POLICE launched their stinger in order to halt a suspected stolen car in Darlington tonight. The grey Ford Fiesta had been spotted earlier in the evening and showed up on the police computer as a suspicious vehicle. It was brought to a stop by the stinger
Moby’s own record label Little Idiot is set to release his new album Wait For Me on 29th June. Moby recorded the album very DIY in his home studio; he drew the album artwork with a black sharpie on copy paper, asked his friends to record the vocals and
Old Crows/Young Cardinals is the new, fourth studio album from American rock band Alexisonfire. Most of the album was written at home, following a long stint on the road. Lead vocalist George Pettit said he was unaware of the direction in which the band
A CONSERVATIVE MP disowned by his own side - but backed enthusiastically by Labour MPs - will lead the clean-up of the Commons, after John Bercow was elected the new Speaker tonight. The former right-winger, who made a remarkable political journey
A BARMAN was recovering in hospital today after undergoing surgery to remove part of a metal fence spike from his leg. Christopher Simpson, 18, became impaled on the pointed fence rail as he slipped trying to climb it while taking a short cut
THE Premier League has awarded all of the live matches formerly held by Setanta to the Disney-owned broadcaster ESPN. ESPN have not only been awarded the two packages of 46 live games for next season, but in a surprise move by the Premier League also
A GRATEFUL father is to abseil from the top of a hotel to raise money for charity which saved his son’s life. Nine-year-old Christopher Jefferson was airlifted to hospital after a steel fence weighing a quarter of a tonne fell on him as he played with
A CARIBBEAN steel pan group is celebrating after winning lottery funding in the latest round of grants. Brian Wise, artistic director of the U CRE8 Community Arts group, said that the Awards For All funding of nearly £8,000 would help develop musical
FIVE safari-themed parties for children with disabilities and their families are taking place this summer. The free parties include activities such as arts and crafts, games and fancy dress competitions, and are open to members of Durham County Council's
Stuart Swales will make a dramatic return to Premier League racing as he lines up for the Bears against the Birmingham Brummies at the South Tees Motorsport Park on Thursday evening at 7.30pm. The Stockton- based ex- Middlesbrough Bear is a member of
SUSPECTED cocaine worth several thousand pounds has been seized by police, in an ongoing war against drug dealers. A total of 32g of the substance, thought to be a particularly pure form of the Class A drug, was recovered during a raid on a property
ASHES-winning captain Michael Vaughan's hopes of reclaiming the urn as a player are all but over after he was left out of England's 16-man training squad for this summer's series alongside fellow 2005 hero Steve Harmison. The former skipper, who resigned
A 3D sculpture of children’s fairy tale character the Frog Prince is part of fun art projects at a south Durham school. Youngsters at Kirk Merrington Primary School, in Spennymoor, have worked alongside artist Gemma Bell and Steve Marshall to create
Byers Green Under 11s held their presentation night at Bishop Auckland’s Cumberland Arms on Wednesday night. The evening raised £400 for the team. John Garnett of International Tyres was thanked for his donation.
This year's Crook Carnival procession will set off from the top of Hope Street on Saturday July 4 at 10.30am. Radio hams, model aeroplanes, Teesdale Dog Fly Ball Team, pony rides, a brass band and country and western singer Denis Makepeace will be part
NEWCASTLE United will kick off their pre-season preparations in Ireland with a friendly match against Shamrock Rovers on Saturday, July 11 (kick-off 3pm). The Hoops are managed by former United striker Michael O'Neill and are currently in third position
COUNCIL staff absences have dropped to their lowest rates in six years, according to new figures released this week. Nearly a quarter of employees at Darlington Borough Council blame absence on stress, depression and mental health. Statistics
STUDENTS have created an array of artwork to help create the right ambience at a North-East hospice. Embroidered butterflies, fabric screens, glassware, lifestyle furniture and decorative window hangings now adorn the brand new Woodlands annexe at St
WORK to recreate the Monks' Walk through Gisborough Priory was given a boost when a team of volunteers turned up to lend a hand. In the shade of the magnificent lime trees, the willing helpers transplanted wild garlic and other plants to nearby areas
A WOMAN found with serious facial injuries in a North Yorkshire house is still in intensive care in hospital. Named locally as Margaret Barlow, she was found at the bottom of the stairs at her home in Ingleby Arncliffe, near Northallerton, last Tuesday
A WOMAN found with serious facial injuries in a North Yorkshire house is still in intensive care at hospital. Named locally as Margaret Barlow, she was found at the bottom of the stairs at her home in Ingleby Arncliffe, near Northallerton.
POLICE working in the West Dyke area of Redcar have a new base to work from. The local neighbourhood policing team has taken up residence in Rye Hills School so they can work in the heart of the community. PC Kelly Jarvis and PCSO Sharon White now have
Old criminal records of minor offences are a valuable tool in the fight against crime and must not be deleted from the national computer database, the Court of Appeal was told today. Five chief constables are challenging a ruling by the Information Commissioner
A TEAM of special constables have been commended in an awards ceremony held at the Home Office. Redcar and Cleveland Special Constabulary were presented with a certificate from Minister of State David Hanson to commend their hard work and ability
THE RSPCA is looking for the owner of a greyhound found abandoned in a stable block at one of their North-East centres. The dog, named Flax, was heard crying in the tack room as staff locked up at the Great Ayton Animal Centre, near Middlesbrough at
VILLAGERS will be able to get closer to nature, following a £20,000 fundraising campaign. The money has paid for new paths, bridges, a wildflower meadow, a wetland scrape and a pond dipping platform at Witton Dene wildlife reserve, Witton Gilbert. The
A MAN has been left needing hospital treatment after being robbed as he made his way home from a night out. The 25-year-old was attacked outside St Leonard's Church, in Durham City in the early hours of Sunday morning. The victim was heading up Framwelgate
THE V8-engined R8 hits 0- 60mph in a shade over four seconds and is capable of reaching speeds close to 190mph. Hardly a slouch in anyone’s book. Still, the boffins at Audi obviously felt that was just not quick enough and so have now slapped
AS every schoolboy knows, R comes before S in the dictionary, so you could be forgiven for assuming that the Civic Type-S is an even sportier version of the already barking mad Civic Type-R. You’d be wrong. As far as Honda is concerned, things
LAURA ROBSON'S Wimbledon challenge ended in the first round with defeat to Daniela Hantuchova in three sets. Robson, 15, last year's girls' champion, produced some huge serves as she powered to the first set. But the pressure of her debut
YOUNGSTERS at a Bedale prep-school have been picked to head off to top schools including one to Eton. The six Aysgarth School pupils are celebrating the achievement after they passed the entrance exams to the schools. Toby Tricks was awarded a King’
YORK CITY have confirmed a pre-season friendly against Leeds United on Sunday July 12, kick off 1.00pm. York City supporters can pay at the turnstiles for the all sections of the ground and no advance tickets will be sold. Prices are £10 for
TRIBUTE will be paid to the men and women of the armed forces this weekend. A special Veterans and Armed Forces Day is being held in Richmond town hall from 2pm to 4pm on Saturday, June 27. The purpose is for the town to show its appreciation to those
A LOCAL author is helping to raise £1m through the sales of his new book to boost a fundraising appeal on the North York Moors Railway. Former North Yorkshire Police officer Mike Pannett is to release his book You’re Coming With Me Lad.
PEOPLE are being given the chance to air their views on the highways and transport services in North Yorkshire. A random sample of more than 4,500 residents will be invited to take part in a major nationwide survey designed to ensure advances
The continuing saga of MPs' expenses provided the ammunition for this morning's Headline Game on TFM radio. Foreign Secretary David Miliband has laughably claimed £50 photographs of himself during line dancing classes in his South Shields constituency
I've been on holiday for the past week but nothing seems to have changed as far as politicians are concerned. After all that's happened over MPs' expenses, the machinations behind the process to find a new Speaker are utterly depressing. Government
A PHOTOGRAPH which has been turned into a greetings card has raised nearly £200 in its first two months on sale. Peter Roberts made his photograph of High Row, Darlington, draped in fog, into a card to raise money for the towns St Teresa's Hospice.
THE next monthly drop-in session for breast cancer patients at the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Catterick Garrison will be held on July 6 from 10am to noon. Patients and women in the local community are welcome to drop in to see one of the specialist
A TEENAGER is to realise his dream of joining the Army after combining his military ambitions with invaluable studies. Student Daniel Graham was chosen from scores of people nationwide to undertake the Army Further Education Bursary Scheme last September
AROUND 1,000 people risked their jobs today by taking part in an unsanctioned walkout. The workers from the Ensus Wheat Refinery at Wilton decided the unofficial strike was necessary to show solidarity with workers at The Lindsey Oil Refinery
National Basketball in association with Ravenwood Roofing; the leading home improvements company in Middlesbrough & Teesside Middlesbrough Lions have captured the highly rated shooting guard; Lee Norton from Wear Valley Warriors in their fourth pre
AGE Concern Darlington has celebrated the work of local volunteers by holding an awards evening. A total of 70 of the charitys 150 volunteers in the town attended the evening and 37 awards were presented by new Chief Executive, Gillian Peel. Volunteers
STAFF and students at a new Darlington academy will take a special memento with them when they move into their new £16.4m building in September. Eastbourne Church of England Academy will take a cross made from timbers once used in furniture at the current
A MAN lost six stone in five months after becoming frustrated at not being able to play with his granddaughter in the park. A car accident in 1999 left Neil Wadge with neck and back injuries. Because of this, Mr Wadge became increasingly inactive and
TEN candidates are in the race to be elected Speaker of the House of Commons at the close of nominations this morning. The candidates are: :: Margaret Beckett (Lab, Derby South) :: Sir Alan Beith (Lib Dem, Berwick-upon-Tweed) :: John
Film-maker Michael Wadleigh talks to Steve Pratt about his experiences 40 years after he recorded the Woodstock festival FORTY years ago this. summer, a music festival held on a dairy farm in a tiny rural community exploded into one of the defining
Tristram Shandy fans travel for miles to visit the ramshackle house in a pretty North Yorkshire village where this complex literary masterpiece took shape. Ruth Campbell joins the pilgrims to discover a world turned on its head. SHANDY Hall has a leaking
Wimbledon (BBC1 and BBC2, various times from noon); The Wire (BBC2, 11.20pm); Real Crime: The Rachel Nickell Story (ITV1, 9.00pm). THE strawberries have ripened, the cream has been whipped, there are injury doubts surrounding our best hopes and
AFTER being a lifelong Labour supporter I find myself in something of a quandary over who to vote for. To be sure, I won’t vote Tory and the Liberal Democrats are a joke. Maybe I’ll form my own party and call it the “Stuff the lot of you, I’m
SURELY the elected members of Durham County Council who are involved must realise that the vast majority of the taxpaying electorate will always believe that there was something “odd” about the way in which the new Durham City park-and-ride contract
IN recent weeks I have come to sincerely believe that I and 99 per cent of the British people have themselves firmly rooted on planet Earth. The political and banking establishment are on planet Zog, however. We heard last Thursday that former
IT takes an understanding of history in order to appreciate the value of the EU. There have always been levels of conflict over control of materials. Britain’s superior forces enabled the empire to be built. Disputes over resources in Europe led
LAST week’s unemployment figures (Echo, June 18) show that the North-East is suffering badly from this recession and we need decisive action to turn the situation round. In the North Durham parliamentary constituency, unemployment has increased
I THINK that Gordon Brown will find that he has made a mistake in not initially deciding to have a public inquiry into the Iraq war and arranging that there is not to be a report until after the General Election. Now that British troops are not
FIVE surgeons were discussing which profession provided the best patients to operate on. The first says: “I like to see accountants on my operating table because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered.” The second responds
ALTHOUGH we are living through some very difficult and trying times, it does one’s heart the power of good when you see someone who still thinks of others less fortunate than ourselves. The Cooperative Funeralcare, in Shildon, County Durham, has
I WAS going to write a few words of praise for Arriva, now that it has replaced those beat-up, clapped-out, old rattle boxes with new stock, and better time-keeping on route 46 from Crook to Durham. But that was before Friday, June 12. After a
THE Labour Party abandoned socialism; I wonder why certain “socialists” have not abandoned the Labour Party. The rewriting of Clause IV of the 1918 Labour constitution was when the party renounced old socialist ideas, such as state ownership.
THANK you for your report of Richmond MP William Hague’s switching on of the new television system provided by the Friends of Richmond Friary Community Hospital (Echo, some editions, June 13). However, in addition to the money raised by the Friends
A WOMAN trampled to death by cows was a vet out walking with her dogs while on holiday, it has emerged. The 49-year-old was killed by a herd of cattle on a picturesque bridleway on the Pennine Way in the Yorkshire Dales. Police said
TODAY our MPs decide who is going to be the next Speaker of the House of Commons. The most suitable candidate will be the one who has a fresh face, fresh ideas and a refreshing dose of bravery. It will be someone who is prepared to talk tough to
There is no hiding place for a bobby on the beat on the North York Moors, Mike Pannett tells Steve Pratt. Now, after 20 years in the force, he is writing about the people. and places he encountered as a country copper ONE night in 1997, BBC producers
AUSTRALIA are still no closer to finalising their 12-man team for their opening tour match against Sussex, which starts in Hove on Wednesday. If vice-captain Michael Clarke knew the make-up of the side, he was giving away very little as the squad
DURHAM hope to have Mark Davies fit to return in their next championship match against division one’s bottom club, Worcestershire, starting at Riverside on June 30. First he will play in a threeday second team match against Hampshire at the Durham
YOU could forgive Azeem Rafiq for wanting to steer well clear of a Twenty20 Cup match between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire at Trent Bridge. Around this time last year the 18-year-old made his senior debut for the White Rose county in a crucial
FORMER Australia opener Justin Langer has heaped praise on Yorkshire’s young leg-spinner Adil Rashid, stating in no uncertain terms that he should be named in England’s Ashes squad. “I think he’s excellent,” he said. “If I was a selector I’d
NEW Zealand admitted it was like ‘‘amateurs playing the professionals’’ after England’s women clinched a second successive final triumph to lift the ICC World Twenty20 trophy. Having secured the 50-over version of the World Cup at Sydney in
THE weather wrecked the entire Dukes ECB North- East Regional Premier League programme, but not before Chris Rushworth made a big impression on his reappearance for Sunderland. He has recently been sidelined by injury and also signed a contract
SHAHID Afridi charged Pakistan to World Twenty20 glory as previously unbeaten Sri Lanka were defeated by eight wickets in the final at Lord’s. All-rounder Afridi hit an unbeaten 54 as he orchestrated a perfect Pakistani chase of their 139-run
NINE-TIME Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova insists British teenager Laura Robson will take to senior Wimbledon like a duck to water as she prepares to make her bow this week. Robson, 15, who has been drawn to face Slovakia’s 2002 SW19 quarter-finalist
WHEN Maria Sharapova captured the Wimbledon title as a fresh-faced 17-year-old in 2004 she announced herself on the world stage. Five years on and the blonde bombshell insists she can repeat the trick. The Florida-based Russian showed glimpses
LAURA Robson will be the first British player in action at Wimbledon today as she takes on Daniela Hantuchova at the All England Club. With Andy Murray not playing until tomorrow, the spotlight will be firmly on reigning junior Wimbledon champion
Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League BILLINGHAM Synthonia caused the shock of the season, when they beat leaders and reigning champions Middlesbrough in yesterday’s programme. Winless in 12, Synners looked set for another loss at the
WIMBLEDON is set to sizzle this week – so it’s a good job that Andy Murray likes it hot. All England Club organisers will smile at the irony after investing £80 million on a new centre court roof but forecasters don’t think it will be needed
DOUBLES specialist Jamie Murray will return to the site of his greatest tennis achievement this week, determined to rediscover his form. Murray beat younger brother Andy to a Grand Slam title when he partnered Jelena Jankovic to the Wimbledon
ROGER Federer will banish thoughts of creating tennis history as he seeks to regain his Wimbledon title. Federer’s victory in the French Open this month saw him become only the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam. A first triumph
STUART Pearce has written off his chances of being next in line to England boss Fabio Capello after revealing how his work with the Italian left him feeling ‘‘inept’’. Pearce has enhanced his reputation by assisting Capello and taking the Under
FIA president Max Mosley insists he is ‘‘very close’’ to an agreement with the Formula One Teams’ Association, which could stave off the threat of legal action being launched today. The prospect of a breakaway series being set up by the eight
LEWIS Hamilton was predictably downbeat after his nightmare 2009 season continued with a morale-sapping result in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Just 11 months on from having the F1 world in the palm of his hand with a mesmeric drive
VENUS Williams is targeting a third straight Wimbledon title, but is at a loss to explain her dominance at the All England Club. Williams has an amazing record in SW19, winning 58 of her 65 matches since making her debut in 1997. In the last
SUNDERLAND manager Steve Bruce will prioritise the improvement of his side’s defence this summer, but neither Calum Davenport nor Tal Ben Haim are in line for a permanent transfer to the Stadium of Light. Both Davenport and Ben Haim spent the
SCRUM coach Graham Rowntree confirmed the British and Irish Lions will make front-row changes for the second Test after failing to tame ‘‘the Beast’’ in the 26-21 defeat to South Africa. Phil Vickery was put through the mincer by Springbok loose-head
ALL good things must come to an end, and we have to wait another 12 months before Royal Ascot is upon us again, but we do have some great memories from the last week. Very rarely do we get to build up a relationship with any Flat horses like
JENSON Button and Lewis Hamilton were swamped with the kind of Brit fever that made Sebastian Vettel wish he was English after a win to savour. There were no triumphant scenes of patriotic jubilation at the British Grand Prix as witnessed a year
It looks like Fridays report in the Northern Echo ruffled a few feathers! Here is Will Roberts’s article in todays paper. THE secretary of a crisis-hit club has hit back at members’ claims that he is keeping them in the dark over the organisation
PEAK District can exploit his considerably lower rating on the all-weather by winning the Winthrop Handicap at Lingfield today. Kevin Ryan has done a smashing job with this fiveyear- old, who was purchased from a Southwell claimer in April. Peak
RICKY Barnes further staked his claim to a US Open victory as the third round finally resumed with the major heading for a first Monday finish since 1983. More heavy rain fell at Bethpage Black overnight, saturating an already drenched course
South Africa 26 British and Irish Lions 21 UGO Monye underlined the British and Irish Lions’ crushing sense of frustration after a first Test defeat that has left them needing to create history against world champions South Africa. As the Lions
MICHAEL Vaughan will find out today whether he has a realistic chance of forcing his way back into England’s plans when an extended squad is announced for an Ashes training camp. The Yorkshire batsman has not featured for his country since stepping
MIKE Ashley is hoping to make progress on two different fronts this week as he battles to sell Newcastle United before the start of pre-season training on July 1. The Magpies owner will hold further talks with the four consortia currently involved
THERE were colourful scenes on one of the region’s rivers at the weekend, as council workers took part in a dragon boat regatta. Staff from local authorities including Darlington, Middlesbrough and Sunderland joined the light-hearted fun on
COUNTRYSIDE campaigners have warned that hundreds of village pubs and shops could close unless more is done to address a shortage of affordable housing in the region’s rural areas. A study published today by a coalition of campaign groups, including
A HOSPICE has held its biggest-ever Midnight Walk. The third annual St Cuthbert’s Hospice Midnight Walk attracted more than 750 women participants and raised about £70,000, beating previous records. Hospice events coordinator Lucy Baxter said
A THIEVING carer was caught on camera helping himself to an elderly dementia sufferer’s pension during a home visit. The 87-year-old victim’s suspicious son installed the hidden camera, focusing on her living room sideboard, where he left her
THE way a council determines which disabled people are in most urgent need of help is to be reviewed after a paralysed accident victim waited months to get a shower in his home. Durham County Council is sending workmen to start installing the
THE secretary of a crisis-hit club has hit back at members’ claims that he is keeping them in the dark over the organisation’s debt levels. Cockfield Workingmen’s Club has an estimated debt of £71,000 and faces a hearing at the end of the month
THIS week sees results from consumer electricals rivals DSG International and Kesa Electricals – the owners of Currys and Comet – while Bank of England Governor Mervyn King will also appear before MPs. The City will be hoping for positive
NICK BROWN, Minister for the North-East, visited a glass company, which is developing technology that could be used in a future electric vehicle market, and again underlined the importance of the upcoming industry to the region. Mr Brown was visiting
ONE of the region’s most esteemed chefs has joined the North-East’s newest luxury venue. Martin Moore is the chef at Rockliffe Hall, a hotel, golf and spa development in Hurworth, near Darlington, which is set to become the region’s second five-star
THE deadline for this year’s North-East Equality Awards has been extended due to the high level of demand from the region’s businesses. Award organisers Equality North-East said the number of inquiries from companies and organisations had been
THE closing date for entries for this year’s Hadrian Awards is next Monday. The biennial awards celebrate excellence in design, restoration or refurbishment of private homes, public buildings or landscape designs. The awards are a partnership
A GROWING enthusiasm for beekeeping has seen the numbers of people taking up the craft in the North-East double over the past year. Such has been the interest, that Durham Beekeepers Association found it was struggling to cope with the increased
MORE than 120 people took part in a piratethemed charity fun run. Dozens of children and adults, dressed in pirate costumes, walked and ran 5km along the banks of the River Wear, in Durham City, yesterday morning for the first Durham Pirate
AN academic has backed Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon’s fight against the Government over “illegal fines” on motorists. Mr Mallon has vowed to take on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) over demand notices issued to drivers – a practice
A FORMER Royal Navy chief petty officer, who has started his retirement by raising thousands of pounds for the Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes, is passing through the region. Dressed in an English Civil War pikeman’s uniform, Malcolm Cray
PRISON is inappropriate for many inmates of the North-East’s only women’s jail, according to an independent report. The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for Low Newton prison, near Durham City, says in its annual report that many of the jail
A FREEFALL parachute team dropped into Catterick Garrison Army base to wow crowds as part of an open day. The Black Knights Freefall Parachute Display Team landed at the event held at Marne Barracks on Saturday. Recognised as one of
NORTH-East MP David Miliband has been dragged into the expenses row after it was revealed he claimed £50 for photographs of himself line dancing. Mr Miliband, the Foreign Secretary and the Labour MP for South Shields, South Tyneside, charged
MORE than 140 veteran vehicles trundled along the region’s country roads yesterday, as the Beamish Run returned for another test of motoring reliability and endurance. However, one of its star attractions was unable to join the run after the
A LINE-UP of young unsigned bands has been announced for a North-East festival next weekend. The annual Darlington Community Carnival takes place on Saturday featuring parades, street performers, and live music on several stages. One of the
THE sale of Teesport owner PD Ports could be affected by the possible closure of a North-East Corus steel plant. Babcock and Brown Infrastructure (BBI) has been forced to reduce its £450m asking price to a reported £300m, according to business
STRUGGLING postmasters are facing bills of thousands of pounds after an administrative blunder by the Post Office. They were told that cash machines fitted in their stores as part of a Government scheme to give rural and urban deprived areas better
