help other people follow in his footsteps. Franklin Depoe recently launched his barber shop, Perfect Kutz, in Middlesbrough, with the help of recruitment and training specialists

  • Help for would-be entrepreneurs

    BUDDING entrepreneurs in the south of the region are invited to attend a drop-in support session later this week. Business Link York and North Yorkshire has organised the meeting for people in and around the Northallerton area who are interested

  • Abel & Cole depot opens

    AN organic food company has expanded into North Yorkshire with the opening of a depot. Abel & Cole began delivering its products from its York site yesterday and is hoping to forge partnerships with other organic food producers in the region.

  • Importance of planning ahead to avert disaster in the future

    UNPLANNED events can have a devastating effect on small businesses. Crises such as fire, damage to stock, key staff being ill or IT systems failing could all make it difficult, or even impossible, to carry out day-to-day activities. But with good

  • Firm goes national after increase in claims

    A NORTH-EAST law firm is taking its business nationwide after seeing rapid growth in accident claims. Newcastle-based practice Winn Solicitors, which specialises in road traffic accident and personal injury claims, has celebrated the first year

  • Take the strain out of dealing with lawyers

    I'm going to see a solicitor for the first time and Im a bit nervous. Can you offer any advice? Many of us start January with resolutions to get our affairs in order, make a will or put the house on the market. Whatever the reason, dealing with

  • Punch Robson acquires rival – and a consultant

    ONE of the region's oldest legal firms has made an acquisition. Punch Robson, which has operated from Albert Road, in Middlesbrough, since 1877, has bought business law specialists Spooner & Co in a move that will significantly increase the size

  • Baker aims to hit crumpets target

    FAMILY-run bakery business Warburtons is on target to turn out more than one million crumpets a week at its Stockton factory - a month after opening a £2m crumpet plant at the site. Its Yarm Road bakery produces crumpets six days a week for

  • Chip company profits drop

    MICROCHIP maker Filtronic last night said it had scraped a profit of £900,000 in the six months to November 30, compared with £75.8m last year. The west Yorkshire-based technologies group, which is selling its Newton Aycliffe foundry, warned it

  • Expansion plans for car dealership

    NORTH-EAST car dealer Vertu Motors has expanded further outside the region and leased premises in Yorkshire. The Newcastle-based group plans to open a Motor Nation used car outlet on the 1.3-acre site in Doncaster. Vertu said the ongoing expansion

  • Contract wins mean waste firm can boost workforce

    A WASTE management firm is boosting its 350-strong workforce in the region after a number of major contract wins. Durham-based Premier Waste Management is creating 20 jobs in Washington, Wearside, after a multi-million pound investment in a commercial

  • Call centre boost

    OUTSOURCING specialist NewLogic is opening a new contact centre in the North-East, creating 70 jobs. The customer management group has secured a contract with an insurance company. NewLogic is due to open the call centre on its existing warehousing

  • Confidence in economic future at an all-time low

    LESS than one in ten people are confident about the region's economic outlook, statistics have shown. While just over a third of consumers feel positive about the North-East's economic climate, confidence in the future has dropped to an all-time

  • Bakery expands after successful first six months

    A BAKERY is expanding into new premises to meet growing demand for its produce. After six months of baking breads, cakes and pastries from her farmhouse kitchen, Anastasia Weiner is relocating her business - Westfields Farm Organic Bakery - to

  • Figures reveal buyouts slump

    DESPITE a handful of high-profile deals, the number and value of buyouts dropped considerably in the North-East last year, according to new figures. Some 19 buyouts/buyins worth a total of £195m were carried out across the region last year, compared

  • Awards organisers call for accountants’ nominations

    FINANCE and accounting professionals from across the North-East will soon be celebrating their success for the second year running. Organisers of the Nigel Wright North-East Accountancy Awards are calling for nominations from individuals, teams

  • Key to success could be on our doorstep

    AS head of the leading business membership organisation in the region, and as a former banker, I look forward to the rest of the year with a degree of trepidation and excitement. The financial gurus reading the runes are predicting a turbulent time

  • 100 jobs for £2m business park project

    A £2M business park is expected to help create about 100 jobs in a market town in the region. Work is about to start on the Atrium Business Park, at The Triangle, in Guisborough, near Teesside. It will provide office space for seven small companies

  • Topsy-turvy trading for Ashley

    THE sportswear group run by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley said it would meet profit forecasts despite "increasingly difficult" trading this year. Sports World retailer Sports Direct International (SDI) has been badly hit by England's failure

  • AIM float for virus detection company

    A HIGH-TECH company which is developing "sniffer machines" for detecting avian flu, MRSA and explosives, is to float on London's junior stock market. Analytical Nanotechnologies (ANTnano), based in Sedgefield, County Durham, made the announcement

  • Shearer: I could work for club other than Newcastle

    ALAN Shearer has admitted he could work for a football club other than his beloved Newcastle. Shearer and Kevin Keegan have spoken about working together as the new Newcastle boss attempts to lift the club from Sam Allardyce's brief but unsatisfactory

  • Newcastle Utd 0 Manchester City 2

    FACING a team that hadnt won away from home since the first day of the season should have been an ideal opportunity for Newcastle to get their stuttering campaign back on track. Then again Sam Allardyces side seem incapable of doing anything expected

  • Newcastle Utd 0 Manchester City 2

    FACING a team that hadnt won away from home since the first day of the season should have been an ideal opportunity for Newcastle to get their stuttering campaign back on track. Then again Sam Allardyces side seem incapable of doing anything expected

  • Fall in love with Red Romeo on a quiet day

    RED ROMEO (2.30) rates rocksolid value at Southwell, the venue which hosts this afternoon's sole fixture after the abandonment of rain-soaked Leicester and Sedgefield. It's actually a minor miracle that Southwell race, since they've only recently

  • Hewitt crashes out

    SERBIAN third seed Novak Djokovic brought local favourite Lleyton Hewitt's Australian Open to an end, while popular American James Blake set up a quarter-final with Roger Federer. Djokovic saw off Hewitt in straight sets in front of a record

  • High-flying Selby gets a taste for victory

    NEW Saga Insurance Masters champion Mark Selby believes winning his first major title will earn him deserved respect from his rivals. But, perhaps more tellingly, he has proven to himself he has the ability and self-belief to win many more tournaments

  • Is golf in Durham set to hit the buffers?

    TWENTY SEVEN of the 44 clubs in the Durham County Golf Union have suffered a loss in membership numbers over the last 12 months, but collectively they insist North-East golf is far from struggling. Figures released in the Unionfs annual report

  • Problems unsettle Gerrard

    Liverpool 2 Aston Villa 2 LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard admitted the ongoing problems off the pitch are affecting the team after his side scraped a 2-2 draw at home to Aston Villa. Peter Crouch rescued a Barclays Premier League point with a

  • Dawson undaunted by hoodoo

    MICHAEL Dawson is determined to finally defeat Arsenal - and he is among the Tottenham players using last year's Carling Cup disappointment as motivation this time around. Spurs threw away a two-goal lead 12 months ago, missing out on a place

  • Former boss passes away

    FORMER Sunderland and Darlington manager Billy Elliott has died at the age of 82, writes WILL SCOTT. Elliott's love affair with Sunderland and the North-East began when he arrived from Burnley for a fee of £26,000 in June 1953, and went on to

  • Wenger convinced of Walcott talent

    ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger remains convinced Theo Walcott has what it takes to become a fantastic striker''. The teenager is set to return to the side for tonight's Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Tottenham, having been rested from the

  • Consett head south and prove they can swim with the Dolphins

    POOLE is in Dorset, has a population of 141,000 and is said to be the second largest place in England - the largest Dudley, in Worcestershire - not to support a "professional" football team. Consett played there on Saturday, FA Vase fourth round

  • Northern Sinfonia, The Sage, Gateshead

    FRANZ Bruggen, the doyen of 18th and 19th Century music, made a welcome return to The Sage Gateshead to conduct the Northern Sinfonia. The evening opened with Haydn's Symphony No 49 La passione, its sombre and melancholic mood conveyed with affection

  • Chewing the fat

    Supersize vs Superskinny (C4, 8pm) THE first in this brand new series features superskinny 19-yearold Tatiana Moxley, who weighs six stone nine pounds, and supersized Sandra Andrews, 39, who weighs 23 and a half stone. By swapping eachother's diets

  • A touch of class

    Under new direction by the brothers Ahmed, a Sedgefield restaurant has been transformed into Spice Ministers ONE of the least preposterous theories assiduously entertained by the lady of this house is that whenever two or three are gathered together

  • Costume dramas

    Walking into the front room of Jeni Bland's little terraced house in Cockfield, near Bishop Auckland, you could be forgiven for thinking you've strayed into the wardrobe trailer of the latest Jane Austen screen adaptation, says Jenny Laue THE tailor's

  • Greeting the New Year with a slimline tonic

    Eat, drink and be overweight. After months of prevariaction, Lucy Richardson finally sticks to her resolution and attends her first weight loss group IF I was asked by TV stylist Gok Wan: "Do you look good naked?" my answer would be an emphatic

  • Flying pigs

    I COULDN'T help feeling amused after reading Hugh Pender's letter about pigs flying before peace is achieved in the Middle East (HAS, Jan 18). I wonder if he read the article on Page 27 headlined "Scientists get the go-ahead to create hybrid embryos

  • Mike Amos

    WHEN are you going to retitle your paper The Northern Amos? No column from Mike Amos on a Monday, but I suppose the two on Tuesday make up for that, what with his young 'un (Owen Amos) and his missus (Sharon Griffiths) filling in the bits that

  • Marine Drive

    HAVING been born and bred in Scarborough I write in relation to the letter headed "Hope in the air" (HAS, Jan 12). The accompanying picture, described as Scarborough's Marine Drive, is not the Marine Drive. It is a picture of what is known as

  • Heroes

    RE Peter Barron's reference to his ball being burst at St Peter's RC Primary School in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, in his From The Editor's Chair column (Echo, Jan 14). I am 76 years old, plus VAT, so was a South Banker before him. Still am

  • Winter fuel bills

    RE your letter from Age Concern Teesside about older people and winter warmth (HAS, Jan 16). Keeping warm and well is also a big issue to disabled, young and lowpaid workers up and down the country. There is very little help for these people,

  • Life after football

    PLEASE can we have our Northern Echo back. Is it not time the paper regained a sense of proportion with regard to Newcastle United and Kevin Keegan? Are there not many more important happenings in this and other countries than whether or not Newcastle

  • Kevin Keegan

    WELL, Newcastle United fans have got their man. Kevin Keegan's emotional return to St James' Park is just what they need, but whether he is the right man will be down to the formula that measures every manager - winning games. Keegan was probably

  • No way to run a country

    VIOLENT crime perpetrated by teenagers has gone up by a third in only three years C no wonder Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is afraid to walk the London streets after dark. Who wouldnt be? Twenty-six teenagers were shot dead in London alone last year

  • National disgrace?

    Nationalisation was once the only way British industry could compete with global competition, but a series of embarrassing set-backs made the term a by-word for failure. Assistant Editor Nigel Burton looks at what nationalisation could mean for Northern

  • No case for major surgery

    NOTHING is ever perfect and there is always room for improvement, but there is a lot to be said for the service provided by the traditional doctors' surgery. People get to know their family doctor and, in many cases, the relationship spans generations

  • ‘Jenny took drugs all day, every day’

    MISSING teenager Jenny Nicholl took drugs "all day, every day", a court has heard. Friend Jennifer Whelan said she became concerned about the 19-year-old's drug intake in the months before she disappeared. Miss Whelan, 21, admitted she regularly

  • Teenager murdered friend, 15

    A TEENAGER was detained for life yesterday after admitting murdering his best friend in a drink and drug-fuelled rage. Billy Dunwoodie was mortal'', having drunk three litres of cheap sparkling white wine when he stabbed 15-year-old Shane Jackson

  • Campaign to highlight pig farmers’ plight

    BRITISH pig farmers have launched a £1.5m national advertising campaign to win a fairer price for their product. They are warning that without a rise of at least 20p per kilo by Easter, many farmers will go out of business. The campaign includes

  • Inspector seeks to put the brakes on roundabout fun

    A HEALTH and safety inspector had parish councillors in a spin when he reported their children's roundabout for revolving too quickly. The playground in Middleton St George, near Darlington, is owned and maintained by the parish council. Councillors

  • Making history at a week old

    ONE-WEEK-OLD Samual Green marked the start of a new era when he was registered via a laptop computer. His parents, Helen and Wayne, yesterday became the first to take advantage of a scheme offering birth and death registrations at the University

  • Driver: I didn’t see car before collision

    A COMPANY director accused of causing the death by dangerous driving of a six-year-old boy has told a jury he never saw the car the youngster was in. Brian Hopkinson, 73, says his vision was obscured by a smear on the windscreen of his vehicle

  • Dame Kelly to visit youngsters

    DOUBLE Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes will visit the region tomorrow to see how young people are rising to a challenge she set them last year. Dame Kelly will meet pupils from schools in the Sedgefield School Sport Partnership as part of the

  • Flower shop growing for gold

    FLORIST Diana Kaye's has been named National Flower Shop of the Year. The small shop, in the High Street, Yarm, near Stockton, beat off all the UK chains and supermarkets to win the top prize and a second award for the Interflora florist. The shop

  • 1,129 people rescued by busy lifeboat crews

    FIGURES released today reveal that volunteer crews with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in the North have experienced one of their busiest years. The figures show that RNLI lifeboatmen and women in the North of England carried out

  • Finding solutions to bin blaze problem

    FIREFIGHTING engineers have been testing their skills by setting light to wheelie bins to discover the effect such fires have on the environment Members of Cleveland Fire Brigade's Fire Engineering Academy will perform the tests to help find a

  • Weather misery - more to follow

    BLIZZARDS, high winds and torrential rain brought chaos to the region yesterday - and there could be worse to come.The sudden cold snap left the region's transport system in disarray, and residents of Ripon, Thirsk and Skipton, in North Yorkshire, in

  • Chancellor sets out rescue plan for Rock

    THE Government came in for renewed criticism after unveiling funding guarantees for Northern Rock as fears of recession wiped billions off the stock market.The bank's £24bn taxpayer debt will be split into Government-backed bonds and sold to investors

  • Proposed surgeries 'will be a disaster'

    A DOCTORS' leader has predicted that plans to open at least ten super-surgeries across the region will be "a complete disaster."Dr John Canning, secretary of Cleveland Local Medical Committee and a member of the British Medical Association's national

  • Murderer on the run is arrested

    AN escaped North-East murderer who was on the run for six days has been arrested in Scotland.Lee Nevins, 24, who was serving a minimum 17-year sentence at the top-security Frankland Prison, in Durham City, escaped from Sunderland Royal Hospital last Tuesday

  • Joy and sadness over soldiers' homecoming

    A SOLDIER based in the region paid the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.The news emerged last night as dozens of Territorial Army (TA) medics arrived home to jubilant scenes in the North-East following

  • Young defends strikers as Boro wait on Alves

    MIDDLESBROUGH expect to discover tomorrow whether their pursuit of Afonso Alves has been fruitless, but Luke Young feels the existing squad already have plenty of goals amongst them.Boro have scored more than once on only seven occasions this season,

  • Man stabbed mum and step-father in late-night attack

    A PARANOID schizophrenic repeatedly stabbed his mother and step-father after he convinced himself he needed to kill them to prevent someone else being murdered.Tom Owen was yesterday sent to Rampton high security hospital, in Nottinghamshire, for an indefinite

  • Keegan can't rush into making new signings

    AS the list of names being linked with possible moves to Newcastle United grows, manager Kevin Keegan has warned that new signings will not be made just for the sake of it this month.Keegan will be given the financial backing in the transfer market to

  • Time to wake up and perform, says Wilson

    DANNY Wilson is demanding a positive reaction from his players tonight.After slumping 2-0 to Cheltenham in their last outing on Firday night, Wilson won't stand for anything near the same when Southend visit Victoria Park. The Pools boss labelled the

  • Bardsley keen to make a move to Wearside

    SUNDERLAND are closing in on Manchester United's out of favour defender Phil Bardsley.The full-back has just completed a three month loan spell at Sheffield United - playing 16 times for the Championship club - and returned to Old Trafford after the derby

  • Romantic novelist celebrates 100 years

    A ROMANTIC novelist who wrote more than 130 bodice-rippers has celebrated her 100th birthday.Great-grandmother Jean S MacLeod began writing for Mills and Boon in 1940, aged 32, shortly after she gave birth to her only child, David Walton.Ms MacLeod, who