Spennymoor Town made hard work of beating second bottom South Shields before they picked up three points at the Brewery Field last night. Moors wasted several chances in the first hour but couldn’t put the ball in the net because of a mixture of
Former Newcastle United player Nile Ranger has been charged with common assault. Police confirmed they were called to the Gate retail and leisure complex on Newgate Street in Newcastle city centre at 7.09pm yesterday (Wednesday, March 13).
Three months after the Leveson Report was published, we are in a right old mess over the future of press regulation. The Prime Minister has walked away from cross-party talks on the issue and set himself up for a Commons showdown on Monday, when
Two people had to be cut free after a two vehicle smash in Brancepeth, near Durham tonight (Thursday, March 14). The accident happened at the cross roads with the A690 and The Village shortly after 7pm. Three fire crews from Durham responded
A RALLYING call has been issued to the region’s firms as the latest figures showed that North-East exports dipped during the last quarter. The region struggled to maintain the stellar performance seen at the start of 2012 when export records were
PAPISS CISSE will spearhead a three-man attack as Newcastle United look to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League against Anzhi Makhachkala at St James' Park tonight. It's win or bust for the Magpies after last Thursday's goalless draw in
MINI motorbike sessions are staged at Karting North-East’s Warden Law circuit, off Hangman’s Lane, near Houghton-le-Spring, on Mondays from 5pm to 8pm. They are aimed at giving young motorsports enthusiasts, specifically the under-16s, the chance
Prisoners’ Wives (BBC1, 9pm) Born to be Different (C4, 9pm) Killers Behind Bars: Levi Bellfield (Channel 5, 9pm) LIFE behind bars certainly isn’t designed to be as jolly a jape as that depicted in classic comedy Porridge, where the ‘lags’ spend
CUTTING out alcohol was a momentous decision at the turn of the year. I set out to have a dry January, which continued into a dry February, and a (more or less) dry March is well under way. This is all part of my voyage towards irresistibility.
A DRUG dealer who recruited two friends to lie during his trial has had two years added to his sentence - while his pals have also been locked up. Leslie Graham was facing a lengthy spell behind bars if he was convicted of being part of a Hartlepool-based
A NEW events management company has been formed to take over running of Sunderland International Airshow and other public events on Wearside. Sunderland Live will operate as a local authority company to deliver events on behalf of the city council
OLD soldiers are asking people in a North-East market town for their views on where a new war memorial should be placed. The Chester-le-Street War Memorial Group has planning permission to erect the memorial in Bridge End, opposite the market place
AN initiative that aims to help young people make the transition from education to work has won a national award. The Foundation for Jobs campaign is a partnership between The Northern Echo, Darlington Borough Council and Darlington Partnership
A CARE home nurse who abused and attacked frail patients over a six-month period at a care home has been struck off. Army veteran Martin Finlay, 52, called a dementia and Parkinson’s disease patient an obscene name in front of his wife after being
Talented young sports people should be given the chance to go to university, even if their exam results are lower than expected, Steve Cram has said. The Olympian suggested that UK universities should be offering more sports scholarships. In
LITTLETOWN’S a misnomer. It’s not even that big. Five miles east of Durham, a speck of a place these days, it was once the home of Lord Lambton’s colliery where 500 men and boys worked – among them the ten-year-old Peter Lee – and where 30 lost
I AM not sure how, from any set of first principles, any country has an entitlement to the sovereignty of the Falklands. It is clearly a bone of contention for a critical mass of opinion in Argentina, and in some circles here. It would be foolish
IN Justin Welby, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the Government may have just encountered its most formidable opponent to date. There have been outspoken archbishops before but governments have a tendency to counter them by accusing them of being
A LEISURE centre is hoping to attract more young people through a free fitness offer. Young people aged 11 to 15 can get a month’s free membership of the fitness club at Abbey Leisure Centre, in Pity Me, Durham. Those signing up will also get
TAX enquiry centres operated by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs across the North-East are to close in a move which could affect the jobs of up to 130 staff. Staff from the region’s 13 centres were called to meetings in Newcastle and York on Thursday
TO prevent the catastrophic threat of antibiotic resistance (Echo, Mar 12), the Chief Medical Officer need look no further than the dinner plate. Factory-farmed animals are disease-ridden as a result of being crammed into filthy sheds, which are
SINCE 1990 many organisations, including the BBC, UNICEF and Amnesty International, have all reported people tortured and murdered after being accused of witchcraft. The belief in witchcraft has led to many atrocities, including the murder of Kristy
THINGS seem to be going from bad to worse at Durham Tees Valley airport, near Darlington (Echo, Mar 11). A slump in passenger numbers has exacted a terrible toll on the airport. However, instead of trying to attract more budget airlines and adding
THE deer population has doubled so now there has to be a cull. Of course, in this troubled economic climate we have to find something else to eat instead of horse, so what could be wrong with some well fed English venison? No doubt it will be sold
Organisers of a major flower show in the region are sending out a message for a bottle - or 2,000 of them to be precise - so they can show gardeners how to build a greenhouse from recycled household waste. A team at the 2013 Harrogate Spring Flower
THIS week’s freezing weather will have the shareholders of the utility firms jumping for joy. Prices have soared far above inflation during the past decade. I have campaigned for Durham County Council to evaluate the bulk energy purchasing
KEN TAIT insists that perverting the course of justice is “hardly a major crime”(HAS, Mar 11). I disagree. It goes to the very root of our justice system. Judges, juries and magistrates all rely on the truth and credibility of the evidence put
OUR local authority leaders who are fighting the threat of further harsh budget cuts have gained a surprising ally in recent weeks. Alongside the names of Simon Henig (Durham), Nick Forbes (Newcastle) and numerous others, can be added that of Eric
DURHAM County Cricket Club’s urgent appeal for nearly £6m of public money will come as a shock to many people, coming just months before it is due to host its first Ashes Test. The club has stressed that the money is needed to help secure the future
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the Blue Riband of the Festival. Eleven go to post, with the dual King George winner and 2011 Gold Cup hero Long Run only fourth favourite, behind the Cheltenham specialists Bobs Worth and Sir Des Champs and the unexposed Silviniaco
WEEKLY self-defence sessions using the hapkido martial art technique are now running at Trinity College’s Flambard site, at Aykley Heads, Durham. Qualified instructors Janet and son Sean Whitfield lead the classes, for anyone aged 11-upwards, of
Other acts to take to the stage include Happy Mondays on June 22, Leona Lewis on July 12 and The Saturdays on August 24. For ticket details call 01723-383636 or visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk COMMONS QUESTION: A Teesside University chemistry student
A TEENAGE singer is preparing for the regional finals of a talent contest. Singer Holly Bowron, 13, will compete in the 13 to 16 age category of the North-East finals of the Teen Star competition at the Tyne Theatre, Newcastle, on Saturday, March
A COLLEGE lecturer who throttled his daughter with a scarf during a marital row walked free from court - despite being branded "reprehensible" by his own solicitor. Gurdass Singh warned his wife that he would kill the terrified 12-year-old unless
TREES GALORE: A five-year scheme to plant 50,000 trees in and around York is moving forward with the introduction of several native species along the banks of the Ouse. Environmental group Treemen-dous York joined forces with Waitrose supermarket to
TICKETS are available for the final of Miss Durham at Sedgefield Racecourse in County Durham on Saturday, March 25. The black tie event will see 20 girls battle it out to be crowned the regions loveliest lady. Entrants are also encouraged to raise
LIFEBOAT CONCERT: Friends of Whitby Lifeboat will be hosting a concert by Shrewsbury Brass Band on Saturday, March 30 at the Spa Pavilion in Whitby. Doors open 7pm and the concert starts 7.45pm. Tickets are £8 and available from Whitby Lifeboat Station
POTENTIAL conflicts of interest among new NHS care commissioning groups (CCGs) in the region are “significant and far-reaching”, union leaders have warned. According to a study by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), several North-East CCG board
A SPECIALIST police marine unit will tomorrow (Friday, March 15) begin combing a stretch of river for a missing woman – while a bail application is made for the man accused of killing her. Pamela Jackson, 55, has not been seen since Saturday, March
A MAN who downloaded child pornography from the internet neatly categorised the offending material, a court was told. Police analysis of computer equipment seized from Lee Ramsey’s home, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on June 12, last year,
SOCIAL Mobility tsar Alan Milburn has called on a major national drive to ensure that people from the widest range of backgrounds are able to go to university. Mr Milburn, the former MP for Darlington and former Health Secretary who now serves
It was a tantalising prospect. Could a rather grotty looking portrait originally bought as one of a pair for 45 francs really turn out to be a lost masterpiece by the one of the most accomplished artists of the 17th Century? Stuart Laundy reports
A PARISH council has appointed a new clerk. Geoff Bosworth, a former town clerk at Barnard Castle Town Council, is taking over from Ian Calvert as clerk at Croft Parish Council. The 65-year-old started his 47-year career in local government
MPs have joined forces to condemn the closure of a citizens advice office. The national Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) announced earlier this week that it has suspended its Derwentside branch and ordered it to close its Consett and Stanley offices
JAIL TERM: Callum Brown, of Briar Close, Spennymoor, has been sent to jail for 26-weeks after he pleaded guilty to breaching an anti-social behaviour order. The 20-year-old verbally abusing staff at a Spennymoor bookmakers on March 9, to break the
A MAJOR theme park is installing three new rides this summer, including a roller coaster that uses the latest technology to “fly” park-goers. Flamingo Land Theme Park and Resort will have a new prehistoric section called Dino-Stone Park when it
THE search for a grandmother whose boyfriend has been charged with her murder will switch to a river and its banks, police said today. Pamela Jackson, 55, was reported missing from her home in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, a week ago. The
LOVERS of real ale are in for a treat next month when they will be able to sample 36 different brews. The Rotary Club of Guisborough and Great Ayton, the Cleveland Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and Guisborough & District Round
A REVELLER who was refused entry to a nightclub snuck in a back entrance and stole alcopops. Adam Taylor-Urch then posted on Facebook that he had found some “free alcohol,” a court heard. Taylor-Urch, of Prescott Street, Darlington, had been
THE Health Secretary is considering advice on the future of children’s services at a North Yorkshire hospital. The Independent Reconfiguration Panel has reported back to Jeremy Hunt after the minister asked for an initial review into proposals
TWO schools have called in a performing arts group to help pupils boost their language skills. Ferryhill-based Enter CIC is running weekly sessions with 20 pupils from Dean Bank Primary School and 20 from Ferryhill Station Primary School in the
TRADERS are setting up a Shopwatch scheme in the wake of a violent robbery in which a storekeeper was struck on the head. The incident happened last week when the owner of a jewellers shop in Malton, Geraldine Holmes, was hit with a wooden shelf
TEACHERS put themselves in the firing line when pupils came up with ideas to raise money for Comic Relief and Unicef. Top of the list for youngsters at The Oaks Secondary School, in Spennymoor, County Durham, was to make a donation so they could
TOP PLAYERS: England women's cricketers Danni Hazel and Jenny Gunn will visit Richmond School on April 9 from 10am to 12.30pm. They will be holding a question and answer session followed by small a coaching session. For more info contact Mark Jobling
A FIREFIGHTER is taking second-hand life-saving equipment to Zimbabwe to help train the country’s emergency services. Watch Manager Mike Dayson, who is based at Redcar Community Fire Station, will form part of a 14-strong team from fire and rescue
JOIN UP: Richmond Cricket Club are running a Registration Day on April 14 from 10am to 2pm. Call in at the clubhouse or contact 01748-824573 for more details.
LOCALS frustrated with how Middlesbrough is run have launched a petition calling for the elected mayor system to be replaced with a committee. A residents’ group is hoping to spark a referendum which would ask voters whether Middlesbrough Council
A FUNDRAISING sponsored walk is to be held from Grinton to Richmond in aid of Richmond Cricket Club . The walk on March 24 will help the club buy a bowling machine to go with their new nets facility for use by both juniors and seniors. Anyone
CHARITY PRAISED: An adoption service run by Barnardo’s in the North-East has been judged as outstanding for its quality of service to adopters by Ofsted. The Chester-le-Street based service works all over the North-East recruiting, training and approving
THREE days of strike action scheduled by North-East bus drivers has been called off after a revised pay offer was made. Members of the Unite trade union employed by Go North East were due to walk out on Friday (MARCH 14), Monday and next Saturday
British Transport Police (BTP) have released an image of a man they would like to speak after an assault on a train which left the victim with a broken nose and needing stitches. The attack happened on a Newcastle to Middlesbrough train on on Saturday
MORE than 500 children from schools across the Tees Valley are taking part in an Olympic-style sports festival next week. The Tees Valley Spring School Games are the culmination of a series of school and inter-school competitions which have taken
COUNCILLORS have backed a scheme to build 287 houses near to a railway museum . Developer Story Homes has gained Durham County Council’s approval to build near to Locomotion: The National Railway Museum, at Shildon. The scheme on the town's
A CHARITY bike ride is due to take place in North Yorkshire, inspired by a little girl who underwent major heart surgery. Gemma Orchard’s daughter, Madeleine, underwent nine hours of surgery at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital at 12 months old to correct
YOUNGSTERS studying the North-East’s industrial heritage have created a £6,500 miners’ banner which will be carried at a city gala. Pupils at Ox Close Primary School, in Spennymoor, took four months to design the seven foot by six foot silk banner
WHEN John Coates was found naked in his bathtub his family believed he had died as the result of a tragic accident. The 61-year-old had not been seen for several days and his alarmed brother made the grim discovery when he called at his flat on
POLAM Hall student Emily Gauja is hoping to sprint, shoot and swim her way to glory in a national sporting competition. Year ten student Emily, 14, is among a handful of schoolchildren selected to represent northern England at the National Winter
A CHURCH is more welcoming than ever to its community after thousands of pounds of improvements were made to the building. More than £13,000 has been spent upgrading the Grade II listed Tudhoe Methodist Church, on Front Street, Tudhoe. A gravelled
PUPILS from across County Durham have been learning important messages about road safety thanks to two hard-hitting drama projects. Durham County Council’s road safety team has funded the sessions, in which two Theatre in Education companies –
CONSERVATIVE Party members will tomorrow tonight (Friday, March 15) hold a secret ballot to decide the future leadership of the Thirsk and Malton constituency association. Members of the group, whose executive has voted not to automatically re-adopt
Sedgefield Village Veterans are holding a coffee morning at the Parish Hall on Front Street from 10am to noon on Friday, April 5. To donate tombola and raffle prizes for the event contact David Hillerby on 01740-621343. TENNIS MEETING: Sedgefield
Plans have been unveiled for six homes on the site of the former Breathless Club in Middle Street, Blackhall. A planning application has been submitted to Durham County Council. Consideration is pending. CHANGE OF USE: An application has been submitted
DURHAM County Cricket Club’s chief executive says he can see no reason why this summer’s Ashes Test will not go ahead as planned. David Harker was speaking after it emerged the Chester-le-Street-based club is seeking nearly £6m of public funding
AN award-winning fish and chip shop will ask its customers to ditch salt and vinegar this weekend, as part of a health drive. Whitby’s Quayside, which has been named the Best Fish and Chip Shop in Yorkshire and the North-East for the second year
A COUPLE found a problem shared was a problem halved when they decided to lose weight together. Phil and Sue Wardle, from Stokesley, North Yorkshire decided in June last year (2012) to slim down after looking at holiday photographs together. After
HOME-MADE quilts will be sold in a village hall to raise money for the military charity Help for Heroes. Following the success of its first quilt show in 2011, Threadbangers, a group of ten amateur quilt makers, has planned its second fundraising
A HOSPICE has launched its biggest fundraising event of the year. St Cuthbert’s Hospice, in Durham City, will hold its Midnight Walk for 2013 on Saturday, June 8. The women-only walk sees hundreds of ladies walk 10km through Durham City starting
AN organisation which helps Darlington people suffering financial difficulties has written an open letter to the town with the suggestion of forming a community bank. Darlington Credit Union (DCU) is a savings and loans co-operative owned and run
A COLLEGE principal donned his overalls and goggles when he spent the afternoon as a trainee plumber to mark National Apprenticeship Week. The Principal of Redcar and Cleveland College, Gary Groom, swapped jobs with teenage apprentice Harry Teasdale
AN RAF aircraftman is keeping his feet firmly on the ground by running a marathon to help other servicemen and women. AC Paul Rhodes has pledged to run a mile for every serving member of the British Armed forces to have been referred to the charity
A SCHOOL in North Yorkshire has signed up to the O2 Recycle for schools pilot campaign. Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School is using it to help raise 500 to go towards outdoor learning, helping to give all children the opportunity to
Barry Nelson finds style and elegance at a Teesdale pub-restaurant that doubles as tearoom by day FIRST impressions when you walk into The Bridge Inn at Whorlton are of space, style and elegance. On a chilly early March night there was also the
Ben Tagoe used his own experiences to write a play about prison and business, as Steve Pratt reports TWO issues came together to spark Ben Tagoe’s play The Thing About Psychopaths. He’d always wanted to write a prison play after a brief period
More than two-and-a-half hours of music from one of the most distinctive and most swinging tenor saxophonists of the 1950s. Very Saxy also features Coleman Hawkins, Buddy Tate and Arnett Cobb, Callin’ the Blues has JC Higginbotham, Count Basie Presents
This is the first new recording from the enterprising Gearbox Records. Previous issues include Joe Harriott, Tubby Hayes and Michael Garrick and who better to continue that tradition than Hayes authority, tenor saxophonist Simon Spillett. Backed
WILLIE NELSON and Family’s latest release Let’s Face The Music is a collection of new studio performances and the first in a series to celebrate his 80th birthday. The band was originally formed with his sister Bobbie Nelson (piano), drummer Paul
THERE is a wide variery of live music in the week ahead, featuring the best in local acts as well as some national names. Tonight’s choice is between Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman at Blaydon’s Tynefolk, and multi-talented troubadour Rory McLeod
Violinist Chloe Hanslip gives scintillating performance of violin concertos of Glazunov and Schoek. Compelling accounts of neglected musical gems.
The Royal String Quartet of Poland continue their exploration of the string quartet repertoire of their homeland with this album of music by Penderecki and Lutoslawski; two giants of the 20th Century. Thrilling renditions.
A NEWTON Aycliffe artist would like to thank all who attended a recent exhibition at the Mayor of Stockton’s annual charity dinner dance. John Palliser of Patriot Arts held an exclusive exhibition of his military inspired paintings at the ball,
A leading exponent of early Romantic piano music, Howard Shelley embarks on a survey of Mendelssohn’s complete solo piano music. The first volume includes the first three piano compositions published, as well as the first volume of his Lieder ohne
The Orchestra of The Age Englightenment and Choir of Polyphony, conducted by Stephen Layton, present Bach’s St John Passion. This vivid account, featuring a stellar line-up of soloists including Ian Bostridge, comes highly recommended.
A CRYSTAL meth chemical dealer from Middlesbrough involved in a long-running extradition battle has finally admitted his guilt. Brian Howes faces up to 20 years behind bars after admitting ten charges of supplying red phosphorous and iodine – ingredients
THE scope of recycling in the Richmondshire area has been extended. Light card has been added to the list of items the council will now collect - plain and printed grey and white card can be added into the recycling bag taking paper products.
Actor Gareth Roberts is playing Cadfael in its stage premiere, and reveals to Steve Pratt it’s the role he’s always wanted to play IT’S A strange admission for an actor. “I have never really liked performing,” says Gareth Thomas, who leads
It’s been five years since Daniel Boys competed for the part as Joseph and since then, as he tells Steve Pratt, he’s been kept busy with his stage musical career SEEING Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rollerskating musical Starlight Express had a profound
THE Government has not ruled out imposing a minimum unit price on alcohol, the Community Pubs Minister insisted during a visit to the North-East today (Thursday, March 14). Conservative MP Brandon Lewis said the Government was taking its time to
Dancer Maureya Lebowitz is in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of Aladdin at Sunderland Empire and loves the audience interaction, as she tells Steve Pratt BIRMINGHAM Royal Ballet dancer Maureya Lebowitz is getting used to people asking her
IT seems scarcely credible that this is the English star’s first new studio album in five years. Far from slaving away in the studio, though, the 55- year-old opted to turn this around in a whirlwind session with master producer Joe Henry. Lyrically
THE London-based trio have produced a debut album that matches their contemporaries, but don’t expect the ten-track longplayer to be a romp: this is a miseryfest from start to finish. Full of upset, heartbreak and other isolating emotions, If You Leave
AFTER years of speculation and deflection, Justin Timberlake brings his SexyBack to music with his third album, The 20/20 Experience, which comes seven years after 2006’s FutureSex/LoveSounds and reunites him with producing partner Timbaland. Opening
British country-folk singer Charlie Landsborough has done many jobs, but none he loves so much as what he does now. After releasing his 26th album, he tells Steve Pratt why he has’s no intention of stopping HE’S in his 70s but Charlie Landsborough
HERE’S some news hot off the press – the Rovers Return is ablaze. Not so much a towering inferno as a killer inferno. But who’s going to get too hot under the collar and sizzle like a sausage on a barbecue? Landlady Stella arrives home to find
A REUNION for former staff of the Darlington diesel depot, signalboxes, station and shunting yards, will be held on Wednesday (March 20), from noon to 4pm, in East End Club, Neasham Road. A buffet will be provided. For more information, call 01325-
POLICE are urgently seeking a Romanian man in connection with a sex attack on a teenage girl. They want to speak to Gheorghe Mighali, 27, following an attack on a girl in her mid-teens in Whitby earlier this month. The incident in occurred
PROMINENT Catholics from across the North East have come forward to praise the election Pope Francis I and express hope for his Papacy. The Right Reverend Terence Drainey, Bishop of Middlesbrough, said: “The election of Pope Francis I to the See
THE public are being invited to find out more about the key priorities of the new local health group. The Clinical Commissioning Group for Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby is holding a public presentation on March 28 at noon. The event,
A RESORT in North Yorkshire has become the first in the region to join a new nationwide recycling scheme which aims to save coffee packaging waste from landfill. A collection box for people to drop off all brands of coffee packaging waste has been
BRITISH Transport Police officers are appealing for information after a bike was stolen from a railway station. Investigators have today (Thursday, March 14) released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the theft
THE TRAILER division of specialist logistics firm AV Dawson has seen demand for its fleet grow across the globe following investment of more than £1.8m in the business. Tees Valley Trailers, which offers fully serviced commercial large goods vehicle
People can learn how to use a compass and put their skills to the test navigating a course at the Moors National Park Centre in Danby on April 11. The activity is £3.50 for children and free for adults and runs from 10.30am until noon. Children must
A WALK through bluebells, a bushcraft course and an Easter trail are some of the outdoor activities on offer in the North York Moors this spring. A programme of events has been drawn up to appeal to families and walkers at the beginning of April
WARNING letters and fixed penalty notices have been sent to dog owners as part of a campaign to make people clear up after their pets. The month-long Durham County Council scheme saw neighbourhood wardens investigate 412 reports of dog fouling.
BILL Oddie made his name as a member of the madcap Goodies with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden in the 1970s. He remains as famous now as he was then, but more so for his love of all things nature. A former host of the BBC’s Springwatch and Autumnwatch
Matt: When you were making 'Opposites' were you quietly confident about the way it would be received? James: All we knew whilst recording opposites is that we liked it a lot. You can’t really spend time thinking about how the album will be
A NURSERY has been awarded £3,000 to help create an outside classroom for children. Stepping Stones nursery, a co-operative based on Number One Industrial Estate in Consett, has been given the money from the Derwent Valley Partnership community
DANCE student Lauren Abel is flying the flag for Darlington in this year’s Miss Durham final. The 22-year-old, of Hewitson Road, is happier playing football and wearing trainers than strutting around in posh frocks, but said that her unconventional
FORMER Newcastle United player Nile Ranger has been arrested on suspicion of assault, it is understood. Officers confirmed they were called to the Gate retail and leisure complex on Newgate Street in Newcastle city centre at 7.09pm last night.
A CARE worker assaulted a severely-autistic man at a residential home run by a scandal-hit company, a court heard today (March 14). Steven Marley, 37, denies ill-treating the resident at Newbus Grange in Hurworth, near Darlington, on June 11 last
A DEVESTATED pet owner is appealing for help to find her dog that went missing on Mother’s Day. Buster, also known as Radar Lugs due to his big ears, was last seen in the Neville Parade area of Newton Aycliffe at 7pm on Sunday, March 10. Owner
A FOSTER carer recruitment event is taking place at the Kings Head Hotel in Darlington on Saturday, March 23. It will run from 11am until 2pm and there will be information and advice available for anybody interested in fostering a child. MUSIC
A DARK room, a row of chairs and five pairs of eyes staring straight at you. It’s a thought terrifying enough to give the adult contestants of BBC’s Dragons Den weak knees and sweaty palms. Now imagine doing it aged 11 or 12. For nearly 400
A MURDERER described as calculating and cunning has been given a life sentence for a brutal and violent attack on a neighbour. Teesside Crown Court heard a small piece of plastic with Robert Baker’s thumbprint embedded in the wet blood of John
ACORN residents association’s Little Acorns are hosting a animal story telling session and petting zoo for children under 16 at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre from 11am to 2pm on Tuesday, April 2. Tickets cost £1 and children must be accompanied by
KEITH BELL is trying to find information about a close, but long-lost relative, pictured. Unfortunately, no name is known although the man would have lived in the Bishop Auckland area in the late 1930s onwards. The photograph would have been
A GRIEVING family has made a "heartbreaking decision" to release CCTV footage of a grandfather moments after he died in the back of a police van. Relatives of Lenny McCourt said they have taken the difficult decision to release the footage, which
FAMILIES are being asked to dig out their glad rags and trilbies for a trip to the 1950s as students stage the classic musical comedy Guys and Dolls. A cast of 50 pupils from The King’s Academy, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, are perfecting their
A fundraising evening featuring former World Cup football referee George Courtney is being held at Tudhoe Cricket Club, near Spennymoor. The club is raising money for an on-going refurbishment project it hopes to complete in the 2013 season.
A CHARITY event in Middleton Tyas, North Yorkshire, raised more than £6,000 for the Children with Tumours charity. The fundraiser was held at Middleton Lodge on March 1 and many local businesses donated auction prizes. Organiser Kaye Allan
10:16am The jury was sworn back in to begin proceedings on the eleventh day of the trial this morning before retiring to resume deliberations for a second day. The jury has returned in the Robert Baker
A RANGE of events will be held to mark St Cuthbert’s Day on Wednesday (March 20). This year’s celebrations will have special significance as the Lindisfarne Gospels, created partly in honour of Cuthbert – the patron saint of Northumbria, will be
A PSYCHIC who quit her nursing job to dedicate her time to communing with the dead is holding shows in the region. Debra Chalmers, 36, of Spennymoor realised she had a special gift after seeing the ghosts of dead patients while working on a cancer
ALAN PARDEW wants Newcastle United fans to start dreaming of European glory by claiming his players are ready to fly the flag for the Premier League. Newcastle can seal a place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League if they can finish the job
A GRADE II-listed museum was transformed into a huge movie screen last night (Wednesday, March 13) to celebrate a a £7m restoration. The number of visitors to Preston Hall Museum at Eaglescliffe, near Stockton has soared since reopening last July
PEOPLE in the North-East are most 'in the dark' when it comes to kidney disease, according to a national survey. The poll of more than 2,000 adults across the country was carried out by Kidney Research UK - the UK's leading funder of research into
FUTURE pensioners face the misery of failing care and pitiful pensions, a study warns today (Thursday, March 14) – because of the exploding number of old folk. The number of over-85s in England is set to double within 20 years as people live longer
A CONSULTANT from the North-East has described a new drug - Perjeta - as "the biggest single step forward" in the treatment of breast cancer for more than a decade. Now licensed by the European Medicines Agency the new drug can be prescribed by
DURHAM County Cricket Club has made an urgent appeal for millions of pounds in public funding – just months before it is due to host its first Ashes Test. Last night (Wednesday, March 13), a spokeswoman for the Chester-le-Street-based club said
NORTH-East businesses have been urged to take advantage of the predicted £330bn investment being made in Britain’s energy infrastructure. NOF Energy, the business development organisation for the oil, gas, nuclear and offshore renewables sectors
A COMMUNICATIONS company will create hundreds of apprenticeships in three North-East call centres. Everything Everywhere (EE), which didn't even have an apprenticeship scheme last year, could take on up to 500 apprentices at Darlington, Doxford
A COMPANY based on the site that gave birth to the Teesside chemical industry could create a number of new North-East jobs in deals worth more than £2m, The Northern Echo can reveal. Chemoxy International Limited, in Middlesbrough, says it working
INSURANCE SALE: Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will sell £229.4m worth of shares in insurance company Direct Line. RBS is shedding 15 per cent of its total outstanding shares, which will leave it with a 49.9 per cent stake in Direct Line. Last year
A FROZEN seafood business, which sells 10,000 tonnes of fish every year, has created three new jobs and expanded its North-East base. Collins Seafoods, in Newton Aycliffe, has doubled the size of its headquarters in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
A BOOZED-UP attacker repeatedly battered an innocent man around the head with a beer bottle after a dispute in a casino, a court heard. Christopher Foy wrongly thought his parter was going to be assaulted by his victim after the pair exchanged
Final Score: Darlington 4 Shildon 0 Three goals from Chris Emms made it a perfect ten for Darlington. The winger bagged the club’s first hat-trick of the season to ensure Quakers recorded their tenth successive win with a 4-0 victory over Shildon
A FAT cat called Cookie will be cutting down on tasty treats in a bid to win a pet fit club competition. The 15-year-old is among more than 18m dogs, cats and rabbits which are fed potentially life-threatening meals which can lead to arthritis,
A GIRLS football club will celebrate moving into its new home with a family fun day. Eight months after it was first started, Bishop Auckland Girls FC now has a place it can call home. The club, which was started by Ian Quigley and Tristan
PATRICK’S CELEBRATION: A St Patrick’s night celebration will be held at Hamsterley Social Club at 8pm on Saturday, March 16. Entry will cost £3 and entertainment will be provided by local vocalist Mark Hodgson followed by a disco. Fancy dress is optional
One Point, which offers services for children, young people and families, is looking for raffle prizes for Easter Fair at Coundon Children’s Centre, on Friday, April 12. Anyone able to help out is asked to call 01388-660365. FUNDRAISING SALE: A
A SCHOOL cleaner who hit the headlines after his first novel was published is to head out on a book signing tour after battling back from a bout of illness. Robert Johnson, 27, who works at Barnard Castle School, County Durham, wrote The Genesis
THE search is on for public spirited people to join a group responsible for spending thousands of pounds on projects to improve life in Teesdale. However, the system for appointing public representatives to the Teesdale Action Partnership (TAP)
AN influential community group has thrown its support behind a potential £2m project to turn a disused former railway line into a haven for walkers, cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts. Members of the Teesdale Action Partnership (TAP) board
A HISTORIC North-east tourist attraction is re-open this Easter as it continues with its multi-million pound plans to become a major heritage site. Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland will open on Easter Monday (April 1) with extended hours and
EASTER EGGS: An Easter egg colouring trail will be laid out at Killhope lead mining museum in Weardale, County Durham, from Friday, March 29, to Monday, April 1, from 11am to 4pm. Normal admission prices apply plus 50p to take part in the woodland
A COUPLE who fell in love under the bright lights of Blackpool illuminations have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. Kenneth and Margaret Brownson were both raised in Byers Green, near Spennymoor, so knew each other growing up. But
A FARMER who rescued firefighters and a family from a potentially fatal snowdrift will receive a special commendation from the brigade. Jim Smith came to the aid of three people whose car had become trapped in deep snow near South Shields Farm
MOTOR SHOW: A trip to the 33rd International Motorcycle Show in Stafford on Saturday, April 27, leaving from Barnard Castle will raise money for Cancer Research UK. Operated by coach company Burrells, tickets are £33 for adults and £31 for senior citizens
AN investigation is underway after a caravan became detached from a Land Rover on a busy North-East road. A woman in her 60s driving a blue Ford Focus suffered minor injuries in the incident on the A688 in Bishop Auckland at about 9.30am today
A TEAM who visit dying people’s homes to offer comfort and support in the last few hours is celebrating its first birthday. County Durham’s three Marie Curie Rapid Response Team’s started in the Durham Dales, Easington and Derwentside around about
The winning numbers for the Great North Air Ambulance draw for March 13 are: £200 N14055, Darlingon; £100 N23965, Wigton; £50 N06395, Pickering; £50 N15975, Redcar; £25 N16569, Cockermouth; £25 N22252, Carlisle; £25 N30568, Durham; £25 N10999, Morpeth
