TWO people died and a third is critically ill following a three car accident. Police are appealing for information following the incident at 2.45pm today (Friday, April 5), on the A1043 Nunthorpe bypass, Middlesbrough. A black Volvo heading
MARTIN O’NEILL has strongly refuted suggestions that a failure to embrace different ideas contributed to his downfall after an ill-fated 15 months in charge of Sunderland. Speaking for the first time since he was sacked last Saturday night, O’Neill
HEAVYWEIGHT rocker Meat Loaf last night performed his final gig in the region. The American star kicked off his farewell Last At Bat tour of the UK with a sell-out show at the Metro Radio Arena, in Newcastle. The singer’s ill-fated performance
Sunderland have been in the headlines all week because of their choice of manager and new boss Paulo Di Canio will be relieved to finally get on with some football as he makes his bow at Chelsea. The fiery Italian, however, isn't expected to enjoy a
VOLUNTEERS who helped run a trolley service selling refreshments to patients in a North Yorkshire hospital have been shocked by a decision to withdraw the service. The Friends of the Friarage have decided to stop offering the service, saying the
TWO elderly people have been killed in a car accident near York. The victims, a man and a woman both in their eighties, were from the York area. Police are appealing for witnesses to the collision which happened at about 1.20pm today (Friday
The John Smith's Grand National remains the highlight of my sporting year; a unique test of both horse and jockey over nearly four-and-a-half miles and 30 demanding fences. For safety reasons there have been slight modifications this year to a couple
NEWCASTLE United have urged the father of a boy struck by a police baton at the end of their match in Portugal this week to make a formal complaint. The incident came as fans were leaving the Estadio da Luz following Newcastle's 3-1 defeat away
SCORES of North-East jobs have been saved after a buyer was found for high street music and DVD chain HMV. The company, which went into administration earlier this year, has been bought by Hilco UK, who say they want to take the company back to
AN elderly couple who died in a house fire early yesterday have been named by police. They were 88-year-old William Volume and his 89-year-old wife of over 60 years, Eileen. The couple had lived in Carlton village, Stockton, for more than 50
POLICE are appealing for information after a converted motor home was stolen. The converted former St. John’s ambulance was stolen from Raven Lane in Stockton sometime between 2pm and 5.15pm on Thursday, March 28. It is believed that the side
A MERGER of radio stations has left staff devastated, with some being told they no longer had a job following the shock announcement today (Friday). TFM radio and sister station Metro will now reportedly share all programming with the exception
FAMILIES can learn to create fabulous flower pots at an Easter holiday craft drop-in session from 11am to 3pm on Wednesday, April 10, at Hardwick Park, Sedgefield, County Durham. It costs £2 per child and is free for adults. LADIES NIGHT: Hardwick
A SENIOR police official was shocked to discover his car had been reversed into in a North-East car park. Ron Hogg, crime commissioner for Durham Police, returned to his Audi A6, which was parked in the car park at Darlington Town Hall, on Friday
A YORKSHIRE Dales business with a 140-year history is to close after incurring losses of almost £1m in the last two years, including bad debts from a deal to supply the Olympic Village. Seventeen staff at Weatherald Wood Components, in Askrigg,
AN AIR museum is staging its first “Thunder Day” of the year this weekend. Historic aircraft will be competing to show just how much noise they can make at Sunday’s event at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington, near York. The morning will
NEWLYWEDS who asked for charity donations rather than gifts on their special day presented a £2,000 cheque to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) today (Friday, April 5). Jill Musgrave, 31, handed over the cheque to the charity’s regional manager
TWO men have been arrested in connection with the death of an aspiring young documentary maker who was sleeping rough as part of an investigation. Lee Halpin, 26, had decided to spend the week living on the streets in his home city of Newcastle
A NEW cafe celebrating the history of a Darlington market has opened its doors. The Waterhouse Kitchen, in the Covered Market, is named after the market’s designer, architect Alfred Waterhouse, and is inviting customers to enjoy a coffee and learn
THE CHANCE to spot one of the fastest animals on the planet has come around for the 11th year as peregrine falcons come home to roost in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The free peregrine watch viewpoint has now opened at Malham Cove in the
STOLEN MOPED: A red and white 50CC JET moped was stolen on Paddock Lane in Darlington at some point between the evening of Monday, April 1 and the morning of Tuesday, April 2. Anyone with information should contact Darlington Police on non-emergency
POLICE are investigating after a house was broken into over Easter weekend. Burglars forced the lock on the back door of a house in Mitchell Street, South Moor, near Stanley at some point between 11.45am on Easter Sunday and 11am the following
A GARDEN centre wants the public to choose which charities should share in £1,000-worth of free plants. Plants R Ross, in Peterlee, east Durham, is planning to donate £500-worth of plants to each of two charities, one from the Sunderland area and
CHARITY CONCERT: There will a charity concert of live acoustic music at the Hildyard Arms in Colburn village tomorrow (Saturday, April 6) from 7.30pm. There will be songs, tunes and stories covering contemporary folk, blues, sixties and other genres
5:26pm Chelsea Team News Ashley Cole is a major doubt for Chelsea as he is struggling with the hamstring injury that kept him out of Thursday's Europa League game with Rubin Kazan. Gary Cahill is also unlikely to feature
A DRIVER who reached speeds of 140mph when he was being followed by police was today (Friday, April 5) banned from the roads for two years. Lynden Watt, 21, raced away from a traffic car in his Mercedes C200 Sport Kompressor after being clocked
FOOTBALL fans can live the dream and step out on their club’s hallowed turf in a series of special end of season games. Sunderland supporters have the rare chance to take part in hour-long matches played on five different days at the Stadium of
A COURT today (Friday, April 5) heard harrowing details of the death of a much-loved grandfather following a road crash - and the devastating impact it had on his family and those close to him. Reading out emotional tributes to 72-year-old Brian
A NEW website has been launched to help community groups find guest speakers. The website, visitingspeakers.co.uk, has been developed by Felicity Carver, a former Durham student. She said: “There are plenty of websites offering expensive celebrity
Ryedale District Council is looking at how to support its craft and art businesses. It estimates there are approximately 150 creative companies in the district, providing a significant contribution to the local economy. The council is looking
TWENTY-TWO budding beauties are preparing to battle it out in one of the region’s most prestigious pageants. Following two months of auditions, the final line up for Miss Durham 2013 was revealed today (Friday, April 5) at Sedgefield Racecourse
DURHAM County Record Office, at County Hall, Durham, is hosting half-hour family history sessions with a trained archivist on April 12 and 26. Each session costs £10 and must be booked in advance by calling 03000-267-619. BURN DATE: A Burn event
WEDDING FAIR: Bedern Hall in York will be hosting its first wedding fair on Sunday, April 14, from 11am until 3pm – and will give one couple the chance to win a wedding. The hall has teamed up with York Wedding Deals to showcase the venue, and
DARLINGTON residents are being urged to join the effort to keep their community litter-free. It is hoped the LitterFree Durham campaign will see hundreds of volunteers in County Durham and Darlington stepping forward to tidy up their local areas
AN elderly couple who died in a house fire early yesterday have been named by police. They were 88-year-old William Volume and his wife of over 60 years Eileen Volume, 89. The couple had lived in Carlton village, Stockton, for more than 50
NORTH-EAST medics are advising people to grab any sunshine they can this weekend as their reserves of Vitamin D are going to be depleted. Most people living north of Manchester would be highly likely to be considered deficient - which can cause
THE North’s leading university has begun a £2.8m building project. The work will see Durham University’s Engineering and Computing Sciences research facility upgraded, with new offices, study spaces and research areas. The project has been
RESIDENTS are being urged to attend a meeting on Tuesday to help decide the future of a crumbling Grade I listed church shaped by some of Britain’s most powerful feudal families. Surveyors have concluded that St Michael’s Church, in Well, near
ONE DIRECTION Pop heartthrobs One Direction are set to play Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena. The group will play three dates, from Monday, April 8 to Wednesday, April 10. ORDINARY AFFAIR Darlington band Ordinary Affair has been chosen to play at
FORMER Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd and technology tycoon Graham Wylie have offered £30,000 for the return of priceless items stolen from a Lord Mayor’s Mansion House. Among the treasures taken in the burglary were a gold Nobel Peace
STORIES from a much-loved children’s railway series will be read in the presence of the author himself, tomorrow (Saturday April 6). Extracts from the popular Peter’s Railway series will feature in a train-related fun day, staged appropriately
COACHES behind a popular athletics club hope a public consultation will reveal major backing for plans for a top quality running track. Sedgefield Harriers opened its doors yesterday (Thursday, April 4) for the first of three days of showcasing
MORE than a million people in the region will pay less income tax from tomorrow (Saturday, April 6), according to Government figures. The personal allowance for under-65s will rise from £8,105 to £9,440, benefiting 961,000 people in the North-East
AN exhibition celebrating Darlington’s railway heritage opens on Saturday (April 6). ‘North Road Works 1863 to 1966’ explores the North Road Works site, the locomotives that were built there and the people who worked on them. Hosted by Head
SUSPENDED priest Father Michael Higginbottom may never return to his parish - despite not being charged with any crime, an expert on Catholic Church sexual abuse allegations claimed last night. Parishioners from St Augustine’s Church, in Darlington
VOLUNTEERS at the Oxfam shop in Helmsley, North Yorkshire are appealling to the public to help restock their shelves following a drop in donations. The staff say successful post-Christmas sales, poor weather and the recession have left them short
DARLINGTON Civic Theatre will take part in a major initiative designed to bring critically acclaimed works to audiences around the country. The theatre has joined with seven other venues to form the National Touring Group (NTG), in conjunction
GARDEN THEFTS: Thieves stole a grey stone birdbath from a garden on Waterloo Terrace, Shildon, overnight on March 30. The birdbath has a stand that looks like a tree and there are two otters, painted brown, in the centre of the bath. A cream coloured
WHAT is believed to be the biggest collection of birds of prey in the North of England looks set to become a tourist magnet for the region. The International Centre for Birds of Prey (ICBP), in Helmsley, North Yorkshire opened to the public this
A PARK has been officially re-opened following a £60,000 revamp. Addison Park, in Meadowfield, near Durham City, has been undergoing improvement for two years. This has included landscaping and new play facilities. It was re-opened today (Friday
This is my training blog, with the Half Marathon Of The North just 23 days away. If you're a beginner, or you've done a half marathon before, you might get some tips. This week, I'm going to share my experience of my first ever half marathon -
A TEESSIDE care home is throwing its support behind a charity effort to climb to the top of Kilimanjaro by donating £200 for every new resident it welcomes before the trekkers set off. Middlesbrough-based Parkville Care Centre has made the offer
A YOUNG filmmaker is believed to have frozen to death as he made a documentary about sleeping rough on the streets. Lee Halpin, 27, had planned to spend a week living on the streets in his home city of Newcastle to experience what it was like to
A NURSE accused of walking away from a schoolboy dying of meningitis will have to wait until July to learn his fate. Christopher Kirby is said to have refused to help a colleague tending to ten year-old William Cressey at Darlington Memorial Hospital
ESTATE WALKS: The first of this year’s estate walkabouts will start later this month in Richmond, Colburn and surrounding villages. Richmondshire District Council set up the walks to consult with council house tenants to deal with issues important
TWO of England Women’s cricketers, Danni Hazel and Jenny Gunn, will visit Richmond School on Tuesday, April 9. Richmondshire Cricket Club is hosting a free cricketing event at Richmond School from 10am until 12.30pm to try to encourage more girls
TOOLS THEFT: Police are hunting for thieves who stole tools and cabling and a purse from a car parked on Spruce Court, in Shildon. A second car was broken into on Jubilee Road, Shildon, and a purse was stolen. The break-ins took place overnight
POLICE have hailed their “Mad March” campaign, aimed at improving relations with residents, boosting public confidence and reducing fear of crime, as an exceptional success. Police in Durham City staged at least one event or activity above and
CANDIDATE NAMED: Middlesbrough Liberal Democrats have selected Gary McArthur as their candidate for the Middlesbrough Council by-election in Pallister ward to be held on Thursday, May 2. Mr McArthur lives with his family in Pallister ward. FREE
SINGER and television presenter Aled Jones has cancelled a Durham Cathedral concert due to illness. The Welsh star was due to begin a tour of UK cathedrals at Durham tomorrow night (Saturday, April 6). However, a spokesman for SJM Concerts
MINSTER WORK: Work to create a pedestrian-friendly piazza outside the South Door of York Minster is now well underway – and scheduled for completion in early June. The scheme is part of the wider, lottery-backed York Minster Revealed project. STEPPING
A MAN stole a Nintendo Wii and a PlayStation from his family and sold them to pay for electricity and food, a court was told. Damian Budd, 22, of Ferryhill, County Durham, stole the goods in February when he had no money at all to survive on.
QUIRKY and exotic plants will take centre stage at a spring flower fair this month. The Flower Power Fair, at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, County Durham, will bring together top growers and plant specialists from across the North. As well as
POLICE have renewed their appeal for help from the public in tracking down a wanted man. Scott Tuohey, 37, of Bad Bargain Lane in York, is wanted for breaching a non-molestation order issued following domestic violence against his ex-partner.
THE locomotive that still holds the record as the world’s fastest steam engine has been officially recognised as one of the great British engineering icons. Some 75 years after the Mallard hurtled its way into the history books, the streamlined
RAPE CHARGE: Simon Meighan, 29, of Westcott Terrace, Ferryhill, County Durham, has been committed to Durham Crown Court to face charges of rape and sexual assault. Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court heard the allegations date from June 9 last year in
SEDGEFIELD Village Veterans has shown its appreciation to its local hospital by bestowing Easter treats on staff and patients. The group, who all live in the Sedgefield area and come together to commemorate British troops killed overseas, donated
FOOTBALL fans are being urged to use free coaches to travel to next weekend’s Tyne-Wear derby. Police are encouraging Sunderland fans travelling to Sunday’s match in Newcastle to use the club coaches which will leave the Stadium of Light at 9.30am
TRADERS have launched a ‘shop local’ campaign aimed at boosting the economy by more than £5m a year. Stall holders at Durham’s Market Hall have brought the Totally Locally initiative, first seen in the North-West, to the North-East. They say
WALKING around the Estadio da Luz during the last couple of days was a former Hartlepool United manager and Newcastle coach very familiar with the area. Alan Murray, a long term assistant to Graeme Souness whenever he has been in a job, was once
A CAMPAIGN to raise £250,000 to help Macmillan Cancer Support reach out to isolated communities has received a boost thanks to the Sedgefield branch of NFU Mutual. The rural insurer raised £500 for the Macmillan Information Buses by holding a ladies
DRAINAGE works aimed at preventing a repeat of flooding on the A66 have yet to be completed, the Highways Agency has said. Engineers have been laying additional pipes under the A66 near to its junction at Long Newton, near Stockton, in order to
A NEW weekly running group is to get underway next week. Stanley Run England will meet every Thursday at 6pm, in Oakey Park, Stanley, starting on April 11. The informal group is designed for everyone who wants to run to increase their fitness
SIXTY-FOUR people in the region have needed hospital treatment for complications from measles during the current outbreak, health experts have revealed. There are fears that as the outbreak shows no sign of tailing off there could be more serious
THE Very Reverend Michael Sadgrove made national headlines by calling on Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio to renounce fascism. Here, he reflects on ten years as Dean of Durham. TEN years ago on St Cuthbert’s Day, I came to Durham as Dean, arriving
The government has said that if approved, compulsory cookery lessons should instil “an understanding of good food” in children and help combat the obesity crisis. The move was recommended in a review by restaurateurs Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent
TWO of the region's largest NHS hospital trusts have begun asking patients if they are happy with the care they have received. The Government-backed initiative will allow the public to visit their local hospitals website and look at comments left
AN ACADEMIC who is known as 'Dr Dance' is to outline his theories on how dancing can help people problem solve and also be more attractive to the opposite sex. Dr Peter Lovatt is giving an open public lecture at the British Psychological Society's
A SUMMER fun day is to be staged later this year after a church group was awarded funding. Consett Churches Together, which includes Consett Methodist Churches, the church of England and Salvation Army, has been awarded almost £3,000 to stage the
THE Mayor of Guisborough was on hand to sample one of the first pints at the town’s second ever beer festival got underway today (Friday). Councillor Malcolm Griffiths opened the two-day festival at the Parish Hall, Bow Street, as the charity fundraiser
EASINGTON Colliery Methodist Church is to hold a centenary concert on Monday, April 15 featuring Eddie Gratton and Friends. The concert starts at 7pm and admission is £3 on the door. TREE PRUNING: Two-way traffic lights will be installed on
AN Easter Egg raffle at Ask Italian restaurant, on Walkergate, Durham, has raised £600 for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The event, held over the Easter weekend, was part of a national Ask Italian effort to raise £1m for the
SCORES of North-East jobs have been saved at music and DVD chain HMV after a buyer was found for 141 stores. Outlets in Darlington, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland will remain open after Hilco UK, the company behind HMV Canada, agreed a
A DECISION on whether to allow the controversial building of hundreds of new homes on green land in Yarm will be made in the coming days. New housing has become a highly controversial issue in the Yarm and Eaglescliffe area in the past year after
Crook Town manager Gary Pearson says that three points are “a must” for the second division leaders at home to Chester-le-Street today. Crook top the division by eight points from Ryhope CW, and Pearson, who is suspended along with striker Kyle
FOLLOWING savage funding cuts and staff losses, Darlington’s Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is appealing for volunteers to help them deliver vital support services in the wake of significant welfare reforms. The organisation – which offers free advice
A DANCE has raised £360 for a forces charity. Diane Ross, who runs the Diane Ross Dance Academy in Durham City, staged the event at Tudhoe Victory Club in aid of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association Forces Help, known as SSAFA
A YOUTH council is offering thousands of pounds to groups and projects that will benefit young people. Ask SYC (Spennymoor Youth Council) has announced a £10,000 grants pot has been set up to support initiatives in its area. The youth council
WRESTLERS are coming together for a final match in a North Yorkshire market town. Mick Groom, who runs Popcorn Skate in Northallerton, has organised wrestling matches in Teesside and North Yorkshire since 2003. He has now decided to give up
A SHOPPING centre security guard has helped raise almost £1,500 for charity after having his ponytail chopped off. Sean Eddy, who works at Middleton Grange Shopping Centre in Hartlepool, waved goodbye to the long hair he’s had since the age of
ANGRY Hurworth residents with homes they claim are unsuitable for wheelie bins have hit out against the inflexibility of the scheme. All properties in the Darlington borough will receive a wheelie bin next month, with collections due to begin in
A TRADITION from the ancient past helped the city of Ripon prepare to peer into its future. The city’s bellman, Brian Rushworth, took a break from his usual duties to help launch a consultation into how the area should be developed in years to
FOR people outside football, Karren Brady is probably best known for her appearances on The Apprentice, and when it comes to business, she certainly knows her onions. Now she’s quizzed about her life on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories: Karren Brady.
THERE’S a lot to be said for comic Lee Mack. He’s probably one of the busiest men in the comedy sphere, given that he’s got solo and television projects on the go, but it is during his better-every-week sitcom Not Going Out that he’s shining at the
IT’S not been easy for Imran, Marshal and Altynay to settle into their new lives in the UK – as we well know from this insightful three-part series Britain: My New Home. The idea of award-winning documentary maker Daisy Asquith, cameras began rolling
BBC1 will revisit Shetland for a second series. Following its successful two-part debut last month, Shetland will return for a second run as a bigger sixpart series, with Douglas Henshall returning to the lead role as Detective Jimmy Perez. Made
AN ESCAPED murderer apprehended last night in South Yorkshire has been sentenced to 16 weeks in jail. Craig Hendley, 42, pleaded guilty to the charge of being unlawfully at large at Barnsley Magistrates' Court today (Friday, April 5). However
ESCAPED murderer Craig Hendley has been returned to prison after being found in Barnsley last night. He had been in the final months of a 20 year prison term for murder when he escaped in Redcar on Wednesday around 1.40pm. He was on day release
ABOUT 2,500 jobs at retailer HMV have been saved after restructuring firm Hilco agreed a deal to acquire 141 stores, including 23 which had previously been slated for closure. Paul McGowan, chief executive of Hilco, said: “We have spent a number
FURTHER cracks emerged in the eurozone’s shrinking economy to drag European stock markets lower and ensure another day of losses for the FTSE 100 Index. Gloomy figures showing that services sector activity in the single currency area shrank more
THE Northern Sinfonia’s latest chamber recital at The Sage gave players in the wind section the chance to indulge in some of the richest music written for their instruments. The varied programme took its title from Gounod’s Petite Symphony; a work
AN industrial coatings company has made a major investment to transfer skills and technology into the offshore wind sector. Barrier Ltd, which is part of the Barrier Group, has expanded its coatings division to be able to deliver protective covering
A FOSSIL fuel exploration firm says it could help ease increases in gas prices after being awarded the rights to a large area off the North Yorkshire coast. The Department of Energy and Climate Change has given Egdon Resources a four-year licence
A PETROCHEMICALS firm, which owns a North-East technology company, has strengthened its position further after buying a Swedish chemical business. Johnson Matthey, which runs Tracerco, in Billingham, near Stockton, has taken over Swedish-based
AN anonymous benefactor’s £40,000 donation could ensure the survival of dozens of the region’s charities. The County Durham Community Foundation received the cash on the condition that the identity of the donor is never revealed and the money is
THE boss of engineering group Amec expects the oil and gas sector to offer the group significant opportunities for growth in the year ahead. The team, based at the firm’s European engineering headquarters in Darlington, will be key to delivering
EVERY weeknight between 6pm and 8pm, Monday to Friday, I listen to the Three Legends show on Star Radio, which is based in Darlington. I find it full of good banter about our local football teams. The legends are Bernie Slavin, Micky Horswell
IT is hard to think that a year has passed since you printed my letter about the abnormal temperatures that were recorded last March and April. I asked then why did we have summer in March and April? This year has been quite the opposite. The
JUST another fact to add to the recent letters on the sad Israel- Palestine situation, this is from an item from the latest weekly newsletter of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, an organisation supported by many Jews like myself. It is headlined
I HAVE been following in the media the contest between Newcastle and Leeds NHS trusts on who should provide clinical cardiac care for the wider region. One may have reasonably expected that top NHS management involved in making this decision should
IAIN DUNCAN SMITH’S claim that anyone can live on £7 a day is a clear acknowledgement that no justification exists for paying MPs such high wage levels. When viewed in relation to the present economic situation, Mr Duncan Smith’s comments concerning
MY father and four of his brothers fought fascism in the war and two of them were killed. Unlike many on the loony left in the North-East – including David Miliband, the son of a Communist father – and the media, I am not against Paolo Di Canio
POLITICS is a lot like the stage. Many would say the professions are too close for comfort. In both, timing is important. Get that wrong and the cheers turn to catcalls. So, I am putting as much thought and work into stopping being the directly
CHILDREN worked to give rescue dogs a treat at a special event today (Friday April 5). A group of youngsters learned how to make tasty treats for pets at the Kids K9 Cookery Class, hosted by Dogs Trust Darlington. The children, aged between
On Monday, disabled people in the North-East will start being assessed for the controversial new personal independence payment. Political Correspondent Robert Merrick meets the man with the unenviable job of implementing it THE man in charge of
AFTER nearly a decade of silence from the Catholic Church, The Northern Echo today reveals the truth behind the suspension of Father Michael Higginbottom. Fr Higginbottom had been a popular parish priest at St Augustine’s Church, in Darlington,
FURTHER tributes have been paid to a safety campaigner who died in a motorcycle crash. Neil Douglas Hamilton, part of Cleveland RoADAR – the Advanced Drivers and Riders wing of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), died after
A NORTH-EAST carpet maker has bucked increasingly difficult industry conditions to expand its business. Whitestone Weavers, based in Hartlepool, has bought flooring firm Thomas Witter, which it hopes will cement its place as a long-standing British
PAUL NICHOLLS had started to doubt the desire of Zarkandar but the application of blinkers and a step up in trip showed the six-year-old in a vastly different light as he thwarted The New One in what a top-quality John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle. The
ALAN PARDEW refused to be downbeat in Lisbon last night and is clinging on to the hope that an away goal from Papiss Cisse in the Estadio da Luz could still help Newcastle United into the semi-finals of the Europa League. The Magpies were left
JOHN Hughes admits having Simon Walton available for the season's end is vital for Hartlepool United. The midfielder was sent-off in last Friday's loss to MK Dons, but Pools appealed the decision and Walton was cleared on Tuesday. If the ban was upheld
NEWCASTLE Falcons head coach Peter Russell admits his side will have failed if they do not lift the British & Irish Cup this season. Falcons host Nottingham in the quarter-finals of the competition tonight, and while promotion to the Aviva
WHEN cricket emerges from hibernation with chattering teeth today, Durham's Ben Stokes will be as determined as ever to play for England. The 21-year-old all-rounder's dismissal from the England Lions tour of Australia has done nothing to curb
Alex Lees could be the first man to benefit from the Root effect after being named as an opening batsman in Yorkshire's 12-man squad for today's three-day friendly against a Leeds/Bradford MCCU side at Headingley. The left-hander will face the new ball
ADAM Johnson has hailed Paolo Di Canio's immediate impact on Sunderland's training ground and expressed confidence the club's new manager will get the best out of his squad. Since replacing Martin O'Neill on Sunday, Di Canio has introduced a tough
AMID all the furore that has surrounded Paolo Di Canio's appointment as Sunderland manager, one issue has been somewhat overlooked. Forget all the talk of fascism and past political statements, just how big a gamble has Ellis Short taken by appointing
TONY MOWBRAY expressed his disappointment at Sunderland's sacking of Martin O'Neill - but hopes that Paolo Di Canio enjoys a honeymoon period as his successor. Mowbray is a self-confessed fan of O'Neill, having locked horns with the Northern Irishman
CHILDREN'S heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary is to resume early next week, subject to assurances, it has been announced. The unit was closed down last week after concern over mortality rates, figures that were disputed. The decision
A DEPUTY Chief Constable who was sacked for gross misconduct last month has appealed against the decision, The Northern Echo can reveal. Derek Bonnard was summarily dismissed after a catalogue of offences were uncovered during a widespread probe
A PRIVATE Eye cartoonist whose daughter is recovering from bone cancer has published a children’s book combining science and humour. Mike Barfield, whose TV writing credits range from Spitting Image and Have I Got News For You to Who Wants To Be
A NORTH-EAST carpet maker has bucked increasingly difficult industry conditions to expand its business. Whitestone Weavers, based in Hartlepool, has bought flooring firm Thomas Witter Ltd, which it hopes will cement its place as a long-standing
A SCHOOLBOY dying of meningitis tearfully begged doctors to help him, a tribunal has heard. Ten-year-old William Cressey died in March 2005, after being discharged from Darlington Memorial Hospital when doctors thought he was suffering from a migraine
COMPLAINTS against the region’s biggest local authority have nearly trebled over the past three years, The Northern Echo has learnt. Durham County Council received 3,105 complaints over its services in 2011/12, a near three-fold increase on 2009
A WROUGHT ironwork specialist which lists the Royal Family as a satisfied customer is continuing to expand. Architechtural metalwork firm, Chris Topp and Company, has brought its workers under one roof as it looks to continue its rapid ascent.
THE Catholic Church has been criticised for failing to reinstate a popular parish priest who The Northern Echo can reveal was accused – but never charged – of child sexual abuse. Parishioners continue to stand by Father Michael Higginbottom after
AN MP has hit out at the press treatment of a North-East market trader who challenged Iain Duncan Smith to live off £53 per week. David Bennett, from the Wear Valley area of County Durham, said he had been shocked by the ferocity of some national
INSURERS of the collapsed retailer Woolworths could face a multi-million pound compensation bill after the widower of a former cashier won a six-figure payout over her death. Betty Westhead worked at Woolworths in Durham Market Place for 35 years
DOUBLE STRIKE: The same thieves may be responsible for two burglaries in the same street on the same night. A mountain bike was stolen from a house in Thorngate, Barnard Castle, sometime during the night of March 30. On the same evening, a 42 inch
POLICE have issued a reminder to motorists to be aware of snow drifts on the high roads of Weardale. Although snow has stopped falling, officers said drivers still need to take extra care on the hill-top roads in Weardale, County Durham. A
POLICE are trying to trace three men spotted in a Weardale caravan park at around the same time a shed was broken into. The shed in Stanhope was targeted by burglars sometime overnight on Sunday, March 31. Among the items taken were a Karcher
A BRIDE-to-be, her mother and her bridesmaid will enjoy posing for wedding photos after shedding six stone between them. Susan Wrightson has been losing weight in the run up to April 20 when she will marry fiancée Dene Clarke. And the 34-year-old
A COUNTY Durham football club will host two days of dance and rock music next month as a popular music festival returns. Crookfest will be held at Crook Town Football Club’s Sir Tom Cowie Millfield ground on Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5.
VANDALS have caused further problems in the grounds of a historic museum. Police say a tap connected to the bowls club in the grounds of The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, was damaged some time during the Easter holiday weekend. It is the latest
