Archive

  • Crimewatch appeal for Claudia brings new witnesses forward

    POLICE investigating the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence were contacted by potential witnesses tonight after an appeal on Crimewatch. Detectives used the programme to show new CCTV images of the chef leaving work on the day she vanished last

  • Man's death is "unexplained"

    THE death of a man at an address in Gateshead is being treated as "unexplained", police said tonight. Paramedics were called to reports of concern for a man at East Lea in Blaydon, and alerted police at 1.54pm today. Officers attended

  • Tax freeze agreed - and job cuts reduced

    FAMILIES in Darlington will bear no increase in council charges this year after the Labour cabinet's proposed tax freeze was approved tonight. The budget for 2010/11 and a four-year financial plan were agreed at a full council meeting, keeping Darlington's

  • Andy Carroll makes first court appearance on assault charge

    NEWCASTLE United footballer Andy Carroll appeared in court today charged with assault after an incident at a nightclub. The England Under-21 striker is accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Michael Cook, who plays for Crook Town,

  • Climbers stable in intensive care

    TWO experienced climbers, who were swept 750ft in an avalanche in the Lake District, remain in serious but stable condition in hospital. Extreme sports enthusiast Stuart Nelson, 21, of New Marske, east Cleveland suffered broken bones and facial injuries

  • Molly Dolly and the pipe of tea leaves

    SO Molly Dolly was not just a figament of Denis Coates' imagination. Following Molly's appearance in Wednesday's Echo Memories (and, of course, earlier on this blog), Nellie Garbutt has been in touch. She says: "I recall a 'Molly Dolly'

  • A fitting farewell

    Busy day which included attending the funeral of Darlington sporting stalwart Ken Dobinson. Ken, who died last week aged 87, was a true gentleman. I got to know him through New Blackwell Lawn Tennis Club, where he served as president.

  • School team reaches national quarter finals

    A SCHOOL volleyball team has reached the national quarter finals for the second year running. The Hummerknott Schools under-16s team will travel to Kettering, Northamptonshire, this weekend to play in the knock-out stages of the National Schools Volleyball

  • New Cygnett is a musical Maestro

    THE iPhone and the iPod Touch are great music players and, with their substantial storage capacity, they make an excellent jukebox replacement for a home hi-fi. Just imagine how uncluttered your home would be if you could throw away your piles

  • Tourism day for Wear Valley businesses

    DOZENS of businesses involved in tourism are pooling information next month. Durham County Council has chosen prestigious venues for three Tourism Distribution and Literature Exchange days where companies can share ideas and experiences. Thirty exhibitors

  • Drive to brighten up Bishop Auckland

    TOWN councillors are calling for public support for their efforts to brighten up their community. Bishop Auckland Town Council are sending out 9,000 leaflets asking for residents views and hope to win enough backing to set up a Friends of Bishop Auckland

  • 'Super PACT' meeting for Dene Valley residents

    RESIDENTS living in the Dene Valley area are being invited to a special Police and Communities Together (PACT) meeting. Entitled ‘Super PACT’, the meeting takes place at the Prince Bishop’s Primary School, on Gibson Street, Coundon Grange, on Thursday

  • County Durham residents satisfied with standard of policing

    RESIDENTS of County Durham and Darlington have confidence in their police and generally feel safe, according to a new survey. In County Durham, 69.6 per cent said the police and local council were dealing with anti-social behaviour and crime issues that

  • Jack Cook: Arnold Cook

    JACK COOK is trying to find a long-lost cousin he has not seen for 50 years. He is Arnold Cook, who was born in Howden-le-Wear and would now be in his 70s. He moved to Sunderland as a bank manager and married Maureen. Mr Cook believed his cousin now

  • Successful test for Wilks ahead of Brazil trip

    DARLINGTON rally driver Guy Wilks completed a successful test in Sardinia ahead of the Brazilian Rally next week. Wilks, who drives for Skoda UK Motorsport in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, completed two days of driving prior to leaving for the

  • Flying Scotsman's return delayed

    THE expected date to get historic steam locomotive Flying Scotsman back on the rails has been delayed until next year, National Railway Museum bosses said today. The effort to get the train back into use was predicted for this year, but has

  • Concerns grow for missing woman as search intensifies

    POLICE are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 30-year-old woman who has gone missing after visiting a pub. Leanne Chambers of Chester-le-Street is known to have visited a pub in the town's Front Street on Tuesday night and may have

  • Soldier shot dead in Afghanistan

    A SOLDIER was shot dead while on patrol in Afghanistan today - the second British serviceman killed in two days, the Ministry of Defence said. The soldier, from A Company, 4th Battalion The Rifles, part of the 3 Rifles Battle Group, died near

  • Revolutionary project gets underway

    A GROUND-BREAKING project which aims to get more women in Darlington cycling is set to get moving this weekend. Darlovelo has already secured a £33,000 grant from Bike Hub to buy and maintain a fleet of 40 Dutch-style bikes to hire out at a

  • Charity evening for baby with broken hip

    A CLUB singer is holding a charity evening tonight for a baby with a broken hip. Lydia Goldsborough, from Willington, was born with a poorly hip but not diagnosed with the break until she was 18 months old. Doctors say she will now have to wear a cast

  • Stage set for wartime romance

    AN award-winning student drama company return next month with its main show of the year, a romantic musical set against the unlikely backdrop of war-torn London. The Woodplayers are to stage a four-night run of Blitz! - The Musical at Collingwood College

  • Extra Energy

    Steve Pratt sets the scene for next month’s biennial AV International Festival which is bringing music and moving images to North-East venues. THE UK’s largest international festival of electronic arts is expanding into Middlesbrough. The North-East

  • Playgroup reopens one year on

    A PLAYGROUP has reopened, nearly a year after it was forced to close. Bearpark Playgroup temporarily folded last April, due to resource and staffing problems. But it reopened on Wednesday, with new equipment and supporters. The group will meet in Bearpark

  • Award winners set to be announced

    UNSUNG heroes from the past year will be crowned for their achievements at a glittering award ceremony on Friday night. More than 30 individuals, groups and businesses made the judges shortlist for this years Best of Darlington Awards.

  • ‘Baring my soul’

    Lynda Bellingham talks to Viv Hardwick about a stage version of Calendar Girls and a book which are exposing her to the world. LYNDA Bellingham is a little surprised to discover that I’m keen to discuss her acting in the altogether at Newcastle

  • Micmacs (12A)

    Stars: Dany Boon, Andrew Dussollier, Omar Sy, Dominique Pinon, Julie Ferrier, Nicolas Marie, Marie-Julie Baup, Michel Cremades, Yolande Moreau, Jean-Pierre Marielle Running time: 104 mins Rating: ★★★★ THE hero of the new film by Jean-Pierre

  • Everybody’s Fine (12A)

    Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell Running time: 100 mins Rating: ★★★ THIS fresh take on a 1990 Italian film from Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore is an old-fashioned family drama that isn’t afraid to

  • Leap Year (PG)

    Stars: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, John Lithgow, Adam Scott Running time: 100 mins Rating: ★★ BEGORRAH, bejesus. Be quiet, you eejit. This isn’t Ireland, this is an American’s view of Ireland which is as accurate as Dick Van Dyke’s cockney

  • Housing plans approved

    COMMUNITY leaders have welcomed the approval of a new housing estate as a boon to an East Durham town which has been designated a growth point. Durham county councillors have given the green light o a residential comprising 52 homes on the former

  • Archery marathon for charity

    BUDDING bowmen are being invited to raise money for charity during a 24-hour archery marathon. Members of Durham City Archers will be shooting arrows through the night in a sponsored event for Sports Relief. The marathon will start at 7pm on Friday,

  • ‘Just call me Bob’

    British director Kirk Jones tells Steve Pratt that his biggest worry was trying to find out how to address film star Robert De Niro. NEVER mind directing your first US film, how do you address your leading man when he’s Robert De Niro. British

  • Wayne Bridge withdraws from England selection

    WAYNE Bridge has decided not to put himself forward for England selection. The Manchester City player's decision leaves manager Fabio Capello with a huge headache - who to replace injured Ashley Cole at left back ahead of the World Cup.

  • Village voices

    Authenticity is at the heart of Northumberland Theatre Company’s latest work, A Village Life. Viv Hardwick talks to director Gillian Hambleton. CLOSING post offices, an ageing population and the threat of second home buyers forcing out country-raised

  • Purple Shards

    NEWCASTLE University band Purple Shards are celebrating a runner-up spot in the Kit Kat Battle Of The Bands final in London after winning a regional heat in Plymouth. Frankmusik, aka Vincent Frank, led the hunt for the music industry's raw new

  • Mumford & Sons: The Cave

    THE band have begun this decade much as they ended the last, with word-of-mouth recommendations and a fearsome live reputation helping them to become one of the most significant British success stories in recent years. The band has already

  • Field Music: Measure

    THIS 20-track album from Sunderland’s Field Music is exactly what you’d expect from the duo of Peter and David Brewis. While the songs are indie-rock with strong pop melodies, the album has not been made with mainstream success in mind. Instead

  • Inside Out Club

    WITH a Mercury-nominated album, Fantastic Playroom, and a string of electro-pop singles under their belts, The Bomb, Ice Cream and Get Lucky, London’s most glamorous new wavers, New Young Pony Club, are lined up to play Darlington’s Inside Out

  • Wolfmother: White Feather

    THIS release is the band’s latest anthem and one of the highlights from latest album Cosmic Egg. With its bluesy lead licks, AC/DC-esque thump and stadium sized chorus, expect it to be sung with a force. The song combines stylishly shimmying vocal

  • Erik Hassle: Pieces (Island)

    IT may have been some time coming, but Erik Hassle's intriguing debut has finally arrived at a moment when the kind of retro-electro pop in which he excels has hit the mainstream, with the likes of Lady Gaga and La Roux both shifting major units

  • February 25, 2010

    FOLK music jumped back into the mainstream last week, with an early morning appearance by serial BBC Folk Award winners Show of Hands on Breakfast TV, and then bbc Radio 2 DJ Simon Mayo trumpeting his love of all things folk in the columns

  • February 25, 2010

    WHAT’S ON: The Graeme Stephen Sextet + 1 is at Gateshead Old Town Hall tonight, 0191-433-8420. CD REVIEWS: The Dominic Norcross Quartet/Here Goes (Fflach CD320N) What a pleasure to hear such an enjoyable new saxophonist, taking a break from a commercial

  • Johnny Cash: American V1-Ain’t No Grave

    ANY true Johhnny Cash fan would know that tomorrow would have been The Man in Black’s 78th birthday. With that in mind, American Recordings and Lost Highway Records are releasing the sixth and final instalment of his critically acclaimed American

  • February 25, 2010

    WHAT’S ON: Mario Venzago conducts Northern Sinfonia and Chorus at The Sage Gateshead, 7.30pm, tomorrow. Violinist Sayaka Shoji performs Schumann’s Violin Concerto. Box Office: 0191-433-4661. REVIEWS: Graham Fitkin: Circuit (BISSACD- 1517) An accomplished

  • Everyday glory

    Will Roberts talks to Courteeners drummer Michael Campbell about the band’s steady rise to fame. THERE’S a buzz about The Courteeners at the moment. Their first single from their second album is currently the darling of the airwaves and they’ll

  • DVDs/BLU RAY new to rent

    Fantastic Mr Fox (PG, 87 mins, Twentieth Century, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £28.99) Voices of: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Eric Anderson, Hugo Guinness, Michael Gambon, Brian Cox, Bill Murray. MR FOX (voiced by Clooney

  • Beautifully evil

    Richard Burkhard tells Viv Hardwick about using a touch of Geoffrey Palmer to create a comic baddie for the Newcastle tour of Ruddigore. RUDDIGORE is the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta that isn’t seen too often, which surprises singer Richard

  • Food festival admission charges could be dropped

    ADMISSION charges could be dropped if a food festival goes ahead again this year. Traders and visitors claimed that only 4,000 people attended Darlington Food Festival last October because people were put off by admission charges. A investigation into

  • Hundreds of jobs pledged at new £100m wind turbine centre

    Hundreds of new jobs are to be created in the North-East under a £100m investment in a new wind turbine research centre, it was announced today. Mitsubishi said it was looking at a number of sites in north east England to carry out research into building

  • Fatal Encounter, Darlington Civic Theatre

    IAN DICKENS Productions makes a welcome return to the Civic with this thriller by prolific writer Francis Durbridge. Nicholas Ball, Anita Harris and Neil Stacy take the lead roles in a play full of twists and turns in true Durbridge style.

  • Scam...per time

    MOTHER of three, wife of five (not all at once) and now killer. Gail McIntyre – or Gail the hamster as we know and love her – has led a rich and varied life that other small rodents can only dream about. Not for her days spent paddling away

  • Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, Newcastle Theatre Royal

    DANZA Contemporanea de Cuba made their debut at Newcastle Theatre Royal on Tuesday with an extraordinary dance triptych of superb Cuban rhythm. The distinct style of this company is spontaneous and full of Spanish magic, tangled with African

  • Ray of hope

    Hung (C4, 10.45pm); British Columbia: Canada’s Olympic Wilderness (BBC2, 8pm); Scams, Claims and Compensation Games (C4, 9pm). YOU’RE stuck in a rut, your wife has left you and you’re struggling to pay the bills and look after the children. So

  • Freedom of the Boro

    An injured soldier, the American Civil War and the chance of a new life in Middlesbrough for a member of the black slave family that saved him. HARRY DIXON JESSOP set sail for America at the age of 15, was 18 when conscripted into the Confederate

  • Healthcare

    RE health editor Barry Nelson’s article about doctors urging patients to back a campaign calling for an end to creeping commercialisation of the NHS and specifically the comments attributed to Dr Clive Peedell, of the British Medical Association

  • MPs and trust

    DOES anyone else feel as I do that present politicians still do not understand that the reason people are apathetic about voting is because of the expenses scandal? They have lost the trust of most of the population, regardless of which party is

  • Cabinet away-day

    DR Abdul Jaleel stated: “The mind boggles as to why a Labour PM and his overworked Cabinet should find time to visit our region so near to a General Election” (HAS, Feb 22). I can answer this statement with three simple letters – B, N and P. Our

  • Betrayal

    IT was a serious betrayal of trust for Christine Pratt, of the National Bullying Helpline, to reveal confidential allegations of bullying at No 10 (Echo, Feb 23). It would have been a different matter if the staff themselves had chosen to confront

  • Christianity

    ROBERT Meggs asks which is more likely to cause offence; “the macabre, cannibalistic celebration of the barbaric death of a long-gone innocent, though deluded, Galilean” or a mobile phone ringing during holy communion in a church service (HAS,

  • Favour for Brown?

    THE General Election approaches on a date yet to be announced and I have wondered what the odds would be of New Labour winning another term. Perhaps there would be more chance of Elvis Presley winning the Grand National riding Shergar. However

  • Fairer for all

    A PROMINENT Labour politician once said: “We are not just here to manage capitalism, but to change society and define its finer values.” With a General Election looming, those words are a timely reminder of Labour’s core values. Merely “managing

  • Serving up high standards

    Darlington College’s new principal is aiming to make further education five star. Ian Lamming examines Tim Grant’s recipe for success. A PERFECTLY tied Windsor knot sits snugly inside a crisp collar. The suit is neatly pressed, hair groomed, shoes

  • Oh so slow progress on transport

    WHEN I go shopping, I head to Croydon, just south of London, because it’s close, has some decent CD shops and boasts a sleek tram to glide me there in comfort. Sorry if that description sets your teeth on edge, given that the Tees Valley is still

  • Value in defeat

    DURHAM’S failure to make it onto the shortlist to become Britain’s first City of Culture is clearly a disappointment. But the fact that its omission has also come as such a surprise shows how far Durham has come since it launched its ambitious

  • Aston Villa 3 Crystal Palace 1

    Aston Villa 3 Crystal Palace 1 ASTON VILLA manager Martin O’Neill praised the commitment of his players in their last game before Sunday’s Carling Cup final as they stayed on course for a Wembley double. Villa overcame Crystal Palace 3-1 in an

  • Inter Milan 2 Chelsea 1

    Inter Milan 2 Chelsea 1 FRANK LAMPARD believes Chelsea still have it all to play for but admitted their old boss Jose Mourinho set them a tough task as Inter Milan claimed a 2-1 victory in their Champions League clash. Salomon Kalou’s goal could

  • Hall can prove he is the Master at Huntingdon

    MASTER OF THE HALL can book his Cheltenham ticket with victory in the freebets.co.uk Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon. The Saddlers’ Hall gelding won his only point-to-point start in his native Ireland, after which he made

  • Chief shows he’s still the top dog

    CHIEF DAN GEORGE showed there is still plenty of mileage left in him with a bold display in the sportingbet. com Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Doncaster. A Grade One winner over hurdles at the Aintree Festival in 2007, Jimmy Moffatt’s ten-year-old

  • Shahzad keen to keep learning

    ENGLAND newcomer Ajmal Shahzad has already experienced the ups and downs of life as an international cricketer and is keen to prove he belongs at that level. Yorkshire all-rounder Shahzad, selected by his country for the first time for the

  • Little Master revels in record display

    SACHIN TENDULKAR revealed any thoughts of a double ton were pushed firmly to the back of his mind as he set about crafting the greatest ever batting display in oneday international history against South Africa in Gwalior yesterday. The Little

  • Tait out to make his mark against Ireland

    MATHEW TAIT is determined to make up for lost time and prove he can be England’s answer to Brian O’Driscoll. The 24-year-old does not have a history of making bold statements and even this one was whispered almost shyly in a corridor at the

  • Flanker on home territory

    NEWCASTLE FALCONS and Northumbria University flanker Mark Wilson will represent England Students on home soil tomorrow evening. Wilson is part of the England Students side that will face Irish Colleges at Kingston Park and, as part of the build-up

  • Region to stage Commonwealth qualifier

    SUNDERLAND Aquatic Centre will find itself in the national spotlight in August after it was selected as the host venue for the British Gas ASA National Swimming Championships. The competition, which takes place from August 18 to 21, will be

  • Bernard keen on return to Quakers

    FORMER Darlington favourite Olivier Bernard is keen to return to the club that gave him his first taste of English league action. The Frenchman is studying for his FA coaching badges and is eyeing a role with the Quakers once he gains full

  • Fry confirms Boro interested in Boyd

    PETERBOROUGH director of football Barry Fry has confirmed that Middlesbrough have made a renewed attempt to sign George Boyd, and admitted that the attacking midfielder could be allowed to leave London Road in the next couple of weeks. Posh

  • Young Magpies eye last four spot

    NEWCASTLE UNITED Academy director Joe Joyce expects this evening’s FA Youth Cup quarter-final with Crystal Palace to showcase “one or two” players who will go on to represent the club’s senior side in the near future. The Magpies’ youth team

  • O’Donovan increases Turner’s options

    THE arrival of Roy O’Donovan at Hartlepool United extends the striking options for Chris Turner – and the Irishman has already had a major impact. A willingness to chase and harrass caused problems galore for the Carlisle back four on Tuesday

  • Richardson yearns for attacking role

    HE has played at left-back, left midfield and central midfield this season, but Sunderland jack-of-all-trades Kieran Richardson feels he will never be able to fill his preferred position because of an English fear of fluidity. While he is confident

  • Capello’s warning for Owen

    FABIO CAPELLO has reiterated that Michael Owen needs more playing time with Manchester United if he wants to make the World Cup squad. The England manager is in the process of narrowing down his options before selecting a 23-man squad for the

  • Chairman still convinced change was for the better

    AS Middlesbrough approach what could be the defining four weeks of their season chairman Steve Gibson still insists he was correct to make a managerial change with only a third of the campaign gone. Boro host Queens Park Rangers, Championship

  • ‘Poisoned’ baby’s illness could have been natural

    A PAEDIATRICIAN giving evidence at an attempted murder trial has admitted that some of the life-threatening episodes suffered by a baby could have been caused by a natural condition. Dr Kate Ward had previously told a jury that some of the boy

  • Swapping ice rink for the desert

    A HOCKEY player from the region has swapped the chill of the ice rink for slightly warmer climes after being deployed in Afghanistan with the RAF. Teresa Lewis from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is on her first operational tour after being

  • Call for more detox beds to treat patients

    THERE is still a “massive” shortfall in the number of detox beds available to treat alcoholics in the region, it was claimed last night. Speaking on the eve of a conference in Durham City about facilities for problem drinkers, Mick Davies, addiction

  • Developer still committed to steelwork plans

    QUESTIONS are being raised about a former steelworks site which is due to be redeveloped. Weardale Castings and Engineering, in Wolsingham, County Durham, ceased trading in May 2008 after 140 years in the village. Tow Law developer Banks

  • City campaigners admit defeat over statue move

    CAMPAIGNERS who fought to stop a landmark statue being moved have finally admitted defeat. The City of Durham Trust conservation group led a long-running effort against relocating the Lord Londonderry statue 26 metres across the city’s Market

  • Northern Rock savers lose security

    SAVERS investing their money with Northern Rock will no longer have it 100 per cent guaranteed by the Government, it was announced yesterday. The Government issued the guarantee in September 2007 as savers queued around the block to get their

  • Grants boost bid for electric cars

    THE chances of Nissan’s Leaf car being produced at Sunderland were boosted today by Government grants for drivers who buy electric vehicles. The announcement forms part of a package which will also see the North-East receive £7.8m to roll

  • Anti-congestion scheme a success

    MORE cyclists are taking to the streets of a town thanks to the success of a scheme to cut traffic congestion. The number of cycling trips in Darlington increased by more than a half and pupils also made five times as many trips to school during

  • ‘High-speed rail will increase North salaries’

    WORKERS in the North East will be £1,000-a-year richer – and residents of Yorkshire £700 better off – if a network of high-speed rail lines is built, a study finds today. The analysis, by management consultants KPMG, also concludes 95,000 jobs

  • HMS Ark Royal makes the trip home

    A ROYAL Navy aircraft carrier berthed in the North- East for a five-day visit yesterday. HMS Ark Royal returned to the River Tyne, an area with which it has a close affiliation. Its steel was first cut at Swan Hunter’s yard in Wallsend in

  • House prices recovering

    HOUSEBUILDER Barratt Developments yesterday said customer demand for homes and prices continued to recover as it reported a 27 per cent increase in half-year orders. But the firm said mortgage availability continued to be constrained, adding

  • How to speak up for yourself

    TONGUE-TIED entrepreneurs will be given tips on how best to present their businesses at an event about public speaking next month. For many business owners, presenting in front of an audience can fill them with fear and may let them down on

  • Hub provides work for dales builders

    ABOUT 80 construction workers, most from County Durham, are to benefit from work on a £4.3m project for young people. Clugston Construction is building The Hub, a centre in Barnard Castle aimed at 13 to 19-year-olds. The Hub will not only benefit

  • Flight could mean £7m for the region’s economy

    THE region’s newest air route will generate £7m each year for the North-East economy and will help to underpin and create jobs, airline Ryanair said yesterday. The Irish low fares carrier revealed it will be launching a route from Newcastle International

  • Feeling the heat with the master

    A YOUNG chef from the North-East yesterday attended a masterclass with Marco Pierre White to highlight the importance of apprenticeships. Phillip Mayes, 20, joined 14 other apprentices from across the UK in the kitchen of celebrity chef Mr Pierre

  • Website becomes airline forum

    A WEB design company has taken over the internet site of a failed airline which it created, but was not paid for. The website of Excelsis Airways has now been transformed into a forum for visitors to recount their experiences of the airline and

  • Tony Blair’s agent left in a write old pickle

    RARE stamps with former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s signature on them have been found during a clear-out of his old constituency home. Mr Blair’s former agent, John Burton, found two first day covers as he was clearing out Myrobella House,

  • Public-funded paper ditched by council

    THE axe has fallen on the first publicly-funded council newspaper in the region in the face of growing criticism. The Curlew, a twice-yearly newspaper produced by Richmondshire District Council in North Yorkshire, fell victim to the recession

  • Residents to pay 4% more for police force

    THOUSANDS of people in the region will pay four per cent more for their police force from April. Durham Police Authority, the parent body of Durham Police, which covers County Durham and Darlington, approved a 3.99 per cent rise in its council

  • PM expresses anger over fate of Corus

    GORDON BROWN spoke of his anger at the decision of steel firm Corus to mothball its Teesside plant with the loss of 1,700 jobs. The Prime Minister said yesterday the Government was doing all it could to find a buyer for the Redcar site. And he

  • Anger over venue for teacher training

    UNIONS have criticised a cash-strapped council for spending thousands of pounds of Government money on a teacher-training day at an upmarket hotel. As part of the session, ten Darlington Borough Council staff will also be treated to an overnight

  • Twist of fate for plunge survivor

    A FATHER was helping rescue a drowning woman at almost the same moment his son was engulfed by an avalanche in the Lake District, it has been revealed. Police last night named 21-year-old North-East climber Stuart Nelson as one of the victims

  • Crimewatch to renew appeals for missing Claudia

    NEW CCTV footage of a university chef who has been missing for nearly a year will be shown on national television tonight. Claudia Lawrence, 35, from Heworth, North Yorkshire, has not been seen since March 18 and failed to arrive for work at the University