POLICE believe a man was shot following a dispute near a North-East pub. Officers were called to a report of a man being injured in the Benton area of Newcastle at just after 5pm this evening (Friday, December 14). Police and an ambulance went
YORKSHIRE's achievement in attracting the Tour de France in 2014 can be summed up in one word: Magnifique! The Welcome To Yorkshire team, led by Gary Verity, deserve huge congratulations for their work on the successful bid which will be a priceless
THE organisers of a bid to start the Tour de France in Edinburgh, which could include a stage in North-East England, have vowed to fight on to stage the race. Event Scotland and British Cycling went head-to-head with Welcome to Yorkshire over staging
UNIVERSITY students have given youngsters a taste of Victorian festive dancing. Second years on the performing arts course at Sunderland University have performed a dance based on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at the Masonic Hall in County Durham’
Durham County Youth Choir will be in festive mood as it performs a selection of seasonal favourites at a coffee morning at All Saints Church, Newton Hall, Durham, on Saturday December 22. All are welcome to the church, in Carr House Drive, for
A CLEANING firm has become the first business in the region to take advantage of a scheme that aims to help unemployed people gain qualifications and, ultimately, jobs. MJF Cleaning Services enlisted the help of fellow Darlington-based environmental
A TRAINING company’s donation will help an air ambulance keep flying . Profound Services, in Peterlee, County Durham, is giving use of its executive box at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light for the Boxing Day match against Manchester City to The Great
A LUNCHEON club’s annual Christmas meal will feature some extra ‘VIP’ guests next week. Wheatley Hill Community Association will lay out the welcome mat to the Lord Lieutenant of County Durham, Sir Paul Nicholson and his wife Lady Sarah Nicholson
CHILDREN have been congratulated for walking to school. Youngsters from The Chorister School, in Durham City, who walked to school every day during November were given badges by Strider, the mascot for the Walk Once a Week campaign. The school
A Christmas concert by the Caritas Ensemble, held at Crook Hall, in Durham, on Friday (December 7) raised £314, which will be split between Crook Hall, the Ensemble and Durham Action on Single Housing, a charity which supports homeless people. The
THE world’s biggest single sporting event is heading for the region, topping off a fairytale year for British sport. After leading Britain’s gold rush at the Olympics, Yorkshire has won the right to host the opening two stages of the 2014 Tour
HEALTH bosses have named the three bidders which will be competing to provide a new hospital on Teesside. North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust want to build a new hospital at Wynyard, near Billingham, to serve the people of Hartlepool
BUSINESS leaders believe the opening two days of the 2014 Tour de France could boost the region’s economy by more than £300 million and attract more than a million visitors. Staging the opening of the race is particularly lucrative as the hosts
A 25-YEAR-OLD man received face and head injuries during an unprovoked assault in Newton Aycliffe this week. The man was attacked by two men on Emerson Way, near the junction of Pease Way, while walking home at 9.30pm on Tuesday, December 12.
INTERNATIONAL students at Durham University who remain behind this Christmas are being given a chance to celebrate in grand surroundings. The university, which caters for students from more than 150 countries, is giving 200 of them a unique taste
THE parents of a teaching assistant who died after being hit by a speeding lorry on a pedestrian crossing are facing further heartache, after a decision on whether to prosecute the driver was delayed. Jake Thompson, 27, died in hospital in May
POLICE are warning that high tides, strong winds and flooding could hit coastal areas tonight, (Friday December 14). Northumbria Police has received warnings from the Environment Agency about problems expected in the next few areas. It says
A LIFT engineer has been cleared of a serious health and safety breach after a 92-year-old woman fell down a care home lift shaft and died. The company he worked for, Derwent Lift Services, based on Greencroft Industrial Estate, in Annfield Plain
NEW YEAR: Richmond Cricket Club is holding a New Year's Eve Party with entertainment by local singer Anthony Monach and disco from 7.30pm until late. Tickets cost £12 including a raffle at midnight. For more information and tickets call 01748
A SCHOOLBOY has designed a Christmas card that will land on the doormat of dozens of civic dignitaries. Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman invited all primary schools in the Spennymoor area to enter her annual Christmas card competition. The
TRAVEL SURVEY: Parents and children have been reminded to take part in a survey about how they travel to school and college. The survey will allow Darlington Borough Council to offer better travel choices for journeys. It can be completed at darlington.gov.uk
A FUND set up in memory of a seven-year-old steam enthusiast at an open air attraction has reached nearly £3,000. Karl Doran, from Darlington, died at Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, in July, after apparently falling from a traction
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man allegedly brandished a knife in the street. Officers were called to Station Bridge, Harrogate, at around 11.20pm on Thursday, December 13, following reports that there was a man with a large knife
TRADING standards officers have sent out a strong message to those selling counterfeit goods online that they will face the courts if they don’t stop. The warning comes after Hartlepool Council received a number of complaints about people selling
A SCHOOLBOY put his best foot forward to help keep a member of his local lifeboat crew safe during missions. Jamie Young, 12, of Roker, Sunderland, raised £250 for the city’s RNLI volunteers by doing a seven-mile sponsored walk from his home to
Inquiry off: A three-day public inquiry into a planned development at White House Farm, Stokesley, that was due to start next Tuesday, has now been cancelled. A new date will be confirmed in the New Year. Swim fun: More than 70 pupils from seven
IT has been a difficult week for champion trainer Paul Nicholls with recently-retired Kauto Star leaving his yard after eight magical years, but Nicholls could have a smile back on his face after the feature race at Cheltenham this afternoon as he has
The big betting race of the weekend is the Paul Stewart Iron Spine Gold Cup and a chance is taken Golden Chieftain (2.30) representing the yard of Colin Tizzard. The stable made a very good start to the campaign and although they have cooled somewhat
There was some welcome cheer from the nation's builders today as official figures showed a bounceback to growth in the construction sector in October. Construction output grew 8.3 per cent month-on-month in October, the Office for National Statistics
POLICE are hunting a flasher who exposed himself to several people in a Newcastle park. It happened on Jesmond Dene at about 11.05am on Sunday December 9. Police have spoken to a number of witnesses and have a description of the man. They are
PEOPLE in Spennymoor and surrounding villages have told a community action group what they want it to focus on next year. Spennymoor Area Action Partnership met with residents at Spennymoor Town Hall to keep them informed about its work and to
A CHOIR set up to celebrate the return of a medieval manuscript to the North-East will perform to the public for the first time this weekend. In a bid to help spread festive cheer, the Lindisfarne Gospels Community Choir will sing a variety of
PRIMARY school pupils donned festive knitwear when they took part in a special charity day. About 270 youngsters at the Bullion Lane Primary School in Chester-le-Street, today (Friday, December 14) joined in Christmas Jumper Day in aid of Save
TOMORROW'S Memories looks at a famous Darlington company's role in building what I believe to be the hangar for Britain's first airship. This story gives me the opportunity to use the word dirigible, which is great. Leftover from the article is
WHEN Welcome to Yorkshire announced it was vying for the right to host the opening stages of the Tour de France, some cyclists suggested the idea was more 'Oh là là' than 'Ee bah gum'. Despite consternation in some quarters that the race organisers
A FIVE-STAR hotel in the region is to invest £200,000 in refurbishment work. Renovation of the Old Hall at Rockliffe Hall Hotel, in Hurworth, near Darlington, will begin in January. It will include a revamp of the hotel’s main restaurant, The
WINTER WALKS: Find out about birds that have come from overseas and what the resident wildlife gets up to when it’s cold and wet. Join St Nicholas Fields Wildwatch volunteers for a winter walk through the nature reserve, York, on Saturday, (December
UNIVERSITY students may have to scan their fingerprints in future - to prove they are not bunking off lectures. Newcastle University plans to introduce biometric scanners to bring it in line with the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and clamp down on illegal
A WOMAN who uses dance to promote health has been selected for a scheme to help social entrepremeurs. Beth Ainsley, who runs Nouveau Fitness in Peterlee, County Durham, has been selected for the first Lloyds Banking Group Social Entrepreneurs Programme
AMBULANCE bosses in the region have gone to the aid of their colleagues in Yorkshire after severe winter weather conditions caused chaos further south. A combination of black ice and freezing fog led to scores of road accidents in West Yorkshire
THE commercial manager of a farm supply business has retired after 41 years with the company. Tony Simpson has stood down from Farmway, in Piercebridge, near Darlington. Mr Simpson began working as a trainee at the Stokesley branch in 1971
POPULAR Darlington rock band Skybabies (CORR) will be bringing their own versions of classic rock hits to a New Year’s Eve party at The Forum Music Centre, in Borough Road, Darlington. The band will perform covers from the likes of Green Day, Foo Fighters
A BEER brewed in Middlesbrough is set to keep the MPs in good spirits in a House of Commons bar. North Riding will be served in the Strangers Bar after Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Tom Blenkinsop, arranged for the Truefitt
STUDENTS at Richmond School showed there was no place like home in a special matinee performance of the Wizard of Oz for primary school pupils, care home residents and former students. The 134-strong cast and crew impressed their audience on Wednesday
COMMUNITY volunteers have been praised by police after a tip-off about a suspicious vehicle led to the arrest of three suspected burglars. The members of Daleswatch – a neighbourhood watch-style organisation which operates in the Richmondshire
A MASSIVE flame from a chemical plant chimney has been lighting up the insides of nearby homes and keeping residents awake at night. The flames, which emit huge plumes of black smoke, have also been making an almighty roar, disturbing the peace
Flasher hunted: Police are appealing for information after a man exposed himself to a woman on the Stray in Harrogate at about 8.20pm on Thursday, December 13. The man was between 20 and 30 years old, 6ft tall and was wearing light coloured jeans and
A WOMAN who dodged prison "by the skin of her teeth" for glassing a former friend in a pub sobbed with relief as she walked free from court. Colleen Robson left Charlene Pulford scarred for life in the attack in Harvey's Bar, Darlington, in June
SCHOOL DAMAGE: Police in Sedgefield are appealing for information after the panels of a bike shelter at Trimdon Junior School in Trimdon Village were kicked and smashed, causing £200-worth of damage. A nearby reinforced window was also damaged. The
NEWTON Aycliffe Rotary Club’s Community Christmas Concert takes place at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre from 2.30pm to 4pm on Sunday, December 16. Carols will be led by Newton Aycliffe Town Band and there will be performances by schools and children
REPRESENTATIVES from diverse communities are invited to join a new group. The Independent Advisory Group, recently relaunched by Hartlepool police, offers a chance to discuss and debate community issues. The police are looking for residents
WHAT if, instead of disappearing under a new office block, Durham Wasps’ former home became an ice rink once again? That was the thought which prompted Richard Endean to drawn up an alternative vision for the Freeman’s Reach site, in Durham City
Darlington have made their second signing of the week after bringing in a striker on loan from Gateshead. Michael Sweet has joined on loan in time to make his debut against Durham City tomorrow. The Darlington-born teenager is Martin Gray’s
A VILLAGE school has won a free Christmas tree. Cassop Primary School, in Cassop, County Durham, was given a six-foot Eiger artificial tree by B&Q, after pupil Adam Nattress won a competition to tell Father Christmas why his school was the
A DARLINGTON travel store's Christmas presents appeal has enjoyed a bumper year, according to staff. The charity drive at Co-Operative Travel, in North Road Morrisons, sees gifts collected and distributed to local charities. However the quality
POLICE are warning householders to be on their guard following a spate of break-ins in the Ryedale area. They are appealing for information following four burglaries of outbuildings in Cropton and Fadmoor on the edge of the North York Moors.
A NEW campaign against loan sharks has been launched in North Yorkshire by trading standards officers, in partnership with the England Illegal Money Lending Team. The crackdown is aimed at loan sharks who cash in on Christmas – and cause misery
RESIDENTS are urged to cut down on waste and recycle where possible in the run up to Christmas. Hartlepool Council is encouraging residents to make full use of recycling collection services at this time of year, which sees households produce more
UNIVERSITY staff and students have donated clothes and shoes for homeless people at Christmas. The two-week collection drive was led by Maggie McDowell, a teaching fellow specialising in criminology at Durham University. The donated items will
A COUNCIL leader and an MP are urging people to sign a petition to stop hundreds of civil service posts being moved from a town. Darlington Borough Council leader Bill Dixon and the town’s MP, Jenny Chapman, will be encourage people to back the
STARS of Darlington’s glamorous pantomime came together to boost a charity Christmas present appeal this week. The Salvation Army toy appeal is in its 35th year and aims to ensure poverty-hit children do not have to endure the heartache of going
A VOLUNTEERING initiative has got off to a festive start in Darlington, with a collection of gifts for needy youngsters. Members of Darlington Cares, a partnership of some of the town’s leading employers, this week collected more than 200 gifts
POLICE are renewing their appeal for witnesses to a collision which left a man dead. Neil McClure, 41, was in collision with a car in Eaglescliffe at around 3am on Saturday, December 1 as he walked on Urlay Nook Road outside of Eaglescliffe School
FERRYHILL youngsters have received a surprise visit from Green Santa, as a reward for their school’s recycling efforts. Ferryhill Station Primary School was one of the first to sign up for Waste Aware North-East’s Recycling Rewards Scheme, which
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to get a memorial plaque erected to honour a local hero. The two Liberal Democrat ward members for Zetland in Redcar are determined to secure the fitting tribute to Sir Rex Hunt, who shot to fame as the Governor of
SUPERGRASS SINGER: Tickets have gone on sale for a gig featuring Gaz Coombes, singer with Supergrass. He will perform at the Georgian Theatre, in Stockton, on Sunday, April 21 at 8pm. Tickets are now available from seetickets.com and priced at £13.75
DESPITE recent police warnings, three cars were stolen in a day after being left unattended with engines running. The three vehicles were stolen from the Stockton area yesterday (Thursday, December 13) when their drivers left them to defrost.
BOTH the Investec Derby and John Smith’s Grand National are set to stay in their familiar time slots in 2013 despite Channel 4 assuming control of television coverage. BBC television lost the rights to Channel 4, who have chosen a new production
TWO former North-East football stars have been teaching pupils a lesson in tackling racism. Former Sunderland captain Gary Bennett and ex-Newcastle United defender John Anderson visited Belmont Community School, in Belmont, Durham City, as part
KEVIN PIETERSEN helped England recover from the loss of two early wickets to eke out 199 for five on a pitch of turgid low bounce on day one of the final Test against India. Alastair Cook’s tourists, needing a draw in Nagpur to close out a historic
AMIR KHAN admits old sparring partner Manny Pacquiao’s nasty knockout last weekend gave him plenty of food for thought as he prepares to meet Carlos Molina tomorrow. The Briton takes on undefeated local lad Molina in Los Angeles desperate to put
JESSICA ENNIS has called the delays to the re-opening of the Olympic Stadium “a huge shame” after the revelation the venue may stay closed until 2016. Ennis won heptathlon gold in London in August but it may be four more years before she can compete
A HIATUS in a wind farm project of the North-East coast has come to an end after a renewable company has found a solution to working in inclement winter weather. EDF Energy Renewables will resume the installation of wind turbines on the Teesside
A BRAVE cancer sufferer put her best feet forward for a sponsored charity walk. Sharon Whitfield, from Redworth, near Darlington, donned her Father Christmas outfit and was joined by around 20 friends for a 3km Santa Run in Hardwick Park, near
TOM WATSON’S amazing return as American Ryder Cup captain – he will be 65 at Gleneagles in 2014 and the oldest skipper in history – was not a knee-jerk reaction to their latest defeat. Watson was contacted more than a year ago and asked if he was
GRANT LEADBITTER believes Middlesbrough have a squad capable of staying in the Championship’s promotion mix over the festive period – even if a growing injury list refuses to ease. After returning to the North-East yesterday following Wednesday
A JEALOUS man attacked a schoolboy in the street when he believed he had become too close to his girlfriend, a court heard. Ryan Love, of Station Road, Darlington, kicked and punched the 15-year-old in the head, leaving him with a permanent scar
ALAN PARDEW has had to do a certain amount of soul searching as he continues to suffer his leanest spell in charge of Newcastle United. This time last year, the Magpies were seventh in the Premier League table, ten points off second place, in a
COUNTERFEIT goods are being sold through social networking sites. Trading standards officers in Hartlepool today issued a warning to those selling counterfeit items online that they could have the goods seized and potentially face the loss of their
THE hunt to find the next Chief Constable of County Durham and Darlington is underway. The area’s new Police and Crime Commissioner, Ron Hogg, has started th e process to find the force’s new top officer. He is one of a number of commissioners
RENOWNED authors have lent their support to a campaign to save a local library. Teesside writers Richard Milward and Peter Brunton have put their weight behind a bid to save Hemlington Library, in Middlesbrough. The library faces closure as
AN EXPERT on ash dieback has been teaching students more about the tree disease. Andrew Campbell, a plant health and seeds inspector for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), talked to students at East Durham College’s
AN advert has continued the story of the John Lewis snowman who went on an epic journey to buy his girlfriend the perfect gift. The television advert for the department store chain has been melting hearts up and down the country this Christmas.
THE Football Association last night accused UEFA of being too lenient after a list of sanctions were imposed relating to the controversial Under-21s meeting between England and Serbia in October when Sunderland’s Danny Rose endured the worst night
CHAMPAGNE wasn’t the only thing being opened as generous patrons took out their wallets at a Darlington bar. Crooners, in Houndgate Mews, hosted a charity meal to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), charging £10 a head
A CAFE that helps adults with learning disabilities boost their employability and life skills is celebrating its first Christmas in Darlington. Since opening in May, Daisies Cafe on Duke Street has built up a loyal clientele and, despite another
A NURSE accused of administering drugs in jelly babies and jam sandwiches faces a four-month wait for a decision on the future of her career. Janet Foster ran a 20 bed ward at Victoria House Care Centre in Stockton where nearly all the residents
ALAN PARDEW fears Hatem Ben Arfa will not be passed fit in time for Newcastle United’s game against Manchester City as the club continue to investigate a troublesome hamstring injury. After suffering an injury against Maritimo in the Europa League
A DARLINGTON primary school is ushering in the festive season with a stocking full of events. Skerne Park Primary School, which will enter a partnership with Hummersknott Academy early next year, has hosted three interpretations of the nativity
THERE are some big savings around for families chasing UK breaks over Christmas and the new year. Hotels still have places, while thousands of holiday home owners want to get their properties heated in harsh weather. Prices were sliding even before
PRAISE has been heaped upon a group of unemployed youngsters who revamped a centre for disabled horse riders. A team of seven 16 to 25-year-olds worked through the cold to transform The Unicorn Centre, near Middlesbrough, a purpose-built facility
A CHARITY has criticised police and NHS bosses after it emerged North Yorkshire was the only county in the country without a specialist custody unit for people with mental health problems. David Smith, chief executive of the county’s Mind branch
IMAGINE the scene. You’re running a famous and flourishing private hospital – indeed, you call yourself London’s foremost private hospital. Your patron is the Queen. You boast of the highest possible standards, employing the very best nursing and medical
HUSBAND and wife team Sam Kane and Linda Lusardi first met in pantomime at Darlington, and say that they have a special affection for the Civic Theatre. The couple are good entertainment value: they look good, with Linda sporting a series of glamorous
A MAN has been arrested following a hit-and-run incident in Darlington which left a woman injured. It happened at around 9.50pm on Thursday night when a white car pulled out of a side street on West Auckland Road and went straight across the road
THE audience is on a mission in this dinnertheatre version of the Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic. They must assist Marley’s ghost in making miserable old miser Ebenezer Scrooge snap out of grumpy old man mode and be filled with a spirit of goodwill
THE Military Awards – nicknamed the Millies – have been taking place since 2008 when that first ceremony was presented by Tess Daly and was broadcast on Sky1. A year later, Phillip Schofield and Amanda Holden took over hosting duties when it moved
NOBODY does it better – makes us feel bad for the rest. Yes, James Bond may be 50 this year (or at least his films are), but he’s still battling bad guys and saving the civilised world from the clutches of megalomaniacs everywhere. To mark his
ARTISTS are being invited to take part in a fundraising charity exhibition to help make a poorly teenager’s dream come true. Ellie Ward, 24, from Merrybent, near Darlington, is organising the event for the Dreams Come True charity which will use
ONE of the things that makes The Graham Norton Show so successful is the fact the guests all get the chance to mingle on the sofa, instead of just being interviewed one at a time. It means you usually get a genuine conversation, rather than a couple
THE BBC Sports Personality of the Year award is upon us. What a difficult job it will be to find a winner. I know that Bradley Wiggins, Jessica Ennis, Mo Farrah, Andy Murray and Sir Chris Hoy are among the favourites to win, but what about
FORMER Sun editor Rebekah Brooks gets £10.8m for resigning. Wouldn’t it be great if the working class could just resign and get such pay-offs? I think we should put all of David Cameron’s cronies, who are all in it together, into a trough of
ON December 10, 1868, London’s first set of traffic lights was installed in Westminster. The only reason it was put at this point was so MPs could cross the road to get into Parliament. Since then nothing much has changed. MPs still put their
THE Scottish National Party’s dream of an independent Scotland is now very much in tatters because if the Scots were daft enough to leave the UK they now have no right to EU membership to fall back upon. Who would then fund their lavish lifestyle
A CORRESPONDENT told of the village newcomers who, despite hating the sound of church bells, moved into a house near the village church (HAS, Dec 11). It reminded me of an unpleasant incident some years ago. My wife and I went to watch Etherley
THE letter from Rob Smith (HAS, Dec 10) about the lack of expenditure by Darlington Borough Council on our icy streets gave me food for thought, especially as I have seen people being carted away in ambulances after coming a cropper on the ice around
THE stupid acts by university students with regard to “milking” where they pour a bottle of milk over themselves in public places has now been upgraded to “porting” by some Durham University students (Echo, Dec 10). It is sadly a sign of snobbery
A LONG-SERVING leader of one of the North-East’s top sports clubs has announced he is stepping down. David Harker, who has been at the head of Durham County Cricket Club (DCCC) for the past 13 years, will leave his role in May to pursue a private
A COMMUNITY has been joined by scores of farmers in celebrating a management buyout of a meat processing plant that employs 1,500 staff. A cloud had been hanging over the future of Malton Bacon Factory, one of the biggest private sector employers
YORKSHIRE will stage the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in 2014, it has been announced. Following months of mounting tension between rival bids, the organisers of the world’s largest annual sporting event decided tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire
THE Chief Executive of one of the North East’s leading sporting clubs has announced that he is to step down from his role, after more than 20 years with the business. David Harker, who has been at the helm of Durham County Cricket Club (DCCC) for
ON the day that unemployment recorded one of the biggest falls in years, The Northern Echo led the news with a highly misleading and partisan headline: “160,000 families hit by tax change” (Echo, Dec 13). The fact is that many more than 160,000
WHETHER it’s painting, music or theatre, great art can take us out of ourselves. For an hour or two, it lets us forget our day-to-day lives and think the impossible. It entertains, but also inspires and challenges us. Your imagination needs as
A JAMES BROWN doll made famous by Teesside-born TV star Jeff Stelling is back up for auction. The dancing doll, which appeared regularly on Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday, attracted bids of more than £150,000 when it was originally placed on ebay
A MAN and youth have been charged after a wooden pallet was dropped onto a train from a railway bridge. British Transport Police were called to the incident just outside Ferryhill, County Durham, involving a Cross Country train on August 25.
THE debate about whether there should be legal underpinning of press regulation has a long way to run. But the furore surrounding Culture Secretary Maria Miller is a reminder of the dangers of having politicians involved in press controls. The
AN AIR cadet has returned from a four-week trip to Nepal which included a visit to Mount Everest's base camp. Flight Sergeant Matthew Leathard, of 234 (City of Durham) Squadron, was selected for the expedition following his performance on a national
A FORMER university academic accused of conspiring to smuggle arms to Iran said he had been taken hostage by the UK Government, after walking free from court yesterday. Nosratollah Tajik, a former Durham University teacher and Iranian ambassador
A FAMILY has opened its Christmas tree to the public to hang messages on in memory of deceased loved ones in aid of a cancer charity. In exchange for a donation, visitors can hang a disc bearing a message to their loved ones on the tree in Lynn
MORE than 1,000 messages of love and celebration have so far been left on a public Christmas tree in Darlington. By inviting the public to make a donation in exchange for a message on the Giving to Life Tree, in the Cornmill Centre, St Teresa’s
A VILLAGE in the region has become the first in the country to experience superfast fibre optic broadband. Ainderby Steeple, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, welcomed Communications Minister Ed Vaizey to “unwrap” the broadband cabinet as an
A GIRL has won a competition to name a kingdom featured in a pantomime. Beth Shaw, nine, from Chester-le-Street, suggested Chucklevania for the name of the kingdom in the production of Sleeping Beauty, in the Gala Theatre, Durham City. Beth
JOHN Hughes is looking to his players to set their own standards – and cited one of Hartlepool United’s elder statesman as an example. Pools are at MK Dons tomorrow and up against one of the division’s more powerful teams. But Hughes isn’t the
Billingham Synthonia’s hopes of beating competition favourites Spennymoor Town in the FA Vase today have suffered a blow with the departure of star striker Andy Jennings to Blyth Spartans. Jennings has been one of Synners’ star players this season
ONE in every 120 households in the North-East is at risk of becoming homeless, according to new figures released. Leading housing and homelessness charity Shelter today (Friday December 13) revealed that 9,665 households in the region were threatened
A CANCER charity founded by a singer battling breast cancer will open its new shop in her home town tomorrow (Saturday, December 15). The Chyrelle Addams Cancer Appeal will open the doors to its shop in Willington, County Durham, at 11am. The
A BLUE Vauxhall Vectra has been stolen from a driveway in Granville Terrace, in Binchester, Bishop Auckland, overnight on Wednesday, December 12. It is believed to have been pushed or towed away. Witnesses should call PC Ashleigh Waslin, of
PLANS for a long-awaited cinema, which have received the backing of more than 500 people, have been submitted to the council. Scores of people pledged their support for the multi-screen cinema, within a leisure complex of retail shops and restaurants
A FATHER who drove half a mile to get home while drunk because it was too cold to walk has been banned from driving for two years. Michael Rhodes, from Ferryhill, admitted driving while more than three times the drink drive limit when he appeared
THE A66 in County Durham has been re-opened after a number of minor accidents earlier today. Police closed the road between Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire and Bowes in County Durham for several hours after black ice led to a number of minor accidents
A THIEF who got £10 for a boiler he stole has been ordered to pay £380 compensation to its owner. Magistrates in Newton Aycliffe were told that the boiler Kieron Lee Wynn stole from a house in Ferryhill was actually worth more than £1,300, but
A LEISURE centre will be transformed into a grotto for Father Christmas this weekend. The Spectrum Leisure Centre will hold a Magical Christmas Party between noon and 3pm tomorrow (Saturday, December 15). Becky Brunskill from the centre on
