THE British Army has begun scaling down its fighting force in Afghanistan with more than 70 soldiers arriving back in the region. The troops from Burma Company, 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment returned to their barracks at Catterick
A LYING mother who pocketed benefits by pretending her children lived with her and she was a single parent has walked free after a court heard she had memory problems. Amanda Nicholson, from Darlington, raked in almost £10,000 after misleading
POLICE have tonight charged a man in connection with two reported rapes in Middlesbrough. In the first incident, a 19-year-old said she had been raped at an address near to Tollesby Road on Wednesday, August 8. A 20-year-old reported being
A NATURE reserve has been forced to put up emergency feeders to ensure birds do not starve during the winter after thieves raided the site. Ten bird feeders worth more than £150 were stolen from Low Barns Nature Reserve near Witton-le-Wear in County
A NORTH-EAST company is promising to shake up the care home sector with a new luxury service that stops a home becoming a prison as people get older. The Darlington-based company, which is run by brothers Gareth and Gavin Nesbit, has many years
ART was carved from ice in the middle of a busy town centre today (Friday, December 7). Ice sculptors worked on their creations, which were made especially for Stockton as part of the town’s Stockton Sparkles series of festive events. Other
ARTS FESTIVAL: Plans are being made for a music, speech and drama festival, to be held at Hummersknott Academy, in Darlington, in March. Children and adults can enter a range of competitive and non-competitive classes. For more information, call Olwyn
GAS LEAK: A road was closed for several hours while a gas leak was fixed. A member of the public reported the leak after smelling gas on Barracks Bank, between Scotch Corner and Skeeby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, in the early hours of Friday morning
A SPA town has been found to have the highest concentration of drink-drivers in the UK. Price comparison website moneysupermarket.com found nearly one in 100 people who applied for car insurance in Harrogate had been prosecuted, while Cleveland
SUNFLOWER SECRETS: Staff and volunteers at Hartlepool’s Warren Road Day Centre, which helps adults with learning disabilities, have created a calendar depicting them doing ordinary tasks in unusual places around the town, such as ironing in a field
A FOUR-year plan aimed at improving a county’s health has been published. The aims of County Durham’s first Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy include cutting early deaths and improving quality of life for people with long-term conditions.
A MAN has been arrested after approaching children and making inappropriate comments. In the last month police have received three reports that a man had approached children in the Felling area of Gateshead and spoken to them. The incidents all happened
Twins among the most premature ever to have survived have both been allowed to return home from hospital for the first time. Little Harley Garthwaite has now joined his twin Archie at their family home in Hartlepool, Cleveland, after they were
STOLEN loot taken during a raid on a pub was found littered around “half-way house” flats opposite, a court heard today (Friday, December 7). Raiders took two gaming machines, four flat-screen televisions, a sweet dispenser and bottles of spirits
ONE of North Yorkshire's oldest and largest car dealerships has condemned a bank after being placed in administration. Dealer group Nidd Vale, which was established in 1922 and has more than 100 staff, accused Santander Consumer Finance of "pulling
A FUNERAL director who trekked 1,400km across the Arctic Circle has won a national fundraising award. Kris Marley, who works in Washington, Wearside, braved temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees during the ten-day dog sled and snowmobile adventure
FRIENDS who grew up and studied together opened their first business this week. Toni Worton, 20, and Jay Kumar, 21, have set up the Visual Impact and Perceptions (VIP) unisex hair salon in Saltburn, where they grew up together. The pair say
MOTORISTS have been told to expect extreme conditions next week as a Siberian weather front dubbed the ‘Beast from the East’ blasts the North East and North Yorkshire. Police forces across the region renewed warnings over icy roads and pavements
A MAN has admitted stealing tools worth almost £100,000 along with a quantity of scrap metal from a manufacturing firm in the region. The thefts admitted by Colin Benton took place at metal fabricator Permoid Industries, which is based on Newton
HINDSIGHT is a wonderful thing and no one involved in the hoax call made to the London hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge for acute morning sickness would have envisaged for a second that it would have such tragic consequences. Prank calls
Blackspot delay: Work to improve an accident blackspot at the Barton Hill crossroads between Malton and York on the A64 has been delayed to next spring, with the Highways Agency citing “design issues.” The agency said a revised plan is now being developed
A 92-year-old man, who has not been named, died after he was struck by a car in Windsor Terrace, Sunderland at 10.20am today (Friday, December 7). The pedestrian was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The accident involved
A MAN who exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl via a computer web-cam and sent her explicit photos of himself has been spared jail in what a judge admitted was an “unusual” sentence. Gary Dryden, 29, also repeatedly asked the girl to undress so
CHILDREN put their enterprise skills to good use when they held an old fashioned festive fair. Sedgefield Hardwick Primary School, in Sedgefield, County Durham, opened its doors to the public for its first community Christmas market today. (Friday
A CHRISTMAS crafts fair will be held at St Mary and St Cuthbert Parish Centre in Middle Chare, Chester-le-Street, from 10am to 2pm tomorrow (Saturday, December 8). Admission is free. SINGERS WANTED: The Shiney Row Male Voice Choir is looking for
PLANS to move Durham police’s garage to Newton Aycliffe have been dropped. The news has angered campaigners who hoped that relocating the force’s vehicle maintenance depot from Aykley Heads, in Durham, to Aycliffe Business Park would increase the
FROM Bedale to Buckingham Palace a glamour gown maker is hoping to be crowned Queen of Shops after supplying you know where with their latest creations. And while Verb Dresses can’t say exactly who has been wearing their glorious gowns, which have
NORTH East councils have been invited to sign up to a national agreement to help them deal with troublesome street charity collectors. The joint ‘Making the Pledge’ agreement between the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Public Fundraising
POORLY children will have a slice of Christmas magic beamed straight to their hospital bedsides, as panto season gets under way around the region. Newcastle Theatre Royal's production of Aladdin will be beamed to all hospitals in the North-East
THE parents of a promising teenage footballer today (Friday, December 7) told an inquest how his his life was destroyed by drugs. Ryan Joseph Gunn was previously been captain of the under-16 Middlesbrough Football Club in the Community team and
FATHER Christmas arrived in Victorian style to light up Chester-le-Street for Christmas today (Friday, December 7). The big man himself arrived in town on a penny farthing - his marvellous beard keeping his face warm on the cold ride. Durham
POLICE have given visually-impaired readers an early Christmas present. Northumbria Police supplied reading groups in Sunderland with a wide variety of talking books. The books will be used by three visually-impaired reading groups at Sunderland
Children from a North-East school are feeling blue about the lack of clean water in developing countries. To attract publicity for their cause, 10 pupils from Blaydon West Primary School, in Gateshead, today (Friday, December 7) donned blue wigs
CARE inspectors have called for improvements at a North-East mental health hospital. Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission visited the Auckland Park Hospital in Westfield Road, Bishop Auckland on August 14. The hospital is run by the
THREE of the regions Comet stores are among 54 closing their doors as hopes fade over a rescue deal for the stricken consumer chain. The store in Durham ceases trading today (Friday, December 7) followed by Harrogate tomorrow (Saturday December
A BRUTAL drunken bully who choked, punched and kicked his partner has been jailed for 12 months. Judge Paul Watson QC told John Davison he had caused the woman incalculable anxiety and stress, before putting the man he called a “brutal bully” behind
EAST Durham Homes chairman Paul Morgan has named Centrepoint as his charity for the next year. Centrepoint provides a safe place to live for more than 1,000 young people, aged 16-25, in London and the North-East. They support young people into
NHS North East is using twitter to urge people across the region to 'choose well' this winter during a five day tweeting marathon. Starting next Monday 10 December, several NHS organisations from across the region will take part in the tweet-a-thon
A MEMORIAL Christmas carol service is being held at St Cuthbert’s Church, in Darlington on Tuesday, December 11. The 7.30pm service, organised by Co-operative Funeralcare, will feature carols and readings in remembrance of loved ones, with the
AMBULANCE FUNDRAISER: Alverton Singers will perform at All Saints' Church, Northallerton, today (Saturday, December 8), at 7.30pm, to raise funds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. For tickets, which cost £8, email enquiry@alvertonsingers.org.uk.
THE rate of self-harm hospital admissions in the North-East is almost triple the rate of London, according to new figures. The statistics, released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, prompted one leading North-East mental health
North Durham MP Kevan Jones joined Gregg Peart and Michelle Dent from Derwentside Homes at ASDA in Stanley today, (Friday December 7), to provide information and answer queries on the welfare changes coming into force in April. They sat at a stall
A MOTHER accused of allowing the death of a baby has said she would have left if her boyfriend had been violent towards her son. Rachel Peacock, 31, said she would not have tolerated abuse from former partner Richard Morgan, who is accused of killing
Drugs expulsion: Three pupils have been expelled from St Peter’s public school in York for possessing and using cannabis. Head Leo Winkley said St Peter’s held its pupils to very high standards of behaviour, and problems of this nature were rare at
A CARE worker has had his dedication, commitment and effort rewarded with a national award. Mark Culley, deputy manager at North Park care home, in Darlington, won a prize in the recent National Care awards, in London. He is responsible for
AS Christmas approaches young people will be adding a glow to the night sky with their own festival of light. Up to 100 young people and children and their families are expected to parade through Whitby’s old town from the Market Place, holding
A DISABLED grandmother has praised the quick-thinking of two teenagers who helped her after she fell out of her mobility scooter in sub-zero conditions. One-legged Elsie Porter, from Darlington, was trying to cross South Park, in Darlington, on
MOTORISTS using council-run car parks in Hambleton district look set to pay up to 50p a day more to help fund a freeze in council tax. Most of the rises at car parks are likely to be 25 to 33 per cent after members of the council’s Conservative
A serial hoarder who refused to clear the dog dirt, bags of rotten food and cockroaches that infested her home has been evicted. Susan Nicholson, 52, has been turfed out of her terraced home in Deckham, Gateshead after failing to respond to warnings
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a 16-year-old boy was assaulted at a Darlington bus stop. The attack on the boy, who was with his girlfriend and other friends at Tubwell Row bus stop, happened just after 6pm on December 4. The teenager
CHRISTMAS shoppers were today reminded of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. A one-day event held in Durham City’s Market Place, brought together staff from a range of organisations, including Durham Police, the County Durham and Darlington
A 74-YEAR-OLD woman helped her pervert husband breach a ban on him having contact with children by joining him on trips with youngsters to a theme park and zoo. Sylvia Botham claimed she was unaware of the exact details of his past and the terms
A DRIVE to help struggling businesses and charities in the Yorkshire Dales by linking them with the national park’s nationally-recognised brand has been hailed “the perfect tonic”. The move to offer the national park’s Swaledale ram’s head trademark
THE FAMILY of a woman who died days after being discharged from a mental health facility have criticised the care she received. Chantel Adel Nellist, a former student nurse, died on August 16, 2011, after taking a cocktail of pain killers, sleeping
THE parents of a seriously ill toddler are hoping he will be well enough to make a special guest appearance at a party being held to raise cash for his care. Scott and Joanna Denton's world was turned upside down when three-year-old son Joshua
BAD weather is hampering improvement works to a historic bridge in one of the region’s leading resorts. The work at Whitby’s swing bridge is well underway and repainting of the outside beams is due to finish next Monday. But high winds and
A MAN who abducted a schoolboy just weeks after being served with an official warning to leave him alone could yet avoid jail, after a judge challenged him to ‘prove himself’ during four weeks in a bail hostel. Daniel Baker, 19, was served with
SHOPPERS venturing into Durham City to their Christmas shopping will be able to get their children involved in a bear hunt. Police in the city have launching a Safe City Christmas Bear Hunt as part of the Safe City initiative. A total of 115
OPERA star Sir Thomas Allen will fall under the spotlight at Durham Cathedral’s Christmas Concert next weekend. Fresh from directing a production at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Sir Thomas will be joining the Durham Cathedral Choir for a candlelit
A RAIL company has got onboard a charity campaign by recycling old uniforms. Following a redesign of its uniform, Northern Rail donated more than 3,000 items of clothing to Salvation Army Trading Company Limited (Satcal). The branded garments
YOUTH music project Newblood is looking for exactly that to keep it rocking into the future. The group organises monthly live music nights for teenagers at The Forum, on Borough Road, Darlington, but cuts in funding and founding members moving
A COUPLE have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in style this week. Barbara and Geoff Currey (CORRECT), who are in their late eighties, didn’t have anything special planned for their 60th anniversary on Thursday (December 6). But
BRADFORD City have been kicked out of the FA Cup after fielding an ineligible loan player from Newcastle United in their second-round tie against Brentford last Friday. The Bantams did not receive written permission for Curtis Good, on loan from the
A WOMAN went on a one-day stealing spree in Darlington and lifted almost £100 of goods from four different shops, a court heard. Nasrin Akther, 27, of Corporation Road, Darlington, appeared before the town's magistrates’ court yesterday (Thursday
BUILDERS across the region are being invited to tender for millions of pounds worth of work to construct a new hospital. Work has now started on the the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington, Northumberland. In September
THE allure of Yorkshire has helped the county defy what has been a tough year nationally, according to the latest tourism figures. Trips to Yorkshire were up 16.3 per cent for the period September 2011 to August 2012 according to the official Great
POLICE are appealing for help from the public after a van containing vital medication was stolen. The white Ford Transit Crewcab pick-up was taken from the High Street in Catterick Village at about 2pm on Thursday, December 6. The van, which
LABOUR has won a town council seat formerly held by an independent member who resigned in the Summer due to work commitments. Jeremy Hillary was elected to represent the Neville ward on Great Aycliffe Town Council following a by-election yesterday
A ‘VERY expensive bunny-hop’ is how a judge described a drunken prank which led to a teenager appearing in court for drink driving. Lewis Myers, 18, of Streatlam Road, Darlington, was almost twice over the drink drive limit when he jumped into
A DRUNKEN man wrenched the door handle off an ambulance, insulted paramedics and caused £200 worth of damage, a court heard. The ambulance had to be taken off the road for a day after the incident in Darlington on April 29. Barry Titcombe,
I HAVE heard a lot about page three girls – from the guys at work, you understand – but The Northern Echo featured a real beauty this week (Echo, Dec 3). Photographer Chris booth has taken a truly lovely picture of baby Jessica Fidling who has
SINCE retirement I’ve greatly enjoyed writing letters to the press. I try to vary the topics, a little nostalgia, humour where appropriate, but most of all I like to provoke a lively debate. Although I use a computer, I start with a longhand
CORRESPONDENT G Blenkinsop urges Alison Huggan to make a few simple economies to make up for the housing benefit she will lose from next April (HAS, Dec 3). Mrs Huggan fears her sons, who are both serving soldiers, will have nowhere to sleep when
THE Government’s plans to introduce minimum unit pricing on alchol is a further attack on working class folk, since having a few drinks is one of last affordable vices we can afford and enjoy. Having a drink is very much part of our culture and
AS a regular attendee at the Police and Communities Together (PACT) group, which is held in Middlestone Moor Community Centre, in Spennymoor, I hear the same problems being raised month after month. Central Drive has many antisocial problems, which
I DIDN’T participate in White Ribbon Day, which is also known as the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, but I do support police action against domestic violence. I would, however, question how often they should
THE Government’s thinking on devolving power to the provinces is fine in theory but, based upon similar experiences in the past, bad in practice. Putting billions of pounds in the hands of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) is fine as long as
EVERY penny of the £5bn capital investment announced by George Osborne is welcome. But I suspect that we will feel the impact of the cuts that will pay for them more quickly and more keenly than we’ll see the benefits. Like most people, I find
MARK ANDERSON and Chris Greenwell both suggest most newspapers are mere instruments of influence for the rich and powerful. This diatribe seems to suggest an axe to grind rather than a constructive argument concerning the Leveson report. The
‘THERE are more Muslims than Catholics in the largely Protestant north of Europe and more Muslims than Protestants in the largely Catholic south of Europe. Some of these communities are historically settled and others are more recent. “Yet misrepresentations
IN the summer, we questioned the Government’s decision to close Remploy factories employing disabled workers. In doing so, we recognised that, in an ideal world, the theory behind the closures, and spending Remploy’s £320m budget on helping disabled
EXPORTS from the region have reached another record high, bucking the national downward trend, with the North-East’s annual total coming in at £14.125bn. The region is once again leading the way when it comes to exports, with HM Revenue and Customs
SHAUN MURPHY dodged a Belgian bullet as Luca Brecel ran into pink peril and bowed out in the quarter-finals of the williamhill.com UK Championship. Seventeen-year-old Brecel was twice on the brink of a famous victory at just his second major tournament
ALASTAIR COOK doubtless barely broke sweat again as he became England’s all-time leading Test centurion and gave Nick Compton all the confidence he needs as his new opening partner too. Cook famously keeps his cool when the heat is on anywhere
NEWCASTLE boss Alan Pardew is hoping to head into the knockout stages of the Europa League with a significantly stronger squad than the one with which he started. The Magpies had already qualified for the next stage of the competition before last
WORK to renovate one of the region’s most famous landmarks is under way. Work has started on a new viewing area at Middlesbrough’s Transporter Bridge. Installation of the Winding House viewing area and a revamp of the attraction’s visitor centre
A FOOTBALL manager has given his backing to X Factor finalist James Arthur. Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray said the singer’s success was “great for the area”. He also revealed that James, a big Boro fan, has been exchanging tweets with
Dunston are set to give former Sunderland left back Dan Smith his debut when they continue their defence of the FA Carlsberg Vase at Norton United in Staffordshire today. Smith was freed by Darlington a week ago, just days after they had signed
TONY Mowbray is confident his Middlesbrough squad is strong enough to sustain its promotion challenge in the second half of the season and avoid a repeat of last year's faltering finish to the campaign. Boro travel to Peterborough United tomorrow in
DARLINGTON boxer Chris Wood will be one of the star attractions as Sunderland hosts the ABAE National Senior Novice Finals tomorrow afternoon. The event, which showcases some of the rising stars in British amateur boxing, marks the first time the North-East
WHEN Ellis Short agreed to fund the £22m purchase of Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson in August, he did so in the belief that he would not be required to make any further investments in January. The revolving-door days of Roy Keane and Steve Bruce were
A MEMBER of staff at a mental health hospital in the region has been suspended amid allegations of assault on a vulnerable patient, The Northern Echo has learnt. An investigation is under way involving The Priory Hospital, in Middleton St George
A SECOND North-East Labour MP has been forced out of his frontbench job after clashing with the party leadership on a key policy. Ian Lavery, the Wansbeck MP, quit as unpaid aide to Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, after tabling amendments
RETIRED race horses that could have been put down will be offered a new lease of life at a North-East riding centre. Greys Well Farm in Tow Law, County Durham, is taking in former race horses and re-training them for new careers. Emma Hawksby
A FATHER-OF-TWO who was made redundant from Remploy is so disheartened at being unemployed he is left physically sick at the thought of claiming benefits. Mark Rowcroft was one of 43 people left without employment after the Spennymoor factory closed
TENSION is mounting over where the 2014 Tour de France will start after the Government called for a single British bid, which could include a stage through the North-East. While experts say tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire’s case for staging road
THE family of a Durham man who died after being struck by a lorry on a pedestrian crossing say they want someone to be prosecuted over his death. Jake Thompson died five days after the incident in May 2011. Earlier this year a coroner ruled
POETRY SOCIETY: Following on from the Winning Words project – part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad – a poetry society is being formed in Barnard Castle, County Durham. In addition, five poetry performance events are being organsed at the NesT,
RAIDERS forced their way into a Shildon house through a rear patio door and escaped with a number of items. The burglary happened at a house in Granville Avenue, on Thursday, December 6, between 7.30am and 6.30pm. Police say the thieves got
A MAN who drove while more than three and a half times the drink drive limit after arguing with his wife has been banned from driving for three years. Magistrates in Newton Aycliffe also ordered John Aitken to pay £635 in fines and costs when he
STAFF at a Bishop Auckland supermarket will spend their weekend "cycling to Lapland" without leaving the store. Employees of Tesco Extra in St Helen Auckland started their cycling challenge today (December 7) and will continue tomorrow and on Sunday
ONLY one in ten sacked disabled workers in the region have found jobs after government help, The Northern Echo can reveal. Only 18 of the 168 staff who were made redundant when Remploy factories in the North-East and North Yorkshire were axed are
A FATHER-OF-TWO who was made redundant from Remploy is so disheartened at being unemployed he is left physically sick at the thought of claiming benefits. Mark Rowcroft was one of 41 people left without employment after the factory in Spennymoor
CATTLE worth £6,000 have been stolen from a County Durham farm. Police were called to the farm, at High Etherley, Bishop Auckland, after the farmer reported the theft of four Aberdeen Angus cows. The animals, used for breeding, went missing
THE new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Cleveland told The Northern Echo he hopes to save the tax-payer about £200,000 a year in running costs. Barry Coppinger, who was elected to the newly created role last week, also defended the appointment
PROPOSED amendments to conservation areas in several County Durham villages will be discussed by councillors next week. County council cabinet members are being asked to approve changes in boundaries for the Bishop Middleham, Lartington, Mickleton
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a £12.5m wind farm are appealing for people who live near giant turbines to get in touch. The Hamsterley and Upper Gaunless Action Group (HUGAG) is hoping residents whose lives have been affected by the presence of
POLICE PRIORITIES: At a police and communities together (PACT) meeting in Staindrop, near Barnard Castle, the issue of speeding along the B6274 to Winston was raised. It was agreed this issue should be made a priority and police will spend the next
PANTO TIME: Snow White comes to Gainford next weekend – oh yes she does! The popular panto will be performed at Gainford Academy Theatre on Saturday, December 15, with shows at 2pm and 4pm. Tickets are £6 for adults and £4 for children under 12. Contact
A THIEF caused £1,300 worth of damage when he stole a boiler from an empty house which he then sold for £36, a court has heard. Kieron Lee Wynn, from Ferryhill, admitted stealing the boiler from an empty house in the town when he appeared before
JUST one in ten sacked disabled workers in the region have found new jobs after government help, The Northern Echo can reveal. Only 18 of the 168 staff who were made redundant when Remploy factories in the North-East and North Yorkshire were axed
A BOOKIE is fuming after he was refused entry to a city centre bar because of his Cristiano Ronaldo-style haircut. Gerry Davin says his V-style hairdo has seen him barred from drinking at both The Bishops’ Mill pub and neighbouring Loveshack nightclub
THE councillor in charge of County Durham’s leisure has given her backing to a cinema complex in Bishop Auckland. Maria Plews, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for leisure, libraries and lifelong learning, visited the second day of a public
