FORMER Middlesbrough FC legend George Smith will be putting on his blue suede shoes at an emotional charity night inspired by two friends battling life-threatening illnesses. Mr Smith, who transferred from Portsmouth to Middlesbrough in 1969 for a then
POLICE, council officers, door staff and pub managers have launched a series of measures to cut night-time drink-fuelled crimes in Darlington. A range of new initiatives is being launched in the town centres pubs and clubs to reduce crime and disorder
AN elderly woman has died in hospital following a fire at a sheltered accomodation block. The 71-year-old suffered serious burns in the blaze at the Manor Gardens Care Home, in the Wardley area of Gateshead, on Friday afternoon. She has not yet been
A LANDSCAPE gardener who beat up and bit his girlfriend after an all-day boozing session has been spared jail. Edward Jones, 35, attacked Jolene Donachie, 25, at their home in Thornaby after accusing her of having an affair. Jones stormed out of a Stockton
A SERIES of events is being organised to commemorate a popular primary school which is to close. Hamsteels Primary School, in Esh Winning, County Durham, will shut its doors for the final time at the end of the summer term. The school is planning an
A MAN is unconscious in hospital after being found with head injuries this morning. Detectives working on the case have not yet established whether the man was attacked or if his injuries were the result of an accident. The male was found on the pavement
EXPERTS from the Centre for Life are explaining the complex and emotive field of stem cell research during a day of free activities in Newcastle's Times Square. Over the last year, the Centre for Life's science communication team, in partnership with
A LONE fisherman was rescued this morning after his boat broke down in one of the UK's busiest shipping lanes. The Redcar RNLI lifeboat Leicester Challenge 2 was called out just after 8am when the skipper of the 35ft fishing coble, from Middlesbrough
AN Indian restaurant has reopened for business a week after a car smashed through its front windows. Staff at the Raj Bari on Yarm high street have thanked the emergency services and local residents for helping to get the business back on its feet.
FAMILY and friends of a tanker driver who was killed when his vehicle fell from a bridge today urged people to join their campaign. The parents of Peter Williams, who was killed last July in an accident in Wolsingham, set up a stall in Darlington's High
YOUNGSTERS hit a high note at a festival where they won a number of prizes. Children from Leadgate Infant and Nursery School came back from Consett Music Festival with four trophies. They won the Jos W Pearson Memorial Trophy and the Mona
POLICE have called on parents to take control of their children following a spate of problems in a north Durham community. The appeal was made as the half-term holiday approached, and follows a series of incidents, including the discovery of dead
A CROOKED car repair specialist who swindled more than £50,000 out of insurance companies with bogus claims has walked free from court. David Saunders was told by a judge that his excellent work in a deprived Teesside community had saved him from
THE 80th anniversary of Stewart Park was celebrated yesterday, with the great-nephew of its namesake invited to the party. Revellers were in a buoyant mood since being told the Middlesbrough park was to be awarded £280,000 by the National Lottery
TAI CHI fitness instructor Tom McPike believes the relaxing martial art has health and social benefits. And he has started classes for people with learning difficulties and their carers, with the help of Eston Sports Academy, on the edge of
RESIDENTS have applauded police after a woman was arrested and heroin with a street value of £400 was recovered. The drugs were found concealed in the back garden of a property identified by officers as a "safe house", used by drug dealers on
As more people look for an alternative to flying, Peta King finds a different, and greener, way to get to the continent. SOME years ago there was an advert for rail travel with the catchy slogan: Let the train take the strain' - and for a while it
He missed Dad's Army first time around but Timothy Kightley is ready for duty on stage. TIMOTHY Kightley is more than modest about earning rave reviews as Captain Mainwaring in the stage version of Dad's Army which tours to Newcastle Theatre Royal
I HOPE you won't find this offensive, but I want to tell you about getting permissive with Joan Bakewell. If you don't like it, you can always complain to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom. Lots of people do, although looking down the list of offences
It's tiny and a little bit out of the way, but services at Hawes Junction Methodist chapel still draw in the crowds. GARSDALE railway station, top end of Wensleydale and then up a bit further, is one of the most glorious and least likely places
RE "Paperless billing could save trees" (Business Echo, May 20). This headline is a joke. I went paperless with BT and on receiving an email to say my bill had been processed I printed out a summary for my records. Guess what? The printer churned
AFTER years of being warned about over-fishing we joined what is now the EU, allowing foreign vessels to fish our waters and faster reduce our fish numbers to dangerous levels. Our farmers were encouraged to tear out hedges to increase the size
I COULD not believe Joe Wellthorpe's comments about pensioners already having too much money and too many "freebies", such as the bus passes, etc, (HAS, May 17). Does he not realise that if it wasn't for the pensioners he moans about serving in
THE decisions by MPs to allow the use of hybrid embryos for stem cell research and to allow the creation of saviour siblings are to be welcomed. The potential alleviation of real human suffering caused by diseases such as Alzheimer's, multiple
IN his article, "A debate already defeated" (Echo, May 15), Rob Merrick is either naïve or seeking to deceive. Almost all of the premature babies to whom he refers result from problem pregnancies. These children would probably have had birth defects
IT HAS come to my attention there are plans to inflict another piece of deviant art upon the North-East. This time it is a bizarre giant head which will be a shocking 50ft tall and will stand ominously on the edge of Newton Aycliffe. It will be
I HAVE written to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to express the disgust and disillusionment of our local community at the so-called "consultation process" concerning our local post office. It is now clear his Cabinet's policies were not to be influenced
WHEN Peter Lee became chairman of Durham County Council in March 1919, it was a momentous occasion. Not just because Lee was a coal miner and the first working man to hold the levers of local government, but because Lee was leading the first Labour
While most men of their age are ready for their bus pass, some Hollywood veterans are still ready for action. Steve Pratt discovers why screen heroes don't act their age WHEN I reached 60, I grabbed a bus pass, not a bullwhip. Most people at
THERE are times when the turning of the tide of history can be sensed. We knew the tide was turning when John Major was clinging to power by his fingertips and the time for New Labour was coming. Now it is Gordon Brown's turn. The electoral nightmare
PAULA RADCLIFFE will have to prove her fitness to British selectors as she seeks to win a place in the marathon squad for the Olympics in Beijing. The 34-year-old world record holder is eager to atone for the disappointment she endured after
RICKY HATTON has a big point to prove against Juan Lazcano in front of 55,000 fans at the City of Manchester Stadium tonight as he seeks to emulate so many great champions by bouncing back better from his first defeat. Despite his mighty success
WORCESTER captain Pat Sanderson will continue his crusade next season to make the Warriors a club that thrives on success rather than survival. And whatever happens in tomorrow's European Challenge Cup final against Bath at Kingsholm, England
PAUL McGinley continued on his merry way while others were tearing their hair out at Wentworth yesterday. A closing 20-foot eagle putt gave McGinley a 66 to add to his opening 65 and that 13-under-par total is a record for Europe's flagship
PAUL Casey admitted losing his cool at Wentworth yesterday over the state of one of the greens. "Unfortunately a sprinkler head popped on the ninth and flooded the green. Accidents happen, that's nothing we should be ashamed of, but the players
DOUBLE world champion Mika Hakkinen believes Lewis Hamilton is the man under pressure inside McLaren. Hakkinen made his name and won his titles with McLaren, where he sees Hamilton as team leader ahead of Finnish compatriot Heikki Kovalainen
GUY Wilks believes he has a score to settle in the Jim Clark Rally this weekend. The Darlington rally ace, who drives for the Mitsubishi Motors UK Rally Team, was caught out on treacherously slippery wet roads last year, but is determined not
COUNTY Durham driver Robert Lawson heads to his home circuit of Croft with his lead in the 2008 SEAT Cupra Championship still intact. The Darlington-born newcomer, who drives for the Bardon/JHR team, has been the man to beat this season, finishing
BORDERLESCOTT (3.35) attempts another giant-killing act by taking on some of the land's leading sprinters at Haydock this afternoon. The Group 2 Temple Stakes is the contest in question, a £100,000 showpiece in which Saeed Bin Suroor, Richard
QUICK ground at Catterick provides an ideal surface for Inter Vision (3.50) to gun down his rivals in the Totepool All Irish Racing Handicap. Alan Dickman's eight-year-old won over course and distance way back in 2005, a last-gasp victory achieved
THINK of Britons on jet skis and you'll probably think of sunburned holiday-makers frolicking in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an image that will be repeated in countless holiday resorts this summer, but it is also one that masks the reality of
When it comes to producing seam bowlers, Durham have few peers. Cricket writer Tim Wellock asked Riverside coach Alan Walker the secrets of their success. WHILE Ottis Gibson took much of the credit for Durham's success last season, then went
DURHAM go into their final two group games in the Friends Provident Trophy this weekend lying fourth out of five, with only tomorrow's visitors Scotland below them. But two wins will give them a good chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals
EPPLETON'S indifferent start will be put under further examination as they travel to take on champions Burnmoor today in the first match of a Bank Holiday double-header. But the club suddenly have a renewed spring in their step after the long-running
THE second Bank Holiday weekend of early summer is usually the time when the major issues start to become a little clearer. Once the dust settles after the double programme, clubs are at the point where they have completed almost a third of their
ONE week ago Ryhope had to grin and bear it as they handed over the leadership to Castle Eden. This week it is the turn of Castle to twiddle their thumbs as others vie for the early season bragging rights at the top. Murton must be favourites
AFTER only four rounds, Esh Winning and Shildon Railway have already opened up a 30 point gap over their rivals - but the double programme presents an opportunity to the chasing pack to make inroads. Both top clubs, Esh today and Shildon on
The murky days of mid-April, when the entire first day programme was postponed, will be remembered on Monday when the re-arranged fixtures take place en bloc. And the weekend double programme that been created holds out the allure of some cracking
A COUPLE of weeks ago and Sunderland were down in the dumps after some uncharacteristic displays had seen them hovering just above the relegation zone. But with the arrival of their replacement professional they now face this weekend's double
Surrey v Yorkshire (County Championship) : Day Three YORKSHIRE have been dealt a major blow with the news that Rana Naved-ul-Hasan could be out for several weeks with a possible torn right hamstring. The Pakistani overseas bowler had to retire
JAMES ANDERSON signalled England's aggressive intentions for the summer with a sustained attempt at intimidation to halt New Zealand's solid start to the second Test. The 25-year-old Lancashire seamer has played most of his senior cricket at Old
ANDY MURRAY expects Rafael Nadal to continue his domination of the French Open as the Spaniard seeks to write his name into the Roland Garros history books. Murray, whose only previous appearance at Roland Garros in 2006 ended in a first-round
CHRIS TOMLINSON has two dates indelibly stained on his mind. Thursday, August 21st - the day of the Olympic long jump final - and Thursday, May 29th. The British record holder will get married to college sweetheart Lucia Rovardi in an idyllic
FINANCIALLY, it is the biggest game in club football, but it is also the one that poses the most danger to its winners. Of the last five sides to be promoted from the Championship play-off final, only one (West Ham in 2005) has avoided relegation
ALMOST three years ago Ian Ashbee feared he may never walk again, but the Hull captain will lead Phil Brown's side out at Wembley today to complete a fairytale rehabilitation. Ashbee was laid low by a career- threatening rare degenerative bone
NEIL Kilkenny can't wait to face former club Birmingham next season should Leeds triumph over Doncaster at Wembley tomorrow in the Coca-Cola League One play-off final. The Leeds midfielder is also longing for the day to be able to put one over
RELEASED Darlington midfielder Micky Cummins last night signed a contract with Rotherham United, after admitting he had expected to put pen to paper on a new Quakers deal. His contract expired at the end of the season and the 29-year-old was expecting
DWIGHT YORKE has attempted to bring any over-optimistic Sunderland fans down to earth by insisting that it could take years to break into the Premier League's top six. Having successfully fought against relegation this season, the Black Cats
SIR Alex Ferguson has accused Real Madrid of lacking morals over their dogged pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo. Barely had the champagne been uncorked after Manchester United's momentous Champions League final triumph over Chelsea than Ronaldo's
JOHN Terry's Champions League nightmare may worsen if he is subjected to a UEFA study of his clash with Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez immediately after Didier Drogba's red card in the final. The Blues captain, who missed the penalty
CHRIS RIGGOTT has turned down the opportunity to move to Stoke City on a permanent basis after being reassured he has a first-team future at Middlesbrough. And manager Gareth Southgate feels that having the reliable defender at his disposal will
MICHAEL OWEN'S withdrawal from the England squad has cast further doubt over his international career, but Kevin Keegan remains focused on building a future at Newcastle United around him. Owen has been struck by a virus and was unable to meet
DEPARTMENT store chain John Lewis heightened nerves on the high street yesterday by reporting a second successive fall in weekly sales. The group described the 1.8 per cent decline for the week to last Saturday as a "disappointing outcome" and
THE head of the European Central Bank (ECB) has suggested he does not believe the difficulties in the world financial markets have run their course. Jean-Claude Trichet's comments appeared to signal a more pessimistic assessment than that of the
A MODEL and an event management expert have teamed up to launch an agency tapping into the growth in the popularity of performers on the back of TV shows such as Britain's Got Talent. Michelle Jones and her lifelong friend, Liz Gray, both 26,
A SCHOOLGIRL'S decision to quit gymnastics for martial arts has seen her become a star on a television talent show. Natalie Garner is part of a 15-strong tae kwon do team from County Durham that has found fame on ITV's Britain's Got Talent.
The argument over whether a cattle market should restrict its early morning deliveries became the subject of national media scrutiny last week. David Roberts sets his alarm clock and goes to see what all the fuss is about. IT is 5am and I am beginning
FORTY jobs will be created in the latest spin-off from a £250m oil rig project being completed in the North-East. The SeaDragon Offshore project, which has led to the reopening of Haverton Hill shipyard in Billingham, near Stockton, will result
A FORMER science teacher is on top of the world after she reached the summit of Everest. Dr Adele Pennington achieved the feat yesterday. The 42-yearold mountaineer was one of two leaders with a group of nine climbers on a trip organised by the
POLICE have launched a fresh appeal for information about a missing man four months after he was last seen. An enhanced picture of how hospital worker Michael Hunter may look now has been produced by police. The 53-year-old, who was a keen walker
A DRUG addict who threatened a man with a syringe of his own blood, then left his victim screaming in pain with a broken leg, was jailed for four years yesterday. Alexander Morgan, 31, rifled through the pockets of 63-yearold John Pegg and then
FOUR men were yesterday jailed for a combined total of 43 years following the biggest heroin seizure in a North-East town's history. Last night, detectives hailed the hard-line sentences as a warning to others and vowed that their battle against
A CHARITY is awaiting the birth of its youngest supporter after a pregnant woman registered her unborn baby for a fundraising event. Katherine Crosby, who is due to give birth any day, and her family, have previously enjoyed taking part in the
A HEROIN addict who admitted supplying methadone which played a part in a teenage girl's death has been sentenced to four years in prison. Durham Crown Court was told 16-year-old Kelsey Malcolm died on February 2 last year after she was given
AN MP is demanding a high-level inquiry after claiming the demise of the Durham National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) as a trade union is a way to keep millions of pounds "squirreled away". Kevan Jones, the Durham North MP, will meet Ministry of
DETAILS of prominent MPs' expenses were made public yesterday after a three-year legal battle - and they revealed Tony Blair failed to pay household bills on time. Reminders for the former Prime Minister to pay water and gas bills - and warning
A DEFIANT Gordon Brown yesterday vowed to battle on after another devastating blow for his premiership with Labour's crushing defeat in the Crewe and Nantwich byelection. A mood of panic appeared to be spreading among some Labour MPs as the formerly
CLEVELAND Police is to fly alone after the Durham and Northumbria forces' decision to pull out of the existing North- East air support operation from next year. The force announced yesterday that it is to buy its own helicopter, which will be
A COUPLE who won £60,000 will give half to friends they made a deal with 30 years ago. For the past 30 years, Ann and Joe Davison have joined Nancy and Peter Stephenson for games of bingo at the Gala Club, in Washington, Wearside, and always said
FORMER athlete Steve Cram has been named as the new chancellor of Sunderland University. He will be installed at a ceremony at the university on June 27. The former Olympic medallist will take over from Lord Puttnam, who retired last year after
THE ousted leader of the North- East's biggest council risked expulsion from the Labour Party yesterday by defying orders to support the appointment of his successor. Albert Nugent, who is suspended from the party in a row over female candidates
VIKINGS attacked Lindisfarne, Northumberland, in about 793AD - now English Heritage has invited them back to attack once more. Over the Bank Holiday weekend, more than 70 Viking raiders will invade Holy Island again and, although there will be
THE ousted leader of the North-East's biggest council risked expulsion from the Labour Party yesterday by defying orders to support the appointment of his successor. Albert Nugent, who is suspended from the party in a row over female candidates, could
