Spennymoor moved into second place in the STL First Division with a 2-1 derby win over Bishop Auckland at the Brewery Field last night. Moors took the lead after 38 minutes through a Steve Capper penalty after Craig Ruddy was brought down. Capper missed
A KNIFEMAN who tried to rob a taxi driver just weeks after he was freed from a nine-year prison term is facing a potential life sentence. Andrew Reed could be jailed indefinitely for his latest crime if a judge rules that he is a dangerous offender and
THE life of a tragic North-East cycling star Tom Simpson could be made into a film. This Is England and Dead Man's Shoes filmmaker Shane Meadows said he wanted to tell the story of Simpson, who died while competing in the 1967 Tour de France. Simpson
New loan signing Ryan Donaldson makes a start for Hartlepool United, hours after moving on loan from Newcastle United. He starts up front, with Ritchie Humphreys dropping to the bench. Paul Murray starts in place of Joe Gamble and Peter Hartley
Paul Arnison has been axed from the Darlington line-up for this evening’s game with Mansfield Town. The right-back is the only absentee from the XI which drew 1-1 at Tamworth on Saturday, manager Mark Cooper instead hands his place to recent
BACK pain is something I would not wish on my worst enemy. Well maybe somebody I really, really disliked, but in the main I would spare most people the affliction. A few years ago I went through a period of chronic pain brought upon by riding a moped
A BOY who died after being hit by a van and a car on his way to school was today named as Alex Bradley. The 12-year-old of West Heslerton, near Malton, North Yorkshire, was fatally injured while crossing the A64 in the village just after 7.40pm yesterday
IF the Kia Sportage is not exactly the ugly duckling that turned into the swan, then it's at least a goose with good prospects. The old model was surely designed by a six-year-old with a ruler and a distinct lack of imagination, but the current version
AN iconic landmark could be transformed into a top tourist attraction to help celebrate its centenary. Improvements to the Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough include installing glass viewing lifts and modernising the gondola carrying vehicles across
A MAN was charged today with murdering a devoted community activist in the street. Classroom assistant Gillian Raine, 53, was the victim of a sickening attack outside her home in Coleridge Gardens, Dipton, County Durham, yesterday morning as she made
THERE are only a few days left for people in Hartlepool to put forward their suggestions for which of the town's buildings should be included on a special list. About 200 listed buildings throughout the borough are acknowledged as being of national importance
DUCKS have been left high and dry while essential repair work is carried out to a Victorian fountain and village pond. The fountain on Norton Green was damaged by freezing conditions over the winter and will be out of action until March. Stockton Council
A POLICE community support officer is swapping the streets of Guisborough for the Great China Wall to raise funds for charity. PCSO Paul Payne is taking up the 50-mile challenge for Kidney Research UK. The 40-year-old, of Yarm, near Stockton, is encouraging
A TOWN’S Mayor is proceeding with preparations for the annual civic ball. The event is one of the highspots of Councillor Brian Allen’s year in office. It will take place at Seaham Leisure Centre, on Friday April 29. The musical accompaniment will
COUNCIL officials in Hartlepool have adopted a formal policy for dealing with complaints about caravans and trailers parked on roads. The move aims to ensure that appropriate action is taken to remove vehicles that pose a risk to other road users. Councillor
A MAJOR city centre store left vacant since an upmarket supermarket exited more than two years ago is to be taken over by a discount retailer, it has been announced. Waitrose closed its 18,000sq ft branch in The Gates shopping centre, Durham, in August
THREE schools shared the honours at a county athletics championships. The County Durham Sportshall Athletics Championships were held at the Louisa Centre, in Stanley, on Tuesday, January 18. Belmont School won the year seven boys’ and year eight girls
A house burglary occurred in the Wycliffe area of Barnard castle between Thursday 20th and Sunday 23rd January. A large quantity of jewellery and a quantity of cash was stolen. The police would like to hear from anyone who saw any suspicious activity
A CEREMONY to mark the start of work to revamp a public park in Stanley, takes place next week. It will kick-start the re-development of the Memorial Park, in South Moor. The scheme will see new recreational facilities added, including
SKY Sports football pundit Andy Gray has been sacked following sexist comments about assistant referee Sian Massey. Sky have confirmed in a statement that it had terminated the 55-year-old's contract following comments made off-air about the
THE latest phase of a park revamp has received more than £40,000 of Lottery funding. Work is due to start next month on the creation of a nature area at Addison Park, off Browney Lodge, Meadowfield, near Durham City. The work, which will take about
FOUR of Britain’s biggest financial institutions have shrugged off the gloom surrounding Britain’s economic prospects by slashing the rates on personal loans amid high inflation. With inflation hitting 3.7 per cent, and some City fund managers
A NORTH Yorkshire dairy farm is helping to trial a new maize concept in the UK. Shaun Sowray farms with his brothers – Peter and Paul – as A Sowray & Sons, at Bishop Thornton, near Harrogate. They grow maize, wholecrop wheat and grass and this
ONE of the region’s leading business figures believes another much-maligned town offers Middlesbrough a blueprint for recovery. Fiercely proud Glaswegian Alastair Thomson, who is the Institute of Directors’ North-East chairman and dean of Teesside
The Northern Echo begins its monthly Fighting Back series by looking at the challenges facing Middlesbrough, the UK town many commentators believe is the least well-equipped to recover from the public sector cuts. MIDDLESBROUGH’S outspoken Mayor Ray
HUNDREDS of the region’s food workers were reassured over their firm’s future last night after the sale of meat-free brand Quorn in a £205m deal. The UK’s biggest food producer, Premier Foods, announced that it had reached an agreement to sell
A NORTH-EAST law firm is looking to expand outside the region after recording a £1m turnover in only two years. Cinnamon Property Lawyers is aiming to quadruple this figure within three years by targeting specific areas of the country in which
DEPUTY Prime Minister Nick Clegg has pledged his support for the “heroes of industry in the North-East” as the Government attempts to rebalance the region’s economy. Speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo on the launch of the Fighting Back
Gok’s Clothes Roadshow (C4, 9pm) Red Sea Jaws (Five, 8pm) The South Bank Sky Arts Awards (Sky Arts 1, 9pm) FLAMBOYANT stylist Gok Wan returns to the schedules with this new and improved version of his Fashion Fix brand – attempting to take the
HUNDREDS of youngsters received awards to recognise their achievements in the first part of an annual ceremony last night. Many more of the 616 young people involved will pick up their accolades in the final presentations of the Vibe Awards
Actress Billie Piper, who’s back playing Belle in the final series of Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, tells Susan Griffin that after three years of prancing around in undies she is super-confident doing saucy scenes. BILLIE Piper’s not feeling well and
LAST Thursday was one of the most memorable days I have ever spent. A party of us from St Michael’s Church, Cornhill, in the City of London, went to visit Taylor’s bell foundry in Loughborough to see our new ring of bells in the making. From the
A RACING fan celebrated his 100th birthday with a tour of a County Durham racecourse. Robert Arthur Dougall marked the occasion by visiting Sedgefield Race Course with his family. Mr Dougall, who turned 100 at his Darlington care home on Saturday
A VILLAGE has announced it will hold its first country show in recent years at the end of the summer. Sponsors are being sought for the Hurworth event, which is being organised by Hurworth Parish Council, and will replace the village gala day. It
PUPILS are getting ready to step back in time as part of a campaign to encourage more children to walk and cycle to school. On Friday, pupils at Alderman Leach Primary School will be aiming to go back to Eighties habits - when only one in six
NEIGHBOURHOOD policing plays a vital role in keeping communities safe, solving local problems, reducing crime and anti-social behaviour and making people feel secure in their homes, workplaces and communities. Since their introduction in 2002
THE global warming debate has thrown up some interesting ideas and wild theories, but nothing as far fetched as the attempt by B Jackson to link the accepted increase in carbon dioxide emissions of one hundredth of one percent (from 0.027 per
REGARDING Peter Barron’s comments about Wayne Rooney’s foul language to a referee (Echo, Jan 24). The referee should have sent him off, he is not indispensable. Until major teams take steps to stop these tirades what chance has anybody else got
PROFESSOR David Bellamy possesses the wise old head of an experienced tribal elder and one who needs to be listened to, as politics is inevitably a destructive intruder into the world he inhabits. The right to roam is a freedom to cherish – but
MOST people know that Barnardo’s is the UK’s leading children’s charity, but did you know that we also specialise in fostering and adoption? The whole of the UK is experiencing a shortage of foster carers. Barnardo’s is no exception. This year
National Basketball in association with TADEA; Sustainable Energy Solutions & Heaven Scent; Yankee Candles Middlesbrough Sunday 2pm at The Spectrum, Willington TADEA Middlesbrough Lions travel to Durham Wildcats this Sunday for what
RALPH MUSGRAVE’S statement that “violence is part and parcel of religion” is unjustified (HAS, Jan 22). There is no evidence that religious people are more inclined to violence than nonreligious people. Has he forgotten the atrocities committed
WHAT kind of a country do we live in? Lawyers are queuing up to represent all sorts of “celebrities” who think their phone may have been tapped. At the same time, no one appears bothered that Tony Blair lied through his teeth, misleading Parliament
WITH a huge national debt, we squander millions on debt interest payments every day – money which would otherwise be spent on schools, hospitals and policing.Labour’s economic legacy is not a happy one. It is right that Durham County Council is
In the autumn, the world was gripped by the plight of 33 Chilean miners trapped 700m underground. All were rescued. Now one, Jose Henriquez, is touring the UK to tell his story. Mark Tallentire meets him. JOSE HENRIQUEZ speaks as he believes
HAZEL Robson picked up her first medal of the IPC World Athletics Championships in New Zealand, helping Great Britain scoop bronze in the 4x100m relay. The 31-year-old narrowly missed out on the podium in the T36 200m, finishing fourth, on Sunday
CHARMINSTER is certainly not one of Donald McCain’s stable stars but it is hard not to be impressed by his consistency, which could be enough to seal the deal at Sedgefield. After finishing second on his British debut in a bumper at Aintree in October
Two players very familiar to Darlington will be in the opposition's line-up this evening when Mansfield Town arrive at The Northern Echo Arena. The Stags include striker 11-goal Paul Connor, who Quakers have tracked for much of the season and were hoping
ALLAN CHAMBERS is trying to find his cousin. She is Christine Dance, although she may now go by a married name. She was last known to be living in the Consett area. To help contact Mr Chambers on 0191-414-5492.
ANDY Murray continued to blaze a trail through the Australian Open draw but the world No 5 accepts tougher challenges lie ahead as he bids to land a maiden grand slam. Murray cruised past Jurgen Melzer, winning 6-3 6-1 6-1 in an hour and 44 minutes
POP legends Duran Duran have announced their first tour in seven years - starting in the North-East. The gigs will mark the band's first European performances in support of their new album, All You Need Is Now. The original line up of
THEY’RE doing engineering work near Ferryhill, soldering or something. Southbound trains start at Darlington, the Railroad to Wembley resuming on the 7.13 to Bristol. The tea lady asks on the public address that the aisles be kept free of luggage
JAMES Anderson believes there is a simple reason why England find themselves 3-0 down in the one-day series against Australia – they have not batted and bowled well in the same game. England have failed to marry meaningful performances in either
A NEWCASTLE University graduate killed in a suicide attack on Moscow's busiest airport had a six-month-old daughter and was due to get married this spring, his brother said today. Gordon Cousland, 39, was one of 35 victims of the bombing at
RYAN Donaldson yesterday completed a loan move from Newcastle United to Hartlepool United and is in line for an instant debut tonight. The attacker has signed for an initial month and will face Notts County at Victoria Park, when Pools are out to end
A DOG walker punched a woman in the face after being asked to keep her pets on a lead. The victim was left with a fractured cheekbone after her walk along the banks of the Tees near Darlington ended in violence. Police are now hunting the female dog
ANDY Carroll was part of the Newcastle squad that flew to a Portuguese training camp yesterday, with club officials dismissing suggestions his thigh injury was considerably worse than first feared.Carroll has missed the Magpies' last five matches after
SUNDERLAND continue to play a game of transfer brinkmanship as their search for new signings threatens to go all the way to next Monday's deadline.A loan deal for Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari should be completed before the end of the week, but
GARY O'Neil will complete a cut-price move to West Ham in the next 24 hours as Middlesbrough continue to sell off some of their highest-paid stars.O'Neil has been the subject of a number of inquiries since the transfer window opened at the start of the
THIRTY-EIGHT people in the region have died from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in the past 15 years, figures reveal. A child of three was among the death toll in the North-East and North Yorkshire, the report by the CO-Gas Safety charity found
A STUDENT and a police officer who stopped a man doused in petrol from setting himself alight will receive bravery awards tonight. Deborah Cooper and Sergeant Neill Baker will be presented with the Royal Humane Society’s Certificate of Commendation
A FATHER-OF-ONE who wowed X Factor judges as part of a four-piece band has been found dead in woodland. The death of James Smith, who reached the boot camp stage of the ITV talent show, is not being treated as suspicious. Mr Smith, a builder, from
A MAN who raped and sexually abused three young girls was yesterday jailed for 15 years. Mark Patrick Henderson, 49, gave the girls alcohol and used an element of coercion while carrying out the offences. But Durham Crown Court heard
NORTH-EAST entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne is considering suing a travel website because of “dishonest” customer reviews about a hotel he owns. Darlington-based Mr Bannatyne is furious after Trip- Advisor refused to remove a review comparing one
NEARLY one in three people in a North-East town aged 16 to 24 is unemployed, figures have revealed. The town is among the top 20 in the UK when it comes to the percentage of young people not in employment or education, with 29.3 per cent claiming
TWO charities are preparing for a courtroom showdown over allegations that 19 staff were unfairly dismissed. The Salvation Army and the 700 Club, which had both provided accommodation for homeless people in Darlington, will both deny any wrongdoing
A KNIFE-WIELDING shop robber was unmasked as a woman when the owner gave chase, punched her in the face and her balaclava flew off. Balbir Singh thought the masked raider was a man, and a schoolboy in the newsagents at the time also shouted to
MOTORISTS have criticised the Highways Agency for not going far enough with work to resurface the pothole-ridden A66. The agency confirmed yesterday that a stretch of the road between the Yarm Road Interchange, near Stockton, and Teesside Retail
NO criminal charges will be brought following the death of an eight-year-old boy who got into difficulty at a public swimming pool. Kaimen Ward, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, died after a swimming session at the town’s Hambleton Leisure
DETECTIVES were questioning a man last night after a North-East mother was murdered yards from her home. Gillian Raine lay dying in a pool of blood on the street following an attack that left her with severe head and neck injuries, at about 7.15am
HUNDREDS of school pupils are taking part in a competition to design a piece of clothing using science in an innovative way. More than 600 youngsters aged 11 to 14 at Framwellgate School Durham are working on the Chemistry behind the Couture contest,
A WOMAN apparently killed yards from her home died from stab wounds, police confirmed today. Gillian Raine was found lying in a pool of blood in a residential area of Dipton, near Stanley, County Durham, at about 7.15pm yesterday. Police
WE all know that 2011 is going to be a tough year economically. With unprecedented cuts being imposed on public sector organisations, we face the reality of thousands of job cuts aimed at balancing Britain’s books. The outgoing boss of the CBI Sir
SKY Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray were removed from duty yesterday as the fallout from their sexist comments about official Sian Massey intensified. Keys and Gray held an offair discussion about Massey’s appointment for Saturday
Spennymoor are hoping to move closer to league leaders Consett when they entertain Bishop Auckland at the Brewery Field tonight. Moors start the game in third place, a point behind second placed Shildon and eight behind leaders Consett, while Bishops
A NORTH-EAST city will be one of those hardest hit by public sector cuts, according to a leading think tank. Centre for Cities has named Sunderland as of five cities it claims are particularly vulnerable, alongside Liverpool, Birkenhead, Swansea and
THE North-East has been named as the luckiest region in Britain when it comes to winning the lottery. Newcastle, Sunderland and Durham all feature in the top ten places in terms of the average number of big windfalls per player since the lottery was
