A TEENAGER raped a woman who was four months pregnant the day after he was released from a young offenders' centre because there were not enough places, a court heard. Anthony Thompson, of Benson Road, Walker, Newcastle, who suffers from minor learning
THE grandson of anti-gun campaigner Pat Regan has tonight been charged with her murder, police said. Rakeim Regan will appear before magistrates in Leeds tomorrow charged with the 53-year-old's murder. Regan, 20, was arrested on Sunday evening after
A CONVICTED sex offender failed in his fight for damages against the police who raided his house to gather evidence. Angus Bowman, 42, is currently in Durham's Frankland Prison after he was found guilty of hoarding child pornography and indecently assaulting
A TRAIN carrying 30 passengers struck a delivery van on a level crossing earlier this evening. Police said the train driver and all the passengers were unhurt in the collision on the Newcastle to Carlisle line at around 5.30pm. The driver of the DHL
CHILDREN have helped create a mosaic to celebrate the religions of the world. The mosaic now hangs in the 'village street', the path running through the Darlington Education Village. Year seven children from the school, including some from Beaumont
COUNCILLORS have vowed that mistakes which led to a multi-million pound overspend on two major road projects will not be repeated. Darlington Borough Council ran over budget by more than £4m on the scheme to pedestrianise Darlington town centre and the
AN ANNUAL challenge encouraging people to walk, run or jog 100 miles is under way. Peases West Athletics track is the main venue for Wear Valley District's Ton Up Challenge which runs through the summer. Entrants can also choose their own routes or
ARITHMETIC, baking and bonnets were all part of a creative approach to learning at a South Durham school today. Pupils at Witton-le-Wear Primary School dressed in full Victorian costume and stepped back in time to the 1800s to discover history. The
EUGENE Laverty is looking to produce the goods at the home track of his Spanish-based team this weekend when he takes part in the 250cc GP at Barcelona. Having left Mugello on the back of his best Grand Prix finish, Laverty, based in Durham, moves to
A Bishop Auckland housewife has discovered some extremely rare albino frogspawn in her garden pond. Bernadette Adamson said by happy chance the ducks that ordinarily feed from her pond have been scared away this spring by someone using an air rifle nearby
RESIDENTS in Wear Valley will be given a say over the delivery of public services at a conference this week. The Area Partnership Conference is due to take place at Auckland Castle on Thursday to show communities how best to raise their concerns on services
CANNABIS plants with a potential street value of £20,000 were found at a County Durham property after a midday raid. Acting on intelligence from neighbours police broke into a house on Eden Street in Chilton today to find 20 plants. They have hailed
A COMMUNITY gym is being removed from a Weardale sports hall because start up costs have not been repaid. But exercise fans may not lose out because the gym could reopen elsewhere in the dale and Wolsingham School and Community College, who run the
A JUNIOR football team showed both skill and sportsmanship at a tournament held last weekend. Bishop Auckland St Mary's Under 10s narrowly lost in the final of the South Park Tournament, which took place in Darlington on Saturday. But as well as collecting
A 22-YEAR-OLD man appeared in court today charged with the theft of £20,000 worth of lead from a newly refurbished County Durham Church. Lee Anthony Everist of Fern Crescent, Seaham, was brought before Peterlee Magistrates accused of stealing 1,500kg
A WOMAN preparing for a seven-day trek across North Africa's highest mountain is holding a talent show to help raise funds for her charity appeal. Emma Taylor, from Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland, will tackle Mount Toubkal, in Morocco, in September
A WOMAN preparing for a seven-day trek across North Africa's highest mountain is holding a talent show to help raise funds for her charity appeal. Emma Taylor, from Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland, will tackle Mount Toubkal, in Morocco, in September
THE MICRA used to be Nissan's bread-and-butter car. A driving school darling thanks to its simple controls and ease of operation, in 1990 the Micra was the eleventh most popular car in the UK with just under 50,000 sales. No wonder Nissan chose its
TWO friends who were part of a gang which broke into a Teesside secondary school and stole an expensive plasma television have been jailed. A judge yesterday told the pair: "The burglary of schools is regrettably prevalent and there must be a deterrent
A 14-YEAR-old boy who robbed a shop and attacked two innocent strangers has walked free from court. The youth, who cannot be named, held up a newsagents on Hylton road, Sunderland armed with a stick, leaving the woman shopkeeper terrified. This was
PLANS to open up the town centre to market traders are to be discussed at Darlington Borough Council's planning committee tomorrow (Wednesday). Traders will be able to set up shop in any part of the Pedestrian Heart if the plans are approved. Paul Wildsmith
THE RSPCA has admitted dog fighting has become a real problem as new figures reveal a surge in calls from the public over the issue. The animal welfare charity said last year it received 358 calls specifically about fighting, more than twice as many
A MAN arrested by detectives investigating an alleged blackmail attempt will face no further action, it has been revealed. The 46-year-old man was arrested after a Middlesbrough firm of solicitors said it had been contacted by a man wanting money in
MAX Mosley is to remain in office as president of the FIA after comfortably winning a vote of confidence in his favour. Following a two-hour discussion during which frank views were exchanged regarding the 68-year-old, Mosley was understood to be delighted
BOMB plotter Omar Khyam today denied scalding a fellow inmate to get a transfer from a high-security North-East jail. The convicted terrorist scalded armed robber Malcolm Cruddas with a boiling oil and water at Frankland Prison, Durham. Khyam, who is
FLOODS could hit parts of the North-East today as heavy downpours and thunderstorms move north, weather experts said. Storms from mainland Europe brought wet weather to central southern England and the Midlands overnight, with the North-East and eastern
YOUNGSTERS from the North- East got close to farmyard animals yesterday. Pupils from three schools visited Hall Hill Farm, in Lanchester, near Durham. Children aged four to eight from Peterlee, Gateshead and Jarrow had a tour of the farm. The
A MAN accused of attacking his partner narrowly escaped being jailed yesterday, but was warned it was his final chance. Scott Maddison, 31, admitted putting a person in fear of violence stemming from incidents involving Jemma Louise Robson, the
A NURSERY in north Durham is celebrating after Government inspectors gave it a clean bill of health. Clever Clogs Nursery, in Belmont, was rated as outstanding in two areas by the assessors and good in all others. The Ofsted report praised
NORTH Durham's first full-time lung cancer nurse has been appointed to deal with the high number of patients in the area. Joanne Moses joins Jane Mc- Clelland, who has been working out of University Hospital of North Durham on a part-time basis
THE latest walking bus, designed to encourage children and parents to walk to school, has set off to Nunthorpe Primary School. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's road safety mascot Spikey helped children board the walking bus at the St Mary's
TRAFFIC police have warned they will come calling at all times of the day and night in their latest crackdown on impaired driving. In a campaign to reduce road accidents this summer, Cleveland Police are asking residents to shop neighbours
A CONVICTED sex offender has been ordered to stay off the internet to prevent him re-offending. Kenneth William Dorricott has a history of using chatrooms and social network websites to start relationships with women who have young children, Teesside
PEOPLE over 50 are invited to a meeting tomorrow to have their say about Hartlepool's health and care services. It is one of several events being held to launch the Hartlepool Local Involvement Network (Link) that will give more power to local
HARTLEPOOL MP Iain Wright swapped politics for painting when he dropped into a housing group fun day. Mr Wright visited Hartlepool Housing's Phoenix Centre and Children's Centre on the Central Estate to promote the importance of being a good
A TOWN'S residents are being urged to take the lead in combating climate change. People living in Middlesbrough are being invited to make a pledge to turn off their mobile phone chargers when not in use, turn down the thermostat by one degree
SUNDERLAND have announced a third pre-season friendly in the Republic of Ireland. Roy Keane will take his Black Cats side to face his first club, Cobh Ramblers, on Monday, July 28. Keane played for Ramblers, who gained promotion to the Eircom League
NOWADAYS, it is difficult to pick up a newspaper or to watch the news without hearing about the spiralling cost of energy and fuel. Oil prices have been rising steadily over the past five years. In April 2003, crude oil was trading below $25
THE stock market saw a sharp decline for blue-chip shares yesterday as investors reacted to the latest blow to confidence in the banking sector. Shares in Halifax Bank of Scotland closed ten per cent lower, at 360p, last night, while rival Alliance
HISTORICALLY, few people of working age lived alone, so our current position is a new phenomenon. With the advent of increased divorce rates, delayed marriages, fewer births, and growing female independence, more people are single and living on
COMPANIES are being warned they could be vulnerable to problems if they use Open Source Software (OSS) in their business. OSS is freely-available software that is generally provided without cost and without having to pay anyone royalties or fees
A VISIT to a pharmaceutical facility aimed to inspire school pupils' enthusiasm for science. Thirty students from Kenton School, in Newcastle, were given a taste of a career in chemistry after visiting leading North-East firm Specials Clinical
TODAY'S growing businesses face not knowing whether it is the right time to take advantage of a commercial mortgage. Barclays helps hundreds of businesses make property purchases every week - so what are the main steps? * Get expert advice at
A BUSINESS management software specialist has struck a buyout deal with a competitor that has been hailed as a major step in its plans for growth. Bond, based in Sunderland, specialises in technologybased finance, solutions and support services
AS part of a programme of expansion, Rook Matthews Sayer has created of a separate division specialising in the sale of North-East businesses. Based at the company's head office on Newcastle Business Park and supported by the group's 19
lONGSTANDING family firm Think Interiors and Tasker Electrical Installations, two Northallerton companies, have purchased units at Barker's Court, a new development on Standard Way Industrial Estate. The scheme was developed by Barkers (Northallerton
As the changing economic climate demands even the most mature of companies to innovate or die, Peri Langdale, in the latest in our Success 2008 features, visits a company that is transforming itself to stay ahead of the game TO borrow a desktop publishing
A £3M golf clubhouse opens today following the completion of the second phase of redevelopment at one of the region's hotels. The clubhouse at the George Washington Golf and Country Club, in Washington, Wearside, includes locker and changing
A NORTH YORKSHIRE academy has won a contract to train car sales executives across the UK. Almost 400 staff working for Vertu Motors plc will be trained in sales techniques by kream automotive training. Vertu Motors, which has its head office
JOHN HALE, the managing director of the Bottled Water Direct Company, in Spennymoor, County Durham, has been awarded a fellowship by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in recognition of his career in marketing.
THE success of North-East firms on the international stage is to be celebrated this month. A Celebration of International Business, organised as part of International Business Month, will be held at Seaham Hall, Durham, on June 12, from 4pm to
A SKILLS shortage means that almost 2,000 jobs in the North- East oil and gas industry remain unfilled. Research by NOF Energy has revealed that the region's energy market has about 1,730 vacancies. Many of the jobs command salaries of £30,000
Yesterday's announcement that mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley had agreed to sell a 23 per cent stake to private equity to bolster its finances was taken by many as a sign that the credit crunch is getting worse. But Chris Rigg, director of corporate
EVERSHEDS held an event for 22 of its trainees to carry out work at a North-East charity. The trainee day at the Percy Hedley Day Centre in Forest Hall, Newcastle, brought the trainee lawyers together with charity workers to carry out voluntary
A UNIVERSITY business competition which has helped launch more than 130 ventures, creating in excess of 240 jobs, has entered its fifth year. The Blueprint Awards were launched in 2004 to bring together all five North-East universities to develop
LAW firm Jacksons is holding an event to raise awareness of changes in employment law. The Teesside firm's Essential Employment Law Forum is being held on Thursday, June 19, at Wynyard Park, and aims to ensure that organisations are kept up-to-date
THE in-house planning and design team at Blackett Hart and Pratt (BHP) is continuing to expand with the appointment of another key figure. BHP Develop has recruited planning consultant Katie Wood to its Newcastle-based operation, after more than
LAW firm Mincoffs has completed a busy year of instructions for building services group Northern Bear, helping it achieve a year of record acquisitions and turnover. Northern Bear has recently announced an annual turnover of £32.2m and a pretax
MANY businesses start life as partnerships between two or three people. No legal formalities are needed, although any lawyer would advise that the partners sign up to an agreement detailing how the partnership is to run, to avoid default assumptions
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to work with businesses and other organisations to rid the countryside of damaging alien species. Natural England, the Government's wildlife division, says it will liaise with businesses, trade organisations and public
FOR the first time the number of bats and wintering waterbird numbers will be used to measure the health of the UK's wildlife in the face of increasing development. The Government has announced that the health of these populations shows the
A NORTH-EAST developer linked up with children from a primary school as part of its efforts to encourage their respect for the countryside. A woodland walk was staged by Wynyard Park Limited for children from Wolviston Primary School, near Billingham
TREES covering an area half the size of a football ground could be saved each year if a telecoms company's customers switch to paperless billing. Unicom, which has a regional headquarters in Newcastle, is seeking to convert its business customers
A BUILDING maintenance company says demand for its services has increased because of climate change. Stone Technical Services, of Darlington, has seen a 35 per cent rise over the past 18 months because of damage caused by high winds, storms and
A NEW grants schemes will help companies seeking to install renewable energy systems. The Bio-Energy Capital Grants Scheme, run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), will allocate £4m to businesses wanting to instal
OVER the past couple of months we have received emails from The Northern Echo readers in response to our fortnightly environment column. I thought I would take this opportunity to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. Why do I have
A TEENAGE boy was being questioned following one of two stabbings being investigated by police in the North-East today. In the first incident police were alerted to a 19-year-old man who was being treated at Sunderland Royal Hospital for an abdominal
A MANUFACTURER is helping to improve its staff's maths and English skills as a means to boost the company's productivity. Geka Manufacturing, of Tanfield Lea, County Durham, employs 145 people to produce application systems and plastics packaging
A £10M car retail park is planning to expand after its trading success in its first few months of operation. Vroom, based at Silverlink, near Wallsend, North Tyneside, is made up of eight independent motor dealers. Since it opened in January,
A FINANCIAL executive from Newcastle is sailing around the world to take up a job in Australia. Jonny Harrison, an assurance manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is embarking on a 16-month trip in his own yacht, as part of a secondment
A GOURMET food company is aiming to double its turnover and workforce through its plans to expand into supplying the travel sector. The Tanfield Food Company, based in Consett, County Durham, hopes to achieve £4m turnover by the end of this
THE recent warm weather has filled the region with high expectations of a great summer. As the sun emerges from behind the clouds, people start to decide where to go for days out, how to occupy children during the summer break and which holiday
UP to 180 workers could take part in industrial action at a thriving manufacturing plant in protest over not being given an annual pay increase, The Northern Echo has learned. Brake pad maker TMD Friction UK, in Hartlepool, has told employees
I liked this film because it had a good range of things to satisfy anybody willing to watch a film, this is mainly is a children's film but has some funny jokes which can satisfy an adult watcher. The main characters are Jared who is a troubled young
NISSAN'S five millionth car to be produced at its North-East plant will roll off the production line today. The milestone coincides with a visit by the company's president, Carlos Ghosn, to the plant in Washington, Wearside. The plant, which is
On the one hand, any film based on a series of five books with a plot that can be understood by someone who has never read them has to be a triumph. On the other, any work of fantasy where goblins can be destroyed by throwing tomato ketchup at them has
AN exclusive club boasting £1m-worth of the world's top motoring marques, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bentley and Porsche, unveiled its new home yesterday. Vitesse Supercar Club has established a base at Hamsterley Hall, in County
Fairy Tale Romance meets Spoof meets New York City A film of many parts with comedy, heroism and love being shown in a heart warming way for kids of all sizes and ages. This review is by 3 men and we are effusive with praise. "Get your girlfriend
IMPROVEMENTS to Middlesbrough's transport infrastructure have been given the go-ahead thanks to £12m of Government funding, Transport Minister Rosie Winterton announced today. The North Middlesbrough Accessibility scheme comprises a number of improvements
NISSAN is to build a new compact car at its Sunderland factory from 2010, it confirmed today. The Japanese car giant announced the £55m investment, £6.2m of which is coming from the British government, as Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited its European
SHEARER'S GOODBYE Were you there when Shearer said goodbye? His leaving brought a tear to the eye. Were you there when fans roared his name? And put him in the hall of fame. Were you there when he scored his final goal? At the place he's come
Yves Saint Laurent, who died on Sunday aged 71, has departed this mortal world but his fashion legacy will be lasting, says Julia Breen HE was fashion's Elvis Presley, the "king of haute couture". And every woman, even those who can't afford the
As World Environment Day reminds us all how important it is to look after our planet, Kate Stanley takes an eco-smart approach to the household chores. CLEANING is not the most glamorous of tasks, but unless you have a paid cleaner or your name's
THE Northern Sinfonia closed off its subscription series with a concert of early works from three of Russia's greats. The evening, under baton of Thomas Zehetmair, opened with Prokofiev's Symphony No 1. Laced with irony and wit, the piece combines
ALAN Ayckbourn remains a man ahead of his time. Cult TV series like Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Afterlife and Pushing Daisies all follow the current fictional fascination with the spirit world and whether we can speak to the dead. Ayckbourns look
Emmerdale (ITV1, 7pm); The Supersizers Go Victorian (BBC2, 9pm) THE bride wore white - and a bag over her head. That's after she's been kidnapped, held to ransom and colluded with her abductors to fleece her husband- to-be out of cash. Soap weddings
Forced to abandon the original eating owt plans due to a power cut, the column was diverted to the Beefeater pub at Morton Park THIS town's becoming National Gridlocked. The lights go out so often over Darlington, and even more often back home, it's
I WOULD hope lorry driver Les Petch, who saved a young lad by subduing a dog that was mauling the ten-year-old in Darlington (Echo, May 22), receives an official bravery award. Surely it's about time the owning of some breeds of dogs was reviewed
I WATCHED the recent Coronation Street storyline about the hoodies and am appalled at the levity shown by characters Rita and Emily towards Norris after his confrontation with the youths. There seems to be a lack of seriousness towards crime storylines
IF our inept Government's only response to overcrowding in prisons is to release prisoners perhaps they could consider another alternative - particularly if capital is not available to provide new buildings. Why not put the problem out to tender
ON last Thursday's Question Time on BBC1, Chief Whip Geoff Hoon represented the Government. When asked about where our taxes were spent he went into a well rehearsed speech I have heard often on TV and in debates in Parliament by various members
AN established military historian working in the North-East with some 20 titles in print or preparation, I am presently embarking on a new account of the Battle of El Alamein in 1942 and would be very pleased to hear from anyone who is either a
COMING down the hill towards Crook recently, I passed a disabled woman walking her dogs. They were three little West Highlands and they were clearly enjoying themselves. They were off the lead, but they were obviously very well-behaved, affectionate
A RECENT letter (HAS, May 28) mentioned Royal Mail boss Adam Crozier and his ludicrously expensive wage and pension package. Is this the same man who used to run the Football Association? There is no obvious link between these jobs. What qualifies
FIRSTLY, congratulations for exposing the amount of money spent by Northumbria Police's PR spin machine (Echo, May 27). However, the figure of £627,000 a year you quoted for the cost of the force's press office is out of date. According to a recent
THE journey of the European Union steamroller continues. Having crushed any democratic opposition, the EU constitution/treaty has been ratified by most countries without one of them daring to ask their citizens' approval. Now it rolls on to Ireland
I AM weary of the environment and green lobbies blaming Mr and Mrs Average for all the ills of climate change, while the Government and local authorities bully and tax us all for our crimes of causing melting icefields, storms, flooding, and even
IT'S the wedding season here in the City of London and I seem to be solemnising nuptials nearly every Saturday - which leaves me without much chance of getting to the cricket at Lord's. The character of weddings, like so much else, has changed
Disgraced MP Derek Conway brought the issue of politicians employing relatives into the spotlight. But what do those relatives do? Owen Amos spends the day in London with Margaret Brown - partner and parliamentary assistant to Phil Wilson, Sedgefield
THERE is little doubt that the ban on smoking in public places has been a success, at least in terms of improving people's health. The percentage of smokers has dropped by a couple of points. The small group of diehards (but sooner than everyone
TOP SEED Maria Sharapova was a shock casualty on the ninth day of the French Open after crashing out in the last 16 against fellow Russian Dinara Safina. Sharapova, playing in her first tournament since her elevation to world number one following
ROGER FEDERER was made to battle every inch of the way as he posted an impressive victory over home favourite Julien Benneteau at the French Open yesterday. The world number one triumphed in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals, but the statistics
CAR giant Nissan announced today it will build a new model at its North-East plant, securing thousands of jobs. In the last financial year the firm's Sunderland factory built a record 374,000 cars and is the UK's biggest car exporter, selling 80 per
REGIONAL racing fans have a rare chance to complete a doubleheader by attending Riponfs Flat fixture, then nipping up the A1 to Sedgefield for some jumpsf action. The first-named venue has been a happy hunting ground for Cherri Fosfate (3.00) so
BACK from holiday at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Ian Wilkinson in Darlington recounts a chance encounter pot luck, it might be said, with Dave Pearson, the world pool trick shot champ. He'd actually gone to see a band called Hootie and the
DURHAM coach Geoff Cook yesterday sang the praises of Callum Thorp, whose contribution to the win at Hove on Sunday was overshadowed by Steve Harmisonfs hat-trick. Making his first championship appearance for a year, it was Thorp who made the
BARNARD Castle golfer Robert Dinwiddie capped a memorable month yesterday when he qualified to compete in his first major. Dinwiddie will contest the US Open at Torrey Pines in California next week after claiming one of the seven qualifying spots
DARLINGTON Mowden Park have signed former Barbarians and Harrogate lock Peter Taylor as their head coach. gHe comes very highly recommended and wefre delighted to have him,h said chairman John Widdall. gPromotion to National Two is still our
REAL MADRID president Ramon Calderon has refused a request from Manchester United to rule out ever making a move for Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Calderon has conceded he is unlikely to sign the 23- year-old this summer. In an
GARETH Southgate could renew his interest in Zoltan Gera as the West Bromich Albion winger continues to stall over a new contract at the Hawthorns. Despite the Baggies' return to the Premier League, the Hungary international has yet to sign
MARK Hughes seems certain to cross the great Manchester divide to become City's next boss. Although it is 13 years since Hughes wore the famous red shirt for the 467th and final time, his name is still instantly synonymous with Old Trafford,
ALAN White is determined to put his play-off heartache behind him and believes Darlington will be better equipped for a renewed promotion assault next season. But the Darlington-born defender admits it may be some time before the semi-final
DAVID BECKHAM has set his sights on playing at the 2010 World Cup but believes his chances of skippering England again are slim. Beckham took the armband against Trinidad and Tobago at the weekend in a move the LA Galaxy midfielder denies was
STAFF at a children's petting farm are celebrating some new arrivals this week. Margaret, a six-year-old saddleback pig, gave birth to 13 piglets on Sunday during a 12-hour labour at Monk Park Farm, Bagby, North Yorkshire. Fellow resident Wilma
THE General Medical Council's Fitness to Practice panel will hear allegations of deficient professional performance against a leading North-East surgeon who has been accused of lacking basic surgical skills. Shankar Kashyap, the orthopaedic surgeon
TWO talented actresses have seen off competition from thousands of youngsters to secure places at the National Youth Theatre, in London. Leanne Golightly, 20, and Kayleigh Adams, 16, both successfully auditioned to develop their drama skills.
A TEAM of runners has returned to a heroes' welcome after conquering the world's highest altitude marathon to raise cash for charity. The Bearpark and Esh Colliery Band struck up a tune on the platform of Durham Station as the North East Cystic
SCULPTOR Sam McGeever has reinvented pop art - by building an Angel of the North from Coke cans. It took 10,000 recycled cans to build the angel in the shadow of its big brother. The Coke angel - three-and-a half metres high and with a wingspan
A JUDGE has told a child killer seeking to reduce his 24-year minimum jail term that he would increase it if he had the power. Colin Bainbridge, now 43, from Murton, County Durham, raped and murdered nine-year-old Laura Kane, of Penshaw, near Sunderland
CLAIRE KELLY did not let a hip injury prevent her going the distance for a hospice. The 40-year-old director of nursing and care services at Hartlepool and District Hospice completed the Edinburgh Marathon in pain, raising £1,000 for the centre
SPECULATION that an independent councillor had joined the Labour Party only weeks after she was elected to the County Durham unitary authority ended yesterday. Enid Paylor confirmed that she was now a member of the Labour group having recently
A NORTH-EAST man has landed his dream job working as a graphic designer for Formula One (F1). University of Teesside graduate Michael Pollard, of Thornaby, near Stockton, has one of the most famous bosses in F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone. The 22-year-old's
POLICE are trying to trace a mental health patient who has not been seen since he left a North-East nursing home last Tuesday evening. They are concerned about 45- year-old Graham Henderson's health because he suffers from a number of medical
THE chairman of the inquiry into the asbestos scandal at a council has defended the decision not to name the people behind the incident. Staff at a County Durham sports centre were left to work unprotected with the toxic materials for five years
GROUND STARTLING evidence has been unearthed that has shed light on the glory days of one of the region's great monastic ruins. Byland Abbey, near Coxwold, in North Yorkshire, was once one of the largest Cistercian monasteries in England. During
ALAN MILBURN has launched his fiercest attack on Gordon Brown's leadership - warning that "self-inflicted wounds" have handed the Tories a sky-high poll lead. The Darlington MP and former Cabinet minister broke his silence on Labour's woes by
Fabio Capello is confident England will be firing on all cylinders when they play Croatia in a crucial World Cup qualifier in Zagreb in early September. The England head coach has been happy with the progress made in the four friendly internationals since
A DESPERATELY-ILL father of three is trying to raise £20,000 to buy a new cancer drug which could prolong his life.Colin Glease, 45, from Dipton, near Stanley, County Durham, has been fighting advanced cancer of the pancreas since he was diagnosed last
STEVE Harmison yesterday helped Durham to a seven-wicket win at Hove with a sensational hat-trick then revealed he had been bowling in pain and will continue to do so. He plans to have a scan today on his left foot, which he hurt on the first day of the
A YOUNG North-East woman was found naked and covered in blood in a holiday resort after she suffered multiple stab wounds.The 21-year-old, from Wearside, was found at about 5.35am on Friday slumped in a stairwell in the Majorcan resort of Magaluf.According
A YOUTH who walked along the top of viaduct railings hundreds of feet above a gorge and then posted a film of the escapade on internet video website YouTube has been condemned. In the video, the youth can be seen balancing on top of the chest-high railings
A TERRORIST scalded a fellow inmate with boiling oil and water in what was the third in a series of attacks at a high-security jail in the North-East.Omar Khyam yesterday admitted wounding armed robber Malcolm Cruddas with intent to cause
ONE of the region's councils was condemned last night for advising homeless people to read a "squatters' handbook" - with tips on how break into and occupy empty homes.The £2 guide - which advises that "private houses may provide years of housing to lucky
Yorkshire bowler Matthew Hoggard is in line to return from a broken right thumb for tomorrow's Friends Provident Trophy quarter final against Gloucestershire at Bristol.The 31-year-old England Test bowler has been out of action for three weeks after being
A NORTH-EAST knives campaigner spoke of her anguish last night after her best friend was stabbed to death - five years to the week after her own son was murdered.Theresa Cave was preparing to mark the tragic anniversary of her 17-year-old son's death
TRIBUTES have been paid to two servicemen with links to the region, who were killed when an Army helicopter crashed last week.Lieutenant Mark Reynolds and Warrant Officer Class 2 Vince Hussell died when their HT1 Squirrel helicopter came
REDCAR modern pentathlete Katy Livingston is all but assured of a place in this summer's Olympic Games after claiming a bronze medal in this weekend's World Championships in Hungary. Livingston, who is one of two British women to have achieved the qualifying
NEWCASTLE officials are confident of resolving Michael Owen's future before the end of the month, with a second round of contract discussions scheduled for next week.And after skippering the Magpies to four victories in the last eight matches of last
A THUG who attacked a stranger he befriended in a bar was yesterday jailed for seven years.Lee Weston slashed Craig Carter with a broken bottle after going back to his house in Darlington.Weston then tried to persuade witnesses to change their statements
PREHISTORIC men fought and scrapped over women even more violently than Friday night drinkers on the Bigg Market, North-East researchers have found.To see many of the region's town centres, you might think man-on-man brawling over women was at an all-time
SUNDERLAND boss Roy Keane will be nervously awaiting news from Trinidad & Tobago this morning as Kenwyne Jones receives the results of a scan on the ligament injury he sustained in Sunday's friendly with England.However, while Jones' injury is likely
