Police are investigating a suspicious blaze involving five vehicles in the centre of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, this evening. Two fire crews from Harrogate responded to an initial report of a wagon on fire at a depot in The Grove area of town at 5.43pm
Father Christmas is currently being tracked by America's air defence body as he approaches the North-East and North Yorkshire. North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) is keeping tabs on his progress for the 55th year as he moves westward around
A MAN enjoying a Christmas night-out with workmates was hit in the face with a bottle in a Darlington nightclub. Police today issued an appeal for witnesses to the unprovoked attack. It happened in Inside-Out on Beaumont Street West
Two men have been arrested after a 51-year-old man was slashed, police said today. The victim was treated at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough for a swollen arm and cuts to his head and an arm. The incident happened at
KATHLEEN SMITH is trying to find an old friend. She was Lillie Lightfoot, used to be Lillie Thompson. She can be contacted on 01325-281230.
THE Government has finally axed a controversial regional fire control centre because of time and cost over-runs. The North-East centre would have been one of nine to replace individual brigade control rooms. County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne
A HOUSING charity has won temporary planning permission to convert a home for the elderly into accommodation for former services personnel. Single Homeless Action Initiative in Derwentside (SHAID) plans to use the St Peter’s Court complex of
Darlington's Boxing Day game has been postponed. Quakers were due to face Fleetwood Town, but the playing surface at The Northern Echo Arena failed a pitch inspection today. With more freezing temperatures forecast, the game has been shelved and now
POLICE investigating the disappearance of a woman from Bristol are sharing information with officers looking for missing York chef Claudia Lawrence. Architect Joanna Yeates, 25, has not been seen since last Friday, following a night out with friends.
A MAN was hospitalised following an attack in a Darlington nightclub. Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident which took place on Saturday, December 18, at about 2.30am at Inside Out on Beaumont Street West. The victim, a 36-year-old man
A CAT which disappeared four years ago has been reunited with its owners for Christmas thanks to microchip technology. Black cat Colin disappeared in August 2006 shortly after Peter and Maria ONeill moved to Garstang, Lancashire. Roaming wild as a feral
MOTORSPORT fans will be heading to Croft Circuit for the tenth annual running of the Specsavers Christmas Stages Rally, which takes place on December 28. Organisers have assembled a capacity 95-car entry for the event run by the Northallerton Automobile
A MERGER between a North-East electric truck maker and its US partner has been completed in a $15m (£9.74m) deal. Wearside based Tanfield Group's Smith Electric Vehicles division has been bought by its US partner Smith Electric Vehicles US
A BOY was punched in the face and robbed of his phone in a street attack last night. A juvenile has been arrested by Darlington police in connection with the attack, which happened at about 7.30pm outside the town's Job Centre in Bondgate. Inspector
After many days with temperatures remaining below zero, and falling dramatically at night, the Tees at Whorlton has become more solid than liquid.
MIDDLESBROUGH'S Championship clash with Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day has been postponed. A statement on the club's website said the match was called off for safety reasons. "Following a recommendation from the stadium's Safety Advisory
A MAN who waited five long years for a life-changing kidney transplant was called up for surgery - on the same day his wife had a heart attack. Ian Reynolds almost passed-up the chance of the vital organ to stay by his wife Karen's side after she was
POLICE are appealing for information after a bus passenger became involved in a heated arguement with a driver. The altercation that occurred on the 6A Arriva bus outside Waterstones in Darlington at about 2.25pm on Tuesday. "A passenger in his mid-
THIS much I know about Christmas... There is no such thing as the perfect Christmas. It exists only in adverts and glossy magazines. And if it did exist it would – like the perfect mother – be extremely tedious. ❄ Snow is better on Christmas
THREE days of Christmas TV – and the schedules have an eerie feel of this time last year. Nothing much changes. A Doctor Who Christmas special along with seasonal episodes of The Royle Family, Strictly Come Dancing. A new Poirot whodunit and a
A service with all the trimmings brings warmth to a chilly eve at Chilton. CHRISTMAS Eve and no rest for the Reverend Carole Lloyd, priest-incharge of Chilton, near Ferryhill, and of its distant cousins in Coxhoe and Kelloe. There are
YET again despite the festive season and goodwill to all, Christopher Wardell it seems cannot take a vacation and continues to enthrall us all with his inane ramblings (HAS, Dec 22), this time on the gripping subject of “snoods” as worn by certain
AS the clock ticks out the last few hours to Christmas may I ask your readers to consider an alternative to the post-Yuletide scramble for refunds and exchanges that seems to be a growing feature at all major retailers? Why not give your unwanted
DESPITE the appalling, atrocious weather conditions, our newspapers have been delivered every day without fail. I would like to thank all concerned, especially our Newsagents Kellys of Ferryhill for doing such a good job. It is very much appreciated
AMIDST the tinsel and the turkey and the rush and crush, let us not forget the reason for the season. We celebrate the supernatural birth of one whose sole purpose in life was to die for the benefit of mankind. He came not to start a religion
I WOULD nominate “guy” as the most abused word in the English language. At one time this was an effigy carried round on the fifth of November; now it seems to apply to every living creature, man, woman or beast. Peter Elliott, Eaglescliffe
SPEAKING in the Sala Regia of the Vatican’s apostolic palace, in his seasonal speech to bishops and cardinals, the Pope addressed the issue of sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests. He said the abuse scandal should be seen in the
IN response to Alice Barnard’s letter (HAS, Dec 18) the Hunting Act is certainly working with over 150 successful prosecutions. Why else would the hunters want repeal? This is about bad people breaking a good law and who enjoy killing to satisfy
I THOUGHT I obtained the best Christmas bargain ever last year when I bought a DVD of Laurel and Hardy classics for £9.99. The masters of comedy still live on and are one of the few things generations in a family can sit down and enjoy together
I WAS sad to hear of the death of Bishop Auckland businessman Denis Edkins at the age of 82 (Echo, Dec 13). We had spoken on the phone only a few weeks previously, and we agreed I would pay him a visit when he felt better. Sadly, this did not
THE recent vote in Parliament on university funding was a tough challenge for Liberal Democrat MPs. Sadly, it was impossible to honour our commitment to abolish university tuition fees because of the over-riding need to tackle the huge budget
A TROUBLE shared is a trouble halved, they say. But before you start crying on someone’s shoulder, you should check they don’t have a tape recorder in their pocket. This is the reality that Vince Cable is coming to terms with. Part of me still
It is an age-old mystery that we wonder about at this time of year. Was the Star of Bethlehem a miracle, a myth or a real astronomical event? Ruth Campbell talks to one North Yorkshire astronomer who believes he has the answer. BY now, many of us
STOCKTON and Middlesbrough hope to shake off the rust of a month’s inactivity in their annual Alan Todd Memorial match at Norton on Monday. But the Lee brothers will not be able to oppose each other as Stockton coach Craig has suffered a recurrence
CHAMPION jockey Tony McCoy yesterday got acquainted with champion racehorse Kauto Star ahead of the William Hill King George VI Chase. McCoy has been called up by Paul Nicholls to ride the ten-year-old as stable jockey Ruby Walsh is out with
ALAN Pardew has admitted he regards Nile Ranger as an impact substitute rather than a first-team regular despite the striker's impressive contribution against Liverpool.Ranger caught the eye as a second-half replacement in this month's 3-1 victory over
BOXING DAY 2010, and Joey Barton will be part of the Newcastle United side that takes on Manchester City at St James' Park. It promises to be a portentous occasion for the much-maligned midfielder in more ways than one.For a start, the opening game of
NYSD regular Ian West has spent the last five winters in Melbourne, playing club cricket. THE temperature in Melbourne is rising quickly and it has nothing to do with the weather. Australia’s convincing victory in the third Test has sent the
AUSTRALIA are confident their captain Ricky Ponting will be fit for the Boxing Day Test. Ponting took part in a light fielding practice session yesterday and has yet to test his broken finger with a bat in his hand. But he said the day after
IAN Bell has every reason to approach a Boxing Day Test with confidence, and he will do so against Australia at Melbourne with the added motivation of a point still to prove. It was at this time last year that Bell grabbed what many thought
The transfer window reopens at the turn of the year, and the North-East’s three biggest sides are all likely to be active participants in the market. What will their priorities be? And who might be moving into and out of the region? MIDDLESBROUGH
NEWCASTLE Falcons have confirmed the signing of Scotland prop Euan Murray on a two-and-a-half-year deal. The 30-year-old has been a free agent since being released by Northampton this month, and the Falcons have beaten off interest from the
TRAINING may have been disrupted for Hartlepool United again this week, but there’s little chance of their Boxing Day trip to Huddersfield being called off. The Maiden Castle training ground was again out of bounds for Mick Wadsworth and his
AN emergency meeting of the Start Fitness North-East Harrier League will be held next week in a bid to resolve a growing fixture crisis. The region’s major cross country competition usually holds six meetings during the winter months, but this
DARLINGTON have hardly played of late but their chances of returning to action hang in the balance as both their festive fixtures are under threat. They are scheduled to host Fleetwood Town on Boxing Day before travelling to Gateshead on Tuesday
STEVE McClaren has been given a vote of confidence by Bundesliga club Wolfsburg and will still be their coach when training resumes on January 2. The former Boro boss remains under pressure after the Wolves disappointingly finished the first
FOOTBALL has a tendency to bring you back down to earth with a bump and Jason Steele admits he has encountered that at Middlesbrough within the last fortnight. But after suffering the frustration of making a match-deciding error in the defeat
DARREN Bent admits he is not panicking about his recent goal drought but hopes he can put and end to it against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day. The Black Cats striker is currently on a three-game run without a goal, the longest
SIR Alex Ferguson has hailed Sunderland’s recent win at Chelsea as ‘‘the perfect performance’’. Ferguson sends table-topping Manchester United into battle against the Black Cats at Old Trafford on Boxing Day already acutely aware of the challenge
MANCHESTER United fan Asamoah Gyan admits it will be a dream to walk out at Old Trafford, but insists he is focused on Sunderland, writes STEPH CLARK. Growing up in Ghana, the £13m striker supported the Red Devils because of his father, who
TONY MOWBRAY and his backroom team drew up a list of possible transfer targets yesterday in the hope Middlesbrough’s squad can be freshened up next month. With the squad given a couple of days off before back-to-back Christmas training sessions
Joey Barton takes on his former club, Manchester City, on Sunday, three years to the day since an incident that would change his life forever. Scott Wilson talks to the Newcastle midfielder and discovers a character whose future is bound inextricably
United boss believes Ranger not quite ready to lead United line ALAN Pardew has admitted he regards Nile Ranger as an impact substitute rather than a first-team regular despite the striker’s impressive contribution against Liverpool. Ranger caught
A CRIMINAL betrayed by his bling and jailed for four years has been ordered to give up his illgotten gains or face more time in prison. Paul Grafton must hand over £40,000 made from drug-dealing and illegally claiming benefits which funded a lavish
ABANDONED kittens Mary and Joseph have been taken in after there was no room at the inn. The RSPCA was unable to find room for the pair at its Felledge Animal Centre, in Chester-le- Street, so deputy manager Rebecca Williams has taken both the
EVEN in troubled economic times such as these, Christmas has a joyful way of bringing families together. And despite all the travel problems caused by the big freeze, most people will make it home in time to enjoy the festivities. But amid the
THE FTSE 100 Index edged past the 6000 mark for the first time since June 2008 yesterday in a last-minute push before the market closed. The FTSE closed 12.58 points up at 5996.07, shortly after hitting a high of 6000.55, as traders gathered
ONE of Canada’s fastest-growing software companies has set up its first overseas office in the North-East. Namtek Consulting Services, based in Quebec, has opened the office in Sunderland and recruited business development executive Eleni Tsoumpeli
A COMPANY making components for construction machinery has reported a 100 per cent increase in turnover. Berco UK, based in Spennymoor, County Durham, said its turnover had risen to £15m in the 12 months to September 2010, up from £7.5m the
MIDDLESBROUGH FC is celebrating what could be one of the most important signings of its season after agreeing a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with local pawnbroker Ramsdens. The seven-figure contract means that the Championship club has
CUTS to early retirement and voluntary redundancy payments for hundreds of council workers have been agreed by the North-East’s biggest council, despite doubts over their affordability, The Northern Echo has learnt. Durham County Council agreed
A MOTHER wasted no time in deciding who should benefit from a holiday to Disneyland she won as part of a Northern Echo competition. Only a day after she won the top prize in the 12 Days of Christmas competition, Lynne Newton, from Spennymoor
PEOPLE are being urged to give blood to help replenish stocks. The NHS is reminding people that their continued support during the cold winter months is vital. First-time donors should be aged 17 to 65, weigh at least 50kg (7st 12lb) and be
SIR Bobby Robson’s son has spoken of how the family’s pride in his legacy in the fight against cancer will be tinged with sadness as they gather for an emotional Christmas without him. Mark Robson, 47, was so determined to get back to the family
THE family of a North-East soldier killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan have paid tribute to him. Corporal Steven Thomas Dunn, from Gateshead, died on Tuesday after his Jackal vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand
Friends stir up a bit of history with coffee shop THERE’S a touch of the old in a new city coffee shop. Flat White, which opened in Elvet Arch, Durham City, last week, includes a section of the city walls, thought to date from the 13th Century.
FAMILY and friends last night paid tribute to a popular 21-year-old student who was confirmed dead after going missing during a night out in Newcastle. Police announced yesterday that a body found near the High Level Bridge, in Newcastle, was
TWO girls had to be rescued from a freezing river after going drinking, ambulance chiefs revealed yesterday. Details of how the two unidentified girls had to be pulled out of the River Tyne and treated by paramedics appear on a log of incidents
A GOAT had to be put down after visitors to a family park gave it too much bread. People visiting Stewart Park, in Middlesbrough, are being warned not to give the animals bread after the death of Henry, a four-year-old golden Guernsey goat,
POLICE are urging drivers to take care and to slow down while driving on icy roads following a number of minor collisions. The A66 was closed between Scotch Corner and the Durham and Cumbria border for more than two hours yesterday morning after
A POPULAR nightclub that helped to launch the careers of acclaimed pop stars is staging one last gig before it closes. Coldplay, Muse and the Libertines appeared at the Cornerhouse, in Middlesbrough, before finding international fame. Hidden
A MAN has appeared in court charged with causing cruelty to a tropical fish after he allegedly swallowed it in a prank to impress friends. Chris Caswell, of West Auckland Road, Darlington, denies causing unnecessary suffering to the fish. He
SINGER-SONGRWRITER Kate Nash will perform at a North-East club next year. Tickets have gone on sale for the gig, at Inside Out, in Beaumont Street, Darlington, on Saturday, April 9. Her hits include Foundations and Mouthwash, and she has
AN MEP has called for tough action against countries still allowing battery farming. Fiona Hall, Liberal Democrat MEP for the North-East, said it was outrageous that some EU countries had made so little progress in phasing out “cruel” battery
FLAMBOYANT former football club chairman George Reynolds has survived a heart attack. The 75-year-old businessman is back at work after spending four days in hospital after the health scare last month. Mr Reynolds was taken ill at his penthouse
Friends raise £31,000 for her Fight for Life charity. A KIND-HEARTED girl recovering from a rare brain tumour today sends a Christmas thank-you to some special friends. Eight-year-old Naomi Savage spoke to The Northern Echo to thank all those
