ANDY CARROLL has completed a sensational £35m move from Newcastle United to Liverpool with just minutes remaining of the January transfer window. The 22-year-old, who has become the world's eighth most expensive footballer, successfully passed
NEWCASTLE have failed in a late bid to lure Charles N'Zogbia back to St James' Park. The Magpies made a last-gasp offer for the 24-year-old Frenchman, who left the club in a £6m move to Wigan two years ago after waging a concerted campaign, but saw it
Darlington RA manager Nick Harrison says that his team must be more clever and more ruthless. After reaching the heady heights of seventh in the second division a fortnight ago, the RA have now dropped 11th in the table after a 4-0 defeat at Crook last
A SECURE training centre severely criticised by an inquest jury last week has been given a satisfactory overall rating by an educational watchdog. An Ofsted report, released days after the conclusion of an inquest into the death of 14-year-old Adam
STEPHEN IRELAND has moved to Newcastle United on loan until the end of the season from Aston Villa. The 24-year-old has been in lengthy negotiations after the Magpies finally agreed a deal with the Villans. It had been thought the midfielder's
There’s talk of Cockfield FC re-forming next season and I for one will be pleased to see its return. The club has a proud history and with the help of Wikipedia, here is the story of their early years. It is not known when Cockfield FC was
WITHIN three years, electric cars will be worth £7 billion to the British market, according to a report published this week. That's one helluva big boost to the UK's beleaguered dealerships. Sales of all cars this year are forecast to fall below
A FORMER British Airways computer expert has admitted three terrorism charges today. Rajib Karim, 31, of Newcastle, denied several other similar charges. But today at Woolwich Crown Court, in London, he pleaded guilty to being involved in the production
A CHILDREN’S charity is running a course in basic counselling skills for adults who work with children and young people. The Place2Be will run the foundation course for 15 Fridays starting on March 4 at Sacriston Sure Start Children's Centre, Fyndoune
LIVERPOOL have just confirmed they have had a club-record fee accepted for Andy Carroll. The Newcastle United striker is now on his way to Merseyside to conduct a medical and agree personal terms. Newcastle are understood to have agreed
A REFORMED American football club is taking to the streets to drum up support and find potential players. The Chester-le-Street-based North East Presidents plan to compete in the British American Football Association Community League from April to
A GROUNDBREAKING ceremony has been held to mark the start of work to revamp a community’s park. The Memorial Park at South Moor, near Stanley, is getting a major facelift that will see the creation of a picnic area, a multi-use games area and a skate
Former mayor to talk at forum DARLINGTON Men's Forum will meet on Thursday when Lingfield ward councillor and former mayor Ian Haszeldine will give a talk called I'm a Councillor - Get Me Out of Here. The venue is St Cuthbert's Church Centre.
A MAN who had to cancel his holiday after being struck down by a life-threatening disorder has received a refund after seeking advice from trading standards officers. Trevor Rowlands, from Middlesbrough, cancelled his Cyprus holiday after developing
CHILDREN at a Middlesbrough primary school learned about healthy eating and becoming more active thanks to a visit by a "health bus". Middlesbrough Football Club's health bus is a new initiative to advise people on living healthier lifestyles. The MFC
A WEEK-long crackdown on criminals has got off to a spectacular start with one raid uncovering 400,000 cigarettes. Operation Tornado is targeting known offenders with each police district - Middlesbrough, Redcar, Stockton and Hartlepool - compiling a
A CONMAN who became involved in a nationwide scam to dupe car owners walked free from court with a warning from a judge: "Don't make a fool out of me". Recorder Timothy Stead said he was taking a chance on Darlington fraudster Lloyd Bedwell, but warned
PUBLIC confidence in Cleveland Police has reached an all time high. Nearly 90 per cent of people say they are 'very' or 'fairly' confident, according to the latest set of local confidence survey results. The survey was carried out by telephone between
PEOPLE are being asked to come forward and help Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council capture memories of the former Palace Theatre on Redcar seafront. The theatre is to be transformed into a £5m creative 'Hub' providing quality space for the creative
EXPERTS behind a milestone project to save the extremely rare juniper tree from extinction are celebrating a scheme which has planted 1,000 new plants. The juniper tree, whose berries flavour gin, has been in a major decline for many years and experts
SUNDERLAND midfielder Andy Reid has completed a permanent switch to fellow Premier League side Blackpool. The Dublin-born player heads to Bloomfield Road for an undisclosed fee. Reid, who has 27 senior caps for the Republic of Ireland
Newcastle Benfield striker John Campbell today completed his move to Darlington's Northern Echo Arena for an undisclosed fee. Campbell has scored 25 goals in the Northern League this season -- including five in one game against Esh Winning -- and has
Darlington have today confirmed the signing of striker John Campbell from Northern League side Newcastle Benfield. The 22-year-old forward, who’s scored 25 goals for Benfield this season, has signed an 18-month contract at the Northern Echo
NORTH-East martial arts experts have been showing off their skills for Japanese dignitaries. Members of Durham-based Shodai Ryu, thought to be the only group outside Japan currently teaching the Shodai Ryu technique, performed at the Hattori Espace,
MAROUANE Zemmama has become Middlesbrough's second signing of the January transfer window. After this morning's confirmation that Maximilian Haas has moved from Bayern Munich II, manager Tony Mowbray has sealed the signature of Zemmama. The Moroccan
Singer Amelle Berrabah tells Gabrielle Fagan why raising awareness of cancer is important to her. AMELLE Berrabah bounces into a restaurant for our interview looking as groomed and glamorous as you’d expect for a member of hugely successful girl
AN MP has called on a council to begin consultation on the future of two key city centre sites. Roberta Blackman-Woods, Labour MP for Durham City, said Durham County Council should build on its ‘good work’ looking at the future of the city’s North Road
Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem comes from a family of actors and made his acting debut at the age of six. He played rugby as a teenager and later for the Spanish team. International audiences first noticed him as the stud-like gigolo Raul in
National League Basketball in association with TADEA; Sustainable Energy Solutions & Heaven Scent; Yankee Candles Middlesbrough Durham Wildcats II 99-88 TADEA Middlesbrough Lions Potential was the emphasised word as Coach James Thomson described the
A SCHOOL boy chorister has won a place in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain after beating over 500 youngsters in an audition. Alfred Mitchell, 13, from Cundall Manor School, near York, has become only the seventh Yorkshire youngster to enter
POLICE are trying to trace a man who attempted to steal a handbag from a young woman in Bishop Auckland. Two women, aged 19, one of whom was pushing a pram, were walking along a path adjacent to the railway line, in the town, at about 5.15pm on Monday
A JCB was stolen from a glass company in West Auckland. The vehicle was taken from Potters Ballotini, on Darlington Road, in West Auckland, at about 10pm on Thursday evening. It crashed through three fences and onto the West Auckland bypass before making
CHRISTINE RAMSAY is researching her maternal family history, on the name Kingsley. Her great-grandfather was John William Kingsley, born in Great Langton, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, in 1874. He had a brother Arthur and sister Mary. Arthur
On a tour through the country to support amateur theatre, actor Sir Ian McKellen visits students at Darlington College to spread the message to fight homophobic bullying. Ian Lamming reports. THE booming voice silences the crowd before him
WINTER’S DELIGHTS Cold winter nights Fresh morning frosts Glowing sun before midday Wonderful natural sights Winter’s changing delights Spring is yet to come With its mood-lifting sun A Cooper, Darlington A NICE CUP OF HOT TEA It’s late afternoon
THE Church of England has said today that it has no plans to sell Auckland Castle. Andrew Brown, secretary to the Church Commissioners, has stated that the historic building, in Bishop Auckland, will not be sold but the future of the £15m
Corrie Extra: Gary’s Army Diaries (ITV2, 10pm); Cookery School (C4, 2.05pm); Birth of Britain (C4, 8pm); Silent Witness (BBC1, 9pm). OVER the past few weeks in Coronation Street, soap fans have seen soldier Gary Windass trying to come to terms with
THE scene is set in the small studio space at the bottom of the stairs at Northern Stage in Newcastle. There are giant cushions and duvets creating a soft area for the very young children to watch the show. Mums, dads, grandmothers and carers
ROXY Music gave a nostalgic reminder at the curtain-raiser of their For Your Pleasure tour as to why they were one of the most formidable and innovative bands of the Seventies and Eighties. Despite the stifling seating arrangement at the Arena
I FOUND Eric Wilson’s letter (HAS, Jan 28) concerning jobs and the unemployed of Britain very interesting. But is he aware that the unemployed are constantly told by JobCentre staff that they must be prepared to travel in order to get work, yet
IN my lifetime the period of greatest potential for social advancement, largely based on merit, seemed to be the grammar school era of the immediate post-war years. Given good fortune, clever children had a chance of advancement in most careers
I WOULD like to support and endorse The Northern Echo’s Fighting Back campaign, especially in relation to the page one story “Make this a new dawn” (Echo, Jan 27). As one of the elected members on the Tees Valley Unlimited Local Enterprise Partnership
ON the day Gadfly drew attention to the farcical rail service to Teesside Airport (Echo, Jan 26), I travelled on the same line from Darlington to Middlesbrough. I was amazed at the eccentric timetable of services between Saltburn to Middlesbrough
THIS week I was 50 years old and on Saturday afternoon I shall be enjoying a day out with a group of friends in Newcastle. We are a bunch of ladies who have been friends for more than 30 years. All of us are a very close group of friends who have
DURHAM County Council is conducting an important consultation on sites for mineral and waste development. Two sites that have been submitted to the council by developers for development as opencast coal mines are in Pittington. One is in Pittington
DAVID THOMAS (HAS, Jan 26) is absolutely right about the impending changes to the way the NHS is to be funded. The plan to hand over huge budgets to GPs is as incompetent as it is dishonest. Doctors will get extra work with less money than the
I FEEL sorry for Andy Gray and Richard Keys for losing their jobs because of workplace banter. Their comments are typical of what the vast majority of male conversations, both in and out of work. I feel this politically correct country is no
THERE is much irony that, in 2011, the United Nations’ International Year of Forests, the British Government decides to privatise our nation’s forests. This privatisation is not designed to improve the service our trees offer us, or, more seriously
I WOULD like to assure your correspondent Christopher Wardell (HAS, Jan 21) – and indeed all your readers – that Peel Airports is totally committed to the future of Durham Tees Valley Airport. We are in constant discussions with airlines and
Mother-of-three Susan Maushart made her family undergo a six-month digital detox. She tells Hannah Stephenson why she pulled the plug on technology. SUSAN MAUSHART reached digital breaking point two years ago when she saw how the virtual age had
ISUSPECT that a little more caution has descended on workplaces up and down the country in the wake of the Sky TV sexism saga. Those in the habit of making a cheeky comment or two may have found themselves biting their tongues. It was the talking
As snow returns, there are concerns for gritting stocks in part of the region. A CLAIM that the Government is secretly “stealing” salt from part of the region – forcing council chiefs to buy from abroad – has been denied. MPs from across County
Bath 11 Newcastle Falcons 6 ALAN TAIT has reacted angrily to Bath boss Steve Meehan’s suggestion that Newcastle Falcons’ players were to blame for prop Aaron Jarvis’ shoulder injury at the weekend. Jarvis was injured as Bath dented Newcastle’
THE freezing weather affected the local rugby programme, but Blaydon must have been wishing the deep freeze had reached Cambridgeshire. The North-East outfit were thumped 45-7 in National League One and have slipped to eighth position in the table
ADE JONES admits she cannot wait to return home from her debut IPC World Athletics Championships after her campaign in New Zealand ended on a damp note. The 15-year-old took to the track at Christchurch’s Queen Elizabeth II Park for the fifth
THE January transfer window is coming to a close and we have observed daily updates of transfers, possible transfers, imaginary transfers and money-making agents all washing their linen in the public domain. When I was much younger, transfers
PAUL CASEY came through what he called “one of the toughest battles I’ve ever had” yesterday to end 20 months without a victory. The man controversially left out of Europe’s Ryder Cup side by Colin Montgomerie last year sank a closing sixfoot
YOUNG athletes did the North-East proud, winning three individual gold medals in the North of England Cross Country Championships at Herrington Country Park, Sunderland. Shildon’s former European Cross Country Championships bronze medallist
I AM the chairman of a very successful football club, Marton FC, with 28 teams of girls, boys and seniors. The problem for us, and many such as ourselves, is parents’ attitudes to the refereeing decisions which have an impact on their children
IN recent days the late Nat Lofthouse has received much well-deserved praise for his excellent football career and in particular for his scoring exploits for both both his club, Bolton, and country. His career total of 30 goals in 33 games for
FOLLOWING the Mansfield game last Tuesday I could hardly wait to put pen to paper when I returned home that night, but I was feeling “a bit tired” with my prosthetic left leg playing up somewhat. Still, I’d made it to the match with my son-inlaw
PERHAPS we shouldn’t be surprised when footballers like Darren Bent opt for a transfer. In his case a curious move from highflying Sunderland to struggling Aston Villa. It is about choice and it is a long time since footballers were tied to a club
I WISH Leyton Orient all the best with their FA Cup run this year – the way the football authorities and the Government are working against them re the Olympic Stadium is a disgrace. They quite rightly feel that for one of those two big clubs
THE devaluation of the FA Cup has been completed – by the FA itself. Try finding the date of the final on the FA’s website. If you enter “what is the date of the FA Cup final 2011” into the search engine, the top item is the Champions’ League
ON my way home today from watching a Northern League game there was an interesting phone-in on a national radio station regarding falling crowds at Premier League/Football League games and what can be done to attract more people. As a follower
ON behalf of Jake can I express my sincere thanks for the way in which everyone at Hartlepool United welcomed him, accommodated him and looked after him while he was there on loan from Blackburn Rovers. Without doubt, his time there gave him
YORKSHIRE’S Ashes-winning hero Tim Bresnan has ended speculation that he might not make the World Cup on the Indian sub-continent by declaring: “I will definitely be fit for the first game.” The 25-year-old is back in the UK after tearing his
CAPTAIN Andrew Strauss blamed England’s batsmen for their one-day international series defeat against Australia, claiming they ‘‘haven’t been smart enough’’. England conceded the series with a 51-run defeat in Brisbane yesterday, to leave them
SO, the wait goes on. And in truth, Britain’s 75-year quest to find a male grand slam singles champion never looked like coming to an end yesterday. Andy Murray was comprehensively beaten by Novak Djokovic, who was a worthy winner of a second
KIM CLIJSTERS may have claimed the Australian Open title but Li Na will arguably leave Melbourne having made the greater impact. Li became the first Chinese woman to reach a grand slam singles final in which she fought hard before going down
ANDY MURRAY last night heaped praise on Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic as he tried to come to terms with another grand slam final disappointment. Murray was comprehensively beaten by the Serb, 6-4 6-2 6-3 in two hours and 39 minutes
EASINGTON COLLIERY won the match of the day at New Marske to stretch their lead at the top to six points. A close result was anticipated and at the end of a hardfought encounter the Colliers celebrated, winning 3-2. Adam McGuinness fired past
Sunderland defender Paulo Da Silva has completed a permanent switch to Spanish club Real Zaragoza. The Paraguay international moves to the La Liga outfit for an undisclosed fee. Da Silva, who turns 31 tomorrow, arrived at the Stadium
SPENNYMOOR TOWN manager Jason Ainsley blasted his players for some “shambolic defending” after relegationbattling Stokesley pulled off one of the shock results of the season, beating the champions 3-2. Moors, who are in the last 16 of the Vase
A CONMAN who became involved in a nationwide scam to dupe car owners walked free from court with a warning from a judge: "Don't make a fool out of me". Recorder Timothy Stead said he was taking a chance on Darlington fraudster Lloyd Bedwell, but warned
A SHETLAND pony cart was among items stolen when a tack room was broken into. The incident happened between 6pm and 6.45pm on Friday at a barn in Snipe Lane, on the southern edge of Darlington. The cart, a pony bridle, a petrol lawnmower and a
STOCKTON-BORN Neal Bishop almost provided the perfect fairytale story after he opened the scoring for Notts County against big-spending Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round yesterday. The 29-year-old midfielder nearly joined a list of FA
ALCOHOL abuse among young people in a town could be easing, according to a new report. Last year, The Northern Echo revealed that the borough had the highest rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions for young people in the country. The latest
A NEWLY-QUALIFIED Royal Air Force officer is flying high after graduating from a military college. Ron Towers, 33, graduated as a flying officer at the officer and aircrew cadet training unit at RAF Cranwell, near Sleaford, in Lincolnshire. Mr
A TEENAGER'S ambition to become a solicitor could be in jeopardy after he was found guilty of assaulting a former policeman who caught him urinating in the street. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then assaulted an active police
SCHOOL teachers and pupils turned the clock back 70 years to celebrate the opening of a sports and dining hall. The £1.5m facility at Corporation Road Primary School, Darlington, was opened with a Second World War-themed ceremony. The building
STOKE boss Tony Pulis saluted FA Cup hero Thomas Sorensen and now wants to discuss a new contract with the veteran goalkeeper. He is also eager to keep Tuncay at the club despite yesterday revealing German club Wolfsburg have made a bid for the
Boro have completed the signing of Bayern Munich reserves captain Maximilian Haas on a one-and-a-half year contract. The German central defender joins Boro after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms at the club’s Rockliffe Park training
A NEIGHBOURHOOD policing team has announced details of its forthcoming public liaison meetings. The Consett-based team holds PACT (Police and Communities Together) meetings once a month in each area in its ‘patch’ in north-west Durham. Members of the
Notts County 1 Manchester City 1 EDIN DZEKO threw Manchester City an FA Cup lifeline after Notts County had come agonisingly close to humiliating Roberto Mancini’s men. Neal Bishop’s header on the hour threatened to add City’s name to the Sunderland
Fulham 4 Tottenham Hotspur 0 ANGRY Harry Redknapp slammed Tottenham’s firsthalf performance after seeing his side exit the FA Cup at the fourth round stage with a 4-0 hammering at Fulham. Fulham have spent most of this season fighting off relegation
DARLINGTON must fit another fixture into their already congested schedule following their latest postponement on Saturday. They were due to face Kettering Town at The Northern Echo Arena but freezing temperatures resulted in the fixture being
ALL of the main governing bodies of the game in England would be in favour of scrapping the January transfer window, according to League Managers Association (LMA) chief executive Richard Bevan. The LMA boss has also argued that the month-long
CRAWLEY manager Steve Evans is dreaming of a miracle after his non-league team were given a trip to Old Trafford in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Yesterday’s draw at Wembley paired Premier League leaders Manchester United with the Blue Square
MIDDLESBROUGH are poised to complete a deadline-day double with the capture of Merouane Zemmama and Maximilian Haas, but Tony Mowbray could be looking for a third signing if QPR lodge an improved £3m offer for striker Leroy Lita.Midfielder Zemmama and
HAVING completed the double capture of Sulley Muntari and Stephane Sessegnon on Saturday afternoon, Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will adopt a watching brief during the final day of the transfer window.HAVING completed the double capture of Sulley Muntari
TOTTENHAM will make a final attempt to sign Andy Carroll today – and are prepared to include Roman Pavlyuchenko in a deadline-day deal for Newcastle's leading goalscorer.But having turned down a £23m offer for Carroll towards the end of last week
A NORTH-EAST solicitor is launching a charity which aims to provide free legal advice to patients with lifelimiting illnesses. Meg Kirby, who runs a legal practice in Newcastle, hopes the charity will eventually have branches in every part of
A TEENAGER from the North-East is hoping to become a role model for other young members of a voluntary organisation that provides first aid. Rebecca Scott, 15, is the youngest contestant in this year’s St John Ambulance National Cadet of the
THE controversial TV show Big Fat Gypsy Wedding is a long way from the reality of life on one North-East traveller site. In the hit Channel 4 series, nuptials are celebrated in flamboyant style, girls leave school before reaching their teens
A FAMILY dry cleaning and laundry firm is expanding and creating jobs, with more people keeping clothes longer in the recession. Darlington-based Cleancare Fabrics, run by husband and wife team Debbie and Gavin Johnson, has added three people
A FORMER recruitment expert has turned her knowledge of corporate dress codes into a business. Kathryn Clarke, 27, from Spennymoor, County Durham, has launched Positive Impressions, an image consultancy firm. Ms Clarke, a former recruitment
NORTH Yorkshire-born composer John Barry has died aged 77. Mr Barry, originally from York, wrote scores for films , but is best known for his association with the James Bond movie franchise. Born John Barry Prendergast in York in 1933
OIL majors Royal Dutch Shell and BP will kick off the City’s annual results season this week, with the latter due to end its current suspension of dividend payments following the Gulf of Mexico disaster. BP will take another step in its rehabilitation
STAFF at a North-East call centre are to lose their jobs this week as work is moved to the Philippines. Indian company Firstsource Solutions, which took over the Barclaycard office in Thornaby, near Stockton, last year, has been consulting with
EDUCATION experts have launched a consultancy aimed at helping schools as the financial squeeze increases on the public sector. AVEC School Services, based in Darlington, is already supporting 80 schools with HR, finance, health and safety
THE UK’s newest petrol station forecourt brand is planning further North- East expansion this year. Harvest Energy took over the supply of fuel and branding for nine Bishop Retail-owned service stations at key locations in County Durham and
HERITAGE experts have reluctantly backed plans to move a historic cattle market 26 miles away. Councillors will be advised to approve a proposal to build 15 homes on the site of 130-year-old Tow Law Auction Mart, in County Durham when they meet
HOPES of a British champion at the first rabbit Grand National were dashed as a Swedish bunny jumped to victory. Ten trained bunnies took on the course at the Yorkshire Event Centre, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, to the delight of hundreds
A FUNDRAISING campaign has been launched to restore a locomotive which hauled Winston Churchill’s funeral train, in time for the 50th anniversary of his death. The British Railways locomotive 34051 Winston Churchill was chosen for the honorary
MORE than 600 jobs could be created and a cinema built if a multi-million-pound funding bid is successful. The South Durham Enterprise Agency (SDEA) has submitted an £11.7m request to the Government for Regional Growth Fund (RGF) cash as it
A CONMAN convinced a dementia sufferer that he was his grandson in an attempt to get his hands on his life-savings. Scott Fothergill told the elderly man that he would help him do work on his home if he withdrew thousands of pounds from his
A YOUNG performing arts group in east Durham is staging a production called off last year due to the snow. MalDo productions, based in Seaham and Easington, was busy with final rehearsals at the weekend for The Wiz – including songs and dancing
A TEENAGER is getting on his bike in the hope of becoming the youngest person to cycle around the globe. David Clark, 17, of Stanley in County Durham, will take part in next year’s 18,000-mile Global Bicycle Race, which will see him pedal through
NEARLY £500,000-worth of assets owned by insurance fraudster Anne Darwin have still not been seized, three years after the scam came to light. Land on the Panama Canal worth more than £230,000, a Panama City apartment worth £62,000 and HSBC
FRIENDS and family of an accountant battling stomach cancer went for a sea dip in sub-zero conditions on Saturday for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. Fifteen friends of Andrew Fleetham spent up to 30 seconds in the sea at Seaton Carew, County
THE winner of The Northern Echo’s Champagne Christmas Crossword is Lynda Bradley, of Hartburn, Stockton. “I am amazed,” said Lynda, 56, who was doing a crossword when the Echo phoned to break the good news. “I’ve been doing it for years.”
A FOOTBALL club with a reputation as the cradle of Premiership stars could face closure because of abuse from parents on the touchline. Marton Football Club, in Middlesbrough, which launched the careers of Premiership stars such as Stewart
THE head of the British Museum has strongly criticised the potential £15m sale of the Zurbaran paintings, saying they represent the Church of England’s historic campaign for religious tolerance. Neil MacGregor said the 13 8ft-high pictures
A CALLOUS crook was foiled by an 83-year-old woman who chased him from her home and down the street before being helped by three have-ago heroes. “I know I am getting on a bit,” said former store detective Betty Thornton last night. “But I’
Andy Appleby's four goal haul for Crook in the 4-0 win over Darlington Ra at the weekend has put him joint top of the second division goalscoring charts. On the same day, Warren Byrne scored twice against Washington to also put him on the 20 mark. 22
John Campbell's pending move from Newcastle Benfield leaves Bedlington's Alex Benjamin way out in front in the first division scoring chart. Campbell was 5 behind Benjamin, but his departure means that Benjamin's 30 is now just over twice that of the
