POLICE are appealing for information after an unprovoked attack on a man who was out walking alone. The 27-year-old was approached by a member of a group near Ashfield and Barrington Way, Newton Aycliffe, at about 8pm on Friday, December 5. He asked
WHAT do a pair of crutches, a bag stuffed full of £30,000 in cash and a cat have in common? They are just some of the unusual items left on Cross Country Trains passing through York by absent-minded passengers in the past year. As well as the usual
A VILLAGE postmaster had a shotgun pointed at his face by robbers who raided his shop as he closed for the day. Two masked men threatened him before escaping with cash from the North Road post office in Front Street, Wingate, County Durham. The postmaster
POLICE are appealing for information after an unprovoked attack on a man who was out walking alone. The 27-year-old was approached by a member of a group near Ashfield and Barrington Way, Newton Aycliffe, at about 8pm on Friday. (DEC 5) He asked the
A MAN with learning difficulties was mugged for £10 in a town centre. The 34-year-old was attacked behind Yorkshire Bank on York Road in Hartlepool just after 3pm on Sunday afternoon. Hartlepool police are appealing for information to the assault which
HAIR we go with the Headline Game story for tomorrow morning. A Chinese woman who hadn't cut her hair for ten years called police to report that it had been stolen. Xiao Hong, 30, of Siping, says someone cut off her 4ft plait as she walked out of a
JAZZ musician Dave O’Higgins is performing at the University of Teesside as part of a series of events celebrating culture on campus. Dave O’Higgins who has played with the likes of Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Peter Gabriel and Jamie Cullum, will perform
FIREFIGHTERS will be getting in the festive mood when then abseil down the Transporter Bridge dressed as spirited Santas. To launch Cleveland Fire Brigade’s Christmas campaign officers from Coulby Newham Blue Watch will be descending 180ft down the iconic
TOUCHES of spice helped two young cooks tickle the tastebuds of one of the country’s top celebrity chefs. Rebecca Corner, 14, and Calam (corr) Nelson, 13, who are both from Bishop Auckland, earned top four places in a North Regional cookery competition
PRIMARY schools pupils rounded off a year-long woodland project by helping create a new tree plantation in Teesdale. Year 6 children from Middleton-in-Teesdale Primary School put the finishing touches to a Woodland Magic and Mystery education
A NORTH MP who claims she has been pressing health authorities for information for more than a year is using freedom of information rules to obtain the figures she wants. Helen Goodman, who is fighting against a proposed downgrading of Bishop Auckland
A SELFLESS teenager has been named student of the year after using her healing hands at a local hospice. Seventeen-year-old Sophie Hartop, a beauty therapy student, spent a day giving relaxing therapies including massages, manicures and facials at Butterwick
A PANTOMIME production is hoping to pull in festive punters by offering cut price tickets. Sleeping Beauty is being staged at Middlesbrough College by a cast and crew of more than 60 performing arts students. Performing arts lecturer, Ray Johns, said
NISSAN has tonight announced it is further scaling back production at its North-East factory further as the economic downturn continues to hit the motor industry. The company said it would be holding up to six non-production days at its Sunderland
IN FEBRUARY 1958, the snow lay so deep that the weathermen said it was “far worse than the great blizzards of ’47”. There were 14ft drifts all the way up the east coast, causing the Six-Five Special to steam into Stockton two hours late.
WHAT do a pair of crutches, a bag stuffed full of £30,000 in cash and a cat have in common? They are just some of the unusual items left on Cross Country Trains passing through York by absent-minded passengers in the past year. As well as the usual
A BABYSITTER accused of murdering a toddler said today that she and the child's mother had deceived doctors. Suzanne Holdsworth, 38, told a court that she and Clare Fisher - the mother of two-year-old Kyle - had decided not to tell doctors that Ms Fisher
THE Archbishop of York has turned down a raft of offers from reality TV shows and popular quizzes keen to have him as a guest. His media chief, Reverend Arun Arora, revealed the religious figure had been bombarded with invites since taking up his post
THE War of the Roses could finally be laid to rest and it is all thanks to a love of good beer. York brewery has been sold to a company from Lancaster in a move said to have safeguarded jobs and paved the way for increased production and expansion.
AN Army hero who was awarded on of the highest military honours after saving his comrades’ lives in Afhganistan has switched on the Christmas lights in his home town. Sergeant Matthew Cockburn, from Bedale, North Yorkshire, was awarded the Military
JOE Kinnear has vowed to clear his name after being charged with using abusive and insulting words towards a match official by the Football Association. The Newcastle manager, who also has an improper conduct charge hanging over his head after comments
Midwives at Bishop Auckland General Hospital are so proud of the services they provide, they have produced a video and launched a Facebook site to tell the world. The midwifery-led unit, part of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
SHOPKEEPERS in the region have described Government plans to force cigarette sales under the counter as ‘a sledgehammer to crack a nut’. Newsagent Barrie Taylor, who runs shops in Spennymoor, Newton Aycliffe and Peterlee, predicted that the move to
PUPILS at an independent school are gaining inner peace and self confidence while learning to defend themselves. The students of Cundall Manor School, near Thirsk, have been learning karate for nearly a year, since the arrival of teacher Dale
A MAJOR £800,000 scheme to help locals gain a foothold on the property ladder has been launched across North Yorkshire. In a bid to help locals the North Yorkshire Rural Housing Enablers network has been set up. The network’s aim using
ALAN Curbishley has described Sunderland's vacant managerial position as a "big job", and expressed hope that chairman Niall Quinn will consider his candidature. Curbishley has been out of work since leaving West Ham at the start of the season, and is
LAST week saw another one per cent cut in the UK base rate, taking interest rates to the lowest level since 1951. Over the past few months, the Bank of England has slashed three per cent off the base rate, reducing the figure from five per
WE have just had the first anniversary of Enduring Powers of Attorney being replaced with Lasting Powers of Attorney. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document under which one person (known as the donor) can choose somebody (known
FOR a number of years the North-East has had one of the fastest growing economies in the UK. A combination of talent, ambition and creativity has seen business start-ups on the increase and established firms going from strength to strength. We have
The Northern Echo today launches its Building On Success campaign which, in conjunction with the North-East Chamber of Commerce, is looking to see full relief from the burden of Empty Property Rates granted to all businesses. Deputy Business Editor
A VILLAGE which was named the best in the north of England has missed out on landing the national title. Sadberge has been named a runner-up in the 2008 Calor Village of the Year for England competition. The village, situated in the Tees Valley between
A DARLINGTON primary school has won first prize in an annual five-a-side tournament. Ten schools took part in the Darlington Primary Schools Football Association annual five-a-side championship which was won by Harrowgate Hill Primary School. Harrowgate
Basketball in association with Game Time Prior arrived at Redcar less than an hour after playing Hartlepool 6th Form for this one day double header. Prior were reeling after a poor show against Hartlepool Hurricanes and this next game would provide
A DRUNK driver who killed his best friend in a road crash had his jail sentence doubled to ten years by the Court of Appeal today. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, ruled that the original five-year term imposed on Daltery Pearson at Newcastle Crown
Basketball in association with Game Time A great show from Teesside based Colleges at the British Colleges Sports Tournament in Newcastle witnessed five local teams compete in the competition. Prior Pursglove Pumas, Hartlepool 6th Form Hurricanes,
A TEENAGER has appeared in court and denied the murder of a former soldier. Tony Blades, 18, yesterday pleaded not guilty to murdering Anthony Blakelock, 21, who died after a stabbing attack just yards from his County Durham home in September. Mr Blades
NINE in ten doctor's practices in Darlington have offered extended opening hours to beat national targets. Patients can now make appointments to see their doctor early in the morning, during the evening or at weekends. It has helped to put NHS Darlington
Commercial property is far from hitting the kind of downturn seen in the housing market, with industrial and office lettings in particular remaining strong. Deputy Business Editor Deborah Johnson looks at the sector’s performance. WHILE the
THE successful letting of recent new developments at Darlington’s Lingfield Point business park has allowed Meadow, a unique new office space, to be launched at the former wool-manufacturing site with the potential to create up to 1,000 new jobs
AN online business has been set up to help Christmas dreams come true. Through santaplease.co.uk – which was set up in the North-East – children can create their Christmas present wish list online, allowing youngsters to interact with Father
A REGIONAL bank manager expects hill farmers will continue to receive subsidies, even if they are phased out for other sectors. Michael Summers, northern regional manager for the HSBC Bank, said hill farms are struggling the most. He predicted
A TORY government would cut unnecessary agricultural regulation as a matter of priority, shadow agricultural spokesman Jim Paice told the third annual Northern Dairy Conference. He said the number of new regulations introduced by the Department
GREATER efficiency and better prices are needed for the long-term survival of beef farmers, say industry bosses. The Hexham-based National Beef Association (NBA) said 2007-8 financial results showed significant improvements in business performance
A LAWYER consulted for a Government planning review has hailed its potential to bring “major improvements” for business and local authorities. Neil Robson, head of property and planning at North-East law firm Ward Hadaway, said the Killian Pretty
DESPITE the latest one per cent cut in interest rates, there are widespread doubts that it will become much easier – and most importantly, much cheaper – for many people to buy a home. This latest cut obviously boosts those who already have
AN electronics firm has secured a contract with a household name, safeguarding 160 jobs. Although no jobs were at risk at Cleveland Circuits, part of the Cleveland Technologies Group, group managing director Andrew Gleghorn said the contract
TODAY, The Northern Echo pledges its support to reinvigorating the commercial property sector and reviving the region’s confidence to expand by calling for full relief to be granted from Empty Property Rates (EPR). Through the Building on
POLICE are searching for a man who stole a case of lager from a Darlington shop. The offence took place in the Spar Shop on Duke Street on Sunday, November 16, 2008. He selected a case of lager from a display and left the shop without paying. The man
A SCHEME is being drawn up to increase the size of Thirsk’s taxi rank so double the amount of cars can wait there. At present the taxi rank on the Market Place can only hold three cars at any time. Hambleton District Council is looking to increase that
TRADING standards officers will be handing out advice at two markets in Darlington this month. The officers will be at the Winter Wonderland on Thursday, December 11, and at the outdoor market on Monday, December 15, between 10am and 3pm. Advice will
CONTRACTORS have lifted a spire into place to complete a project to build a new church. All Saints' and Salutation Church, in Darlington, will be used for the first time on Sunday since it was rebuilt this year. Workmen braved snow and
For those who want to shower their loved ones with edible gifts at Christmas, Julia Breen checks out the most tempting treats for every budget. THEY might not last beyond the New Year, but Christmas is all about indulging your tastebuds – and receiving
CHRISTIAN campaigners today lost their High Court challenge over university researchers being allowed to create human-animal embryos for research purposes. The Christian Legal Centre (CLC) and Comment on Reproductive Ethics (Core) were refused permission
SAM Allardyce has made a pitch for the vacant Sunderland manager's job claiming he knows what it needs to be Roy Keane's successor. Allardyce said his time at the club as a player and as a coach under Peter Reid has given him an insight into Sunderland
IT’S always the same. Try as you might, you can’t recreate the fantastic finish on your hair at home that your hairdresser magics-up when you’re at the salon. With the festive season just around the corner, now is the time to brush up on your
CRIMINALS are being targeted as community minded locals join the police to try to eyeball crooks. Neighbourhood Watch volunteers will patrol in villages near to Easingwold, near Thirsk, with the police. It forms part of the Operation
I HAD always thought that nationalising the banks and arresting members of the official opposition were the sorts of things that went on under Mugabe or the old Soviet Union: but now we are suffering the same oppression in Britain. And that
I WOULD like to endorse Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu’s call for Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe to be toppled and put on trial for crimes against humanity. As one who has chosen to live in South Africa for some of his retirement years,
CHILDREN North-East welcomes the announcement in last week’s Queen’s Speech to enshrine in law the Government’s commitment to eradicating child poverty by 2020. We do not, however, underestimate the task. We believe the major challenge is not
IT would appear Shannon Matthews’ mother, Karen, could only do one thing expertly in life – produce offspring. She could only do that if she was to be financially supported. Her excesses netted her some £20,000 per year in benefits. It would
She was a soldier in the Royal Logistics Corps until family commitments forced a change of career. Now, Susan Allan is carving a niche for herself in corset design and fitting. Julia Breen speaks to her. IT’S a big promise. No cabbage soup diet or
THE image of social work is at times clouded by perceptions. There are those who proclaim social workers to be committed and focused, or zealous and intrusive, while others believe they are too lax, naive and illequipped. Assessing and monitoring
NOT so long ago, a London-based think tank urged people in the North-East to leave their homes and move south. Thanks to the horrendous effects of the credit crunch, we now know that the streets of London are hardly paved with gold. This recession
Being awarded the freedom of a city means you can graze your sheep in public places and draw your sword when you like – or does it? As Sir Bobby Robson is made Freeman of Durham, Owen Amos explores the history of honorary freedoms. QUESTION
WAS I the only person who felt sorry for the much criticised Peterlee Christmas tree? Dubbed “Britain’s worst Christmas tree” by many national newspapers, I think it looked beautiful. It was chopped down solely for our enjoyment and in less
CAN anyone tell me why schools close when it snows? Or even when it is merely forecast? As a child, trudging off to school in the snow was a highlight of childhood. Why don’t hospitals, shops, factories, libraries or any other institutions close
TWO canoeing stars hope to further their Olympic aspirations after they were selected for an elite training camp. Calum Cresser, 11, from Darlington, and Andrew Martin, 15, of Seaham, east Durham, are joining the event at the Tees Barrage, Stockton
Robbed again... The Headline Game on TFM this morning was yet another miscarriage of justice. The story was about a rare female pygmy hippopotamus being born at a zoo in Hampshire, and no one so far being able to come up with a name.
TWO women have been jailed for robbing a wheelchairbound man in his home. The man had left the front door open and was targeted by Donna Trowsdale, 30, and Gill Handisides, 48. Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said Trowsdale twice tipped him out of
A 97-YEAR-OLD woman was one of two people who died after the car her son was driving pulled out slowly into a dual carriageway and was hit by a vehicle. Susan O’Hare and Dorothy Legg, 69, were passengers in a blue Vauxhall Astra being driven
A MURDER trial jury has heard a babysitter’s account of how a toddler became gravely ill as she was looking after him. Suzanne Holdsworth told police that Kyle Fisher’s head flopped and his body froze after getting up off the sofa in her home
THE drive to close the North- South economic divide is failing and should be abandoned, a controversial report to ministers claims today. The study, by the Centre for Cities think-tank, urges the Government to focus on boosting investment and
THE deputy managing director of rail company National Express East Coast says passengers need to be realistic about rising train fares. Susan Goldsmith was speaking to The Northern Echo on the first anniversary of the company taking over the
IRISH PEARL can maintain her 100 per cent record and make it three from three at Southwell in the southwellracecourse.co.uk Handicap. The Karl Burke-trained three-year-old relishes the Fibresand and did not appear suited by the switch to Polytrack
ENGLAND all-rounder Andrew Flintoff insists the squad’s concerns about returning to India were not solely about their own safety. The Test squad arrived back in India yesterday after majority rule persuaded the whole squad to resume the suspended
DARLINGTON’S Gregg Blundell has spoken of his eagerness to be a success at Accrington Stanley and admits the move come could become permanent. The striker has joined the Lancashire club on loan for a month, though he was not in action at the
GARETH Southgate has taken the surprise decision not to appeal against David Wheater’s red card at Hull on Saturday. The defender will miss this weekend’s visit of Arsenal, giving Southgate a major selection problem. Chris Riggott had been expected
JOE Kinnear faces a lengthy touchline ban and a hefty fine after being charged with using “abusive and insulting words towards a match official” by the Football Association. Kinnear was left fuming and sent to the stands for comments made in the
ROY Keane confirmed in a statement yesterday that he will return to football management. Following his decision to quit the Stadium of Light hotseat last Thursday, a host of Keane’s former colleagues expressed their view that his days as a manager
HOSPITAL bosses have stressed that plans for Bishop Auckland hospital are aimed at protecting patients and are not motivated by saving money. Sue Jacques, deputy chief executive of the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, was responding
WITH the Sunderland board meeting tomorrow to begin whittling down the list of over 30 managerial candidates to a shortlist of three or four, Peter Reid and Steve Mc- Claren made the pre-emptive move of ruling themselves out of the running to
STUNNED bus passengers had an unexpected windfall when a man hurled hundreds of pounds into the air at a bus stop. People queuing for a bus in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, watched in amazement as the man threw away the money yesterday morning
FOOTBALL legend Sir Bobby Robson was granted the freedom of Durham yesterday. The award to the former England and Newcastle United manager was made in recognition of his services to football and his charity work. During proceedings in Durham
COMMUNITY saving schemes in the region plan to merge to allay fears and boost confidence in the system. County Durham Credit Union and Teesdale Credit Union, which say they have healthy balances, will form one countywide organisation. In Darlington
NATIONAL Lottery officials are refusing to pay out to the daughter of a North-East woman who died on the day her numbers came up. Valerie Anne Ward died in Bishop Auckland General Hospital after a year-long battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
PLANS to install ticket barriers at Darlington Railway Station have been criticised for "taking the fun" out of train travel. Temporary gates have been set up to stop fare dodgers from getting onto the platform, and permanent automatic barriers are to
THE MOTHER of a pupil whose bike was stolen from a new Darlington school has voiced concerns about the buildings security. Michelle Rodway's seven year old daughter Jennifer's bike was taken from Alderman Leach Primary School last week.
TWO masked raiders have stolen a quantity of cash during an armed post office robbery. They walked into the post office in Front Street, Wingate, near Peterlee, at 5.18pm yesterday (Monday)and threatened the postmaster. One was carrying
TECHNOLOGY developed in North Yorkshire could soon transform on-board entertainment and internet access in trains. Researchers at York University have overcome two of the major challenges which severely limit the services currently provided
