NEW figures show that the North-East has seen the biggest drop in smokers in the country, with fewer people smoking than ever before. With the proportion of adults smoking in the region falling from 25 per cent in 2006 to 22 per cent in 2007
A 68-year-old woman was taken to hospital after her mobility scooter was involved in a collision with a blue Renault Laguna at 1.35pm today in Clarence Street, near to the junction with New Bridge Street, in Shieldfield, Newcastle. The woman was taken
A 76-year-old man was charged tonight with carrying out a machete attack on another pensioner. Leonard Fionda, of Calf Close Walk, Jarrow, South Tyneside, was arrested following the alleged knifing of allotment holder Joe Holland, 66, yesterday. Northumbria
PARENTS in Middlesbrough are being offered discount holidays on all breaks taken out of term time in an initiative to improve school attendance rates. The scheme to provide cheaper breaks for families in school holidays has been launched by Hays Travel
RESIDENTS have vowed to work to keep prevent the closure of a miners' hall in east Durham. Hundreds of people converged on the Vane Tempest Social Welfare Centre in Seaham for a meeting, amid fears the facility could shut down. The crumbling building
PUPILS at a primary school have provided their school kitchen with a fine crop of Brussels sprouts, harvested from their own vegetable garden. The garden at Ravensworth Junior School, Normanby, near Middlesbrough, has always provided small amounts of
A COMMUNITY safety initiative targeting Hartlepool residents through televised messages has been launched. Safer Hartlepool Partnership Television (SHPTV) is aiming to give people advice and information on a range of crime and personal safety issues.
POLICE officers in Hartlepool have been handed new powers to clampdown on drink-fueled anti-social behaviour. A total of 203 streets in 16 wards across the town are now covered by Designated Public Place Orders (DPPO), which allow officers to confiscate
LIBRARIANS have put their stamp on a national award after using a computer booking system in an unusual way. The team from Queen Elizabeth College won cash towards a computer software upgrade after being presented with an award for innovation by computer
CHILDREN at a north Durham school have been learning about the dangers of using building sites as playgrounds. Pupils at Tanfield Lea Community Primary School, near Stanley, were taught the hazards at a health and safety presentation. It was organised
PUPILS have raised hundreds of pounds for charity by donating small change from their lunch money. Students raised £430 by donating small change from their purchases at Hurworth School Maths and Computing College canteen during last year. The pupils
A TREASURE hunt with prizes that were hundreds of millions of years old helped tiny children with a school project yesterday. Foundation stage pupils at Prince Bishops Community School, near Bishop Auckland, dug for dinosaurs and fossils with Paul Mercer
RESIDENTS are being invited to a walkabout where they can give their views on how £85,000 can be used to improve a Darlington park. Users of Green Park, which is situated off Conniscliffe Road and Oakdene Avenue, are being asked to come along at 9.30am
There's a great story in tomorrow's paper about premature reports of the death of former Bishop Auckland footballer Tommy Farrer. When news filtered through that Tommy had died, a one-minute silence was held in his honour before the Bishops played Benfield
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Tunde Adebimpe, Mather Zickel, Anna Deavere Smith, Arisa George, Debra Winger Running time: 113 mins Rating: ★★★ AS the title tells you, Rachel is getting married. All the family is
A volunteer-run leisure complex that was saved from closure has plans to build a bowling alley and a BMX track. Slam, in Willington, County Durham, has enjoyed a successful first year in business after council chiefs handed the run-down complex to community
Stars: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Tom Hollander, Eddie Izzard, Jamie Parker Running time: 121 minutes Rating: ★★★ THE plot hatched by German generals to blow up Hitler is a story most are aware of without
A NEIGHBOURHOOD police team is inviting residents to help identify local priorities and keep up to date with progress at a series of meetings. Officers in Spennymoor and Ferryhill aim to engage with the public to improve the quality of life
Stars: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Diego Luna Running time: 128 mins Rating: ★★★★ THERE has long been talk of making a film about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in San Francisco.
SCHOOL BIKES: A cycle parking shelter is to be built at St Augustine's RC Primary School, Beechwood Avenue, Darlington, in a bid to make it easier for pupils to cycle to school. CCTV PLAN: Network Rail has announced plans to site new CCTV cameras at
Stars: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones, Matthew Macfadyen Running time: 122 mins Rating: ★★★★ AFTER The Queen and before the release of The Damned United (about Brian Clough
ARLO Guthrie performs at Durham Gala Theatre next Friday as part of a rare UK tour. He’s the eldest son of legendary folk pioneer Woody Guthrie and Marjorie Mazia Guthrie and his career exploded in 1967 with the release of his album, Alice’s Restaurant
CANCER patients in Wales are the latest to be given NHS funding for a life-extending drug already available in North-East but not in North Yorkshire. Today's decision by Welsh Health Minister Edwina Hart to approve interim NHS funding of Sutent for the
A FORMER school in Middlesbrough is becoming a new jazz venue. The Jazz Lounge will open in Middlesbrough Teaching and Learning Centre, the old St Anthony’s secondary school, on January 30 with saxophonist Dave O’Higgins. “It’s never really been
JUST as I find myself leaving the country for foreign parts, the local folk scene bursts into life with a fantastic week of concerts and club gigs. It starts tomorrow with the uncrowned king of singer-songwriters Richard Thompson and his 1,000
WHAT’S ON Northern Sinfonia, conductor Thomas Zehetmair, Sage Gateshead, tonight. Pianist Jonathan Biss presents Brahms’ Piano Concerto No 1. Box office: 0191-384-4600. REVIEWS Bach: Goldberg Variations: Catrin Finch (DG4778097) The Queen
WHAT’S ON Tomorrow the Stan Tracey Quartet is at Darlington Arts Centre, 01325-486555. CD REVIEWS Enrico Pieranunzi & Marc Johnson/Yellow & Blue Suites (Challenge Jazz CHR70131) This is a lovely album featuring
THE creativity of a toddler from Barnard Castle has been rewarded by recognition in a national art competition. Chloe King, 4, won a highly commended award in the minimecardco.com Christmas art competition, which had over 7,000 entries from
Kevin Costner and Modern West: Untold Truths (Blue Wrasse Records) DIRECTOR, producer and actor Kevin Costner has opted to release a country album after reaching the heights of film stardom. Costner has been involved in songwriting and music
AN AGEING blind dog was rescued from a swollen river after falling off through a railway bridge in County Durham. The 13-year-old animal and its female owner were walking near Weardale Railway Line in Stanhope yesterday morning (Thursday) when the
THREE men arrested as part of a police investigation into illegal arms dealing have been jailed for a combined total of 17 years. The trio, among six men initially arrested in Operation Opinjay, by the Northumbria force, were sentenced in separate hearings
A colleague has just sent me a collection of silly headlines from around the world. My top five are: 1. One-armed man applauds the kindness of strangers. 2. Police: Crack found in man's buttocks. 3. Great tits cope well
Boro have agreed a deal to sign Wigan striker Marlon King on loan to the end of the season - while Mido has been given permission to talk to Latics boss Steve Bruce about a move. And Boro have agreed a deal with Crystal Palace for midfielder Ben Watson
WILLOW-weaving was top of the timetable for teachers from across North Yorkshire yesterday. Around 20 primary school teachers were at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate where they were hard at work learning the traditional skill. The free one-day
A drunken man who lives on a boat shouted to police that he was an ex-IRA soldier who had shot more of them than they'd had hot dinners. Irishman Ciaran James McAleavy was propped against a wall inside Vibes Bar, at Navigation Point, when officers
Chapter One THE RE-TAKING OF THE CENTAUR “Today, brother, life is fair,” the most trusted of his band chuckled. “I can't stop smiling each time I recall the look on Lafayette’s face when we sailed right out of Daigoniom harbor with the Daigonian
THE first tenants of a new multi-million pound food enterprise centre could be moving on site in the next six months. The £3m scheme on Leeming Bar’s business park will create specialist food grade premises to build upon the area’s existing cluster of
A PILE of loose change has been collected for charity after being donated by Christmas shoppers in Durham. Thousands of coins were thrown into the wishing pool at Santa’s Grotto in the Prince Bishops Centre over the holiday period. The cash has now
WHEN it comes to Britain’s favourite takeaway Raymond Fusco really has things sussed. At the age of just 20 he has been named as the Young Fish Frier of the Year at the national Fish and Chip Shop of the Year contest. Raymond, of Royal Fisheries in
>> Click Here For The Latest Travel Information A SLIP road on a major route through the region was closed this morning after a lorry overturned. The eastbound slip road on the A66 at Bowes, near Barnard Castle is unlikely to be open
ANDY Murray has cruised into the third round of the Australian Open with a comprehensive straight-sets victory over Spaniard Marcel Granollers. Murray crushed his opponent, ranked 47 places below him in the world rankings, 6-4 6-2 6-2. He broke Granollers
A CRACKDOWN specifically aimed at quality-of-life crimes in North Yorkshire has now been given its own team of dedicated officers. Operation Drystone was launched by police in October last year to tackle the crimes and anti-social behaviour
IT is almost impossible to get the most out of Photoshop (and it's cheaper cousin Photoshop Elements) without a thorough understanding of how layers work. This handsomely illustrated, soft-back book is the perfect learning resource. Starting with the
Publisher: Focus Interactive Price: £39.99 WE didn't own the Encyclopedia Britannica when I was a child. My family couldn't afford them. The only person I knew with a full set was my wealthy uncle. If I was lucky, during a visit I'd be
A SEWERAGE plant that serves more than 20,000 County Durham households is undergoing a £1.5million upgrade. Northumbrian Water is upgrading the sludge treatment process at Tudhoe Mill sewage treatment works at Tudhoe, near Spennymoor, County Durham.
MAKE notes, draw sketches and let your creativity flow without being chained to a keyboard, and turn any scrap of paper into your very own electronic notebook. Back in the good old days, before the advent of the so-called "paperless office" and email
NEWCASTLE Eagles will be out for revenge when they attempt to beat Sheffield Sharks tomorrow to secure a place in the semi-finals of the BBL Trophy. The Sharks remain the only team to have beaten Fab Flournoy's side at the Newcastle Arena this season
THE High Court has ordered a fresh inquest into the death of a teenage boy who hanged himself in a secure unit. Adam Rickwood, 14, from Burnley, became the youngest person to die in custody in modern times when he hanged himself with his shoelaces
INCREDIBLE as it may seem, the iconic lava lamp is more than 40 years old. It was patented by Singapore-based inventor Edward Walker in 1965 and manufactured at a factory in Poole, Dorset. Sales took off when a US businessman snapped up the US
Viv Hardwick talks to Philippa Thomson about the slightly turbulent route she’s taken to become Tyne Tees TV’s weathergirl. CLICHED or not, the good, old editorial stand-by “every cloud has a silver lining” couldn’t be more appropriate for
Michael Sheen and Frank Langella talk to Steve Pratt about recreating the historic meeting between David Frost and Richard Nixon. MICHAEL Sheen turned stalker to get under the skin of his latest screen portrayal. The Welshborn actor has already
Publisher: Konami Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Price: £49.99 WHEN soldier Alex Shepherd returns home to Shepherd's Glen, he enters a nightmare world where decisions made by his ancestors have apparently opened the gates of hell.
North-East children’s theatre experts, CTC, is about to undergo a name change, amid a successful fight for funding. Viv Hardwick talks to Miranda Thain about her survival strategy. FACING its 30th anniversary, the Darlington-based children’
Bringing together a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost in the same house seems to be a winning idea for BBC3. Viv Hardwick reports. A SEVEN-FOOT animatronics werewolf, two prosthetic heads and a prosthetic torso are required for Russell Tovey’s
UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL 1 (1) Hancock 2 (-) Pineapple Express 3 (3) The Dark Knight 4 (4) Wall-E 5 (9) Hellboy 2 6 (2) The Mummy/Dragon Emperor 7 (-) The X Files 8 (7) Wanted 9 (6) Babylon A.D. 10 (-)Prince Caspian Supplied by www.blockbuster.co.uk
A MAN was taken to hospital following a fire at a Darlington house yesterday. Firefighters were called to a two-bedroomed house in Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, at 3.27pm after a small fire broke out in a back room on the ground floor.
ONLOOKERS in Soapland have long wondered what’s the secret of Ken Barlow’s success with woman. He’s the Weatherfield sex magnet. Women are drawn to him like flies at the kebab shop. And he’s old, for goodness sake. Well past the age for qualifying
Having spent most of my time of late sat in a tiny carrel in the middle of my college’s library; head in my revision and bordering on a coma-like state, I couldn’t wait to open a new book and escape from reality. ‘A Million Little Pieces’ was a novel
THE ever-popular Nolan sisters seem to have staked a claim to the role of Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers; this time it’s Maureen wringing every ounce of emotion out of the piece and doing a fine job. Blood Brothers is the story
THE head of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has defended bonuses being paid this week to staff at nationalised bank Northern Rock. Liberal Democrat economics spokesman Vince Cable called yesterday for the "indefensible payments" to be halted -
Skins (E4, 10pm); Victorian Farm (BBC2, 9pm); Total Emergency (ITV1, 9pm). SOMETHING strange has happened to edgy teen drama Skins. After two series, the main cast has been axed – well, sent to university – and replaced by a fresh intake of
PROPERTY company Abel Homes has recreated a teenage boy’s messy bedroom in its show home in an attempt to attract buyers’ attention. Good idea. “We want to create a talking point and help people visualise it as a family home,” says director
WHOEVER Rose Teasdale is, she wants to think again about her criticism about a hardcore of regular serial contributors to Hear All Sides (HAS, Jan 1). Doesn’t she realise we still have “freedom of speech” (up to a point), and “freedom of the press
As the great days of Tyne Tees Television are celebrated 50 years on from its launch, the former programme controller says today’s TV is such a turn-off. FIFTY years to the night since the launch which helped define a region, the folk of Tyne Tees
WHY is it that the leaders and managers of this region are seemingly content to play second fiddle to the whims of the Government and its concentration of real investment into the South-East corner of England? Take Newcastle and Durham Tees Valley
I LIKED your article about the 50th birthday of Motown Records (Echo, Jan 12). I have been a listener of Motown and Northern Soul music for more than 34 years and I am also in my 50th year. Northern Soul and Motown Records are still being played
THIS once great nation ruled the seven seas and, rightly or wrongly, governed and attempted to bring civilisation to half the world (after first pillaging its goodies). We are now reduced to a “no win, no fee” mentality where adults are not allowed
A STUDENT hopes to raise more than £4,500 to fulfil a dream of spending a year helping orphans in South Africa. Sian Taylor, from Harrowgate Hill, Darlington, is volunteering with the Project Trust charity. Sian, who is studying A-levels
AFTER reading the letters by Joe Wellthorpe and William Fisher (HAS, Jan 13) I felt compelled to reply as an exminer and clear up a few facts about the 1984 miners’ strike. 1. Margaret Thatcher brought over Ian MacGregor (recognised anti-union
IT was good to see Top of The Pops back on the TV during the recent festivities. This music programme was aired on the BBC on a weekly basis for 42 years before being axed due to low viewing figures. I was brought up in Salters Lane children’s
IN 1953, being of Scots/English origin, I and millions of young Brits, Paddies, Jocks, Taffs, Geordies, Monkey Hangers, Yorkies, Scousers and an Anglo- Indian, who was very proud of his mixed race, signed our attestation papers swearing an oath
IT is hard to see a leader like Barack Obama emerging in Britain in the near future – and I’m not talking about the colour of his skin. Almost as remarkable as the arrival of a black man in the White House is the extraordinary excitement his inauguration
THESE are enormously difficult times in which millions of people are having to make sacrifices. Figures released yesterday show that unemployment in the North- East is higher than any other region in the country – and that is before jobs lost in
As this year’s Oscar nominations are announced today, Steve Pratt dips into the crowded awards season and wonders if it’s just an excuse for posh frocks, back-slapping and embarrassing acceptance speeches. HOW appropriate that Meryl Streep, the
PATIENCE is a virtue, or so the old saying goes, and those punters who can hang fire to the last at Kempton can reap the rewards, writes TATTENHAM. Ruwain won a shade cosily at Great Leighs last week and has every chance of following up in the
DAVID NALBANDIAN became the highest-profile casualty in the men’s draw as he crashed out in the second round of the Australian Open today. The number ten seed was ousted by Taiwan’s Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4 5-7 4-6 6-4 6-2 in an epic battle lasting five
AN emotional Jelena Dokic scored her first win over a top 20 player in five years when she downed 17th seed Anne Chakvetadze 6-4 6-7 (7-4) 6-3 in the second round of the Australian Open today. The 25-year-old, who is known as much for her estranged
STEVE Bates will be tuning in to French television this evening as Brive entertain Overmach Parma in a game that could signal the end of Newcastle Falcons’ European Challenge Cup hopes. If Parma spring a surprise in the Parc Municipal, Newcastle
TRIPLE World Hurdle hero Inglis Drever has been retired. Time has been called on the ten-year-old’s illustrious career after he failed to recover from an injury sustained in the Long Distance Hurdle, at Newbury, in November. Crook-based trainer
JOE Calzaghe has hinted he will make at least one more defence of his WBO and WBA world super-middleweight crowns before hanging up his gloves for good. Calzaghe, who is the guest of honour at a dinner at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre at the start
VETERAN Leicester tighthead prop Julian White has been called into England’s elite squad as a replacement for Matt Stevens. The 35-year-old returns to the England fold for the first time since making himself unavailable for the 2007 World Cup
BOOKMAKERS aren’t stupid, so if they’re offering odds of 200-1 about something, it generally means it won’t happen. But having watched a fair bit of North-East football this season, I can’t help but wonder whether Irish bookies Paddy Power might
FRENCH champions Lyon are monitoring the after-effects of Newcastle United’s amazing training ground bust-up in the hope of landing frustrated Charles N’Zogbia at a knockdown price. Lyon, Arsenal, Tottenham and Aston Villa have all shown an
A 76-year-old man was being questioned by detectives today over an alleged machete attack on another pensioner, police said. Officers were called to Springwell Road, Jarrow, South Tyneside, at 3.20pm yesterday following reports that a man armed with
Burnley 3 Tottenham Hotspur 2 (aet, Spurs win on 6-4 aggregate) ROMAN Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe scored extratime goals to break Burnley hearts and hand Carling Cup holders Tottenham a mouthwatering final date with Manchester United.
WITH Middlesbrough’s Premier League future on the line, chairman Steve Gibson has given Gareth Southgate the go-ahead to spend £2m on Crystal Palace midfielder Ben Watson. After weeks of insisting that Boro would have no cash available during
RITCHIE Humphreys last week led a Hartlepool United delegation on a scouting mission – but wonders how much West Ham will know about their opponents on Saturday. When Pools’ game at Oldham was postponed on January 10, Humphreys, Micky Nelson
Sunderland reserves 1 Newcastle United reserves 2 GOALS by Nile Ranger and Jonathan Godsmark gave Newcastle the honours in a fiery reserves derby in Hetton. Sunderland dominated but failed to convert a number of chances as they lost for only the
DARLINGTON’S postponed match at Accrington on Tuesday evening should have been played the Lancashire club have claimed. The match was called off following an early afternoon pitch inspection by a local referee who was concerned at the amount
MIDDLESBROUGH Ladies have called on the support of fans this Sunday as they take on holders Arsenal Ladies at Billingham Synthonia in the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup (12pm). Arsenal Ladies boast a squad full of internationals, including
RICKY Sbragia might be mulling over the respective merits of Danny Shittu and James Collins, but Danny Collins last night played down suggestions that Sunderland are in the midst of a defensive crisis. With Nyron Nosworthy nursing a hamstring
FORMER pit communities lost their fight to block a new opencast site on their doorstep yesterday. Britain’s biggest mining company, UK Coal, was given planing permission for five years of workings near Crook, County Durham, yesterday, ten years
BRITISH Gas today said it was cutting the price of its standard tariff by ten per cent. The energy supplier said the reduction would come into force on February 19 and would affect 75 per cent of its customers - or 7.5 million homes. British Gas estimates
A TEENAGE girl returned to the family home one evening to find a stranger walking down the stairs. As the 17-year-old entered the front door, the figure made off through the back door, leaving a trail of muddy foot prints. The shaken teenager
THE present Future Business Magnates (FBM) champions are vying to retain their crown by coming up with another innovative idea. Last year, Framwellgate School, in Durham, won the competition by devising a business that recycled greetings cards
EUROPE’S car manufacturers are facing their worst crisis since the Great Depression and need government help to survive, the president of Nissan insists. Carlos Ghosn, who is also president of the European Car Makers’ Association and head of
BUSINESSES are being invited to join forces to promote and support each other during the economic slump and beyond. Companies of all sizes and from all sectors can join the South Durham Business Network, which will be launched tomorrow. The
AN online bingo operator is creating 60 jobs in the North- East on the back of a boom in the internet gambling industry, The Northern Echo can reveal. Tombola.co.uk has become one of the UK’s biggest and most popular online bingo sites, with
A DIRECTOR of the North-East’s biggest independent insurance broker has been appointed chairman of the regional committee of the British Insurance Brokers Association. Denis Pinnegar, business development director at BiB Insurance, in Darlington
A NEW phase in a building society’s long-term investment in Gibraltar has begun with the opening of a flagship branch. The British Governor to Gibraltar, Sir Robert Fulton, joined Colin Seccombe, chief executive of Newcastle Building Society
A PROJECT that has helped launch 1,000 technology companies and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in the US is being established in the North-East to help fledgling firms thrive during the economic storm. Connect North-East launches today
A SCHOOL caretaker will take part in a half marathon to raise money for a young cancer sufferer at his school. Jon Adams, 51, who has been a caretaker at Norton Primary School, near Stockton, for 20 years, won free entry into the Redcar Half
TWO of the region's police forces have been named as being among 18 in the country found to have under-reported the amount of serious violent crime. North Yorkshire Police and Cleveland Police joined the UK's largest force, the Metropolitan Police, among
A PRIMARY school teacher killed herself on a railway track after battling depression and thyroid problems, an inquest heard. Debra Lovett, 37, left her family home early on July 31 last year and walked to the railway line near Billingham Beck
ARTIST Damien Hirst has donated a painting worth more than £10,000 to raise money for a cancer charity. Whoever buys the work will be supporting The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and have the chance to meet the former Newcastle and England manager
AN ATTEMPT to keep secret the details of MPs’ £87m-ayear expenses claims was abandoned yesterday after an embarrassing climbdown by Gordon Brown. Amid rising public anger, the Prime Minister scrapped a vote due today that would have exempted
ENTREPRENEUR Duncan Bannatyne called yesterday for new legislation to crack down on adults smoking near children or selling them cigarettes. The Dragons’ Den star spoke out as he was unveiled as “UK Children’s Champion” for the stopsmoking
FIVE years after it was saved for the nation, a new SOS has been issued to bring the legendary Flying Scotsman back to the mainline. The Steam Our Scotsman appeal aims to raise £250,000 to complete the restoration of one of the world’s most
A WIDOW has criticised the Ministry of Defence after it started a legal battle to block compensation payments to nuclear test veterans. Sheila Gray’s husband, Frank, died of cancer in 1992, 40 years after he witnessed nuclear bomb testing in the
A TEN-YEAR Constitution for the NHS was unveiled by Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday – but offered nothing new for patients battling to get expensive drugs. The £1m document sets out what patients can expect from the NHS, including access
FIFTY motorists have launched a legal challenge claiming a mistake by roadworkers means their speeding tickets are unlawful. If successful, the appeal could open the door to challenges from hundreds of drivers who have already paid their £60
A JEALOUS man killed his partner days after she returned from a holiday in Australia, where he believed she had been having an affair, a court heard yesterday. John Bickford, 60, a heavy drinker, is alleged to have attacked mother-of-three Carol
BUSKING charity fundraiser Norman Evans has launched his biography. The book, called We May as Well Dance, has been co-written by friends Stephen Proudman, the chairman of the Real Opportunity Centre (Roc), in Redcar, east Cleveland, and Roc
TWO teenage mums who subjected a terrified 16-year-old to a frenzied and brutal attack were yesterday found guilty of attempted murder. The girl was repeatedly stabbed, kicked, punched and forced to strip during her ordeal on the banks of the
A FORMER foreign correspondent, whose biggest scoop came during the early years of the Cold War, has died aged 83. John Rettie, who lived in Coverdale, North Yorkshire, spent nearly 50 years stationed abroad, working mostly for the Guardian newspaper
EMPLOYEES across the North-East faced the quickwitted banter of commentator Sid Waddell when they took to the oche for a darts challenge yesterday. Teams of workers played matches organised by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North-East to
POLICE are growing increasingly concerned for the safety of a man who went missing from his home more than a week ago. Derek Raymond Brinkley, 52, of Ripon, was last seen by his wife on January 12. He last contacted her on January 14. Police
NATIONALISED Northern Rock provoked outrage last night after the bank confirmed plans to pay staff a ten per cent bonus for hitting targets. On the same day that figures revealed record numbers of people losing their jobs across the region,
UNEMPLOYMENT in the North-East is higher than any other region in the country, reaching levels not seen for nearly a decade, figures showed yesterday. The figures do not include thousands more jobs lost in the past two months. However, one business
