Turner Prize winning ceramacist Grayson Perry spent the weekend with a collective of Bishop Auckland artist. Grayson Perry won the Turner Prize in 2003 with his collection of pots. In Durham to launch the opening of his curated collection 'Unpopular
THE North-East requires another substantial cut in interest rates, according to The Northern Echo's Shadow Monetary Policy Committee which met in Durham yesterday. But opinion fluctuated widely. One member felt that with prices falling, the
FIRECREWS cut free a female driver after a four-vehicle accident near to Darlington. The crash happened on the A167 between Croft and Dalton on Tees, in North Yorkshire, at 4.20pm today. The trapped driver suffered leg and hip injuries and
GARAGES have been praised following a forecourt survey carried out by Stockton Council’s Trading Standards inspectors. A trained forecourt inspector visited ten garages where vehicles were for sale, examining a total of 20 cars. Just three informal
POLICE are appealing for information after expensive diagnostic equipment was stolen during a break in at a Middlesbrough garage. Thieves struck shortly after 2am on November 30 at Autotune Vehicle Services garage, on Lamport Street, in Middlesbrough
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a 26-year-old man received a serious stab wound to his abdomen. The incident took place at around 2.45am on Monday in Ronaldshay Terrace in Marske, near Redcar. A 16-year-old youth was arrested
BUS and coach companies are being invited to discuss plans for park and ride schemes to cater for visitors to the Tall Ships’ Races 2010 finale in Hartlepool. A consultation session is to take place on December 8 from 3.30pm to 5pm at the Innovation
MULTI-MILLION pound plans to improve bus services across the Tees Valley will come under the spotlight at a meeting tomorrow. Representatives of the area’s local authorities, as well as major bus operators and the Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit will
PARTY-GOERS took a step back in time recently to raise funds for a hospice charity. More than a hundred revellers attended the 40s Nostalgia night in Dalton Village Hall, near Thirsk, which had a Second World War theme. Live music was provided by the
THE Bishop of Durham launched Christmas celebrations in his home town last night by lighting up a tree at the gates to his official residence. The Right Rev Tom Wright performed the simple ceremony at Bishop Auckland Town Council’s tree outside
A COUPLE celebrated their blue sapphire wedding anniversary with afternoon tea and a card from the Queen. Emily and George Simpson from Brompton, near Northallerton, celebrated the 65 year milestone on Monday. They met in Woolworths
THE North-East rugby community came together today to pay tribute to the inspirational Ali Johnson, who died on Monday following a stroke. Johnson, a farmer from Coanwood, near Haltwhistle, was paralysed when he broke his neck while representing Tynedale
DURHAM County Cricket Club has sold a record-breaking 6,000 tickets in just one day after they went on general sale yesterday for England’s NatWest Series One-Day International against Australia at Riverside in September. In total, 11,000 tickets have
A MOTORIST escaped serious injury when his car skidded off the road and ended up on its roof as freezing weather hit the region. The accident took place on the A168 in North Yorkshire, early yesterday morning as ice and snow gripped the roads
A COLLEGE will be helping students shape up for careers in the fitness industry after adding a personal trainer course. As well as the Personal Trainer Level 3 course, Darlington College is offering the Fitness Instructor Certificate Level 2. The
FAMOUS faces have joined together to support a charity appeal to help provide disabled children in the region with mobility equipment. Georgia Slowe who plays Perdita Hyde-Sinclair in Emmerdale and Ewen MacIntosh who played Keith in The Office
PUPILS from a Darlington school created a nativity with a difference after working with a professional drama company. Students from Eastbourne Church of England Academy came up with an original play exploring the epic journey of the three wise men
BUDDING dancers are celebrating after spinning their way to success in practical exams. Pupils from the Joanne Lowe School of Dance, in Darlington, have taken exams from the International Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA) in Freestyle and Latin. The
CHILDREN in Darlington are providing much-needed comfort for stray dogs this winter. Pupils are collecting old blankets and towels which can be recycled as bedding for four-legged friends who have been picked up by Darlington Borough Council dog wardens
AN aspiring sports star has landed a prestigious scholarship from a leading sports institution. Rochelle Petty, 19, was awarded a Carnegie Sports Scholarship by Leeds Metropolitan University at a special ceremony at its Headingley Carnegie
A SWISS man appeared in court today charged with the attempted murder of a 20-year-old woman in a York flat. Steven Maillard, 26, was accused of attempting to murder Lucy Catherine Utley by repeatedly stabbing her with a Samurai sword at a
POLICE are searching for an office worker who was reported missing on Monday. June Peet, 36, who shares a house with three others in Darlington, was last seen by her housemates on Wednesday, Novemebr 26. Her family, who live in Cumbria
A SCHOOL is taking a fresh look at the traditional Nativity story. Youngsters from The Chorister School, in Durham, are performing a play titled Mary’s Knitting. The production begins with Mary knitting a blanket, while excitedly awaiting the birth
PUPILS donned their wellies and braved icy winds to plant permanent reminders of their school’s centenary year. St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Coundon marked the end of its 100th year by planting 100 deciduous trees, with each pupil planting one into
YOUNGSTERS from neighbouring schools have competed in a chess tournament. Belmont School, in Durham, hosted the inaugural Inter School Chess Tournament for nearby primary schools last month. The winner was Nathan Baker, a year six pupil at Cheveley
A FORMER student who founded a record label returned to her old college to share her knowledge of the music business. Kitty Hedley studied at New College Durham between 2000 and 2004, before going on to manage bands Spokes and Petals on a Wet Black Bough
SHOPPERS in Sedgefield village have a chance to stock up on festive gifts this weekend. Sedgefield Parish Hall, on Front Street, will hold a craft and gift fair on Sunday (dec 7), 10am to 4pm. Free admission and free parking, light refreshments will
Arran Lee-Barrett, the Hartlepool United goalkeeper, has been suspended for three games by the Football Associaion. Match referee Clive Oliver missed Lee-Barrett swinging an elbow in the direction of Fleetwood Town's Lee Hunt during Saturday's FA Cup
PEOPLE are invited to a talk about the new unitary authority for County Durham. Durham County Council’s deputy leader Clive Robson will be the guest speaker at a senior citizens forum meeting at Neville Community Centre, Neville Parade, Newton
STUDENTS are being encouraged to become entrepreneurs as part of their studies. Year 10 pupils from Thirsk School and Sixth Form College have been challenged to set up a business as part of their enterprise education studies. They were split into teams
TWO hundred jobs are to at the GlaxoSmithKline factory in Barnard Castle, it was announced today. Employees at the site were briefed on proposals that would reduce the number of staff over the next 12 to 18 months, as part of a programme to
A VILLAGE band will get residents in the mood for Christmas with two concerts to thank them for their support during 2008. Fishburn Band will play Christmas carols for singing on the village green on Wednesday December 10, from 6.30pm. On Friday December
SCHOOLGIRLS are stepping back in time to the glory days of the music hall. Taking their lead from the popular TV show of old, they are putting on their own Good Old Days extravaganza. The girls at Queen Mary’s School at Baldersby Park
A NEW partnership between Durham County Council and a national charity is to help keep young people safe from bullying. The county council’s Anti-Bullying Service (ABS) is teaming up with Kidscape for the first time to bring assertiveness training to
THE mother of a two-year-old boy alleged to have been murdered by his babysitter gave evidence in court today. Clare Fisher tearfully denied suggestions by defence barrister Andrew Thomas, QC, during dramatic courtroom exchanges in which she
THIEVES who smashed their way into a workshop to steal sculptures worth thousands of pounds are being hunted by police. The raiders broke into the premises in Lastingham, on the North York Moors, sometime between 4pm on Sunday and 7am the following morning
COUNCIL house managers have joined forces with an action group to draw up an action plan for improving a Crook estate. Dale and Valley Homes and the Watergate Action Group, in Crook, are creating a local compact which is a document drawn up by, residents
I drove over to the Butterwick Children's Hospice at Stockton this morning to launch the fourth book in the Dad At Large series. Going into the hospice always puts things in perspective for me. It really is such a special place, where so much
A VILLAGE hall that was given a £27,500 lottery grant to mark its centenary is starting its celebrations next week. Cowshill Village Hall will use the cash to create a touring exhibition and book on the social history of the Upper Weardale area. The
FINE food, good company and the authentic sounds of yesteryear will all be on the menu at an east Durham charity dinner. Easington District Council’s last ever civic dinner dance is to be staged at Shotton Hall banqueting suite in Peterlee on Friday
THE so-called Darlington sex cult created headlines around the world when it was discovered in May 2006. Sinister-looking Lee Thompson was investigated by police after complaints that he led a female slave around the market town centre on a lead. His
. AN AXED east Durham bus service is to be restored following complaints and a petition from passengers. Arriva scrapped its Horden to Sunderland service in widespread changes to its commercially operated, unsubsidised operations during a shake-up
YULETIDE opening hours for Hambleton's four leisure centres have been announced. The four centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. They will also shut early on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve - Bedale closes at 2pm, Northallerton
A blanket of snow swept across the North-East this morning, causing misery for motorists. Drivers faced difficult conditions after snow fell overnight and yesterday’s rain turned to ice as temperatures dropped to as low as minus 4C in places. In Scotland
Wednesday's National Hunt meeting at Catterick is under threat because of the wintry conditions. Heavy frost last night and forcecast of more to come has forced a precautionary inspection for 7.45am. Clerk of the course Fiona Needham said: "It got to
. A HOST of Santas will be mingling with the crowds in Durham City on Sunday in a bid to raise cash for the Mayor’s charity. The Santa Stroll has been organised by the She’s Gott It events company and all proceeds will go to The County Durham Society
ON TV’s Coronation Street she’s a bad girl with a chequered past - but that doesn’t seem to matter for the men of North Yorkshire. For Becky Grainger, as played by actress Katherine Kelly, is their perfect woman, according to a new survey. Lesley Brewer
A YOUTH charity is appealing for help to provide warmth and food for youngsters over the Christmas period. Thirsk Clock is looking for help to aid vulnerable youngsters over the festive period. Last year staff at the Market Place based youth shelter
A SELF-styled sex master who walked girlfriends around on a dog lead was jailed for three years today for forcing a lover to sleep with other men. Tattooed Lee Thompson, 34, hit the headlines two years ago when his sex cult was unearthed by
A CORRUPT policeman who became the eyes and ears of a wanted gangland killer was today facing jail. Detective Constable John Jones was offered cocaine and prostitutes to help career criminal Allan Foster stay one step ahead of the law. Former plumber
We want your views and reviews on all the Christmas blockbuster video game release's. If your aged between 11 and 25 years and you asked Santa this year for video games on the PS3, 360, Wii, PSP, DS or PC then we want you to review the games
Final proof that the world's gone mad... It's still three weeks to Christmas and we've just had our first press release plugging Valentine's Day. That's right - Valentine's Day. If memory serves me right, Valentine's Day isn't until February but some
Sometimes, you just have to hold your hands up and acknowledge that you've been beaten by the better man. This morning's Headline Game on TFM radio was the usual battle of wits between myself and Graham Mack "The Knife". The story was about a fella
A PENSIONER is offering a substantial reward in a bid to track down thieves who have stolen £50,000 worth of jewellery, coins and cash from her home. Mrs Carol Shead, 62 and her partner Ernie Yeoman, 74, spoke out yesterday (FRIDAY) about the devastating
A RETIRED fitter diagnosed with fatal asbestos-related disease mesothelioma has been awarded a six-figure compensation settlement from his former employers. Maurice Gardner, 75, was employed at the BRB Residuary Ltd workshops on North Road, Darlington
Millions of children want it, but very few get it: a professional football contract. But what do modern football apprentices go through? Owen Amos visits Hartlepool United’s training ground to find out. AT Hartlepool United’s training
A MOTORCYCLIST was playing a game of Russian roulette when he overtook a car on the brow of a hill, an inquest heard. Coroner Geoff Fell was speaking at the inquest into the death of Lawrence Armstrong, 55, of Newton Hall, Durham. He died after his
THIEVES stole two trailers and office furniture worth around £40,000 in a raid on a North Yorkshire business. The crooks struck at RK Furniture, at The Airfield in Tholthorpe, near Easingwold, near Thirsk. They stole two 40foot trailers from the business
ONE of the most informative and well designed guides to the history and art of taking photographs. It is education, enlightenment and enjoyment in one volume, stunningly illustrated and covering every aspect of photography from A to Z. You can
STREETS OF MY VILLAGE Hunter Victoria, Ford and Raby Where in the latter I lived as a baby. Tennyson, Byron, Burns and Keats, Going to Boycott’s shop to buy sweets. Eden, Dale, Oswald and Denebridge Row, Sledging down the back lane in frozen
THE busiest time of the year: there never seem to be enough hours in the day and yet you still dream of completing your latest family album. Worry not, for Walsh shows you how to stop in a flash, design at the dash and produce something quite flash
EVERYTHING you need to know about the cookie. This collection of over 100 cookies is not just intended to sweeten the palate, but it also appeals to a cook’s artistic side with cookie creations to give as presents or to decorate the Christmas tree
THIS seventh in the garden basics series is a winner in more ways than one. Not only does it show you how to raise fruit, herbs and vegetables, and save yourself a packet in the process, but it also allows you to enjoy some healthy and stress-free
THE letters that Captain John Lindley wrote home from the trenches of Gallipoli and hospital in Mesopotamia were discovered in a drawer a few years ago and have been compiled into book form by his son, who lives in Guisborough. They are remarkably
A 656-page novel by a Darlington author which so neatly captures the feel and spirit of life and schooldays 50 years ago that it becomes social history. There’s the mad chemistry teacher Bunsen Prosser “enthusiastically incinerating something or
TOM Hutchinson has published several books on the Wear Valley and this one rights a wrong. Batts Bank – his birthplace – is often overlooked because it was such a humble community of miners and labourers, particularly in comparison to the wealth
KEVIN Keegan’s grandfather was a hero in the West Stanley disaster of 1909 – 100 years ago in February – which devastated a community. In all, 168 died. On one day alone, 135 funerals were held and 200,000 people lined the streets. “
THE grandly named 607 (Count of Durham) (Bomber) Squadron was part of the Auxiliary Air Force and was formed in 1930 at North Hylton near Sunderland. The auxiliaries were just that: they were additional to the RAF and the men were part-time
PONIES are the forgotten miners, yet in 1913 there were 70,000 horses working underground in the UK. They were the workers who never went on strike. This is a collection of memories and stories about the ponies, featuring a large number of extraordinary
WITH more than 11,500 fans inside the Metro Radio Arena to witness Cliff Richard, there was he still has a huge following – and on the evidence of this, he deserves it. Sir Cliff is celebrating a remarkable 50 years in the music industry and
THIS is very much a study in progress. Until very recently, it was believed that the slave trade was focused on ports like Liverpool and Bristol which faced the Americas and Africa. But John Charlton has started to discover how the extremely lucrative
DESPITE regular slots on television panel shows and a lengthy career on the stand-up circuit, Rich Hall is somewhat underrated as a comedy force. Genius is a strong word, but there were certainly elements of a strong cerebral ability on show
The Queen’s Coronation: Behind Closed Doors (C4, 9pm); Man Hunters: Sex Trips For Girls (C4, 10pm) THE mother-in-law was a popular butt of jokes by comedians before political correctness took hold. I bet Prince Philip didn’t laugh very much
Sunday lunch at Gisborough Hall is advertised as traditional. The column goes along to find out if it does what it says on the label. MAYBE it was the dead cactus in the corner of the register office, or that the office itself was housed in the sort
The stallholders at Northallerton market have a nice line in patter, says Sharon Griffiths, even though they’ve been up half the night. IT’S THE way shopping should be – busy, cheerful, friendly, with plenty of choice and cheap and easy too. The
I AM fed up of hearing politicians going on about helping the worse off. All of my working life I paid my taxes, so why are we pensioners paying tax on our pensions? They give with one hand and take back with the other. It’s time they stopped
WHY did the Chancellor choose to follow a failed policy rather than a successful one? A reduction in the equivalent rate of VAT was made in Canada recently with no discernable impact on the economy. Reducing VAT will not increase spending and
THE first time I wrote to The Northern Echo expressing my opposition to the BNP was during the run-up to the 1992 General Election when the BNP fielded a candidate in Darlington. Following publication of my letter, I received several viciously
I AM happy to reassure parents and local authorities that it is absolute nonsense that our secondary schools programme “may be ripped up in a savage spending squeeze” (Echo, Nov 27). Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is building momentum
SINCE 1997 we have experienced the greatest invasions of personal liberties since this country became a parliamentary state. Pundits affectionately call it the “Nanny state”. Free speech has been curtailed within an exclusion zone around Parliament
I DO hope the England cricket team will return to India and play the two Test matches booked before Christmas. I know it’s easy for me to say this, as I sit here in the safety of my own home, but I believe the players should be courageous and honour
Millions of children want it, but very few get it: a professional football contract. But what do modern football apprentices go through? Owen Amos visits Hartlepool United’s training ground to find out. AT Hartlepool United’s training
IT is always sad when a company goes into administration, particularly a company with such a long history as Sandersons. The 150-year-old Darlington-based estate agent has been forced to place its sales operation into administration in the face
RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary yesterday revealed plans for a fresh takeover bid for Irish flag-carrier Aer Lingus. His proposed offer values the former state-owned airline at 747.5m euros (£618m) – about half the sum proposed by Ryanair in a failed
THE credit crunch has focused many minds on the availability and cost of finance, according to Simon Harland, investment associate director at DTZ. “Fortunately, some businesses have valuable property assets, the value of which, if released, could
CONSTRUCTION consultancy Knowles has doubled the size of its Teesside office to accommodate the company’s rapidly growing operation. Having outgrown its current office space at Preston Farm Business Park in Stockton, Knowles is to lease another
TWENTY-THREE shopping days to Christmas. If you enjoy shopping that is 23 days of thrills and excitement. For some of us, the realistic figure is three weeks until one needs to go shopping. That’s how the stores are interpreting matters, as
IF you always wanted to retire to a former lock-keeper’s cottage on one of Britain’s peaceful canals, the chances of achieving that dream rose considerably after the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report (PBR) this week. In a nation shocked by the Government
ONE of the region’s biggest industrial property sales this year has seen the sale of a 302,027 sq ft warehouse unit at Wynyard Park in Teesside. A leading global technology services provider has purchased the newly developed unit from BA Pension
AN award-winning film-maker who made his name working on the Harry Potter movies has set up a corporate video company in the North- East. Chris Bogle launched Newcastlebased Veejo in June to help companies in the UK to market themselves and engage
A BUSINESS and IT consultant has completed the development of a software system that uses GPS and mapping technology to track the whereabouts and status of a company’s fleet of lorries. The cargo section of each of Reed Boardall’s refrigerated
PARTIES have helped celebrate the merger of two of the region’s leading law firms. Mincoff Jacksons, which was created on October 1 through the merging of Mincoffs, of Tyneside, and Teesside firm Jacksons, held events at the Middlesbrough Institute
LEADING law firm Ward Hadaway has worked on a series of deals involving small and medium-sized businesses. Recent deals have seen the firm, which has offices in Newcastle and Leeds, provide legal advice to a video production company, a petrol
LAW firm Dickinson Dees has helped broker the agreement to finance and build the new Tyne Tunnel. The agreement, which was signed at the end of last year, has enabled the £260m transport project to begin. Construction work began in October. The
ASBESTOS-RELATED diseases (mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer) are believed to kill at least 3,000 people a year. This figure is expected to rise to 10,000 by 2011. The people who will die because of exposure to asbestos have already inhaled
IN the latest in our series looking at the “Top traits of successful exporters” – vision, commitment, focus, research, planning, training, relationship building, quality, adaptation and energy – we now come to energy. In August, the eyes of
Born out of the legacy of the ironmaking industry, engineering firm Darchem has grown into a multi-award-winning company with blue chip customers and a £56m turnover. As part of this month’s Success 2008 series in conjunction with the North-East Chamber
LAW firm BHP Law has marked its expansion on Teesside with the official opening of new offices. University of Teesside vicechancellor Graham Henderson opened the office at Kingfisher House, at Preston Farm, Stockton. The regional law firm had a
A LOGO has been created for the biggest youth conference to be held in the North-East, as preparations for the event move forward. To help launch the Cloud 9 summit, which is being held in the region next year, graffiti artist Graham Cleland
PAPER-THIN lighting technology developed in the region is to become a major North-East industry, following its public launch yesterday. The solid state lighting unveiled in County Durham could see a thin plastic sheet emit as much light as a conventional
NATURALISTS hope the return of the endangered red squirrel to part of the region could prove a boost for local businesses by becoming a tourist attraction. Having been in steep decline in the Yorkshire Dales National Park for most of the 20th
ARE you still having the debate about whether to get a real or artificial Christmas tree? Which is more environmentally friendly? You might be surprised. Most artificial Christmas trees are made from a combination of metals and plastics. Not
A NORTH-EAST college has officially opened its new £6.5m sixth form centre. The ceremony for St Peter’s Sixth Form College marks an important milestone in City of Sunderland College’s building estate programme, as it continues to invest heavily
BUSINESSES are being urged not to abandon their community work as part of their belt-tightening initiatives to beat the credit crunch. With ongoing economic uncertainty, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budgets are seen as a potential area
WORK is under way on the final phase of a North-East business park which has the potential to create about 3,500 jobs. The multi-million pound development, part of Spectrum Business Park on the site of the former Dawdon Colliery, in Seaham, County
BUSINESSES with strong North-East links are among those supporting the work of conservation organisation the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The BTO has announced that more than 30 businesses are part of its Birds and Business Alliance.
A DEALER in insurance salvage and repairable vehicles is planning to double the size of its North-East base. North-East Motor Salvage, which was established as a family-run scrapyard in 1979 and has grown into the leading company of its type in
IMPROVING the region’s transport infrastructure is crucial to maintaining and developing the North- East export market and must be made a priority in regional development, it has been claimed. Research has shown that 80 per cent of members
ARCHITECT Niven has won a contract to refurbish police stations across part of the region to provide better access for the public. Work has already begun to turn the designs produced by the Darlington practice into improvements at ten stations across
AN estate agency which has been trading for 150 years has been forced to stop selling properties as the economic downturn continues to pressurise the sector, The Northern Echo can reveal. Sandersons, based in Darlington, said it was devastating
EARLIER this year we celebrated a fantastic evening of achievement, success and talent at the Celebration on Learning and Skills (CoLaS) Awards 2008. Now the search is on to find the stars of learning and skills for the CoLaS Awards 2009.
IT will be next spring before workers at Wilkinson stores across the region discover if their jobs are at risk. It was claimed over the weekend that the discount chain, which has nine shops in the North-East and one in North Yorkshire, may shed
WETHERBY are to stage the WBX.COM ‘‘Fighting Fifth’’ Hurdle on Saturday after the Grade One race was lost when Newcastle was abandoned because of frost at the weekend. The five-day entries will stand and the race will not be re-opened. The ten possibles
THE sole jumps action on Tuesday comes from Hereford where Spare Cash can put punters in the money by winning the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Beginners’ Chase. Alan King’s charge is improving steadily with experience since switching from
SEVEN of Team GB’s Olympic gold medallists have been included on the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2008 award. Chris Hoy, who took three first places in Beijing, is one of four members of the dominant cycling team to make
SIXTY years after the first brick was laid, Newton Aycliffe is at last in line for some decent sports facilities. For the once-new town it has become the old, old story: no money, no sponsorship, no interest. Last week, however, work began
EDDIE Jones has provided a damning assessment of England’s disastrous autumn campaign – and he accused the Rugby Football Union of failing the national team. England suffered a hattrick of comprehensive Twickenham defeats to Australia (28-14)
ROB Purdie is relishing his new-found role as Darlington’s regular right-midfielder, and now he wants to stay there. The 26-year-old has been a regular in Dave Penney’s first XI ever since joining from Hereford United in the summer of 2007.
AFTER hearing Mido subjected to Islamophobic chants during Saturday’s Tees-Tyne derby Gareth Southgate’s view was that ‘‘we have to rise above it.” But anti-racism campaigners Kick It Out have called for stern action after the Egypt international
MARTIN Johnson is relishing the prospect of England locking horns with the old enemy Scotland after they were drawn together in the group stages of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. But Johnson refused to buy into the theory that England had escaped
Liverpool 0 West Ham United 0 LIVERPOOL again wasted a chance to take a commanding lead at the top of the Premier League as brave West Ham produced a minor miracle of their own at Anfield. It is 45 years since they have won at this stadium, so
ROY Keane has received support from one of his North East rivals, with Gareth Southgate backing the underfire Black Cats’ manager to arrest their recent decline. The Boro boss empathises with Keane’s plight and believes his counterpart on Wearside
JOE Kinnear almost made the switch to League One side Swindon Town before Mike Ashley tied him down to a season- long contract at St James’ Park it has been revealed. Until last week’s confirmation that he would remain in charge until the end
HARTLEPOOL United’s injury troubles took another turn for the worse yesterday, as Willie Boland was ruled out for the forseeable future. The central midfielder started the season in good form, but has not played since damaging knee ligaments
ENGLAND will await the findings of security expert Reg Dickason before deciding on whether to resume their tour of India. Australian Dickason will fly to Chennai today, the proposed relocation for the first Test in the aftermath of the terror
A COMMUNITY has come together again to raise money for a toddler severely disabled by meningitis. A fashion show and Christmas sales event at the Derwent Manor Hotel, near Consett, County Durham, on Sunday raised about £1,000 for the Give Tilly
CHILDREN who were struggling to read made “spectacular” improvements after a trial scheme was run for 30 minutes a day in some schools. Academics hailed the success of the Every Child a Reader project, which was tested on six-year-olds in 15
A DRIVER transporting chickens to a slaughterhouse was attempting to carry out a dangerous manoeuvre when he was involved in a fatal collision, a court has been told. The trial of lorry driver Trevor Arnold Wooley, who denies causing death by
YOUNG people from the region have made an emotional plea to North-East MPs to back new restrictions on tobacco promotion. The plea is made in the film Hear Our Voice, made by young people from County Durham and Sunderland. Premiered at Sunderland
A GIRL who takes her problems in her stride and has saved her grandmother’s life has been hailed a hero. Rachael Lancaster’s inspirational story has earned her the title of Morrisons Local Hero. The 12-year-old, from Spennymoor, County
CELEBRITY agony aunt Denise Robertson spent the afternoon with a mothers’ group, chatting with staff, offering advice and creating healthy snacks with the children. She called into Hemlington Sure Start Children’s Centre, in Middlesbrough,
MOTORISTS are being warned not to get behind the wheel while under the influence of drink or drugs this festive season. Police forces across the region launched their annual drink-drive campaign yesterday and spelled out the “catastrophic”
THEATRICAL youngsters unfurled a giant red ribbon depicting the World Aids Day symbol to raise awareness of the region’s young HIV sufferers. Members of the Bishop Auckland Theatre Hooligans (Bath) created the shape and performed a 15-minute
THIRSTY football fans are being “ripped off” by the sky-high cost of a pint of lager at two of the region’s Premiership clubs, it was claimed yesterday. The Liberal Democrats hit out at Newcastle United and Sunderland football clubs for charging
BISHOP Auckland MP Helen Goodman defends the Government’s handling of the economic crisis in the latest edition of Northern Decision Makers, which can be seen from today on The Northern Echo’s website. In a debate with John Elliott, the founder
A CROSSING warden has been named best in the North-East. Eric Allen, 58, from Coxhoe, County Durham, works near St Oswald’s Infant and Nursery School, in Durham City. He won the regional heat of Kwik Fit Insurance’s annual search for Lollipop
SEVEN signposts, each featuring sculptures of different kinds of footwear, from walking boots to trainers, are decorating a nine-mile stretch of a wellknown walking route. They will be dotted along the Teesdale Way, from South Bank to Coatham
A CONTROVERSIAL North-East clinic, which provides two free daily shots of NHS heroin to addicts, cuts crime and reduces street drug-dealing, according to officials. For two years, heroin addicts at a Darlington clinic have turned up twice a day
DRUNKEN thugs who battered two brothers because they were wearing wedding suits were jailed yesterday. Darren and Wayne Elmer had been to a cousin’s wedding when they were attacked in a street in Darlington by two strangers. The brothers were
A WOMAN has gone on trial for the second time accused of murdering a toddler she was looking after for a neighbour. Suzanne Holdsworth is alleged to have repeatedly banged Kyle Fisher’s head against a wooden banister at her home. It was said
A DANGEROUS obsessive – described as a “bedroom Rambo” – was behind bars last night after being convicted of making a pipe bomb at the school where his father worked as a caretaker. Remanding David Riding into custody until a psychiatric report
AN estate agency which has been trading for 150 years has been forced to stop selling properties as the economic downturn continues to pressurise the sector, The Northern Echo can reveal. Sandersons, based in Darlington, said it is "devastating
Sunderland are set to announce the appointment of Dutchman Chris Woerts to spearhead the club's commercial operations The Northern Echo can exclusively reveal. Reports from Holland confirm that 49-year-old Woerts has joined The Black Cats from
