INMATES are reported to have taken over part of a North-East prison wing. Officials at HMP Northumberland confirmed a disturbance was under way, but dismissed as speculation the suggestion of a stand-off between inmates and guards. A spokesman
THE Rev Richard Coles was once a Communard alongside Jimmy Somerville. Now Parish Priest of St Mary the Virgin, in Finedon, Northamptonshire, he has appeared on the likes of Have I Got News For You and QI and also presents Saturday Live on BBC Radio
A WEDDING was very much a family affair for one couple after the bridegroom discovered their dream venue was his ancestral home. Simon Birbeck and Margaret Best were all smiles as they posed for photographs following their wedding at Headlam Hall
JUST one in every 50 tenants hit by the so-called 'bedroom tax' in part of the region have moved to a smaller home – imposing steep housing benefit cuts on the rest. Only 21 of 1,009 households in County Durham - who were deemed to have spare bedrooms
Pools subs: Rafferty (gk), Richards, Oliver, Harrison, Poole, Hawkins, Jones. Cheltenham subs: Cureton, Gornell, Vincent, Roberts, Kotwica, Braham-Barrett, H Williams. HARTLEPOOL TEAM NEWS Sam Collins (cheek), Darren Holden (back) and
A MAN who used a false passport and national insurance card to secure a job cannot be deported as the authorities do not know where he originally comes from, a court was told. Tony Williams' original status had been in dispute ever since he entered
A SCHEME that has helped 1,500 East Durham residents cope with welfare reforms has been introduced in Newton Aycliffe. The Great Aycliffe and Middridge Welfare Champions initiative was officially launched at Woodham Community Centre today (Friday
A TEENAGER who mistakenly thought he had won £1m on a football accumulator is hoping that with his help others might be a little luckier. Jordan Donnellan correctly predicted the outcome of 14 matches last weekend and celebrated believing he had
TWO women have been jailed for just under six years after admitting starting a fire which destroyed a man's flat. Recorder Paul Camp said the actions of Kirsty Scott and Natasha Davis, both drunk at the time of the incident, were “very dangerous
A public forum for people across Hambleton and Richmondshire to discuss the future of local health services for older people takes place in Thirsk on Tuesday. It is one of a series of public events organised by NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and
MIKE POPE, of Darlington, has reached the final of a competition to find Britain’s worst kitchen. A £3,000 makeover is being offered to the winner. Mr Pope, 70, said he hadn’t got round to renovating his kitchen for a variety of reasons, including
A MAN who beat up a DJ in a town centre bar has been given a six-month suspended jail sentence and a two-year Asbo. Lee Darby, who admitted charges of common assault and intimidating a witness, was said to be a changed man since the incident on
A LATE-night telephone service for students has been shortlisted for four awards. Durham Nightline has offered a listening ear to the city’s university students every night of term time since 1973. Run by students for students, it offers a
A MAN will stand trial later this year accused of carrying out a serious assault outside a pub on Boxing Day. Tyler John Willmott is charged with causing grievous bodily harm, with intent, and the alternative of unlawful wounding, stemming from
FOOTBALL players who are keen to develop their coaching skills are being invited to sign up for a course in Hartlepool. The Borough Council’s Sport and Recreation Service has teamed up with Durham County FA to stage the FA Level 1 Award in Coaching
A NORTH-East company has been fined £20,000 over a smokeless fuel plant accident in which two workers suffered burns. It happened in 2012 at the Llantrisant, South Wales, coal briquette factory of Maxibrite, which is part of the Hargreaves group
Dancing group Ebor Morris will celebrate their 40th anniversary by dancing outside where they first performed - the Lord Collingwood pub in Upper Poppleton, York - on May 1. On May 4 the group will stage its annual tour of York's walls starting 11am
MEMBERS of the Yorkshire Countrywomen's Association have knitted more than 2,000 coloured jerseys to be used as part of the distinctive bunting lining the Tour de France route in Harrogate. West Riding chairman Paddie Breeze initially pledged 1,000
YOUNG people dug in to transform the entrance to a police dog base. A group of year eight pupils from Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College visited Durham police’s dog support unit at The Barns, near Spennymoor. The facility is also a dog
A JACOBEAN hall is preparing to welcome visitors back for the spring and summer season from Sunday, April 6. Kiplin Hall, between Scorton and Northallerton, is the former home of Victorian Admiral Sir Cecil Carpenter and remains much as it was
A FUNDRAISING event is being held in aid of Samaritans, which should help the Northallerton and Dales branch do more outreach work with young people. It is hoped a cheese and wine tasting evening, due to take place at Hutton Rudby Village Hall,
A NORTH-EAST couple are preparing to get pelted with coloured powder at a charity run this summer. Herschel Osinar, from Darlington, will take part in the 5km Colour Run, in Manchester, in July, to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Hospital.
TICKETS for a production from Shakespeare’s Globe at the Richmond Georgian Theatre Royal go on sale next week. King Lear will be performed from August 27 to 30 but tickets will be on sale from Tuesday. After playing at the Georgian Theatre
AN HISTORIC four-poster bed will be the centrepiece of an exhibition at a North-East castle which opens for the visitor season on Sunday (March 30). The 528-year-old paradise state bed is thought to have belonged to Henry VII, and his wife, Elizabeth
The North Yorkshire Moors National Park Authority has organised a walk in the beautiful Bilsdale landscape on Wednesday. Following sections of ancient green lanes, participants will get the chance to appreciate the dale's size and charm over the
NORTH-EAST fighters Stuart Hall and Martin Ward were at the MetroCentre today for the official weigh-in ahead of their world title clash tomorrow night. Stuart Hall with wife Emma at the MetroCentre for
DURHAM Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg joined a speed watch session in Middleton St George after funding new laser guns for Darlington officers. The new equipment clocked one driver travelling at 54mph through the village and Mr Hogg said
PLANS for Britain’s ‘most beautiful’ marathon have been revealed. The fifth Kielder Marathon, around the man-made lake in Northumberland, will be held on Sunday, October 5. Former British Olympian and world record holder, Steve Cram who works
Les Dennis has turned his back on comedy to focus on acting in Coronation Street A NEW, but recognisable, face will soon be popping up on the famous Coronation Street cobbles, as Les Dennis joins the cast as burglar, Michael. ‘‘He’s an opportunist
WHO’S the woman most in demand among the men of Walford? Why, it’s newlyreturned Jane, of course. Half of Albert Square seems to be competing for her affection in EastEnders (BBC1). For her, it’s business before pleasure as the co-owner of Ian’
THE father of Claudia Lawrence has met with the Justice Minister, following concerns at delays in bringing in legislation to make it easier for families to settle the affairs of missing relatives. Peter Lawrence met with Lord Edward Faulks, Minister
BREAST CARE: The next monthly drop in for breast cancer patients will be held on Monday, April 7 from 10am until noon in the outpatients department at the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Catterick Garrison. Patients are welcome to see one of the Friarage
As gentle BBC Two comedy Rev returns for a third series, co-creator and leading man Tom Hollander tells Keeley Bolger about unexpected requests for blessings and piling on the pounds to play poet Dylan Thomas SIX weeks before Tom Hollander filmed
A TEENAGE student turned from catwalk organiser to catwalk model during a work experience placement at a fashion show. Enterprising East Durham College student Jade-Nadine Rye was on work experience behind the scenes at Birmingham International
MIDDLETON Tyas Church of England Primary School is holding a workshop for anyone involved in a parent teacher association on Tuesday, April 1. The event will focus on how PTAs can maximise fundraising opportunities, and effectively promote themselves
TWO inmates carried out an unprovoked attack in a bid to be transferred to another wing within a young offenders’ institution (YOI). Jordan Ransom and David Spence struck as the targeted inmate was making his way from a food servery back to his
Skins bad boy Jack O’Connell has always been a man on a mission, and his ambition’s paying off as Angelina Jolie’s now given her seal of approval. Susan Griffin talks to one of the UK’s most exciting new exports JACK O’Connell’s late, but at least
POLICE are appealing to potential witnesses of an armed robbery at a village post office to come forward with information. Two intruders - one suspected of carrying a handgun - targeted the post office at Cockfield, near Bishop Auckland, just after
When following in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes, the choice of hotel is elementary, says Steve Pratt I OPENED the bedroom door and Benedict Cumberbatch was inside staring straight at me. Not in person I should add before his fan posse of “Cumberbitches
A HEALTH club chain says it has invested £850,000 in new equipment for four of its North-East gyms to help members achieve their fitness goals. Bannatyne Fitness, which is owned by Dragon’s Den star Duncan Bannatyne and has its head office in Darlington
LABOUR have held their seat in a council by-election, despite an upsurge of popularity for Ukip. Jacqui Gallagher won the St Anne’s ward seat on Sunderland City Council for Labour in a by-election on Thursday. She scored 945 votes, ahead of
MORE than 500 Stockton schoolchildren learned lessons that could keep them safe from the perils of alcohol and anti-social behaviour in the years ahead. The event at Hardwick Community Centre was organised by Police Community Support Officers (
A VILLAGE action group has been formed in a bid to secure land opposite its new primary school as a car park to improve road safety for pupils. Residents who set up The Friends of Kirk Merrington plan to seek charitable status and run the non-political
A DURHAM museum is closing to the public two days a week. From Wednesday (April 2) the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery, at Aykley Heads, Durham City, will open to the public from 10.30am to 4pm Wednesdays to Sundays. On Mondays and Tuesdays
AN enchanted evening awaits guests at a ball held to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance. The Enchanted Forest Ball will be the first event to take place in the new Grand Marquee at Wynyard Hall, near Billingham. The structure, set
A SHILDON man who was caught growing 31 cannabis plants appeared before magistrates today (Friday, March 28). Police officers seized the immature plants from Damen Lee Thomson’s home, at Kilburn Street, on November 21 last year. John Garside
PARENTS were given an early Mother’s Day treat by Gurney Pease schoolchildren who performed an award-winning dance during a special assembly. The children, from years one and two, performed a routine which had won them first place in the Passion
A SOLDIER who went to the aid of casualties hit by one of the biggest bombs seen by British troops in Afghanistan has been honoured for his bravery. Corporal Connor Grant was in the lead vehicle commanding a 2 Scots patrol in Helmand Province in
A GANG responsible for 26 two-in-one burglaries will have to wait until next week to be sentenced for their part in the scam which netted £300,000 worth of cars. High value cars including BMWs and Audis were stolen before being sold on with fake
Firthmoor Community Centre is holding an ‘Easter Eggstavaganza’ on April 12. A disco and an Easter egg hunt will be among the attractions and admission costs £2.50 per child. SENSUAL FUN: A Burlesque and Cabaret Show is being held at The Forum
A decent start to 2014 that saw Sunderland look as if they would ease away from trouble, the Black Cats have now taken just one point from their last five Premier League matches and Monday's their home game with West Ham is edging into 'must-win' territory
ANIMAL charity PDSA has revealed that more than half of all North-East pet owners admit to feeding their animal dangerous fatty foods. Exclusive PDSA research shows that 58 per cent of pet owners in the region give their pets fatty treats, contributing
THE next meeting of Mowden Park Townswomen’s Guild will be held at 7pm on Wednesday (April 2), at Mowden Infant School, Bushel Hill Drive. Ian Gillard will give a talk entitled DNA. Visitors are welcome, at a charge of £3. The guild is also keen to
TRUSTEES of a charity-run cinema have rejected a developer’s offer of compensation in an ongoing row over the creation of a new multiplex cinema. The Station Cinema, Richmond, has been offered £75,000 by Catterick Garrison town centre developers
A NEW mobile phone app has been launched based on the Yorkshire stages of this summer’s Tour de France. “Cycle Yorkshire Ride The Routes” enables cyclists to experience the route from their mobile, and includes information, hints and tips on how
AN autism charity is hoping to snap up funds at one of the largest society events in the region this May. The Lobster Charity Ball, at Hardwick Hall Hotel, near Sedgefield, County Durham, will raise funds for the Daisy Chain, which supports North-East
HUNDREDS of part-time police officers are descending on the North-East for their annual gathering. Durham Constabulary is hosting the 2014 National Special Constabulary Conference this weekend as hundreds of "specials" from across England and Wales
DARLINGTON needs positive ambassadors to highlight all that is good about the town as it looks to attract major investment, a conference has heard. Mike Airey, manager of the Darlington branch of Handelsbanken and chairman of the economic strategy
Saturday's William Hill Lincoln will be run on soft ground after heavy overnight rain on Thursday changed the going, and led to the defection of antepost favourite Captain Cat who was withdrawn by trainer Roger Charlton. The shortlist consists
A DOCTOR failed to ensure a psychotic woman was properly assessed before leaving hospital, just hours before she killed her two-year-old son, a tribunal ruled today (Friday, March 28). But the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service cleared Dr Clement
ONE of the North-East’s best known, up-and-coming pop bands went back to the classroom today (Friday, March 28). Stockton folk and pop band Cattle and Cane, who have won airplay on Radio 2 and have a recording contract, performed to the children
A STEAM railway will transport visitors back in time during a weekend of events to commemorate its role during the First World War. Tanfield Railway, near Stanley, County Durham, has teamed up with military re-enactors Durham Pals to bring back
POLICE have released CCTV images of a man they want to trace after a shop assistant was threatened with scissors in an attempted robbery. The attempted robbery took place at about 10.25pm on Saturday, March 22 at the 24 Hour Shop on Linthorpe Road
A WOODWIND band has said a recent anniversary performance was its best yet. Northallerton Woodwind Ensemble (NWE) celebrated its fifth anniversary last week with a performance at the Golden Lion Hotel Hotel in the town. NWE was joined by guitarist
A NORTHALLERTON woman has helped lead a multi-national group of women on a successful trek to Everest Base Camp. Annelies O’Nions, from Bullamoor Road, was part of a team from the British Gurkhas Nepal Camp in Kathmandu, Nepal, who battled against
HOSPICE fund-raisers are planning a real killer of an evening to boost their cause’s coffers. Herriot Hospice Homecare is to hold a murder mystery evening at Romanby golf course, near Northallerton, on April 12 at 7pm. Performed by the professional
A TOP woman boxer has been delivering knockout advice to young athletes - helping them prepare mentally and physically for competition. Amanda Coulson spent the day with students at Northallerton College training, inspiring and honing their skills
Durham City’s new manager John Cornforth admits he doesn’t know how many players will be turning up for their away game at Marske this afternoon. Cornforth was appointed caretaker manager earlier in the week following the sudden sackings of Adam
A SCHOOL caretaker forced to retire on health grounds has been told to vacate the home that goes with the job – but could end up squatting there. Brian Wilson was caretaker of Hummersknott Academy, in Darlington, for almost 20 years, but had to
A KIND-HEARTED policeman has stepped in to help replace stolen potted plants lovingly tended by a pensioner. PC Tony Young of Darlington Police admired the way that 86-year-old Jean Kirby invested her time and money into creating attractive floral
A CONFERENCE examining roles of women in higher education is to be hosted by two North-East universities. Durham University and Newcastle University are to host the national event on Tuesday, April 1 and Wednesday, April 2. The conference,
Thirsk Methodist Church on St James Street in Thirsk will be holding a spring fair on Saturday, April 12, from 10am until 12pm. Stalls will include homemade cakes, gifts, new goods, plants a Fairtrade stall and refreshments. DOMINO DRIVE: A domino
COUNCILLORS are backing plans to extend a hotel in Green Belt land because it is likely to bring economic benefits. The north area planning committee of Durham County Council has said it is “minded’’ to approve the scheme at Plawsworth, near Chester-le-Street
AN ADDICT who has spent half his life hooked on heroin has been placed on a drug rehabilitation programme. Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard that 30-year-old shoplifter David Webb first started taking heroin when he was 15-years-old and his habit
IF THE current warmer weather and swathes of blooming flowers are any indication, spring is here. But does that mean you can put up with an old boiler? Can you just switch the heating off and forget about any problems until the nights draw in again
COAST & Country, one of the largest regeneration and housing companies in the North- East, is opening a new showhome at its Shimmer development in Loftus. The company says the development of two, three and four-bedroom homes ranging from £80,000
WITH the property market resurgent, many people are starting to tentatively put their homes up for sale. If you’re among them, there are a number of important points you should be aware of. Some of the biggest buyer turnoffs have been highlighted
A SONGWRITER has teamed up with veteran comedian Chubby Brown and former X-factor contestants Journey South in a bid to net the number one single during this year’s football World Cup. Robin Ward, of Thirsk, North Yorkshire, said he hopes his reworking
A MAN who spun an untrue tale over assisting someone with terminal illness in a bid to avoid a driving ban has been jailed for perjury. Wayne Dickinson cited “hardship” reasons as to why he should not lose his driving licence after being convicted
ARMAGEDDON FITNESS: A high intensity circuit training class created by Richard Callender from ITV’s The Biggest Loser is coming to Richmond. Personal trainer Steph Cook is holding the classes at Richmond’s Liberty Health Club on Thursdays at 9.30am
AN HABITURAL shoplifter who stole to fund her heroin addiction has been jailed. Linda Dodsworth pleaded guilty at Darlington Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (March 28) to burglary with intent to steal from the town’s Oxfam shop and to stealing a
IF YOU’RE feeling nostalgic and your most-loved possessions are the ones harking back to childhood memories, the chances are you’ll find retro-inspired homewares appealing. Adding decorative accessories modelled on styles from the 1950s, 1960s
A HEADTEACHER who has transformed a primary school is to step down after more than two decades in the role. Richard Wild, who has led Thirsk Community Primary School since 1999, having previously served as a headteacher in County Durham, said he
ALMOST 200 new homes could be built in Catterick Garrison if outline plans are approved as part of a pilot scheme between a district council and the Ministry of Defence to release land to developers. Three separate planning applications will be
YOUNG people will be able to take part in a prestigious awards scheme after a funding package was agreed. Youngsters living in the Framwellgate Moor and Newton Hall areas of Durham City will be able to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme
WITH research showing that older people who volunteer lead much happier and more fulfilled lifestyles, Mc- Carthy & Stone is urging anyone over the age of 60 in North Yorkshire to take a little time out of their day to help others in need.
West Auckland manager Peter Dixon says that his team will have the utmost respect for St Andrews in their FA Vase semi final first leg at the Seagrave Stadium. West are the bookies’ favourites to win the competition, let alone today’s semi final
A MAN who drove at four times the legal alcohol limit around school closing time told a court he was glad he had been reported. Frank Park, 49, was reported to police by a neighbour who saw him drive at speed and almost collide with another vehicle
DEVELOPMENT of the Roman fort, Segedunum, at Wallsend, North Tyneside, is the subject of a talk by archivist/historian Bill Griffiths. The senior manager with Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums is guest speaker of The Architectural and Archaeological
THE world is a very different place since Westwood, a stunning detached Victorian property, was constructed in 1842. Yet, apart from the obvious trappings of modern life, you wouldn’t know it, such is the quality of the restoration work the current
MOST of us can probably recall family holidays spent travelling by ferry; a car loaded up with camping equipment, bikes and board games, and no thought of baggage allowance. And now, after a brief romance with cheap air travel, we’re heading back there
A change in season gives Natalie Marchant the rare opportunity to combine a ski-ing holiday in Spain’s Sierra Nevada with a sunshine break on the Costa del Sol AS the slopes of the Sierra Nevada come into view, I have that familiar excited feeling
BYGONES OF BRID has been a terrific stalwart for Karen McLintock and is taken to bring home a double in the IJF Farrell/Brookshaw Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Newcastle. The 11-year-old won so decisively at Sedgefield a few weeks ago that a 6lb
ALEX HALES was left to reflect on the most remarkable night of his career after becoming the first England batsman to score a Twenty20 century. Hales’ brutal 116 not out against Sri Lanka contained 11 fours and six sixes, the last of which confirmed
COLIN COOPER yesterday made a double signing to bolster his injury-hit Hartlepool United squad for the final runin. Scott Harrison and Connor Oliver, both 20, have moved on loan from Sunderland until the end of the season. And Jack Barmby has
AS a teenager – in the days when I still knew everything – I swore that if I ever had children I would never, ever, be like my mother... Chance would be a fine thing – I couldn’t come anywhere near her dauntingly high standards. She worked
THEY’VE tried for a year, with commendable privacy, to sort things out but now after ten years of marriage, Gwyneth Paltrow and husband Chris Martin, have decided to “consciously uncouple and co-parent”. I hope it works out for them, and especially
Time Travel 1: A broken boiler means we’re relying on a real fire for heat. Wonderful if you’re sitting in front of it – but then there’s that dreaded scuttle into the rest of the house and the shock of the cold kitchen. Not as bad as having to get
IN an experiment for a TV programme, more than 600 people walked past an apparently lost child. Only a grandmother was concerned enough to stop and ask if she was all right. I think that was exceptional. As a remarkably careless mother with
A CAR crashed into a ditch off the A68 at the junction with the A1 at Darlington. Delays were caused whilst emergency services worked to free the car at about 10.15am today (Friday, March 28) and its two female passengers were taken to hospital
LEADING police and firefighters have signed a protocol to protect a unique scheme to help catch arsonists. Cleveland has one of the highest rates for arson in the UK and Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade have established the country’s
PART-TIME police officers from across the country will be in the North-East this weekend for an annual conference. The National Special Constabulary Conference takes place at the Radisson Hotel, in Durham City, starting tomorrow (Saturday, March
ITALIAN entrepreneur Massimo Cellino has formally appealed against Football League’s decision to block him from buying a majority stake in Leeds. The appeal will be heard by an independent QC and is expected to take place within the next two weeks
Dear Sharon YOUR article about your visit to Hadrian’s Wall took me back nearly 40 years. I too took a party of children there. What a great learning experience they had. Sadly I note that your visitors were from a prep school. The pressures
THE first time Ricky Gervais was cast in a big screen Muppets movie his scene was left on the cutting room floor. He has better luck with the sequel Muppets Most Wanted as he’s one of the – human – stars. As Dominic Badguy he’s alongside the Muppet
SATURDAY is usually Nordic noir night, thanks to BBC4. Now More4 is making sure we get our fix of subtitled Scandi-scandals a day early, with new Norwegian crime thriller Mammon. The six-part series follows six days in the life of journalist Peter
JOANNA LUMLEY Meets Will.i.am – no, you’re not seeing things. Lumley really is chatting to the Black Eyed Peas frontman in a one-off programme. She’s invited to Will’s LA home, where she gets to know the man behind those iconic specs. “I have long
SELF-proclaimed Medium Richard Cuthbert is to be at Shildon Spiritualist Church, on Middleton Road, on Wednesday (April 2) at 7pm. Entry is £1.50. CHARITY SPEAKER: Guest speaker Alison Yarnall , who has carried out research into Parkinson’s Disease
THE actor who played Geoffrey the English butler in TV’s Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air is heading for the Georgian Theatre Royal, in Richmond. Joseph Marcell is taking the title role in Shakespeare Globe’s production of the tragedy King Lear. He previously
HOW I do so agree with Mick Peacock regarding The Musketeers on a Sunday night (HAS, Mar 22). For unknown actors, the musketeers all play a magnificent role and provide first class entertainment. I am sure lots of ladies would agree to them being
AS a big Laurel and Hardy fan, I, like Peter Jeffries (HAS Mar 27), would have loved to have seen Stan Laurel included among the 20 Geordie heroes (Echo, Mar 25). Unfortunately, Stan was a Lancashire lad, born in Ulverston (now in Cumbria, but
YESTERDAY, on a comparatively short car drive down to Bishop Auckland, I had three incidents that involved me braking sharply and taking evasive measures. I nearly sent two pedestrians to A&E and the other event was a potential head-on collision
THIS time last year I wrote to Hear All Sides about 20,000 diseased, dead pigs in the Huangpu River in China which provides most of the drinking water for Shanghai. These pigs had been dumped into the river from huge pig farms upstream from Shanghai
LADBROKES should be made to put their big, greedy hands into their very deep pockets and pay Jordan Donnellan the £1m that he clearly won by picking 14 correct scores (Echo, Mar 26). From what I can see of Mr Donnellan’s betting slip, there is
FIRSTLY, I hope Mr Higson’s hip operation has gone well (HAS, Mar 27). I had a total hip replacement in January 2011 and have not looked back. I would like to reassure Mr Higson that individuals from Darlington will still have support around stopping
WELL said, Hugh Pender (HAS, Mar 26), regarding the neofascists who are involved in the new Ukrainian government. Could it be it be that those Ukrainian fascists are the very people that David Cameron was hoping to ally his party with to help in
THE National Union of Teachers decided to go on a one-day strike over working conditions on Wednesday. I wonder if its members realise how much disruption was experienced by working mothers who have to organise their work around school times. Under
A REPORT by accountants KPMG found that many cities across England will suffer when the High Speed Rail Link (HS2) is built between London and Manchester, creating a two-tier country. The high speed link will put Manchester at a major advantage
LAST week in this space, I was singing the praises of the skylark, both as a harbinger of spring and as a tasty morsel. Then I moved onto something else. A copy of The Northern Echo from November 1914 fell open, and a headline leapt out: I presumed
A NATIONAL investigation into how police are dealing with domestic abuse was launched by the policing inspectorate because it suspected the police response to domestic abuse was not good enough. The resulting reports confirmed that to be the case
A TOWN’S county council customer office is to close for one day for essential maintenance. Durham County Council’s Customer Access Point (CAP) in Consett will be closed on Wednesday (April 2) to enable Northern Powergrid to carry out the required
A NORTH-EAST imaging specialist has warned that revenues are expected to come in well below expectations due to delays for a large number of contracts, and therefore it no longer expects to be profitable this year. Despite strong revenue growth
THE Tour de France, the greatest cycle race on the planet, is coming to Yorkshire. We all know it is happening, but until now it has felt like a fantasy. Suddenly, we arrived at the point yesterday where there are only 100 days to go and the reality
Only a couple of weeks since delving into the youth team for reinforcements, Darlington boss Martin Gray suddenly has a selection problem ahead of tomorrow's game at Ossett Town. Youth team players, David Mitchell and Adam Cocks, were drafted in
CONNOR WICKHAM is desperate to make the most of his chance to prove he can still succeed at Sunderland - even if there remains interest away from Wearside. The 20-year-old striker was thrust straight in to the Black Cats starting line-up at Anfield
THROUGHOUT the latter half of the 1990s and the whole of the 2000s, North-East boxing was stuck in a rut. Memories of Glenn McCrory and Billy Hardy were fading fast, and while Hartlepool’s Michael Hunter briefly flourished as he claimed European
STUART HALL and Martin Ward geared up for their IBF title showdown in Newcastle with a pre-fight press conference yesterday – but Bradley Saunders is determined to leave his own mark on the bill. Saunders has sold more than 1,000 tickets for tomorrow
CHAMPION Stuart Hall and Martin Ward will go toe-to-toe at the Metro Radio Arena in Gateshead tomorrow night for the IBF bantamweight title. The two fighters fronted the press conference yesterday, where many of the boxers on the under card were also
AITOR KARANKA believes Middlesbrough have to be intelligent when it comes to their summer recruitment plans in light of the club’s financial situation. Boro are facing another summer of cloth-cutting after recording a £14million loss this week.
NEWCASTLE UNITED manager Alan Pardew will not make a decision on whether to sign Luuk de Jong permanently until the end of the season, but admitted the on-loan striker will have to start scoring in order to prolong his stay on Tyneside. De Jong
WHEN Stuart Hall and Martin Ward step into the ring at the Metro Arena tonight (Saturday, March 29) it will be the end of months of training and preparation. But what is it like to live with a professional athlete who must put their will to win before
A TECHNOLOGY firm is creating highly-skilled jobs to bolster its work in the region. Mobile phone transmitter maker Filtronic has expanded to Netpark, in Sedgefield, County Durham. The company, which employs 85 workers, develops transmitters
CONSTRUCTION firms in the North-East are feeling the benefit of the Government's Help to Buy scheme, according to new figures. A report says more than 1,000 buyers have joined the property ladder using the Help to Buy equity loan scheme. The
TWENTY years ago today the country was left reeling when an intruder burst into a classroom in Middlesbrough and stabbed 12-year-old Nikki Conroy to death. Paranoid schizophrenic Stephen James Wilkinson killed Nikki and seriously injured two of
FOUR people have been sacked and another two have resigned as part of an investigation into a potential stamp fraud at a call centre, The Northern Echo can reveal. The six are understood to have peeled unfranked stamps from mail sent – by students
NORTHERN Echo journalist Joanna Morris, who was in the classroom at the time of Wilkinson's horrific attack, recalls the day that changed her life forever "Twenty years on, I still remember everything. From my usual walk to school to washing blood
A SCRAPYARD filled with tonnes of waste material that was destroyed by fire has not been given a permit to operate again, the Environment Agency has insisted. Residents raised concerns that the former Albert Hill Skip Hire site in Darlington was
DAMNING reports into the handling of domestic abuse by police has shown how victims are being failed by “unacceptable weaknesses” in the way it is dealt with. Emily Flanagan looks at some of the issues. A NATIONAL investigation into how police
A YEAR ago today Prime Minister David Cameron visited Sunderland to officially launch production of the Nissan Leaf electric car. Business Editor, Andy Richardson checks on progress of the hatchback which put the North-East at the centre of a revolution
