Darlington RA jumped from tenth to fifth in the STL Northern League second division with a 2-1 home win over Horden last night. Horden took the lead after 7 minutes when RA keeper Phil Pentony tangled with one of his own defenders, and presented
A MAN who groped a young girl after sitting next to her on a bus may be responsible for two other sexual assaults. At around 6pm on November 21 the man got on the No63 bus at Middlesbrough Station. He spoke to the 16-year-old girl before putting his
It’s not often I write about places outside of Cockfield, unless of course, there’s a village connection but, seeing as there’s a distinct lack of eating places here, I thought I’d mention a bit of a gem I’ve found down the road at Ingleton. Over
SHOULD I be weary or should I be relieved? I've been asked to do a piece on the 150th anniversary of Durham Swimming Club - the second oldest swimming club in the country - and while researching it, I stumbled across this front page cartoon in The Northern
NORTH-East born pop artist Gerald Laing, whose famous images included works depicting actress Brigitte Bardot and more recently singer Amy Winehouse, has died at the age of 75. He mixed with great names such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein
ARE you fed up with digital radio? Despite the Government's avowed intention to switch off the FM and AM signal by 2015, the take up of DAB radios has lagged far behind sales of digital television receivers. According to the latest figures, only a quarter
Divorce petitions are frequently based on allegations of unreasonable behaviour. What constitutes unreasonable behaviour is a subjective test, based on the experience of the person seeking the divorce. Examples given can frequently come in trends
JOLIEN VLEESHOUWERS first came to Teesside University on a student exchange from her home country of the Netherlands, and enjoyed the experience so much she returned to study for a psychology degree. She will graduate today with a first class degree
AN adventurer will scale the world's highest active volcano to raise money for a North-East charity. Rachel Smith, 34, is taking on her second climb for children's autism charity Daisy Chain after catching the adrenaline bug. Mrs Smith, of Middleton
POLICE clothing has been stolen from a marked car in Bishop Auckland. A female police officer was attending an incident in the town's Hereford Street on Monday evening, in which a man with mental health problems was threatening to harm himself.
THE Secretary of State is set to make an announcement on an application to build a controversial out-of-town shopping complex next month. Durham County Council's planning committee approved plans for a shopping complex on the nearby former Focus DIY
A PUB landlord has taken his customers’ health and safety to heart and produced a weaker than weak tipple. Tony Langdale, of The Ship Inn at Middlestone Village, near Spennymoor, County Durham, commissioned the light beer with his regulars
SCIENTISTS have uncovered the secret behind how the common painkiller paracetamol works, potentially paving the way for pain medication with less harmful side effects to be developed. A team from King’s College London (KCL) has found that the
A TEENAGE killer was this afternoon locked up for four years for the one-punch manslaughter of a popular father-of-two outside his local pub. Aaron Hayes was told by a judge that he had devastated the family of Spencer Freeman with his drink- and drug-fuelled
That’s Britain (BBC1, 8pm) Your Money and How They Spend It (BBC2, 9pm) The Cafe (Sky1, 9pm) HAS life ever been more complicated? We have to remember so many account details, passwords and personal questions that we sometimes end
JOHN PELHAM (HAS, Nov 17) suggests the Conservatives should be compared to a magician because they make things disappear. Nonsense. He forgets the things that have already re-appeared in David Cameron’s first 18 months. Let’s start with jobs in
AS an admirer of modern motor bikes, may I thank you for the wonderful picture of the Honda VFR 740F on page three on Monday’s Echo, Nov 21. It certainly looked to be quite a machine – and in such good condition. Purely in the interests of keeping
WHEN Barack Obama became President I was filled with hope and anticipation that his actions would match his rhetoric. I predicted that he would soon fall into the clutches of the US military and the supporters of Israel. I watched on TV recently
I AM very sorry to hear of the forthcoming closure of Darlington Arts Centre. In my view, the Teacher’s Training College gave the building to the town. Why can’t the interior be updated? We can keep the outside as it is. This would surely be
WE read so much bad press about nursing and residential care homes, I feel I must express my views on the care and nursing of my uncle at Willow Green care home in Eastbourne Road, Darlington. The moment one walked in, one felt at home. From the
Famous for her cow prints, artist Caroline Shotton talks to Ruth Addicott about her forthcoming exhibition in Harrogate. WHEN artist Caroline Shotton was looking for inspiration, she didn’t expect it to come from the field of cows over the
AMID the furore over Fifa’s decision to prevent the national team from wearing a poppy on their shirts (Echo, Nov 11), we should remember the supreme sacrifice made by footballers, both amateur and professional. A team from Great Britain won the
THE Government’s decision not to hold a public inquiry into the Grayrigg rail crash, in Cumbria, beggars belief. Why would it want the disaster swept under the carpet? Perhaps because it would link the accident with the privatisation of British
I AM sick and tired of hearing the councillors of Bishop Auckland going on about redevelopment at St Helens and the new shopping outlet to be built on the site of the derelict Focus DIY store. The plans have been passed and rightly so. So, time
RAY MALLON’S column (Echo, Nov 18) about people in public life not always being at their best when questioned by the media, reminded me of an occasion from the early Eighties. It was widely understood that Labour’s brief, unhappy period under
REGARDING the idea of placing a public crossing of some sort in Willington (Echo, Nov 17). The road in question is on a blind double bend. If anyone is brave enough to guide people across this hazardous road, they are either hell bent on suicide
THINK of a country other than dear old England. Got one? Right. Well, is it Bangladesh, Taiwan, South Korea, Lebanon or Rwanda? No? In that case, whatever your choice it is less crowded than England. Unearthed by Migration Watch UK, an independent
FOOTBALL’S reputation is badly tarnished. It has lost its moral compass. Some players cheat and dive on the pitch; others refuse even to enter the field of play, and clubs seem willing to sell their heritage to the highest bidder.
IT will soon be Christmas. The shop windows look beautiful and tempting. The television is advertising toys, games, clothes and furniture. They want you to spend, spend, spend. After all, you don’t have to start paying until next year.
A county once renowned for its lack of speed cameras has embraced the technology to cut accidents and catch speeding motorists. Joe Willis reports. AT 3,000sq miles, North Yorkshire is England’s largest county, stretching from the North Sea
A METHODIST chapel built by the founder of one of the North-East’s most famous department stores is to close. The Bainbridge Memorial Chapel, which has served the tiny village of Eastgate, in Weardale, County Durham, for 120 years is for sale
POLICE have arrested a man in connection with the death of a stolen pet pony. Seven-year-old Shetland pony Trigger was reported stolen from allotments near the Frog and Ferret pub, in Spennymoor, County Durham. Its severed head was later
A NURSING sister who has remained dedicated to her profession for more than six decades – and is still working – has won an accolade. Connie Craven, 74, a parttime employee of Leazes Hall Nursing Care Home, in Burnopfield, County Durham, spoke
MASKED robbers escaped with an ornamental gun and jewellery after tying up and terrifying a couple in their own home, police have revealed. Police initially believed that nothing had been taken from the couple’s home in Carlton, near Stockton
A SCHOOLGIRL who was rushed to hospital after being impaled on her bike’s handlebars has returned to thank those who cared for her. Ten-year-old Emily West Nethercot fell onto her bicycle while playing at her grandparents’ home, in Durham City
The league has agreed to requests to postpone two matches in order to help teams prepare for their big FA Vase ties next Saturday. The Tuesday games, Dunston v Bedlington and Whitley Bay v Shildon, have both been postponed, and instead Bedlington and
FOOD and drink purveyors from across North Yorkshire gathered for an awards ceremony celebrating the best of the area’s gastronomic delights. The Flavours of Herriot Country awards were presented in a lavish ceremony at Thirsk Racecourses last week.
A VOLUNTARY code for policing To Let signs in Durham city centre does not go far enough, an MP has said. Durham County Council wants landlords to sign up to a voluntary code of practice limiting the number of boards on each house and street, their shape
LOVING homes are being sought for ten abandoned rabbits. They were taken to the Clifton Lodge Veterinary Group, in Sedgefield, County Durham, on Monday morning by one of the practice's clients, who found the animals in a box near their farm. The
POLICE in a North-East city have launched a campaign targeting thieves in car parks and shopping centres. Operation Jaguar will focus on known offenders in the west of the Sunderland, tackling all types of acquisitive crime such as theft, robbery, burglary
A SCHOOL is hoping to attract 2,000 people from the community every week to use its sports and arts facilities out of hours. Hummersknott Academy, in Darlington, has established a company, called Hummersknott Active, to run and hire its facilities
KIND-HEARTED Royal Mail staff have helped raise money so a nursery can improve its facilities for children with special needs. Postal workers at the Royal Mail delivery office in Darlington rallied round to raise £704 towards equipment for
VILLAGERS facing a £90,000 repair bill for their ageing community hall are calling on Durham County Council to reduce the hefty sum. The village hall in Middleton in Teesdale needs £234,000-worth of repairs to bring the building up to date and, while
TWO colleges will team up with a former Darlington Football Club star to offer students a qualification in sports development. The Martin Gray Football Academy will work with Greenfield Community College and Darlington College to deliver the
A NURSING sister who has remained dedicated to her profession for more than six decades - and is still working - has won an accolade. Connie Craven, 74, a part-time employee of Leazes Hall Nursing Care Home, in Burnopfield, County Durham, spoke of her
DOZENS of churches in Darlington have joined forces to help people with problems because of the economic downturn and resulting austerity measures. Churches Together combines the resources of more than 30 churches with the initial goal of promoting
NOMINATIONS for an annual competition to honour Darlington's unsung heroes close at the end of this week. Judges will run the rule over entries in the Best of Darlington Awards next month once all the nominations are in. The awards will feature
A LEADING international animal rights group has pledged £1,000 to help catch those responsible for beheading a family’s pony. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) pledged the funds yesterday after hearing about the death of Trigger
TRIBUTES have been paid to a devoted mother-of-two and brave soldier who has died of cervical cancer. Private Liane Roberson, of Ferryhill Station, County Durham, was 26 when she died in Darlington Memorial Hospital on Monday, November 14.
A PROMISING young goalkeeper is behind bars awaiting sentence after admitting a betting shop bomb hoax and robbing a man outside a casino. Dan Staples, 21, who once played in the Sunderland Academy team, has been in custody for four-and-a-half
MASKED raiders smashed their way into a couple’s home and tied them up in a terrifying night raid. The couple, who run a gunsmith business, managed to break free and went to a relative’s house, believed to be their daughter’s, where the alarm
HUNDREDS of schools will close next week as the region faces a day of chaos in the biggest strike for a generation. More than 300,000 North- East public sector workers will join up to three million people across the country walking out on Wednesday
Liam Hatch may be in demand, but Darlington do not intend to lose the talismanic striker. Fleetwood and Gateshead have both made their interest known since Quakers chairman Raj Singh made his cost-cutting measures clear at the beginning of the month.
TARMO Kink and Andy Halliday provided Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray with a reminder of their goalscoring abilities yesterday as they found the target in a behind-closed-doors development game with Carlisle. A reasonably strong second-string side
CRISIS in the eurozone and regime change across the Arab world and North Africa is offering bank note printer De La Rue (DLR) new business opportunities. A contract to print money for South Sudan, the worlds newest nation, helped to lift sales at the
nICKLAS Bendtner insists he has not closed the door on a permanent move to Sunderland despite his desire to return to the Champions League. Bendtner is three months into a season-long loan from Arsenal, with Black Cats boss Steve Bruce already having
THE officer who led the complex investigation into a fraud that cost taxpayers more than £100,000 has been commended by a judge. Detective Constable Ian Banham’s year-long inquiry into the bogus invoice case is also expected to earn him the praise
A TOUGH new work test – expected to strip sickness benefits from 60,000 people across the region – shows the Government is “pro the North- East”, a minister said yesterday. Steve Webb, a Liberal Democrat, urged MPs to recognise that the shake-up
A MOTHER whose son was knocked down crossing the road is calling for young motorists to drive responsibly. Violet Atkinson, 40, from Sunderland, has backed a campaign by road safety charity Brake to get drivers to cut their speed as Road Safety
WRITERS, artists and filmgoers last night pleaded with Darlington Borough Council leaders to reverse a decision to close a local arts venue, with one describing it as a jewel in the town’s crown. More than 60 people squeezed into Darlington
1 Should Ryan Taylor remain in the Newcastle team? He has been the surprise success story of the season, but Saturday's game at the Etihad Stadium was arguably the first in which Ryan Taylor has looked like a defender playing out of position. Admittedly
STEPHEN Wright feels the pressure to succeed should be enough to drive Hartlepool United forward. Pools form at home has been stark contrast to their results on the road, with just two Victoria Park wins standing against five away victories. Wright
USDAW, the shopworkers union has called for a legal loophole to be closed after 1,200 former Ethel Austin employees were denied compensation. Usdaw made a claim on behalf of its members after administrators MCR failed to consult with the union before
A NORTH-EAST construction firm has played an integral part in ensuring historic paintings will be preserved at their best following refurbishment work at a local museum. The Bowes Museum, near Barnard Castle, has recently secured the loan of
Consett manager Kenny Lindoe could rest several players when they face second division Northallerton in the last remaining second round tie in the Brooks Mileson Northern League cup tonight. Several players carried knocks in the Vase win over Ramsbottom
A MAN underwent surgery after he was discovered with a severe knife wound to the neck. The incident occurred around 4.40pm yesterday on Prince Edward Road in South Shields. A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said: "Police attended
FIRECREWS are currently attending a property in Oswald Terrace, South Moor, Stanley, County Durham. The crews were called to the scene around 11pm after an alarm sounded and there was a smell of smoke. A spokeswoman for Durham and Darlington
THE Undertones will be rolling back the years when they play Inside/Out in Darlington on December 2. Celebrating their 35th anniversary, the Derry band have gone out on the road again after a successful tour earlier this year. The Undertones first took
