AN avid Sunderland fan who celebrated her 101st birthday less than two months ago took a trip down memory lane when she met two of the 1973 FA Cup winning team. Nora Wright, of Barrington Lodge Care Home, in Bishop Auckland, was over the moon when
THREE members of an organised criminal gang are tonight (Friday, May 3) beginning lengthy jail sentences for their part in a conspiracy to steal high-valued machinery and equipment from industrial compounds across the country. Brett Lee, 37, Neil
POLICE are appealing for information after a bag containing a large amount of mixed medication was accidentally left outside a Middlesbrough supermarket. The large Boots carrier bag was left in the trolley park at Morrisons on Ormesby Road between
A DRUNK who threatened police when they turned up to deal with a disturbance he was involved in has been given a suspended jail sentence. Craig McIntyre, 40, was already bleeding from his face when police arrived at the incident in Dundas Street
LABOUR tightened its grip on Durham County Council today (Friday, May 3) with a landslide victory in the local elections. The party swept back to power, capturing a total of 94 seats across the county, to increase its majority from a slender nine
A MAN “desperate to get money, which ever way he could” was jailed for three years for a catalogue of offences committed earlier this year. Michael Thomas Collier, 34, targeted elderly shoppers, making off with handbags snatched from their supermarket
A MAN who twice breached a suspended sentence previously imposed on him has been jailed for 14 months. Drug addict Mark Betteridge's crimes included the attempted theft of a cash box from a public phone box in Stockton. Betteridge, 31, had
LABOUR was celebrating in Durham last night after emerging as the largest group of its kind on any authority in the country. After the votes were counted up, it was clear that the party had scored a landslide victory across the county. Going
A MAN who stabbed his housemate in the chest with near fatal consequences has been jailed for 12 years. Teesside Crown Court heard that Carl Ajib would almost certainly have died after he was stabbed three times with a knife by Mohammed Jama if
A TEENAGE student has become the youngest member in Durham County Council history. Nineteen-year-old Thomas Nearney won a seat in Annfield Plain, ousting sitting councillor Joan Nicholson of the Derwentside Independents by just 42 votes. The
A YOUNG mother-of-two died from a rare medical condition six days after giving birth. Victoria Clayton died on May 15 - her 33rd birthday and her son’s first - after collapsing in Asda's car park in Hartlepool. Teesside Coroner’s court heard
A RECYCLING scheme with a difference is helping to protect householders in Hartlepool. Steel security gates from a town centre housing demolition site are being reused. Around 200 properties - including a large number of old terraced houses
THE producers of a stage version of a popular 1970s sit-com are looking for a charismatic cat to star in the show. Rising Damp will be staged at Darlington Civic Theatre from May 21 to 25. Producers are on the lookout for a cat to play the
READERS of this edition of The Northern Echo may be interested in the following results from the local elections for North Yorkshire County Council wards bordering the Darlington borough: Richmondshire North division – including Barton, Croft,
A man has been charged with two burglaries at Crawford House, where the families of sick children stay, in the grounds of Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court.
A TROLLEY service providing refreshments to patients at the Friarage Hospital, which was axed due to fears over hygiene, has now been reinstated. Several weeks ago the charity, the Friends of the Friarage, announced it was to withdraw its trolley
THE man elected as a monkey has attended his final council meeting. Stuart Drummond, mayor of Hartlepool for 11 years, was presented with a farewell gift of a season ticket to Hartlepool United at Hartlepool Borough Council’s full council yesterday
A MAJOR new housing development has been approved for the outskirts of a village near Catterick Garrison. Mulberry Homes submitted plans to Richmondshire District Council’s planning committee on Tuesday, April 30 for a housing estate with 72 homes
A TEENAGE entrepreneur who struggled to find a job has set up his own business making and selling handmade jewellery. Despite desperately searching for a job, 15-year-old Reuben Oatley struggled to get hired in his hometown of Darlington because
A COUPLE were robbed by another couple in the street, police have revealed. The crime took place at about 2.30am yesterday, Thursday, May 2 on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. A man and woman were approached by another man and woman who were
Duncan Heather chats to Steve Pratt about his musical theatre adventures which have brought him to the New Jersey Nights tour THE first question is a difficult one for Duncan Heather. It’s always that question that stumps us, he says. But just
WATCHDOG MOVE: Water watchdog the Consumer Council for Water has moved its Darlington base to a new office in the town. Andrea Cook, Consumer Council for Water Northern Chair, said: “We may have moved offices but we are still here to help local water
A MAN who died in a road smash near Whitby earlier this week has now been named by police. Gary Paul Manders-Powell, who was 21, was killed in a single-0vehivcle smash on Tursday when the Ford Mondeo he was driving overturned and ended on its roof
POLICE are warning people to be on their guard against and bogus callers after a woman refused to allow an apparent conman into her home. The woman, from Hemlington, Middlesbrough, was at home at about 1pm yesterday, Thursday, May 2 when a man
A PREDATORY ‘deviant’ who carried out his fantasy by having a sexual encounter with a teenage boy was today (FRI MAY 3) jailed for six years. Paul Thompson, 54, was in regular contact with the 14-year-old on the internet before arranging the liaison
A CHARITY has condemned the shooting of wild birds, leaving them dead or dying at a North Yorkshire nature reserve. A number of Canada and greylag geese and a mute swan were discovered at Norton Mills Lake in North Stainley, near Ripon, on Friday
St Lucian poet Derek Walcott, the first Caribbean writer to win the Nobel Prize, will give a reading in the King's Hall, Newcastle University, at 7.15pm on Wednesday (8 May). Tickets are £8 (concessions £5), available at http://webstore.ncl.ac.uk/browse
NORTH Yorkshire’s elections saw the Conservatives retain its hold on the county council, but both UKIP and Labour made some inroads. The Tories held on to its majority with 45 councillors, losing just one seat on the 72-strong council. Despite
TWO gay councillors are about to become the first civil partnership in the country to hold the positions of leader of the council and ceremonial mayor. Labour councillors Christopher Akers-Belcher and Stephen Akers-Belcher have said they are proud
FIREFIGHTERS spent more than five hours tackling a scrubland blaze in North Yorkshire. Some 750 square metres of woodland, undergrowth and illegally-dumped waste caught fire in a blaze that is believed to have started from a nearby bonfire.
A MAN charged with importing knuckledusters into Heathrow Airport and possessing a large quantity of amphetamine will appear at Durham Crown Court this month. Kiel Johnson, of Langdale Avenue, Crook, County Durham, is alleged to have imported the
A 24-YEAR-OLD man has been found guilty of knowingly helping a young teenage girl to run away from home. Jonathan Pennington, of Bannockburn Way, Billingham, had denied the charge at Teesside Magistrates Court, saying the girl was just a friend
ONE of the country’s most famous heritage railways is celebrating its 40th anniversary in style – and clouds of steam. The North York Moors Railway is holding a ten day festival – until May 12 – involving its own fleet of steam locos and visiting
A CHARITABLE organisation's biggest-even women’s spring lunch will be held in Durham next week. County Durham Community Foundation will host the sell-out event in the Radisson hote, in Durham city, on Thursday (May 9). Lisa Shaw, a presenter
A SECURITY company in Darlington is now certified to handcuff potential trespassers. Sparta Street Safe has received control and restraint certification which allows security officers to handcuff potential trespassers on households and businesses
TWO men were arrested after what police described as an alcohol-related disturbance in Darlington town centre on Friday (May 3). Officers were called to Crown Street, close to The Northern Echo offices, at about 2.30pm, after reports of a fight
AUTISTIC twins born 10 weeks premature have grown up with big voices and while Ashton McAlpine dreams of singing stardom her identical sister is her biggest fan. Many babies are happy watching an episode of Peppa Pig but Ashton and Madison cried
FILM fans will get a rare chance to see a new cut of a cult horror epic as part of Darlington Arts Festival next week. Darlington Film Club, which holds weekly film shows at the town's Forum Music Centre, has organised a screening of Nightbreed
CHILDREN whose school is next to the busy A68 are giving passing motorists a lesson in safe driving. Pupils at Toft Hill Primary School, near Bishop Auckland, have created scarecrows that look like police officers to line the route through the
A COCKFIELD man found with a lock knife and 0.4 grams of heroin appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe today (Friday, May 3). Deborah Jones, prosecuting, said police had searched Andrew Hardy, of Manor Grove, after spotting him walking
A FATHER-OF-THREE who failed to stop for police appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe today (Friday, May 3). Police signalled for Carl Hirst to pull over after spotting him driving his Vauxhall Vectra at 50 miles per hour in a 30 limit
SITTING in the heart of North Yorkshire’s county town, the Black Bull is a traditional pub with some real history behind it. Facing on to the wide pavement of Northallerton’s High Street, its three-storey frontage with bright bay windows and hanging
PLAYERS and officials at Spennymoor Town FC will swap tracksuits for tailor-made suits when they arrive at Wembley. Spennymoor couple Simon and Donna Godding, who run Just Perfect bridal and menswear shops, in Shotton Colliery, County Durham, provided
A DRUNKEN teenager who took his girlfriend’s car without permission crashed it into a hedge while being pursued by police, a court heard. Andrew Lawton was spotted speeding in the Ford Focus by police in West Auckland, County Durham, at around
POLICE say post mortems confirm that there was no third party involvement in the deaths of an elderly couple. Retired miner James “Jim” Stokoe and wife May, both 79, were found dead in the bedroom of their home in Hylton Castle Road, Sunderland
HOUSEHOLDERS are being urged to make use of their waste by turning it to compost. Durham County Council is helping to promote the environmental benefits of home composting with the belated arrival of spring. It is part of Compost Awareness
THE director of the North-East alcohol control agency, Balance, has welcomed a court victory which paves the way for a minimum price per unit of alcohol in Scotland. Colin Shevills, director of Balance, was speaking after a legal challenge to the
THE atmosphere in a North-East town has reached fever pitch as its football team prepares to play at Wembley tomorrow. (Saturday, May 4) Spennymoor Town FC are travelling down to London today and more than 5,000 fans will follow them by road, rail
A COMPETITION is aiming to encourage aspiring writers in Darlington to become a poetry ‘laureate’. The National Poetry Anthology is the biggest free-to-enter annual poetry contest in the UK and tries to find a winner in as many towns around the
ANIMAL conservationists have issued a cautionary appeal after a “rescued” seal pup had to be rescued again – from a bathtub. The healthy grey seal pup has been spotted on the shoreline near Scarborough by a local beach-walker who assumed the animal
A COUNCIL leader has urged traders and business owners in Darlington to “step up to the mark” and boost their fortunes when hundreds of civil servants transfer to the town centre. Bill Dixon, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said the purpose-built
A MUSIC student bought a tattoo gun off the internet and used it on children as young as 13. Jonathan Race admits placing tattoos on five children, aged between 13 and 15, between March 30 and April 1. The 18-year-old, who is studying music
PEOPLE can find out about local and family history at the region’s biggest heritage event. Yesterday Belongs To You will be held at County Hall, Durham City, on Saturday May 18 between 10am and 4pm. The biennial event has been organised by
ACADEMICS are meeting for a conference focusing on distinctive teaching methods at the University of York tomorrow (May 8) The theme of the conference, organised by the university’s Learning and Teaching Forum, is 'Working together: collaboration
A SUMMER of comedy at a North-East theatre begins tomorrow night (Saturday, May 4). Comic Lee Nelson, star of Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show, will be at the Gala Theatre, in Durham, at 7.30pm. Tickets are £22.50. Canadians Stewart Francis, Craig
A LANDMARK statue has been returned to its city centre home, ending a near-seven month absence. The Neptune statue was removed from Durham Market Place in October after being struck by a vehicle. The collision caused its stone plinth to become
AN Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea party raised funds for a charity helping the old and vulnerable in Darlington. The WRVS held their ‘Great Brew Break’ at the town's Pease Monument and were supported at the event by The Mad Hatter Tea Party.
THE region’s largest bus company is turning the clock back 100 years to the birth of its service. Go North East's first bus left Chester-le-Street in County Durham for the Gateshead suburb of Low Fell at 2pm on May 7 in 1913. A ticket cost
CYCLISTS will have the chance to get their bikes checked out for free at this weekend’s Darlington Sunday People’s Market. Bike mechanics from Bike Stop, in Skinnergate, will be offering free bike check-ups for cyclists at the market, which is
BELLY laughs and banter hid any sign of nerves at a County Durham football club this morning as the team set off for their big date at Wembley. After weeks of excitement surrounding Spennymoor Town FC, players and coaches are finally on their way
EIGHTIES hitmaker Rick Astley will headline at a seaside concert this summer. The pop icon, who topped the charts in 1987 with his debut single Never Gonna Give You Up, will perform at Bents Park, South Shields, on Sunday July 28 in the South Tyneside
THE man with responsibility for Darlington’s road network has told councillors that work is on track to deal with the town’s pothole problem. Councillor David Lyonette, who holds the transport portfolio at Darlington Borough Council, said Spring
REFUSE COLLECTION: RESIDENTS of Hartlepool are reminded that Monday’s Bank Holiday will not affect their refuse and recycling collections. They are asked to put out their bins as usual next week. This follows major changes to the way the Borough Council
In the fourth monthly local history talk to date Dr Graham Rogers will talk about “Interpreting the historical landscape: field systems and enclosures" at 7.30pm on Friday 10th May 2013 (doors open 7pm) in Dalton & Gayles Village Hall. Tickets
PLANS for a new entry gate and footpath for a Darlington school have sparked a strong reaction from residents in neighbouring properties. Darlington School of Maths and Science (DSMS) has applied to Darlington Borough Council to extend an existing
THE countdown is on for a unique gathering which is expected to attract thousands of railway enthusiasts from across the country. It is just two months to go until the National Railway Museum in York marks the 75th anniversary of the A4 Pacific
SOUTH Tees Hospitals Trust has been named as one of the top 40 hospitals for the 13th year running. The trust, which runs James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton and a range of community services,
A DARLINGTON woman's childhood dream has come true with the opening of her own barber shop. Stacey Robertson, 29, previously worked in other barber shops in the town but fulfilled her ambition by opening Robertson’s Barbers on Haughton Green.
A RETIRED steel worker who survived a double cancer diagnosis has praised his wife, his GP and surgeons at his local hospital for giving him a new lease of life. A year ago Maurice Grayson, 70, from Easington, near Saltburn, east Cleveland was
POLICE are hunting two youths after they were seen throwing stones at a train as it approached Hartlepool station smashing one of the windows. British Transport Police say the incident happened at around 7.10am last Saturday morning (April 27).
A SCHEME to tackle offensive language in non league football has proved to be a winner after it struck gold in the FA’s Respect Awards. The Ebac Northern League’s Secret Shopper scheme began this season to tackle swearing at matches. Volunteers
Why are we so preoccupied with the ‘good old days’ of the 1940s? WHY the fascination with the 1940s? It wouldn’t be a bank holiday without a war theme. Beningborough Hall near York is the latest to have a 1940s festival this weekend – everything
Dear Sharon, We’ve learned from experience to avoid eating in “family” pubs as it’s just like being in a playground with babies crying and small children running wild. There’s no pleasure for anyone and, as you say, it must be very difficult for
HOW will the regulars and guests get on this week as more tall tales are intermingled with 100 per cent correct statements in Would I Lie To You? That remains to be seen as host Rob Brydon welcomes team captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack, along
UNTIL not too long ago, the town of Salma, in northern Syria, was a tourist destination. Now it is bombed and shelled by government forces daily. Two years ago, NHS doctor Rami Habib, a paediatrician based in Leicester, was visiting the area when
THE Beeb pays a fitting tribute to the late classical music conductor Colin Davis, who died last month at 85, in the first of two programmes dedicated to the Surrey-born former principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). In Sir
SO, in the immortal words of PJ and Duncan... Let’s get Ready to Rhumble! Occasionally Propeller are liberal with the Bard. This being spoken by Patron Chair of Drunkards, Sir Toby Belch (Vince Leigh) as a hilariously-garbed Sir Andrew
A PROFESSIONAL scooter world champion has been showing off his skills in a newly refurbished skate park. Californian Dakota Schuetz (correct) put on a display for youngsters while he was checking out the ramps at the R-Kade Skate Park in Redcar
NEIL PWANTS must be the name of the wheezing old geriatric who organises the British entry into the Eurovision Song Contest. Neil Pwants scours the Post Office queues for another older person to drag their depressing warbling across the television
I HAVE recently returned home after major surgery at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough. Thanks go to all involved from student nurses to the Intensive Care Unit and the High Dependency Unit on Ward 7, and the surgical team.
IT makes you wonder when you see the stupid wages and transfer fees that our top football clubs in the North-East are paying out on pampered players who often complain that they are tired after playing two games in a week. These clubs have had
BEING a boxing fan, I tuned in at the weekend to watch the Tyson Fury versus Steve Cunningham fight on Channel 5. The American heavyweight was little known to me and was six stone lighter and six inches shorter than Fury – a slight disadvantage, wouldn
MY description of my experiences as a police officer during the Miners’ Strike has resulted in many responses (HAS, Apr 22 and Apr 29). While my comments about the majority of voters putting Margaret Thatcher into power were mistaken, our “flawed
I WONDER if a Muslim had posted similar comments to the Ukip canvasser from Guisborough about the British, would you have devoted a full front page to it (Echo, May 2)? It appears that many newspapers, and unfortunately the Echo, thrive on discrediting
JUST after I was elected mayor, I was told that I must never forget how important it was for the council to work with its partner agencies. I replied that it might be a good idea for us in the council to start working together ourselves and erase
The world’s first and only ‘monkey’ mayor will hand in his chains forever in a few days time when Hartlepool Borough Council returns to a non-elected mayoral system. Chris Webber talks to Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond about the night he was elected
DIABETES MEETING: The next meeting of the Durham voluntary group of Diabetes UK takes place on Tuesday, May 14 in the Diabetes Centre, in the east wing of the University Hospital of North Durham starting at 7.30pm. The guest speaker will be Professor
DURHAM Cathedral needs the public’s help as it prepares for one of its biggest redevelopment projects in decades. Building work on the Norman wonder may have been completed for nearly a millennium, but 21st century volunteers are needed to construct
STUART Hall, of the BBC, a predatory sex offender, with girls as young as nine among his victims. It is hard to believe. He was the chap in the stripey jacket, whose infectious laugh made It’s A Knockout such enjoyable, innocent family entertainment
RUGBY WORLD CUP organisers insisted they had fulfilled their pledge to engage the whole country in the 2015 tournament, despite scheduling just six matches in the north of England. England Rugby 2015 yesterday unveiled the 13 venues that will stage
A MANUFACTURER’S decision to target new overseas markets at the height of the 2004 to 2007 boom is now paying dividends and boosting its bottom line. Haskel Europe has won new contracts in the growing oil and gas industry in Angola, Dubai and Kazakhstan
AN NHS trust wants to meet a family to discuss criticism about the way a cancer sufferer was treated two days before he died. Brian Bussey, 72, of Tudhoe Moor, Spennymoor, died of lung cancer on April 4. His family has complained to County
AN ARMED forces charity is appealing for the public’s support ahead of two street collections. Supporters of the Durham branch of SSAFA will be collecting in Durham city centre from 10.30am to 3.30pm on Saturday, May 11, and outside Sainsbury’s
HONOURS are even in the marquee World Snooker Championship semi-final after Ronnie O’Sullivan was pegged back by Judd Trump to leave the match balanced on a knife-edge. Leading 4-1 and playing some of his best snooker of the tournament, it looked
A CHURCH has announced further details of its 150th anniversary celebrations. St Cuthbert’s Church, on North Road, Durham, will host a Teddy Bears’ Picnic in nearby Wharton Park on Sunday, May 19, at noon. A flower festival will run from June
A DURHAM golf club will host a free-to-enter challenge on Sunday (May 5). Ramside Hall Golf Club, in Carrville, near Durham City, is inviting golfers to take part in a challenge consisting of 12 shots to four targets. Participants can compare
A MOTORIST was cut free from his car by firefighters after it left a road and hit a tree today (Friday May 3). The 45-year-old man, from Consett, County Durham, escaped with minor injuries as a result of the collision, on the A691 near the Red
A NEW village post office will open later this month (Tuesday, May 14). The current Pittington Post Office, at 9 Graham Terrace, High Pittington, near Durham, will close at 5.30pm on Monday, May 13. The new facility, in The Village Market,
Final Score: Chelsea 3 Benfica 1 INTERIM manager Rafael Benitez will aim to complete his ‘‘professional job’’ at Chelsea with a major trophy after his side progressed to the Europa League final. The Blues will meet Benfica in the May 15 final
LABOUR has regained the position of mayor in North Tyneside after the party’s candidate, Norma Redfearn, ousted Conservative Linda Arkley. The borough’s mayoralty has changed hands at each poll since it became an elected post in 2003, but this
A CHARITY fashion show presented by women’s clothing store Bonmarche, in The Gates shopping centre, Durham City, on Wednesday (May 1) has been hailed a success. The event was held in aid of the Children’s Society. RABBIT WEEK: Pets at Home, at
HAVING co-written The Infinite Monkey Cage, the funniest recent show on national radio which he co-hosts on BBC Radio 4 with Professor Brian Cox, I was keen to see Ince live. The Importance of Being Interested tour has been billed as “Charles Darwin
A MAJOR retailer has donated £500 to a Durham school. Sainsbury’s gave the cash to Belmont Community School. The school’s Parent-Teacher Association will use the money to buy a table top cooker and under-counter fridge for school fairs, productions
Amar Purewal may have ended the campaign as Darlington's top goalscorer, but he does not feel assured of his place in the starting XI for the next campaign as he knows the manager will be adding to the squad. August will see Quakers commence the
Day Four Yorkshire v Derbyshire LV County Championship Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie labelled Yorkshire's stunning innings and 39 runs victory over Derbyshire as "a special performance" after two of their newcomers inspired an unexpected
Day Four Nottinghamshire v Durham LV County Championship JOHN Le Carre could not have scripted a greater drama as Durham defied a sleepless night to pull off a sensational victory at Trent Bridge yesterday. It seemed a hotel fire had
WITH money as tight as ever on Teesside, Tony Mowbray has urged Middlesbrough supporters to be realistic in their expectations of summer arrivals and insists he will take his time in identifying players he feels will boost their chances of promotion
IN the six days since Newcastle United’s chronic capitulation at the hands of Liverpool, a great deal of attention has been focused on Alan Pardew’s future. Is the Newcastle boss the right man to take the club forward, or has his tenure run its
PAOLO DI CANIO has admitted Sunderland's players were guilty of chronic complacency when they slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season on Monday night. The Black Cats boss held a training-ground inquest into the 6-1 reverse on Tuesday morning
THE stars of the New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa's Springboks will provide a multi-million pound boost when the Rugby World Cup touches down in the North-East in two years time. St James' Park in Newcastle has been selected as one of 13
ALL the fun of the fair has arrived in the county town of North Yorkshire last night (THURS) with the opening of the annual May Fair. The five-day extravaganza of carousels and candy-floss was officially opened last night by the chairman of Hambleton
HOWDEN UPBEAT: Kitchen supplier Howden Joinery says it is pleased with its performance so far this year, with UK revenues up by 9.3 per cent on a year earlier and ahead by 7.6 per cent on a same depot basis. The company, which has 530 depots, including
A PLASTICS company hopes to increase overseas deals after agreeing a financial package. First Fix Plastics, which supplies plastic and vinyl to the sign industry, says it wants to build stock levels after support from Santander and the Government-backed
A NORTH-EAST port has launched a safety patrol scheme to keep its waters safe and commercial vessels accessing the region. The Port of Sunderland's water patrol officer campaign is running for a second year, and aims to tackle dangerous behaviour
A NORTH-EAST firm, which makes fire and blast proof protection for global energy projects, has secured two new contracts to protect hundreds of workers off the Malaysian coast. MTE Limited, based in Darlington, is working with oil and gas specialist
SATELLITE television and broadband provider Sky says it is committed to tackling North-East youth unemployment, after revealing plans to create 350 jobs in the region. The home entertainment and communications company is expanding its Newcastle
THE UK'S largest coal producer, which employs about 200 workers in North-East surface mines, has denied it is looking to cut jobs. UK Coal Mine Holdings, which has mines in Crook, in County Durham, and Ashington, in Northumberland, has rejected
A RETIRED publican has spoken of the moment he saw what he believes was a black panther stalking through a field near his County Durham home. Neville Shaw spotted the creature in a field near his home in Hunwick, near Crook, on Tuesday afternoon
RESIDENTS in Chilton are invited to the Town Council’s annual general assembly on Thursday, May 16, at Chilton Workingmen’s Club lounge from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. Tea and coffee will be available. SPIRITUAL EVENT: Olga Johnson will give a special demonstration
A VILLAGE church, still making repairs after lead thieves caused £80,000 of damage two years ago, has been targeted again. It is the fifth time in five years that St Peter’s Church, in Croft-on-Tees, near Darlington, has fallen foul of criminals
LABOUR strengthened its grip on Durham County Council as the coalition parties saw their share of seats slashed. Labour councillors now occupy 94 of the 126 seats in the council chamber - they had 67 at the start of the day - while the Liberal
WORK by former Bishop Auckland master printmaker Tom McGuinness and Edna Downs will be on display in a new exhibition entitled Make Your Mark at Bishop Auckland Town Hall until Saturday, May 25. The gallery is open Monday to Friday between 10am to
HGV drivers are continuing to flout a ban on lorries through a small County Durham village – even though a bridge landslide has closed the road, splitting the community in two. Residents in Ovington, near Barnard Castle, say they see or hear at
A DOG is to be destroyed after a 75-year-old woman was left needing surgery after being attacked as she walked on a footpath near Bishop Auckland. The pensioner, who was walking a relative’s dog between Flambard Drive and Durham Road, suffered
A SERIES of talks are planned at St Andrew’s Church, Bishop Auckland, for the next three months. Rowena Hackword, chief executive of the Auckland Castle Trust, will give a talk about Auckland Castle on Wednesday, May 15. On Wednesday, June
A VILLAGE is buzzing with enthusiasm for a business they hope will prove a sweet deal for their community. Residents in Cowshill, in Upper Weardale, County Durham, have launched their own beekeeping club with the eventual aim of creating their
AN appeal to raise £350,000 towards the fixtures, fittings and running costs of a landmark arts and community complex has reached the half-way mark. The Witham, in Barnard Castle town centre, is due to reopen this summer after a multi-million pound
