A TEENAGER is waiting to be sentenced by magistrates after pleading guilty to striking a friend with a baseball bat. Philip Andrew Smart, of Minors Crescent, admitted to charges of assault and possession of an offensive weapon at Darlington Magistrates
POLICE have launched a murder investigation following the death of an 84-year-old woman. Officers were called to Cleghorn Street, in the Heaton area of Newcastle, at about 5.30pm tonight. When they arrived they found an unconscious woman, who had stopped
A COCAINE addict stored some of his dealer's equipment at his home to help reduce his drug debts, a court heard today. Police who raided Matthew Hughff's flat in Darlington found scales and small grip-seal bags hidden a pocket of his jacket. Teesside
A burglar led police straight to his door by leaving a trail of his blood from his victim's home to his own. John Carr had injured himself when he smashed his way into Lee Emm's home while he was away for the weeked last month. Once inside
A benefit cheat who claimed over £20,000 she was not entitled to will be spared jail - becuse her case took too long to get to court. Joanne Douglas, 32, received the overpayment because she failed to inform the Department of Work and Pensions
The Pigeon Detectives hail from Rothwell in Leeds, and for a five piece band they make one hell of a sound. Plenty of fans piled in to the academy to see if the gang of Northerners can pull it off live. The band swaggers onstage in a flurry of smoke and
PEOPLE buying Christmas trees over the coming weeks are being invited to swap their current fairy lights with free eco-friendly versions. Eco-friendly Christmas trees will be on sale at Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, every day from 10am to
The big talking point in the North-East today is the departure of Roy Keane from Sunderland, so The Northern Echo will be leading its front page with that piece of news. I have to admit, however, that I don't feel totally comfortable about leading on
FESTIVAL organisers had a Dickens of a day laying a trail of clues for Christmas revellers to follow. With a Dickensian theme at the heart of festive celebrations in Bishop Auckland on Sunday, members of the Town Centre Forum’s marketing group got
STANHOPE residents can stave off festive weight gain this Christmas at a newly opened community gym in the town. Wear Valley District Council has installed a legacy gym in the Town Hall, featuring treadmills, exercise bikes, and rowing machines
AROUND 10,000 homes in the North-East and North Yorkshire were without power for much of the day today. A spokesman for electricity company NEDL said engineers had managed to restore the supply to most homes, but were being hampered by the weather.
The number of new cars slumped by more than 36 per cent last month, according to new figures. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said sales in England were 86,672 compared with 136,693 in 2007. Ford's Fiesta and Focus remain the two best
AN undertaker is inviting people to remember lost loved ones on memorial trees in County Durham this Christmas. Co-operative Funeralcare has installed trees at funeral homes in Newton Aycliffe, Bishop Auckland, Shildon, Crook, Stanhope, Spennymoor
ROY Keane's exit from Sunderland leaves the Barclays Premier League strugglers searching for a new manager as they look to climb out of the relegation zone. We look at the possible contenders to replace the Irishman. SAM ALLARDYCE
SIX staff at a school in a market town have been trained to give emergency life support. Bedale High School has signed up to the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Heartstart UK programme, which offers training in emergency aid. The course was delivered
YOUNG swimmers in Thirsk have been crowned champions of a regional competition for the third year in a row. The Thirsk White Horse Swim Team has won the North Yorkshire Swimming League after a year of competitions. They young swimmers beat the second
MORE than 170 schools across North Yorkshire were forced to close today, after the county was covered in several inches of snow. North Yorkshire County Council said that almost 50 per cent of the schools across the county had been hit by the blizzard-like
CHRRISTMAS LIGHTS: Colburn Town Council will be switching on the Christmas lights on in the town centre on Saturday, December 6. The switch-on will take place at 5pm, when there will be carols round the tree. CAROL CONCERT: Muker Silver Band will
FIVE THOUSAND flower bulbs will be planted this weekend to celebrate the latest phase in a community partnership scheme. The bulbs will be planted in Colburn on Saturday, December 6 to launch “a new way of working” for Richmondshire Local Strategic Partnership
MORE than 100 women attended a fundraising "Ladies’ Night" to raise money for an Arctic challenge. The event, which included a charity auction, was held at the Black Sheep Brewery, in Masham, on Saturday It was organised to raise money for The Big
MUGSHOTS of shoplifters are being given out to retailers in North Yorkshire to help tackle the criminals. Books of photographs of known offenders are being given to shop staff to help them identify the crooks in Northallerton. The photos were supplied
A FESTIVE Mary is seeking a new home for Christmas as there is no where for her to stay at her animal rescue centre. Mary, a Collie cross bitch, was left tied to the gates of the Blue Cross animal centre at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, recently. The sad
THE mother of Shannon Matthews was found guilty today of kidnapping her own daughter. Karen Matthews, 33, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, was also convicted by a jury at Leeds Crown Court of false imprisonment and perverting
ANGRY residents say they have been “failed” by North Yorkshire County Council, claiming the authority left it too late to grit their icy rural roads. Drivers in the Upper Dales of North Yorkshire say roads in Arkengarthdale, which reaches a height
Hutton Magna woke up to a thick covering of snow this morning. One resident at least didn't seem to mind too much though .....
Barningham's Angie Townsend has launched The Tiny Cake Company. Well known as an expert plantswoman, continuing back and hip problems have meant that Angie has found it increasingly difficult to cope with the physical demands of the business.
DRIVERS are being urged not to travel unless it is necessary after heavy snow made driving dangerous in North Yorkshire. Ice and snow have already led to 28 collisions in the county today as drivers struggle with the freezing weather.
A SINGER songwriter is hitting the right notes in North Yorkshire by winning the Klondike Song of the Year award. Rebekah Findlay, of Thornton-le-Moor, near Thirsk, has won the 2008 Klondike Folk and Arts songwriting competition. Her winning song Duty
Interest rates have been slashed to two per cent by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee this lunchtime. The one per cent cut had been demanded by businesses in dire need of a boost to the economy. The reduction is also good
More than 300 schools across the North-East and North Yorkshire have been closed today. Authorities said heavy snow had forced heads to turn pupils away because teachers couldn't get into work. More than 160 schools are shut in North
The weather must be bad - it even resulted in the cancellation of the Headline Game this morning. TFM radio rang at 8am to say the game would have to be cancelled because so many calls were coming in about road conditions and school closures. I can't
JUST arrived at work after a nightmare journey through the snow from Hurworth, which is only a few miles outside of Darlington. Weather like this can really affect the production of the paper. A lot of staff still haven't made it in to work and we
NIALL Quinn has tipped Roy Keane to return to the Barclays Premier League one day after reluctantly accepting he had taken Sunderland as far as he could. The 37-year-old this morning resigned from his post at the Stadium of Light after 27 eventful
Ellie Genower talks to Ben Stiller about being funny, the strange side of film fame and how his children, Ella and Quinlan, became involved in Madagascar: Escape to Africa. PEOPLE always expect Ben Stiller to be funny. It’s not surprising,
Darren Day hasn’t quite managed to escape his bad boy image in the past 12 months but he chats happily to Viv Hardwick about headline stardom at Billingham. JUST as wife Stephanie Dooley pops a picked onion in her mouth, Darren Day begins to speculate
FOOTBALL fans are being asked to give a North-East football club a helping hand to clear their snow-covered pitch. Darlington Football Club is asking community-spirited residents to help them clear the pitch to enable them to cover it in preparation
BRITAIN’S best-known Big Band singer Rosemary Squires is joined by Radio 2’s celebrity pianist Brian Dee and his Music at the Westovian Theatre, South Shields, on Sunday. Many will recall when Squires was a regular on Tyne Tees TV, although fewer
Polly Weeks talks to Lucy Speed about switching from BBC soap EastEnders to ITV’s long-running police drama The Bill. TRUE to form, police drama The Bill will be marking the festive season with a storyline that’s more The Nightmare Before Christmas
While awaiting the next series of Dragons’ Den, Duncan Bannatyne talks to Viv Hardwick about selecting Darlington’s panto princess and why he might tread the boards himself this Christmas. DUNCAN Bannatyne has achieved fame and fortune by being
AS we shiver our way into December, the local folk scene shows no sign of relenting in its barrage of great concerts and club gigs for our entertainment and delight. Tonight we have a choice between top chanteuse Flossie Maliavelle at
THIS Sunday, Middlesbrough Town Centre is the only European location to play host to Unsilent Night, part of the Winter Lights procession, which is US composer Phil Kline’s 30-city Post- Modern Christmas concept. New York, Cologne, Sydney and
WHAT’S ON: Tonight, Noel Dennis Quartet + Saxophonics, Georgian Theatre, Stockton, 01642-674115. Saturday lunchtime, Easy Peasy All Stars, Darlington Arts Centre, 01325-486555. REVIEWS: Abdullah Ibrahim/Senzo (Intuition INT3428 2) A moving
HEAVY snow brought the North-East to a standstill, with thousands of motorists stuck in gridlock on most of the region’s major roads. Snow, which blew in last night but is still falling in parts of County Durham and North Yorkshire, has caused
REVIEWS) Gothic Voices: A Laurel for Landini (AV2151) Fransesco Landini (1325 - 1397) was regarded as the most influential composer of his age. This recording offers a selection of his ballate and madrigali, with a brilliant display
IF you’re anything like me, you’ll have collected special albums or special songs… the ones that you never get tired of listening to. One of my favourites has to be from a prestigious, award-winning Canadian country artist, Michelle Wright, and He
With AC/DC, Metallica and Guns N Roses all grabbing headlines, Miles Cain examines the dubious pleasures of the genre known as Heavy Metal. HEAVY Metal is back. In the last few months a fistful of well-known bands have returned, eager to push
Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo had to overcome the fear of being stung to make The Secret Life Of Bees. Steve Pratt reports. AS the title suggests, The Secret Life Of Bees required plenty of stinging insects to join the movie’s
UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL 1 (-) Mamma Mia! 2 (-) Wall-E 3 (10) The Forbidden Kingdom 4 (4) Iron Man 5 (3) Indiana Jones 6 (1) Kung Fu Panda 7 (-) The X Files – I Want To Believe 8 (2) Prince Caspian 9 (5) Wanted 10 (-) Journey To
HAPPY birthday, Whitney of EastEnders (BBC1). You’re sweet 16 and have your whole life ahead of you. Unfortunately, you can’t spend it with Tony, your stepmother Beeanchor’s fiance. There are some things in Soapland that aren’t funny and Terrible
GRIMM tales indeed. This is one where Hansel (Scott Turnbull) is eaten by the witch (Pat Dunn)… and before the interval as well. So there’s still plenty of time for Gretel (Lisa McGrillis) to, hopefully, resurrect her slightly digested brother
The Fun Police (C4, 9pm) Last Man Standing (BBC3, 8pm) HEALTH and safety consultant Ed knows that many people get a lot of pleasure out of gardening. But he worries they aren’t aware of the risks. After all, he points out, an anagram
WHOEVER said you should never work with children or animals didn’t have much to complain about. He should have tried living with them – both, at the same time. Because once you have one, you tend to get the other. “Muuuum. Can we have a cat? I
THE attack on Mumbai aims to destabilise the Indian and world economies. It is probably misconceived in the purely practical sense, but there is no denying its spectacular success in the purely terroristic sense. As for the Indian Prime Minister
Two North-East airmen from neighbouring villages, shot down over Germany in the Second World War, are being honoured at the British War Cemetery in Berlin today. A POIGNANT service in a Berlin cemetery this afternoon will honour the memory
IS not the action like closing the stable door once the horse has bolted? Does a child have to die before these cases are spotted? One of the main problems is that to get a job in social services all you need is a degree. This does not qualify
IN response to the article about my brother Mark Walker (Echo, Nov 13), I would like to point out that at no time have any charges been made against him and he has committed no crime. If he had, he would have been sacked for that reason.
THE claim by Councillor Nick Wallis (HAS, Nov 11) that the Conservatives “will get rid of the SureStart programme” is badly wrong but a good example of Labour spin. The truth is that the Conservatives fully support SureStart and are not proposing
CHARLOTTE Bull’s letter “Climate Change” (HAS, Dec 1) was so inaccurate and misleading that I could hardly believe what I was reading, until I saw that it was from a member of the UK Independence Party. The true purpose of her letter was to oppose
Ted Wood, who has coached Durham University rugby unpaid for 34 years, was last week named as The Northern Echo’s Local Hero. In the first of a series profiling Local Heroes, Owen Amos meets him to hear of famous wins, famous friends, and
FROM showpiece to sideshow – that is the reality of the Queen’s Speech delivered yesterday with all the usual pomp and ceremony. Her Majesty’s glittering carriage rolled down The Mall in the normal way and the door of the Commons was once again
LEE Fawcett was Britain’s sole fencing representative at this summer’s Paralympic Games in Beijing. Hotly tipped for a medal, he ultimately finished in 11th place. No doubt he was hoping to do better in London 2012, but today his dreams are in
THE morning rush-hour descended into chaos today as blizzards brought traffic to a virtual standstill. All major routes in the region were affected with the A66 west of Scotch Corner and the A171 at Stanghow being closed. Progress on the A1
ENGLAND fly-half Danny Cipriani yesterday signalled his intention to stay at Wasps as the club enters a new future under the ownership of business tycoon Steve Hayes. Cipriani and England colleague James Haskell are among a number of Wasps players
WITH Newcastle, it has been a case of too many cooks spoiling the managerial broth. At Sunderland, though, the problem has been somewhat different. With the Black Cats, it has been more a case of appointing a newly-qualified chef to take charge
UK ATHLETICS chief executive Niels de Vos insists he is happy with the funding given to the sport ahead of the London Olympics and has backed Britain’s athletes to ‘‘surprise people’’ in 2012. Athletics was yesterday awarded £25.1m by UK Sport
HOWARD JOHNSON’S Tidal Bay readied himself for the Seasons Holidays Tingle Creek Chase with a workout after racing at Catterick yesterday. Last season’s Arkle Trophy winner made a successful reappearance at Carlisle last month and is now set
PETER Chapple-Hyam’s Timeless Dream warrants close consideration in the Virley Channel Maiden Fillies’ Stakes at Great Leighs. After making her debut in a hot Newmarket maiden, connections would not have held out much hope for the future as
NEWCASTLE Falcons insist it is business as usual despite yesterday’s confirmation that Northumbria University have purchased the club’s Kingston Park ground from Northern Rock. Northumbria have purchased a 23-acre site that includes the rugby
SUNDERLAND have confirmed the appointment of lifelong supporter Steve Walton as their new chief executive. Walton, who is currently employed as the North-East Corporate Director of Barclays Bank, was born and raised in Sunderland, and still lives
TEST cricket will return to Riverside next May after the West Indies were confirmed as England’s opponents for a two-Test series next summer. The West Indies replace Sri Lanka, who themselves replaced Zimbabwe, as England’s opponents for the opening
ENGLAND have confirmed they are flying out to Abu Dhabi today and will resume their tour of India following days of talks with security advisors. The England and Wales Cricket Board emerged yesterday from two days of talks with security experts
THE debt of Hartlepool United to club owners Increased Oil Recovery Ltd has increased to over £9m, figures revealed at yesterday’s AGM. The club made an operating loss of £1.6m in 2007 and IOR, who took control in September 1997, provided the
Manchester United 5 Blackburn Rovers 3 CARLOS TEVEZ seized his opportunity to fire Manchester United to the Carling Cup semi-finals. With his Old Trafford future at stake, Tevez has no regard for the fixture backlog piling up for Sir Alex Ferguson
STUART Pearce’s England Under-21s will face Germany in the group stages of next year’s European Championships in Sweden. Pearce’s youngsters have been dealt a tough draw for the finals, with Spain and Finland completing Group B and the top two
ROY Keane is considering a surprise recall for both Michael Chopra and Paul Mc- Shane as he attempts to repair some of the damage caused by last weekend’s dismal defeat to Bolton. Chopra and McShane are currently on loan at Cardiff and Hull respectively
Watford 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2 HARRY Redknapp has been Tottenham boss for less than six weeks and is already one tie from Wembley following a Carling Cup quarter-final victory over Watford, courtesy of Darren Bent’s winner. Tamas Priskin gave Brendan
DANNY Guthrie has revealed that Newcastle are formulating special plans to deal with the threat posed by Rory Delap’s throw-ins ahead of Saturday’s home game with Stoke. Delap has been one of the successes of the season thanks to his incredible
THE Scottish and Welsh football associations could enter into a joint bid for the 2016 European Championships after both confirmed ‘‘tentative’’ talks over co-hosting the event had taken place. Scotland’s long-standing dream of staging the tournament
MIDO has launched a withering attack on the Football Association, accusing them of issuing an “invitation” for Newcastle supporters to indulge in Islamophobic abuse during Saturday’s Tees-Tyne derby with Middlesbrough. For the second season in
RSPCA and police officers removed two dogs from a house in Darlington amid fears for their health, a court was told. Carol Bogg, 45, of Hornby House, Darlington, appeared for trial at Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with failing
A NORTH-EAST recruitment company will double its turnover this year, buoyed by the flourishing subsea sector. TechConsult UK Ltd, based at The Wilton Centre, near Redcar, has seen a strong demand for its services in the offshore oil and gas and
SAUSAGE maker Debbie and Andrew’s have tapped into the trend for veal after improvements in animal welfare standards put it back on British menus. The Thirsk company, which has grown from a kitchen table venture to a multimillion pound business
Motorists have been urged to take extra care this morning after heavy snow falls across the region. The snow blew in during the early hours and is still falling in parts of County Durham and North Yorkshire. In places drift of three feet deep have
FAST-GROWING North-East technology provider Onyx Group has continued its progress by making its third acquisition this year. Onyx, which has offices in Middlesbrough and Newcastle, has acquired specialist IT firm Dundas, which has a client base
MORE than 200 architectural firms from around the world have registered an interest in designing homes for a development on Teesside. Some of the biggest names in contemporary design have registered to take part in a design contest for Tees Valley
IT was third time lucky for an interactive art website for schoolchildren that has won a Bafta award. County Durham-based artisancam.org.uk won the honour in the EA British Academy Children’s Awards after being nominated twice previously.
NORTHERN Rock has become the latest Government backed bank to pledge to wait at least six months before repossessing the homes of borrowers who have fallen behind with their mortgage. The Newcastle-based bank said it was “formalising” its policy
DIGITAL company Orange Bus has increased turnover by more than 300 per cent in the past year, and is on track for further strong growth. The Newcastle firm has created three jobs in the past three months and has won four projects in the past four
POLICE are hunting thieves who smashed their way into a workshop to steal sculptures worth thousands of pounds. The raiders broke into the premises in Lastingham, on the North York Moors, between 4pm on Sunday and 7am on Monday. They removed a
ARMY signallers marched through the streets of York yesterday, drawing applause from shoppers, before receiving operational service medals. Major Jed Toze, second in command of 2 Signals Regiment, and Councillor Brian Watson, the Lord Mayor of
A FORMER North-East councillor stranded in Thailand has been reduced to begging for money in the street so he can eat. Bill Proud, 59, was due to return home a week ago, but was trapped when anti-government protestors shut down the two main airports
A LANDMARK moment in the reconstruction of a legendary jet-powered craft was reached in the unlikely setting of a North-East industrial unit yesterday. Donald Campbell died in Bluebird attempting to break his own world water speed record in 1967
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for a big turn-out at tonight’s public consultation meeting about the future of a town’s medical services. The 6pm meeting at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, will give the public the chance to question senior doctors
A DISABLED football fan had his artificial legs kicked from under him when violence flared after a football match. David Clark, 25, captain of Soccability, Middlesbrough’s disabled football team, was proudly singing a Boro supporters’ song when
A NEW book about the highs and lows of fatherhood has gone on sale in aid of a children’s hospice. Peter Barron, father-offour and Editor of The Northern Echo, has published his fourth book in the Dad At Large series, based on his column in
A £3M project to build Britain’s first full-size steam locomotive in more than 50 years has entered its final stage – with a lick of paint. The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s gleaming locomotive, Tornado, received its first coat of apple green paint
TWO experts giving evidence in the trial of a babysitter accused of murdering a toddler believe the child collapsed no more than 15 minutes after suffering severe head trauma. Professor Christopher Milroy, who until August this year was chief
FAMILIES in danger of losing their homes will be able to defer part of their mortgage repayments to give them “breathing space” through the recession, under a £1bn rescue package unveiled by Gordon Brown yesterday. The Prime Minister promised
As MPs focus on the year ahead following yesterday’s Queen’s Speech, reporter Neil Macfarlane takes a look at the performance of our elected representatives in Parliament. IN light of recent controversies involving expenses claims and outside earnings
A ROCK legend was in the North-East yesterday to say farewell to one of the most talented drummers of his generation. More than 150 mourners, including Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, braved the arctic conditions to pay their respects to drummer
HEAVY snow and sleet is forecast across the region in the next 24 hours. The Met Office last night issued a severe weather warning for large parts of the country, including northern England. Up to six inches of snow was expected to fall
STAFF have spoken of their shock after it was revealed that two well-known regional TV news presenters are being axed. Tyne Tees TV presenters Jonathan Morrell and Philippa Tomson, who front the Tyne and Wear and Northumberland broadcasts of North-East
PARALYMPIAN from the North-East had a secret double life running a benefits scam while buying prestige cars tax-free and selling them at a vast profit, a court was told yesterday. Investigators spent months building a case against wheelchair- user
In today’s expected arctic snow conditions Haughton’s residents are at risk of falls, as the Council does not routinely clear footpaths as a matter of priority. Extra care is needed on these. Emergency services, public and industrial transport are cleared
