DURHAM County Cricket Club received another major boost tonight (Monday, March 18), with a regional growth body promising loans of up to £2.8m. Last week, it emerged the Chester-le-Street-based club was seeking nearly £6m in public funding to secure
IT is a sad day for freedom of speech and freedom of the press when politicians introduce measures into Parliament to control newspapers. It is a sad day when a few rotten apples have behaved so badly that politicians feel they can step into the
A MAN accused of killing his parents for a £230,000 inheritance said today he was on a drugs run for organised crime gangs in County Durham on the day of their murders. Stephen Seddon, 46, told a jury that he drove from his home in Seaham, County
DURHAM could host a high-profile fashion week, under a Business Improvement District (BID) launched tonight (Monday, March 18). Businesses in the city centre voted overwhelmingly in favour of setting up the BID last October. Under the scheme, 436
A "huge pain the backside" and a "vital investment in our future" are just two of the phrases used this week by North-East bosses to describe apprenticeships. There is no doubt that taking on an apprentice represents a major commitment by an employer
Flats evacuated: A five storey block of flats on Navigation Road, York, was evacuated shortly after 7am today (Monday, March 18) after a fire in a store cupboard on a fifth-floor landing. Six appliances attended but no-one was hurt.
Three years ago unlikely crime kingpin Alan Wright claimed he was the victim of police harassment and challenged officers to take him to court. Today, he is behind bars for his role in a £3m insurance fraud. Gavin Havery reports. ALAN Wright was
SKY News' North of England correspondent, Gerard Tubb, who was accused of hacking into the emails of fake canoe death couple John and Anne Darwin will face no further action, prosecutors announced today. Mr Tubb allegedly accessed the Seaton
A PROPERTY developer and an agent embroiled in allegations of a £2.5m mortgage fraud have both told a jury that they were not behind lies on application forms. Jason Omar, from Middlesbrough, and Paul Bradwell, from Hartlepool, claim others were
THEY may only be young – but youngsters at a North Yorkshire school have already penned their autobiographies. The writing sessions were run at Pickhill School, near Thirsk, by journalist Christine Fieldhouse, who helped children aged six and seven
A DEFENDANT described as a "quiet family man" has been jailed for seven years after he was convicted of a series of historic sexual offences. Mark Wright's crimes were accompanied by threats towards the victim "not to tell", Teesside Crown Court
SAINSBURY’S is expected to reveal more sales cheer tomorrow as the chain has emerged relatively unscathed from the recent horse meat crisis that has rocked the industry. While Tesco, Asda and Morrisons either failed to increase their market share
This Easter, make a Sunday roast your foodie focus. MasterChef hosts John Torode and Gregg Wallace have just the recipes, says Keeley Bolger Endless chocolate eggs, slabs of simnel cake and heavenly hot cross buns might be tempting, but there’s
ONE of Britain's top female engineers will give students an insight into her career this week. Jane Atkinson, senior Vice President of Sembcorp Utilities will speak to students at Stockton Sixth Form College on Thursday (March 21). The talk
Losing a parent is an inevitable fact of life, but that doesn’t diminish the sadness surrounding what can be a life-changing event. Writer Anna Pasternak gives advice on dealing with mourning ANNA PASTERNAK is a bright, funny woman with a writer
Stylist Richard Bland has returned to his roots to establish a new luxury brand of hair salons CREATIVE consultant Richard Bland exudes charm as he welcomes clients to his luxurious salon on Blackwellgate, Darlington. And when he starts on
A LUCKY National Lottery player is more than of £56,000 better off – but they don’t know it yet. The winner bought a ticket in York for the draw on March 2 and matched five numbers and the bonus ball. Now he or she has until August 29 to claim a prize
If the latest cold snap has left you dreaming of sun, sea and cocktails, the new collection by Kate Fearnley might be just the thing to pack for your getaway DESIGNER Kate Fearnley’s spring/summer collection, Riviera Cocktail, is now available
AN ORGANISATION which tries to help prisoners become useful members of society is to launch a new project at courts in Middlesbrough to help the families of offenders. North-East charity NEPACS, which builds bridges for prisoners to their communities
A DANCE instructor is doing a Zumbathon to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Danielle Patterson, 25, of Birtley, will be tackling a Zumbathon, organised and presented by DanceFuse., with colleagues on Saturday, April 20 at the Joseph Swan Academy
CHARITY BOOST: A Teesside business park has donated £2,000 to the Hartlepool and District Hospice. Wynyard Park at Wynyard, near Billingham, gave the amount from its charitable fund to go towards the hospice's £2.6m a year running costs. It only receives
TRAIN travel from Newcastle has risen dramatically since 2008 making it among the biggest growing stations in the country. Numbers released today (Monday, March 18) by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) reveals Newcastle station
HAMBLETONand Richmondshire Advocacy service has appointed a new coordinator to encourage volunteers to work with vulnerable people who need help and support. Funding from Lloyds TSB Foundation has paid for new coordinator Karen Kirtley. She
THE lights on Darlington’s Market Clock will be switched off for an hour on Saturday in support of the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Earth Hour. The clock will go dark at 8.30pm as part of the WWF’s global initiative to encourage people to think about
FOOTBALL players who want to develop their coaching skills can take part in a course in Teesside. Hartlepool Council's Sport and Recreation service has teamed up with Durham County FA to stage an FA Level two course for players with some experience
MULTI-million pound plans to help defend a community against coastal flooding will be discussed by Redcar and Cleveland councillors next week. The Environment Agency is planning on building £2m of sea defences at Skinningrove to help protect residents
DESIGN Technology will be dumbed down in schools leaving children with skills “more suited to Britain after World War Two” than today, a Sunderland academic has claimed. As part of the Government's restructuring of the DT national curriculum for
A CARE worker spoke today (Monday, March 18) of his relief after he was cleared of assaulting a severely-autistic man at a residential home. Steven Marley had been wrongly accused of pushing over and kicking the resident at Newbus Grange in Hurworth
NEW PLANS are being drawn up to rebuild a row of shops destroyed by fire last year. A public consultation has been held over the regeneration of Orchard shops, on Durham Lane, Eaglescliffe, which is described as “the heart of the area.” Two
VANDALS cut down 400 newly planted saplings at West Arrathorne, Hunton near Bedale. North Yorkshire Police say the saplings were cut sometime between Wednesday, March 13 and Thursday, March 14. A spokesman said the trees had been planted as a windbreak
OPERATION Nacho was launched in summer of 2009 into the so-called ‘cash for crash’ insurance fiddle in the Derwentside area of County Durham following a spate of suspicious collisions. The four year investigation and year long criminal trial revealed
ARRESTS of girls by North-East police have fallen by 41 per cent in three years, new figures have revealed. Data obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform shows that 2,972 girls aged 17 and younger were arrested in the region in 2011 – down
A CRIMINAL network has been dismantled and members of a notorious North-East crime family are behind bars for their part in Britain’s largest car insurance scam. The Wright family, from Burnhope, County Durham, are thought to have masterminded
WARD SURGERIES Residents can meet their local councillors and discuss issues at ward surgeries taking place on Wednesday March 20. The North Road ward surgery will take place at Northlands Methodist Church from 9.15am to 10.15am and the Eastbourne
A FORMER teacher who indecently assaulted a teenager as they sat together in a cinema before assaulting him twice more at his home has today (Monday, March 18) been jailed for four years. Aaron Ledean was described by Judge John Walford as having
A MAJOR region-wide crackdown has been launched against the thieves who strike on trains and steal the property of other passengers. Operation Impact is designed to deter thieves, and catch would-be offenders in the act through covert and overt
A MOTORIST has denied driving dangerously, causing a multi-vehicle accident which resulted in a number of casualties. John Robson Lonsdale pleaded ‘not guilty’ to a charge of dangerous driving at a short hearing at Durham Crown Court today (Monday
DETECTIVES in Northallerton are appealing for help to find two men who assaulted a local man breaking his jaw. The 25-year-old victim was approached from behind after he left the Sportsman pub, punched to the ground and assaulted. The incident
Lottery players are being urged to check their tickets to see if they have the winning number in the Euro Millions Millionaire Raffle on Friday March 1. Ticket CGG941450 was bought on South Tyneside. The £1m prize must be claimed by August 28 by ringing
TRIBUTES have been paid to a man who was found dead at the family home. Ashley Whitwell, 24, was found at a house on Sycamore Avenue, West Cornforth, near Ferryhill, on Wednesday, March 13, by his mother, Pamela Whitwell. Mrs Whitwell had been
TRIBUTES have been paid to a forklift truck driver who died after being crushed at the largest steel fabrication plant in the UK. Colleagues and friends of Kelvin McGibbon said they had been devastated by the tragedy at the Severfield-Watson plant
THE controversial Redcar Beacon, also nicknamed the vertical pier, will officially open for business later this month. Admission will be free to the £1.6m, 80ft landmark on Thursday, March 28. The white and purple building will provide space for
NEWCASTLE full-back Mathieu Debuchy has withdrawn from the France squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Spain due to the thigh injury suffered in yesterdays defeat at Wigan. The former Lille defender lasted just 13 minutes
PARENTS who park dangerously when dropping children off at a village school have been warned they could face court action if they refuse to mend their ways. For months drivers have been causing congestion in roads surrounding Hurworth School by
FURNITURE restorers have given an ageing dog a new lease of life. The team from the furniture restoration department at St Teresa’s Hospice put their skills to good use to get a valued colleague back on his feet again. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
LAST week, we were on the trail of Shaw and Knight, a Bishop Auckland firm that made sinks, urinals and mortuary tables out of clay discovered in the Durham coalmines. “The works were prominent beside the railway on what is now the Romansway industrial
A FUNDRAISING weekend has been organised to get a heritage railway back on track after a landslip. The Wensleydale Railway needs an estimated £40,000 to repair the embankment at Akebar, between Leyburn and Bedale. So far, more than £31,500
A BELGIAN woman who moved to the Yorkshire Dales shortly before the Second World War has celebrated her 100th birthday. Jose Tyerman came to Britain to visit relatives in Richmond, but while there she met and married a local man and put down roots
THIS week’s Quaker Cookbook recipe comes from the kitchen of Rachel Pease, the wife of Edward “Father of the Railways” Pease, who lived and dined in his splendid mansion in Northgate, Darlington, which is now a pizza parlour and kebab takeaway
POLICE are hunting a man and a woman in connection with a number of distraction burglaries across the country, and are appealing to the public for information. Northumbria Police are searching for James Patterson, 32, and Karen Coombes, 52, from
AN extreme photographer has been making extreme friends – among the world’s most notorious football fans. Former Cleveland College of Art and Design photography degree student Lucinda Grange found herself in the middle of Brazilian fans who had
THE future of a famous North-East engineering firm has been secured after it was bought by a giant Asian company. Whessoe Projects, which has its roots in Darlington dating back to 1790, is now part of Korea-based Samsung C&T (Construction
IN such a case, we’d have rung Alan Wilkinson for an answer. Alan, a former teacher at Barnard Castle School, wrote the definitive history of Barnard Castle and was a regular source for Memories. He died on March 3, aged 85. That means that
TWO DARLINGTON teenagers are on the path to musical stardom after being selected for a world famous course. Polam Hall pupils Robyn Haggie and Sarah Dover are among just 12 people to be accepted onto the Samlin vocal course for outstanding young
WIGAN chairman Dave Whelan has defended forward Callum McManaman after his horror tackle on Newcastle's Massadio Haidara in yesterday's 2-1 victory. The 21-year-old, on his first Premier League start, escaped punishment from referee Mark Halsey
POLICE searching for a grandmother missing for two weeks today (Monday, March 18) called off a river search. Officers have been searching the River Wear in and around Chester-le-Street in County Durham, home town of Pamela Jackson, 55, for a few
ANNUAL MEETING: Red Hall Community Association will host its annual general meeting on March 26, at 6pm, at Red Hall Community Centre. Anyone wishing to get involved in the management committee, serving as a trustee, can call Martin on 07709804580
CARS have been getting more and more fuel efficient since the 1980s. Fuel may be at record prices but the massive cost increase has been cancelled out by cars that go further on less. According to a research undertaken by the Institue for Fiscal
AMBULANCE staff in Yorkshire have voted to hold a one-day strike next month in a row over emergency response changes. Members of Unite agreed today (Monday March 18) to hold a 24 hour strike on April 2 over proposals to introduce emergency care
A GRANDFATHER has challenged William Hague to press his Cabinet colleagues to axe the so-called 'bedroom tax'. Peter Lovell, who works in finance recovery, and his farm worker son, Billy, told the Richmondshire MP that cutting benefits for people
DURHAM Police Chief Constable Mike Barton joined a group of primary school children on litter-picking duties today (Monday, March 18). The pupils from Sherburn Village Primary School, near Durham City, took part in a poster competition organised
A PRIVATE jet terminal is backing the charity fund-raising of Newcastle legend Alan Shearer. Samson Aviation, based at Newcastle Airport, has adopted the Alan Shearer Foundation as its charity. The charity, launched at the end of May, hit its
FIRE and rescue workers and members of the public were today (Monday, March 18) awarded commendations for their actions in two emergency incidents. The first drama unfolded when fire County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service crews from
HOLIDAY home buyers facing financial ruin protested in a North-East high street at the weekend. Investors who bought properties on the island of Cyprus have been issued with writs by a Cyprus-based bank after failing to keep up with rocketing mortgages
A GROUP of ten friends from Abbey Junior School raised almost £250 for Comic Relief by baking and selling cakes to family and friends, as well as their teachers at Abbey Junior School. LAW BACKING: Latimer Hinks solicitors, in Darlington, has adopted
A SIX-month programme of art shows in a former council office is drawing to a close. Arts group Empty Shop has staged nine exhibitions in 17 Claypath since moving into the former Durham County Council offices last October. The final show in
CIVIL servants faced with seeing their jobs moved out of a North-East town are set to take part in further industrial action this week. The Department for Education wants to transfer 480 jobs from Mowden Hall, in Darlington, to an as-yet undecided
AMBULANCE workers in Yorkshire will stage a one-day strike on April 2 in a row over cuts, the Unite union said today. The union says the dispute is over patient safety and derecognition of Unite, the country’s largest union. Unite said today
A NEW man is to take the reins at one of the region’s leading seats of learning. Belgian-born Professor Koen Lamberts has been announced as the new vice-chancellor of the University of York, taking over from Prof Brian Cantor who is stepping down
A TOTAL of 60 people have been convicted or pleaded guilty to being involved in one of the country's largest cash for crash scams, it can be reported today. The fraud was so bad that people living in Derwentside, County Durham, where the main players
A DOG owner has appealed for the safe return of his pets grabbed from their kennel by thieves. Police are investigating the theft of springer spaniels 14-year-old Sally and Emma, eight, from Preston-under-Scar, near Leyburn, North Yorkshire.
A FOUR-day old piglet stolen from a leisure farm will die unless it can be reunited with its mother. The black micro-piglet - small enough to fit in the palm of an adult’s hand - was snatched from Newham Grange Leisure Farm in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough
A SERIES of free sessions offering skills to help people gain employment are being held. Energize Training is running the courses at the St Paul’s Centre, in St Paul’s Gardens, Spennymoor, for people aged 19-years and above. Customer service
A COUNTRY radio presenter is to mark 33 years in the business after discovering a tape of the first show he ever broadcast. Veteran DJ Brian Clough has unearthed a cassette tape of his first show at Metro Radio, aired on March 19th 1980. Now
CREATIVE designers have used their artistic skills to piece together a vibrant outdoor learning space for a North Yorkshire school. Five giant wall mosaics have been created for students at the Dales School, Morton-on-Swale, near Northallerton.
A PROMINENT Tory MP has met with business leaders in Northallerton to discuss how his party can help with their aims. Bob Neill, the vice-chairman of the Conservative Party for Local Government, met members of the newly-formed Northallerton Retail
DARLINGTON residents are invited to share their experience with living with a long-term health condition. A ‘long-term condition’ is a condition that can’t be cured, but can be controlled. Such conditions include: diabetes, heart disease and
THE story behind a little-known migration from the region to Canada is to be revealed by a local researcher later this month. Between 1772 and 1775 some 1,000 settlers undertook the hazardous journey from the Yorkshire Dales, Vale of York and North
Waldridge Parish Council will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday March 31 from 2 to 4pm on the Millennium Green, off Barford Drive, Chester-le- Street. There will be competitions for the best decorated eggs and Easter egg bonnet in various age
An Easter fair will be held at St Luke’s Church, Ushaw Moor, on Saturday, March 23, at 10am. There will be an Easter egg tombola, raffle and cake and fancy goods stalls. Admission is free. Rock night: Rock band American Girl will play The
NORTHALLERTON Irish singer Ann Breen will be performing at the Forum on Saturday April 20 at 7.30pm in aid of the Mayor’s chairites the Northallerton Silver Band and Northallerton Young Carers. Tickets, 312 from Greensleeves, Central Arcade or phone
THE death of another motorcyclist on North Yorkshires roads has served as a tragic introduction to a new safety campaign. Since 2002, 140 riders have been killed in the county, and although numbers have dropped in the past two years, campaigners
MOTORISTS were left fuming when they became stuck in 15-mile tailbacks after a few inches of snow fell this morning. The A66 Transpennine route - which crosses the Cumbria to County Durham border - ground to a halt from around 4.30am when heavy
A PERSONALLY engraved charm bracelet is among a haul of jewellery stolen from a home in North Yorkshire. Police are appealing for witnesses to a break-in at a house in the Market Place at Middleham, near Leyburn, between 6.30pm and 10pm on Wednesday
Northallerton Library is holding an open mic night for teenagers on Friday, April 5 from 7pm until 9.30pm. To book your free place as an act, or audience member, call the library on 0845 0349506 or email; northallerton.library@northyorks.gov.uk
UNLIKE her previous departure from Coronation Street, this time there will be no way back for actress Shobna Gulati. Seven years ago, Gulati waved goodbye to the cobblestones as she began a twoyear hiatus from the soap. But now her character, Sunita
IT’S 2am on a chilly February morning in Orlando, and a jetlagged British journalist is in town to write a feature on a new theme park attraction. Like a child on Christmas morning, sleep is not an option. Something incredible is going on a few
PAUL HOLLYWOOD has become a bit of a heartthrob thanks to The Great British Bake-Off, and now he has been snapped up to take part in a US version. In the meantime, he has new BBC2 show Paul Hollywood’s Bread. He opens the series by revealing
RUTH ELLIS shot her lover and achieved a dubious sort of fame as the last woman to be hanged in Britain in 1955. The story has been told in various forms – the film Dance With A Stranger starring Miranda Richardson is the one most people will know
THE first-night performance of David Bintley’s new ballet ended in repeated curtain calls, thunderous applause and cheers. North-East ballet fans were rewarded with a ravishing, hugely entertaining spectacle. Based on the familiar story of
JENSON BUTTON can already sense this year’s Formula One world title may be beyond his reach after an Australian Grand Prix weekend to forget. After winning this race three times in the last four seasons, and in the wake of how strongly McLaren
A YOUNG karate student won gold in an international competition after fighting competitors from Japan and across Europe. Ethan Walton, of the Chikara Dojo, in Spennymoor, took part in the English Kyokushin Full Contact Open Karate Tournament held
ANTHONY MCGRATH has reflected on his retirement from cricket and admitted “it was the right time to go”. The former Yorkshire captain, 37, ended his 18-year playing career last month due to a persistent right thumb injury dating back nearly seven
ROKEBY – properly pronounced Rookby – was the home of Scott’s friend John Morritt. It is near Greta Bridge on the roaring A66, and the lengthy poem was such a roaring success that JMW Turner was commissioned to illustrate a reprint. Although the
A RENOWNED botanical artist is to visit Darlington for the first time for a two day masterclass. Billy Showell, whose work as an illustrator and painter has won international recognition, will host a workshop for artists of all abilities at Blackwell
ENGLAND’S bowlers were collectively short of their best as bad weather and a bland pitch conspired against them at the Basin Reserve. James Anderson’s dismissal of Peter Fulton was the tourists’ only success as rain limited day four of the second
SOME of the country’s brightest university students came to Teesside today (Monday, March 18) to inspire the area’s school pupils. Five undergraduates from Cambridge spoke to 14 to 15-year-olds at St Peter’s Catholic College in South Bank, Middlesbrough
DARLINGTON Mowden Park left it late, but superior fitness allowed them to score 28 points in the last ten minutes for a 40-14 win at Stockport. After arriving late because the bus was delayed, they trailed 7-5 at half-time and were 14-12 down before
STUART LANCASTER vowed to hold his nerve and keep building a young England team towards the 2015 Rugby World Cup, despite the shattering experience of losing out on both the Grand Slam and RBS 6 Nations title. Wales stormed to a record 30-3 victory
Final Score: Sunderland 1 Norwich City 1 MARTIN O’NEILL has been crying out for a helping hand from somewhere in his attempts to turn Sunderland around and yesterday he got one, two and then a third – all on the same afternoon. Yet, even with
A HOSPICE in Hartlepool has received a cash boost courtesy of a donation from a business park. Hartlepool and District Hospice, in Wells Avenue, requires £2.6m a year to maintain its services, receiving less than a quarter of that from Government
LAST-MINUTE preparations are underway for an awards ceremony which recognises dedication and achievement in Darlington. The Best of Darlington awards will be held at Darlington College on Friday (March 22) evening. About 280 people are expected
SUNDERLAND RCA manager Neil Hixon is thinking about resigning at the end of the season after a controversial penalty gave Spennymoor Town the points at the Brewery Field on Saturday. The RCA looked as if they would hold on for a point, until referee
A HOME owner is warning others to be aware of a scam after receiving a letter telling him he had won more than £4m. George Proud, from Tow Law, received a letter purporting to be from an international prize fund, and all he had to do to claim his
A corner of Darlington is forever connected with chocolate and Bristol: it is the Frys’ west end delight. It belonged to Sir Theodore Fry and his wife, Lady Sophia, but behind the philanthropy and the politics, there was a bitter family fall-out and
I FOR one enjoy watching a game of cricket. Unfortunately, like many sports today, the broadcast rights for cricket are now in the hands of Sky TV. If matches played at Durham County Cricket Club were available for us all to watch I would agree
THE Falklands vote is upon us and what a futile waste of money it has been. I would ask readers to recall the sinking of the warship General Belgrano when 400 young naval cadets went to a watery grave. The submarine commander was incredulous
REGARDING the recent revelations about the clothing allowance paid out to members of Durham County Council (Echo, Mar 5). Some councillors are certainly enjoying a first class ride on the DCC gravy train. Surely they must realise they are out
THE Darlington Big Band is performing at the DSRM Social Club on Longfield Road on Wednesday from 8pm. Admission is free and all are welcome.
THE Government should kickstart the building of housing and create jobs for builders. Many builders are out of work up North but there always seems to be plenty of work in the South. Ironically there is plenty of land up here just waiting to
THE National Audit office has echoed the thoughts of many of us in its report which states that by Autumn 2014 an extra 256,000 school places will be required in schools, 240,00 at primary school level (echo, Mar 14). Those who have in the past
CONGRATULATIONS to the train driver who bravely asked a passenger to “please refrain from shouting on the phone” (Echo, Mar 11). He deserves an award. A few years ago I booked a seat for a journey from Darlington to London and the gent sitting
JIMMY TAYLOR’S detailed letter (HAS, Mar 11) recalling how as a 15-year-old he spent his last day at school being advised by his headmaster, Mr Potts, jogged my memory. In the late 1950s, I was one of a small number of apprentices sent on day-release
ALAN DODGSON says he can understand why the Arabs rejected the offer of sharing Palestine with the Jews in 1948 (HAS, Mar 7). The Romans conquered Israel and changed its name to Palestine. The Palestinians were Arabs who just moved in when
REGARDING John Gilmore’s letter (HAS, Mar 11) about Ukip. I wonder what kind of society we would have in a “free and independent” Britain ruled by a Ukip Government. The party clearly favours unbridled market forces above all others. Withdraw
JIMMY TAYLOR (HAS, Mar 12) criticises Margaret Thatcher for taking on the National Union of Mineworkers and bizarrely praises miner’s wives for feeding their children. It is the duty of all parents to feed and care for a child. It does not need
DUE to a prior commitment, I couldn’t attend last week’s fans’ forum to clarify the state of play with Darlington Football Club. But The Northern Echo came in for some criticism from a minority of fans, one of whom accused the paper of “glorying”
North-East students are benefiting musically from learning to play on the world’s grandest pianos. Raymond Crisp looks at what it means to attend a Steinway School THE teenager’s fingers glide effortlessly across ivory and ebonycoloured keys
EUROZONE leaders may come to regret their decision to punish Cypriot savers for their country’s stricken economy. The 16 eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund demanded a “one-time” tax on deposits in Cypriot banks to help service
THREE gymnasts from Darlington Gymnastics Club will represent the North of England at the National Grades Finals, after a successful performance in a regional qualifying event last week. Hope Godfrey and Olivia Austen won silver and bronze, respectively
Final Score: Chelsea 2 West Ham 0 FRANK LAMPARD scored his 200th Chelsea goal as the Blues climbed to third in the Barclays Premier League with victory over his old club in the London derby at Stamford Bridge. On his 595th Chelsea appearance
I TESTED a number of RSPB products as part of this feature to see what birds I could attract to my suburban Middlesbrough garden. What is it: Table Mix Extra, 9.25 for 3kg (on bird table) : What does it contain: Has ten per cent more energy
THE Spring Thing Folk Festival opens in Darlington tomorrow (Wednesday, March 20) and residents are being invited get involved. The annual event, which has been running for almost 30 years, will see a host of folk musicians play at various town
MANY of our garden birds are disappearing. The reasons are many and varied, but you can help arrest this decline, starting this Spring. Matt Westcott speaks with assistant warden, Toby Collett, from the RSPB's nature reserve at Saltholme, near Middlesbrough
GEORGE Osborne can follow through on the Government's pledge to rebalance the economy by using his Budget to empower North-East business. That is the message James Ramsbotham, the North East Chamber of Commerce chief executive has spelled out in
PEOPLE with learning difficulties are being urged to have their say on the issues that matter to them. The People’s Parliament held an event today (Monday March 18) to raise awareness of their work and to encourage potential members to come forward
EASTER SERVICES: The Salvation Army in Shildon will open its Cross Street base for a Prayer Labyrinth – A Journey to the Cross event on Thursday, March 28. Doors will be open between 10am and 6.30pm. On Good Friday there will be a service at Cross
SWISS conductor Thierry Fischer returned to The Sage Gateshead on a regular visit to direct programme of music of substance played performed with style by The Northern Sinfonia. The evening opened with Bartok’s Music for Strings, Percussion and
MANY more parents across the region are being trapped by a crackdown on truancy, new figures show. The number of mums and dads given fines of up to £120 because their children missed classes has soared by 20 per cent in just 12 months. Across
NEWCASTLE manager Alan Pardew last night slammed the “awful challenge” that left full-back Massadio Haidara nursing knee ligament damage in the wake of his side's 2-1 defeat at Wigan Athletic. Haidara will be assessed on Tyneside later today after
Final Score: Wigan Athletic 2 Newcastle United 1 NEWCASTLE have had some desperate days at the DW Stadium, but none can have been as dispiriting, or potentially debilitating, as this. It is bad enough that the Magpies suffered their seventh
He has only started four games for the club and there's others in the squad who have scored more this season, but Steven Johnson is the man to turn to when Darlington need a goal. Nine of his ten goals have come when he has played as a substitute
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Tony Mowbray admits he is taking the club's recent slump harder than anybody else and revealed Saturday's defeat to Birmingham felt like a 'kick in the teeth'. Boro's chances of finishing in the play-offs continued to crumble
Final Score: Coventry City 1 Hartlepool 0 JAMES POOLE insists the pressure is all on Oldham tomorrow night. In a real pressure game at the foot of League One, Hartlepool United go to the Latics, who are a place and four points in front of Pools
JOHN Hughes could be absent from the Hartlepool United bench for a spell during the final run-in. The Hartlepool United head coach was ordered to watch the second-half of their defeat at Coventry from the main stand, after making an approach to referee
MATHEMATICALLY Middlesbrough's promotion bid isn't over yet, but judging by the atmosphere at the Riverside on Saturday supporters have already resigned themselves to another season of Championship football. It is looking increasingly unlikely
A FATHER who was denied almost £5,000 in benefits after wrongly being assessed as fit to work has spoken of his ten months of financial and emotional turmoil. Last night the MS Society described the fitness to work test faced by Graham Newton,
OUTRAGED youngsters have criticised their school for banning charity pins on uniforms. Pupils at Whitworth Park School and Sixth Form College, in Spennymoor, County Durham, went to school last week wearing Marie Curie Cancer Care daffodils.
A MAN pressured into allowing drugs to be kept and prepared at his house has escaped an immediate prison sentence. Jonathan Ian Flowers agreed to store cocaine and amphetamines to help meet his debt to a drug dealer. The cache was seized by
TWO police officers and a council worker who helped rid a street of a pair of nuisance neighbours have received awards for their work. Complaints about the two women started within days of them moving into a house in Willington last June. The
PSYCHOMETRY NIGHT: The Friends of Spirit will hold a night of psychometry with speakers Pam Raine and Colin Madden tomorrow (March 19) at Cornwall Place Community Centre in Henknowle, Bishop Auckland, at 7pm, admission will cost £2.
A VETERAN runner is hoping to hurdle her way into the record books this weekend - having already won a battle against cancer. Joss Harwood, of Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland, is looking to break the world record for the 60 metres hurdles for
COUNCILLORS in a village are to consider working with neighbouring parishes. Members of Gainford and Langton Parish Council agreed the move after clerk Martin Clark highlighted a presentation he had attended examining ways in which services could
A MAN has been convicted of trespassing on a railway at around the same time a main-line train was damaged by a pallet thrown from a bridge. However, there is no evidence to say who threw the pallet off Station Bridge at Ferryhill on August 25
OPEN MIC NIGHT: Butterknowle Village Hall is hosting an open mic night on Sunday, March 31, from 7.30pm to 11pm. Admission is free, a bar and refreshments are available. All genres of music are welcome, or people can just go along and listen to what's
YOUNGSTERS at Barnard Castle School came under starter's orders for a historic race which this year will help provide safe drinking water in more than 20 countries. The Barney Bash has been staged for more than a century. It began life as a
THE team behind a school’s 400th anniversary celebrations will hold a car boot sale to raise funds for the event. A committee is busy planning a grand gala weekend of events to mark the anniversary of Wolsingham School and community College next
A CAMPAIGN against road tolls is coming the North-East today. UKIP spokesman Richard Elvin will join campaigners against the tolls on the Tyne Tunnel as part of a national campaign being launched by the party. UKIP has been opposed to road
MOTORISTS faced delays when heavy snow caused the closure of the A66 trans-Pennine route this morning. (Monday, March 18) Disruption began when a lorry lost traction in wintry weather and became stuck on the route. At its height, tailbacks
OUTBUILDINGS in a third Teesdale village have been targeted by would-be thieves. Sheds in Gainford and Staindrop have been attacked during recent weeks. And in nearby Ingleton, the attempted theft from a shed took place at a property in Front
A TEAM of upper Teesdale volunteers are continuing to provide a vital service to the thousands of visitors who flock to the area. Some 12,000 tourists headed to Middleton-in-Teesdale's volunteer-run tourist information centre last year. The
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: The Riding Centre For Special People near Escomb needs volunteers to help disabled riders and drive the carriage between Tuesdays and Fridays. Full training will be given, but Christine Barratt-Atkin from the centre said: “Volunteers
POLICE and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg will be visiting St Helen Auckland Residents Association at Selby Close Meeting Room, on Monday, March 25, at 7pm. PACT MEETING: There will be a Police and Communities Together (Pact) meeting at The Manor
COUNTY Durham and North Yorkshire have some of the best places to live in the country. Whether it's brilliant Barnard Castle, marvellous Masham or spectacular Skipton, the region fits the bill, according to the Sunday Times' 101 Best Places to
THE death knell has sounded for an outward bound centre which has given thousands of children a taste of life in rural County Durham. Durham County Council confirmed this week the Middleton Centre for Outdoor Learning, in Bridge Street, Middleton-in-Teesdale
TOP North-East veteran Brian Rushworth was only five seconds off his sixth gold medal as he battled against injury to finish second over-50 in the British Masters Cross Country Championships at Herrington Park, Sunderland. The Wearside college lecturer
