Brad Friedel has warned British players if they turn their back on the Olympics they will regret the decision for the rest of their lives. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FAs have said they do not want to be any part of a British team at London
Ronnie O'Sullivan's miserable run continued as he was eliminated from the Bank of Beijing China Open at the first-round stage yesterday. For the second ranking tournament in succession, the Rocket fell at the first hurdle to Ryan Day, the Welshman completing
The Rugby Football Union have won a court order aimed at finding out the identity of those selling Twickenham tickets at inflated prices through online ticket exchange site Viagogo. Mr Justice Tugendhat said yesterday that the RFU had "strongly questioned
Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey has vowed to crack the issues that led to a "stressful" Australian Grand Prix weekend, despite Sebastian Vettel's stunning start to the new Formula One season. Vettel cruised to victory by 22 seconds in Sunday's curtain-raiser
Ashes winner Tim Bresnan will be available to Yorkshire for two County Championship matches ahead of England's Test series against Sri Lanka in May, writes Graham Hardcastle. The all-rounder took the final wicket to help his country retain the little
India's favourite cricketing son Sachin Tendulkar will play a World Cup final in his home town of Mumbai after helping his country beat Pakistan by 29 runs in Mohali. Tendulkar was named man-of-the-match for his top score of 85 in India's 260 for nine
World Cup favourites India held their nerve for a 29-run win over Pakistan in Mohali to progress to this weekend's final against Sri Lanka. The jury was out, after Sachin Tendulkar (85) had ridden his luck against Wahab Riaz (five for 46) and others,
HOPES are high tonight that the historic Zurbaran paintings are set to be saved for the region. The Northern Echo understands that a wealthy benefactor has agreed to buy the 13 masterworks and hopes to put them on public display. Any
It was a good night for defending champions and league leaders Spennymoor in the STL Northern League, as two of their nearest rivals were beaten. Second placed Shildon were beaten 1-0 at home by Billingham Synthonia. Shildon’s Chris
THE Land Cruiser celebrates its 60th birthday in 2011. It’s come a long way - both literally and figuratively - since it was developed as a cheap Japanese copy of the classic American Jeep. The original Land Cruiser was a crude, utilitarian
A POSTMASTER accused of murdering his wife spent expensive weekends away with her at luxury hotels, their temporary stand-in told a court today. Robin Garbutt was struggling with £30,000 credit card debts and had been taking money from Melsonby Post
A MAN required hospital treatment after being attacked from behind by two men. The 20-year-old was assaulted at around 4.30pm at the corner of Chatham Road and Wynstay Gardens in Hartlepool on Monday afternoon. The victim sustained injuries to his face
THE BBC's Top Gear programme is being sued by electric car manufacturer Tesla over claims that the show faked a race. Tesla yesterday issued a writ at the High Court in London claiming for libel and malicious falsehood against Top Gear. The legal spat
A DRAMA teacher was today found guilty of grooming a teenage pupil for sex. Caroline French, 38, was on trial at Preston Crown Court, accused of targeting one of her female pupils while she was a teacher at a secondary school in Blackpool. French, from
CRIMEFIGHTERS took on a youthful look as students worked to solve a murder case using CSI techniques. The teenagers from Redcar and Marske Specialist Schools Trust used forensic science to identify the killer of a woman found dead in a local
A YOUNG lad swapped quick fingers on his Nintendo DS to quick thinking to help save his mum's life after a blaze at their home. Jake Goode was presented with a Chief Fire Officer's Commendation in recognition of his brave actions. The drama started
A KIND hearted businessman has stepped in to help a disabled woman who was left devastated after her mobility scooter was stolen. Tony Corrigan read about the break in at Olive Cribbin’s shed in the Consett Advertiser. Thieves targeted the shed at her
A SCHEME enabling parents to check whether known sex offenders have access to their children has helped protect 84 youngsters from potential abuse. The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, known as Sarahs Law, was piloted in Stockton before being extended
Self-confessed townie Nigel Burton gets to grips with the great outdoors at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest. CAMPING may be making a comeback in these recessionary times – and today’s tents may be more boutique than Baden Powell – but, for a townie
From florals to blues, Gabrielle Fagan discovers that home decor is echoing the catwalk. IF you’re looking for home decorating ideas this year, simply rustle through your wardrobe. Chances are you’ve already picked up on some of the most fashionable
Bridget’s Cottage, a beautiful barn conversion near Rushyford, County Durham, has been put up for sale as its owners go in search of their next challenge. WHEN Eleanor and Christopher Lear decided to embark on their first barn conversion
The Holocaust Education Trust has a mission to teach the next generation about the horrors of the Nazi death camps. Ruth Campbell joined pupils from our region on a trip to Auschwitz. This is what they saw. This is how they felt. IT is the sight of
TEN youngsters are helping to safeguard the region’s manufacturing future after they fought off competition from 100 other hopefuls to win trainee positions that could lead to permanent jobs. The successful candidates have taken up roles with
BELEAGURED North-East menswear retailer Officers Club is in administration for the second time in just over two years, but a rescue plan emerged last night which could save hundreds of jobs. The Northumberlandbased business, which employs about
EMBATTLED oil firm BP sank to the bottom of the FTSE 100 Index yesterday after speculation that managers could face manslaughter charges over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The group fell more than two per cent as it also came under pressure over
Derailed, deranged, the column still boldly goes where none has been before. THE Backtrack column has been running, and much enjoying, a series called Railroad to Wembley. Yesterday’s column left things in Poole, on the Dorset coast, two better-late-than-never
FOR those who don’t know, Baaba Maal is one of the biggest-selling African musicians of all time, a superstar in his native Senegal, and an ambassador for the United Nations. He also has one of the most striking voices you will ever hear. Which
THE Specials’ biggest hit, Ghost Town, may have captured the political mood of the early-Eighties, but it seemed no less apt being played this weekend, set as it was to the backdrop of further rioting in London. Thirty years on from the release
Jamie’s Dream School (C4, 9pm) Scrimpers: Waste Not, Want Not (C4, 8.30pm) Vacation, Vacation, Vacation (C4, 8pm) Kerry Katona – The Next Chapter (ITV2, 9pm) TERM continues at Jamie Oliver’s school, where getting students to be quiet and listen
REGARDING your article about the £10,000 allocated to the Stanhope church hall (Echo, March 28). I think Councillor John Shuttleworth has lost the plot if he suggests money should be spent on roads and footpaths. Why have car owners been paying
LOYAL Darlington Football Club fans have not been given a fair deal. They must ring or book on line to obtain Wembley tickets. This may be more convenient for some, but will involve a booking fee and postal fee. You can guarantee that the company
I BELIEVE that the Arriva “coaches” used on route X66 in Darlington are not suitable for elderly and disabled people. There are four deep steps, which can’t be negotiated. I recently fell down the last step. I have permanent leg problems. The
YET another correspondent has written to Hear All Sides regarding the totally unfair Barnett Formula (HAS, March 23). Given the total indifference shown by North-East MPs towards changing the system of diverting funds from the North- East to
POLICE have been called to reports of a man on a roof in Darlington. A number of officers and an ambulance have been called to the scene in Woodvale Road. Tweeting from the scene, The Northern Echo reporter Paul Cook, said: "Tattooed
I CANNOT believe the Government. They say it is all Labour’s fault that they have inherited a mess and that’s why they have to cut people’s jobs. They, after asking us to swallow this garbage, then decide to embark on yet another foreign folly
POLICE have arrested a man who had locked himself in a house following a siege lasting more than eight hours. Police officers were called to a house in Railway Close, Sherburn Village, County Durham, at about 11am this morning. The man
Residents and visitors enjoyed an evening's racing last Saturday at Hutton Magna village hall. This was the first outing for the newly refurbished big projection screen. Its original winding mechanism had broken beyond all practical repair. Much gratitude
FORMER Newcastle and England football star Paul Gascoigne was today given another chance to fight off a move to make him bankrupt. The case against Gascoigne, who owes the taxman £32,000, was adjourned for a further two weeks at a brief hearing
A CAT lover is fuming after council workers disposed of her run-down pet without trying to trace her. Rachel O'Connor's cat Loki was knocked down close to her home, on High Street, Carrville, Durham, on Friday, February 11. According to neighbours,
VILLAGERS should learn whether a boarded-up pub is to be turned into a shop and takeaway within six weeks’ time. Durham County Council denied Shauket Ali Baz planning permission to convert the former Queen’s Head pub, on North View, in Ludworth, near
A MAN on court bail stole scrap metal from a skip. Neville Baxter was bailed to appear before the court on an unrelated matter on April 16 when he was spotted carrying the stolen metal on March 18. He was stopped by a PCSO who seen him
PETER DAVISON is trying to trace a photograph of his maternal grandfather. He was John George Smith, known as George but popularly known as Sunshine, of Spennymoor, and Tudhoe Colliery. He played football for a number of clubs including Ironopolis, Spennymoor
HUNDREDS of arts organisations have lost their funding in what Arts Council England's (ACE) chairwoman Dame Liz Forgan described as "a series of painful decisions". Around 1,300 theatres, galleries and arts groups applied for funding under
ARTS organisations across the region have this morning discovered whether their bid for public funding has been successful. The Arts Council has provided funding to ten groups in the North-East which did not previously receive funding. Others have seen
SCORTON teenager Max Coates starts his title chase in the Ginetta Junior Championship this weekend at Brands Hatch. Coates will be driving the revamped, Harron Homes-backed black Ginetta G40 junior car in the two races on Sunday. The Richmond Sixth
ROWDY drinkers are being warned they face being thrown out of town if they don’t mend their ways. Police in Consett say they plan to use powers to order people found to be drunk to leave the town centre or face being arrested and spend the night sobering
WE appreciate the challenges facing councils as they grapple with budget cuts. Tough decisions have to be made and the consequent controversies are coming thick and fast. And it is already clear from the reaction of parents and headteachers that
ONE of the newest talents to emerge on the British music scene wowed a sell-out audience when she played at The Sage, Gateshead, this week. Singer/songwriter Rumer brought an intensity to the packed venue that had people glued to their seats for
SO who does rule the UK? Certainly not our Parliament or Government. According to England’s most senior judge, rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (EHCR) are the law of the land in Britain. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, said that
WITH reference to Tony Kelly’s letter about the police (HAS, March 29). There are some police officers who are “neither use nor ornament”, as he says. But there are similar people in every walk of life, whether employed by the Government, or not
IN view of the current Japanese difficulties and the knee-jerk reaction of many here, I believe prejudice against the nuclear industry is unfair and unfounded. Given basic precautions nuclear power is safe, clean and cost-effective – in every
HARRY COOVER, the inventor of Super Glue, has died aged 94. I have super-glued many things including, accidentally, the dog’s ear to his collar. Mr Coover was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2010 by President Obama.
IT was very courteous of Tony Blair to phone this newspaper and ask if its editor could spare a moment or two – so Mr Blair could thank him personally for supporting his North-East based Sports Foundation as a governor. Of course, it was good of
New ways of delivering health care are being pioneered by groups of GPs as a precursor to them taking over NHS budgets. Health Editor Barry Nelson reports on some of the big changes taking place within the health service. THE Easington area
A TREASURE trove of artefacts, usually off limits to the public, will go on show. English Heritage is holding free tours of its northern archaeology store, in Helmsley, North Yorkshire. The centre is home to more than 800,000 artefacts, ranging
A TALENTED teenager is to take on dancers from around the world at the Irish Dancing World Championships. Kayleigh Doherty, 19, from RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire, will compete for glory in the solo and team events at the competition in Dublin
A CHARITY that overcame a huge legal bill following an employment tribunal has launched a scheme to extend its help for homeless people in Darlington. Mayor Bryan Thistlethwaite became the first person to sign the pledge at the launch of the
A SECOND meeting to discuss Gypsies moving onto a village field despite being denied permission has been delayed for a week. Villagers from Brafferton were due to hold anothermeeting on Monday to discuss the site, which has been occupied by three
It seemed like a good idea at the time... Months ago, I was asked if I'd take part in a stand-up comedy night at The Forum in Darlington and - stupidly - I agreed. What on earth was I thinking? Now, a letter of confirmation has arrived. The Forum Comedy
PERTEMPS Networks can set alight a rather humdrum beginning to the new Flat season at Catterick. Whatever the baffling motives behind kicking off in North Yorkshire rather than at Doncaster on Saturday, at least Mick Easterby can be relied
KEITH DALGLEISH has his fingers crossed he can get off to a flying start to the Flat turf season when he saddles Chookie Hamilton at Catterick today. The North Yorkshire venue was Dalgleish‘s local track when he was riding, mainly for Mark Johnston
RICKY PONTING yesterday brought down the curtain on his spell as Australia captain amid a chorus of acclaim. Ponting, who intends to carry on as a player under his successor, bows out having won 48 of 77 Tests in charge. He also led his country
JADE DERNBACH is the only uncapped player named in a 27-man England performance squad ahead of the summer campaign. The 24-year-old Surrey seamer has been included for the first time after he was last week called up as a replacement in England
AS the Class-91 high-speed East Coast locomotive rested on platform three at Newcastle’s Central Station, Alan Shearer stood proudly alongside Lady Elsie Robson before unveiling a specially commissioned cast-iron nameplate of the late, forever
North Shields manager Anthony Woodhouse had harsh words to say to his players after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Northallerton in the second division last night. Shields looked good for one of the promotion places a month ago, but they have
SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce claims Danny Welbeck's maiden call up to the full England squad is a fitting reward for the striker's performances since moving to Wearside last summer. Welbeck made a surprise debut during last night's friendly
FABIO Capello last night tipped Danny Welbeck to become a major part of England's future, and denied he had given the Sunderland striker an international debut simply to prove a point to Ghana. After being promoted to England's senior squad
NEWCASTLE past 1 Sunderland present 1. A game between England's national team and the leading side from Africa, settled by two players strongly connected to the North-East. Just as Andy Carroll's first international goal looked to have secured
Celtic have strongly refuted claims by Tony Mowbray that the club effectively prevented him accepting managerial jobs at "three or four" clubs before he took over at Middlesbrough. Mowbray was removed from his position as Hoops' boss after
Mike Ashley expects Newcastle United to break even after their first season back in the Premier League and feels the club's financial stability will lead to regular drives towards European football. On the day Newcastle United Limited revealed
Darlington kept their play-off hopes alive with a win at Grimsby Town thanks to a goal from a player that could easily have been in the opposition line-up. Liam Hatch headed home his 14th goal of the season – two months after the Mariners tried
THE family of prom queen Hayley Durston last night vowed they would never forgive the teenage drink-driver who killed her. Saddat Abdul-Hakim was jailed for five years yesterday after admitting causing the death of his 17-year-old girlfriend
COUNCILS across the region have been awarded millions of pounds in extra funding for pothole repairs. Chancellor George Osborne made an extra £200m available to councils in England and Wales after two successive hard winters left roads damaged
MYSTERY still surrounds the death of an experienced diver who was found unconscious on the seabed by his diving partner. Ralton Palfreeman was diving in a shallow bay at Calve Island, near Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, last May, when
A NATURE-LOVING couple have donned high-visibility jackets to provide a vital road crossing service for migrating toads. Rachel Bignell and Nikolay Sirotinin hopped to it after they noticed the amphibians trying to cross Pittington Lane on the
A POLICE officer was quizzed after his DNA was found on an iron bar believed to have been used to bludgeon a sub-postmaster’s wife to death, a court heard. PC Darren Thompson had to account for his movements on the day of Diana Garbutt’s death
A CATHOLIC uprising is stirring over a council’s cost-cutting plan to axe free transport to faith schools. Catholic parents are furious at Durham County Council’s proposals, saying they would hit the poorest hardest. Grassroots campaigns
A MAN has been charged with assaulting a Government official carrying out an inspection of a controversial recycling plant. The alleged assault was on an Environment Agency officer attempting to carry out an inspection of the Albert Hill Skip
A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy, who has had to learn to walk again after his leg was amputated because of a cancerous bone tumour, has opened a cancer support centre. Josh Mann, from Spennymoor, County Durham, and his parents, Carolyn and Jason, were the
A GRIEVING grandson has criticised crematorium chiefs for their handling of a multimillion pound expansion project, accusing them of causing “indescribable pain” to bereaved families. Peter Naylor said the area at Durham Crematorium where his
EDUCATION officials across the region yesterday welcomed news that truancy rates in secondary schools have largely fallen. Statistics for 2009-10, published yesterday by the Department for Education, show that the number of pupils playing truant
A MIDDLE-AGED woman would have died “relatively quickly” from the effects of breathing acrid smoke when a fire broke out in her sitting room, an inquest heard yesterday. Estelle Teesdale, 52, was found by firefighters about 3ft from the door
THE parents of a 16-year-old girl who died in her sleep have been told they will never know for certain what killed her. Camilla Irvine, known as Milla, from Newton-le- Willows, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, died on September 25, last year, after
ENGINEERS at a Tees Valley firm have started working on Australian time to meet the needs of its clients Down Under. Pearson-Harper, based in Billingham, has confirmed the appointment of 22 new staff in the North-East who have been brought in to help
WINNING work to supply components for the new Nissan Leaf has helped drive major expansion at a North-East car parts manufacturer. Work began yesterday on a new £8.5m plant for plastic injection-moulding firm Nifco UK, based in Stockton, which
The first County Cup final of the season takes place tonight when Guisborough face Marske in an all Northern League encounter at Stokesley in the North Riding Senior Cup final, the first of two crunch games between the sides in three days. Both sides
