GATESHEAD'S Stephen Miller will be looking to make it a five-star Paralympics at London 2012 - vowing to make sure he gets his gold medal back in the capital. The 30-year-old has competed in four Paralympics, topping the club podium at Atlanta
Former England player Chris Cowdrey is recovering from surgery after a heart attack last week. The Professional Cricketers' Association issued a release on behalf of Cowdrey, confirming he suffered the heart attack while in hospital for stitches in a
John Spagnuolo looks to have timed his form perfectly as he leads the penultimate PGA EuroPro Tour event of the season by one stroke after the opening round at Hunley Hall in Saltburn. Spagnuolo (The Sports Academy) started the Integral Collection
Shildon twice came from behind to go through to the second qualifying round of the FA Vase against neighbours Newton Aycliffe by 3-2 at Dean Street. Aycliffe took the lead after 8 minutes when Elliott Gardner scored with a glancing header
A lifeboat was launched this afternoon after a small boat began taking on water as it battled choppy seas and 25mph winds. The three crew made a distress call to coastguards just before 3.30pm, reporting that they were off the coast of Redcar
Runners across the North-East have raised almost £600,000 for charity in the lead up to this year's Bupa Great North Run, according to new figures. Runners across the region who are taking part in this year's event on Sunday, September 18 have raised
Bryan Ferry has spoken of the ''great inspiration'' of his former teacher Richard Hamilton, the father of pop art - and said his death marked ''the end of an era''. Hamilton - famed for his paintings, collages and sculptures as well as his plain sleeve
Scientists in the region have designed a microwave oven that can turn orange peel into precious chemical gold. Scaling up the system could potentially unlock a treasure trove of compounds, materials and fuels from food residues and left-overs, it is
A YOUNG mother scratched a shopkeeper when he tried to stop her stealing cider. Aimee McGhee, 24, went into Baldish Singh's store in Haughton Road, Darlington, and asked him for credit on a £3.99 bottle of Frosty Jacks cider on August 31. After
A MAN was a "cat's whisker" away from being sent to prison after making a hole in the floor of a first-floor flat to gain access to the shop below. Trevor Fillbrook, 36, and an accomplice had broken into the flat in Yarm Road, Darlington, to gain
DISABLED workers who fear losing their jobs at Remploy have protested outside a consultation to decide on the firm’s future. Staff at Remploy factories across the country are concerned that crucial Government funding that keeps the factories open could
MEMBERS of a popular dancing club have enjoyed a toe tapping party as the group marked its diamond anniversary. The Shildon Railway Institute Modern Sequence Dance Club celebrated 60-years on Tuesday. Based at the Shildon Railway Institute the club’
ABOUT 100 litres of diesel was siphoned from a lorry while the driver slept. Details of that crime, and others committed during July, were given to the West Villages Police and Communities Together (Pact) meeting. PCSO Beccy Heseltine told the
THE entire contents of a Darlington school - including the kitchen sink - are to go under the hammer. Thousands of items are being put up for sale at Eastbourne School, which counts comedian Vic Reeves as one of its former pupils, before the building
TENANTS who receive housing allowance are at risk of becoming homeless if they do not take into account cuts to the amount they receive in January, housing officials have warned. The prospect was discussed by councillors yesterday following a national
ONLY three days to go now and suddenly, after all these months of half-hearted preparations, I am starting to feel nervous. Why oh why didn’t I do more to prepare for the Great North Run on Sunday? How will it feel to prove myself to
THE TUC conference is always a difficult engagement for a Labour leader. In recent years, you could hear a pin drop when Tony Blair or Gordon Brown got up to make a speech. So it was not a surprise that Ed Miliband, back for his first big speech
Opposition towards E.ON’s proposals for the Isles, a wind farm of up to 45 turbines east of Newton Aycliffe, in County Durham, has been strong. But as part of a series of articles on the the plans, Adam Bell, from industry trade body RenewableUK
A garden with a very special water feature and an iron cross plucked out of a river help Echo Memories plunge into the depths of local history. A HISTORIC house with the craziest of crazy paving is on the market for just under £200,000. The back
THE TUC tonight announced a day of action on November 30, pledging the biggest union mobilisation in a generation after a simmering row over public sector pensions boiled over into strike plans. Up to three million workers, ranging from firefighters
County Durham based energy and mineral experts Hargreaves Services revealed another impressive year of trading today, which will also see it create up to 300 new jobs. The Esh Winning firm, which supplies coal to UK power stations, runs a haulage operation
THOUSANDS of pounds were taken from the bank account of a health worker by thieves posing as patients. The thieves took her credit card and obtained her pin number by deception after taking the victim’s purse while she was running a surgery at Dr Piper
Windows XP has been declining steadily for several years, but its demise can't come soon enough for Microsoft. Now ten years old - an absolute age in PC-terms - XP was supposed to do the decent thing and die off when Windows Vista arrived.
DALE Benkenstein’s 13th championship half-century of the season took Durham to 330 for four at tea, leading by 326. But third place looks increasingly likely after Lancashire achieved full batting points and a first innings lead of 100 at Taunton. They
A LOCAL history museum has been given a boost after receiving a lottery grant worth almost £50,000. The Richmondshire Museum, based in Richmond, will use the money from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a Discovery Centre in rooms it recently took
PEOPLE in North Yorkshire have been invited to have their say on plans by the ambulance service to change the way it is run. The Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, which serves five million people across the county, is making an application to become
WAS it madness to venture out into Hurricane Katia, which had shut the main line rail service and several roads, and brave the grand reopening night of the region’s most impressive venue? Most did to catch an often hilarious scenery-chewing performance
Planet Dinosaur (BBC1, 8.30pm) Dinosaurs, Myths and Monsters (BBC4, 9pm) Grand Designs (C4, 9pm) IN the Nineties, as the cost of producing expensive effects dropped, the BBC responded to Jurassic Park fever by making Walking with Dinosaurs. The
PENULTIMATELY – which is to say that, after 26 years, this is the last-but-one Gadfly column – here’s an image of one of our forebears, a dashing blade and clearly a sharp one, too. Jonas Gadfly, a handsome chap, is discovered by Alan Vickers in
A CHURCH group has renamed itself after 46 years to show their commitment to being a positive influence in the local community. The Richmond Pentecostal Church was named in the mid-1960s as it moved into its home in the town’s Zetland Street, creating
A DISPERSAL order to tackle troublesome youths has been extended to deal with the annual Bonfire night problems that bring misery to many residents. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has joined forces with Cleveland Police to secure the order for
YOUNGSTERS will be turning back time to help celebrate an important anniversary. Linthorpe Primary pupils are dressing up in Edwardian costumes this week to mark 1911, the year their school and the Transporter Bridge were built. They were also
SHAPPI KHORSANDI, star of Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Radio 4's Shappi Talk, takes her show The Moon on a Stick to the Arc, in Stockton, on Saturday, September 24, at 8pm. Tickets cost £12.50. To book, call the box office
MORE than 450 people have had their say on where new housing should be built in the Stockton borough. However, Stockton Borough Council is urging more people to express their views before the consultation period ends on Monday. The council already
Spennymoor striker John Alexander has returned to his previous club, Blyth Spartans. The former Darlington apprentice decided to sign for Moors during the summer, and scored four goals for them including two in one game against Shildon, but
SHOP staff have been warned to be on the look out for a new con trick known as ‘ringing the changes’. North Yorkshire Police have issued advice after an attempted fraud at the Co-operative store, on Ainderby Road, in Northallerton on Friday. Two women
AS part of the 9/11 commemorations it was good to have Tony Blair spell out how we might defeat the terror threat presented by radicalised Muslims. We would overcome it, Mr Blair declared firmly, by demonstrating that we have “a better idea
DURHAM were in a hurry this morning, as though they believed they could still mount a late charge for the title. There was some talk about how Warwickshire, under pressure from Lancashire, might panic at the Rose Bowl, enter into some sort of contrivance
YOU would think supermarkets would have an in-store post office. After all, with so many customers it would be a good earner for them. It would also help a lot of people when shopping under one roof. N Tate, Harrowgate Village, Darlington.
REGARDING the attacks on the World Trade Centre, in New York, on September 11, 2001. My husband and I were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in New York on the same day the towers were destroyed. We had just enjoyed a beautiful breakfast
WITH reference to Pat Cutmore’s letter on nursing care (HAS, Sept 7), I agree that medical and surgical procedures have vastly improved since I trained in 1956. We were trained on the wards not in a university. Five days on the ward, one day in
IN his letter to HAS (Sept 16), councillor Ben Ord seems to have forgotten that the era when a miner could walk out of the house back door and into the pit cage disappeared during the Sixties. He should also be aware that a car parked in a roadside
TALKING to a friend of mine recently, who can only walk a short way because of chronic back trouble, he explained about the procedure for obtaining a blue disabled car parking disc (or sticker). After he had finished, I thought to myself, it does
ONE man has been arrested after an alleged robbery in Darlington this morning. Two men are alleged to have punched a shopkeeper at W£ PAYCYCLE, on North Road, around 11.30am and held him at knifepoint before stealing £100 from the cash till
THERE seems to be a strange inconsistency in parental attitudes to religious worship in school if Rob Meggs is correct in saying a majority have voted against it (HAS, Sept 10). But is he right in concluding that they are anti-religious? I don
ON June 4 I married my partner Dianne. We had the registrar come out to Helme Park Hall Hotel, in Bishop Auckland, to perform the service, making it feel special with a personal touch. The guests said it was the best civil service they had ever
THE chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park has welcomed the publication of a Government review about the way national parks are run. A raft of proposals, which includes the possibility of directly-elected membership of national park authorities
A NEW multi-million pound cancer unit is to be built after planning permission was granted following donations totalling more than £7m. The new Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Unit will be built at Harrogate District Hospital with the latest technolgy
A FAMILY-OWNED handling and storage equipment specialist is planning to expand nationally after working with some of the best-known firms in the North-East. County Durham-based Clark Handling and Storage Equipment, which provides companies with everything
A FIRM specialising in complex roofing projects has secured £2m worth of contracts in the past month, as it continues to invest in young people. The work secured by County Durham based European Roofing Systems (ERS) includes a £1.5m project in Hull
NIGEL BODDY (HAS, Sept 12) implores the UK rail authorities to consider using tilting trains as an alternative to the proposed high speed line from Euston to the North. He ought to be aware that the route is already served by Virgin Pendolinos
MY mother, sister and I were lucky enough to see Dolly Parton at the Metro Radio Arena, in Newcastle. It was simply a joy to hear Dolly sing and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. For three hours, we could forget our problems and worries
OH HOW all decent citizens must agree with Chris Wardell’s comments (HAS, Sept 10) on the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I had tears in my eyes as the scenes were shown on television to mark the tenth anniversary of the attacks. However, I wonder if
KING TORUS can continue to make up for lost time with victory in the Fortune Stakes at Sandown. An emphatic six-length winner of the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last season, his three-yearold return was delayed until the City of York Stakes on
ANDREW GALE says Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves’ stinging criticism of the county’s players is justified after relegation from the LV County Championship’s top tier was confirmed this week. Graves tore into the squad, labelling this season as
DARLINGTON have received a boost with the news that they will be without Graeme Lee for only this weekend’s home game with Hayes & Yeading. The centre-back was redcarded during Saturday’s defeat at Luton Town after receiving two yellow cards,
MICK WADSWORTH insists Hartlepool United’s old guard are the perfect role models. The coach has a mix of youth and experience in his first-team squad and feels he has some first-rate professionals within the ranks. Paul Murray turned
THE Government faced the threat of the biggest outbreak of industrial action since the 1926 General Strike today after unions representing millions of public sector workers served notice of ballots over pensions. Unions made a series of announcements
Norton have signed striker Lev Yalcin from Spennymoor. Yalcin left relegated Stokesley during the summer and joined the league champions, but hasn't been able to force his way into the reckoning. Norton have a gap to fill becasue of the possible departure
Following proposals unveiled to redraw political boundaries, Gavin Engelbrecht asks people in Consett for their views on the proposals, while Helen Smithson asks people in Barnard Castle what they know about Consett. BILL CLEASBY, 80, of
MIDDLESBROUGH midfielder Kevin Thomson has edged closer to a first-team return after completing 70 minutes for the reserves in a 3-1 win over Blackpool yesterday. Thomson is yet to feature this season after rupturing ankle ligaments when he
THE Serious Fraud Office will take legal action to confiscate the assets of those involved in an £8m shares scam. Meanwhile, the organisation has given hope to investors in Worldwide Bio Refineries (WBR) that they may eventually recover some of the money
THE family of a volunteer driver who died after a tree fell on his hospice ambulance in strong winds say his death has left “a great hole” for all who knew him. George Brown, 68, who was a driver for the Butterwick Hospice, in Bishop Auckland
RAOUL Moat was worried about being hit by police stun gun weapons during a stand-off, his inquest heard yesterday. As officers pointed conventional rifles and Taser weapons at him, the fugitive expressed concern about being stunned and then
A RARE winner’s medal from the first football World Cup won by West Auckland Football Club has been bought at auction for £5,200 by local businessmen. The West Auckland team, made up mainly of miners, won the first Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy in 1909.
AN uncle accused of stabbing his teenage nephew to death in a row over a phone had a history of attacking family members, his mother told a court yesterday. Alan Cooper, 32, knifed Jordan Cooper, 14, seven times in the chest in front of Susan
PLANS to reshape the region’s Parliamentary constituencies were greeted with incredulity and dismay yesterday. One councillor denounced the Boundary Commission’s plans as “an attack on democracy”. Click here to view an interactive map
THE parents of a canoe instructor who died after an accident on a Cumbrian river have spoken about their son. Grant Kinnie, 25, from Darlington died following the incident on the River Eamont, near Penrith, on Sunday. Mr Kinnie was one
Shildon manager Gary Forrest says that his side was “more committed” against Newton Aycliffe last Saturday, and wants more of the same tonight in their first qualifying round replay in the FA Vase tonight.. Forrest blasted his players for
A FORMER school caretaker accused of preparing explosives to deal with yobs who attacked his home fought back tears yesterday as he recalled the “living hell” his family endured. Nicholas Smith, 53, became emotional as he told a jury at Teesside
IF confirmation were needed that a third title in four years for Durham just wasn't meant to be it came with the astonishing lack of luck in yesterday's first two sessions. Rarely can the ball have beaten the bat or flown off the edge to the
WHEN the Integral Collection Classic tees-off in Saltburn this morning as part of the PGA EuroPro Tour, for one Marske lad, it will be an emotional homecoming. Michael Skelton first played at Hunley Golf Club when he was ten-years-old, and, now 27, he
England prop Andrew Sheridan has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup with a shoulder injury, the Rugby Football Union have announced. Sheridan will return home for treatment, subject to final approval from the tournament's medical director
SUNDERLAND face losing defender Phil Bardsley to a lengthy suspension after the defender was charged with violent conduct by the Football Association. The charge relates to an incident during Saturday's home defeat to Chelsea with video replays
DANNY Simpson claims Newcastle's superb early-season defensive record is a direct result of the hours that were devoted to organisation and team shape this summer. No one has conceded less goals than Newcastle in the whole of English football
Tim Bresnan is confident he has the right credentials to captain his country, in Twenty20 or any other form of cricket. England's selectors will today name the man to deputise for the injured Stuart Broad when they announce their Twenty20 squad
Connections of Census believe the best is yet to come from the colt who they feel underperformed in the Ladbrokes St Leger. Census failed to end his season on a high note when only fifth to Masked Marvel in the world's oldest Classic at Doncaster
Anyone living in the Lake District or North York Moors will now be eligible to sit on the National Parks Authority, the Government said today. As part of a shake-up aimed at allowing residents more of a say when it comes to running the parks
A WAYWARD slug caused traffic chaos after it crawled into traffic lights and shorted a circuit board. Council engineers were stumped when the lights went out and called in contractors after one of Darlington’s major junctions was brought to
