A career-best performance by England fast bowler Mark Wood was not enough to give Durham victory as Derbyshire held out for a draw at Derby.Wood showed he is ready for next week’s First Test against Pakistan by taking 6 for 46 in 23 overs but determined
AMID the anger and disgust directed at former Butterwick Hospice chief executive Graham Leggatt-Chidgey after he admitted defrauding the charity to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds, one fact stands out.Since it emerged that he was under investigation
AMATEUR baker Lara Mason has created life-sized cakes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in time for the Royal Wedding. Lara, from Brownhills, in the West Midlands, used 44 eggs, 2.2kg of flour, 5kg of chocolate, 3kg of fondant icing, 4kg of buttercream
A LOVE of expensive hotels, sharp suits and exclusive pens proved to be the downfall of the man who headed up the Butterwick Hospice for more than 20 years.Graham Leggatt-Chidgey mixed with all the right people in the business world during his tenure
IN the days after Princess Diana's death in 1997, The Northern Echo campaigned to raise money to complete the building of the children's wing at the Butterwick Hospice. Ever since that appeal was launched, I've been proud to have been associated
A PROTESTOR dressed as a newt was arrested at the site of a proposed opencast coalmine after trying to lock himself to a lorry carrying machinery.The 26-year-old man is the 14th person to be arrested as part of an ongoing campaign by people opposed to
DURHAM are battling for a dramatic final-day victory after England fast bowler Mark Wood lifted their hopes of success on the final afternoon of the Division Two County Championship match at Derby. Wood took his fourth wicket of the day in the
A CHICKEN bucket, a transatlantic biscuit and swimsuits adorned with pictures of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are among mementos created to mark the royal wedding. Brands and companies are eagerly promoting products designed to celebrate Harry
EUROPE’S finest dodgeball players gathered in the North-East at the weekend for the first ever staging of a major tournament. The Northern European Dodgeball Championships, which was a showcase of the greatest dodgeball teams in Northern Europe
THOUSANDS of runners have taken part in the eighth annual Run Sunderland Festival.The theme this year was #runwiththetide, as part the city’s schedule of big events, including the Tall Ships Races in July.The festival, organised by Events of the North
STEWART DONALD’S proposed takeover of Sunderland has moved a step closer after the Oxford-based businessman completed his sale of National League club Eastleigh. Donald is heading up a consortium of international investors that have agreed a deal
RAFAEL BENITEZ has insisted he is only talking to Newcastle amid continuing speculation over his future. The 58-year-old Spaniard remains in discussions over a contract extension at St James' Park with only 12 months of his existing deal left to
A BOY accused of planning to kill students and teachers in his school claimed his talk of carrying out a school shooting was just “offensive humour”. Two boys from North Yorkshire are standing trial at Leeds Crown Court, charged with planning to
YOUR home is being watched and you are under surveillance, according to scammers attempting to fleece people across the region. Fraudsters are calling members of the public in a bid to convince them that they will be arrested if they do not respond
NOT just the wrong quarry, but the wrong dale and the wrong occupation and, indeed, the wrong rock formation. “The geology is all wrong,” said Roger Redfearn, of Barnard Castle. “If you look at the limestone of Weardale, it is in bands, but in
DURHAM County racked up their second big win in a row, thumping Staffordshire 99-7 in the Bill Beaumont Cup. After a 64-5 victory at Cumbria, they showed no sign of easing up. Chris Wood was driven over in the corner after four minutes for
WE have been getting reaction to the news that the former chief executive of the Butterwick Hospice has pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud today. Graham Leggatt-Chidgey was facing claims he defrauded thousands of pounds from the charity. Afterwards
A SEVEN figure loan deal to lure airlines to use Durham Tees Valley Airport has been given the go-ahead.The £1m deal sweetener, known as the “Air Connectivity Facility”, was put together by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) to attract bids from
Sam Curran was the star of the show as Surrey wrapped up an innings victory over Yorkshire in just 45 minutes on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match at the Kia Oval.The 19-year-old took three of the last five Yorkshire wickets
A SPONSORED dog walk held in memory of a 12-year-old boy looks set to become an annual event after the first one was a resounding success. More than 140 of James Cook’s friends and family gathered on Sunday to take their canine companions for a
FEEL-GOOD music and family fun will be on offer in Crook next month.The first Peases Fest music festival takes place in the grounds of Crook Community Leisure Centre on Saturday, June 23. It will feature live music from noon to 11pm, with the line up
THE former chief executive of the Butterwick Hospice has pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud today. Graham Leggatt-Chidgey was facing claims he defrauded tens of thousands of pounds from the charity. Video: Reaction to guilty plea
HAVING read with some interest Chris Lloyd’s assessment of Ben Houchen’s progress (Echo, May 11), it appears to me that a more valid comment is that he has achieved nothing but the creation of a well oiled self propaganda press machine. Everything else
IT’S a foregone conclusion and a form of perverted delusion. Why do artists even consider taking part in this farce, this comedy of errors, the biggest being taking part in it? The Eurovision Song Contest is just another way of ridiculing the UK and its
I, LIKE many others, get quite annoyed when MPs make up their own rules when calling for a second referendum. The majority voted to leave the EU, I was one of them and our views should be respected. I would also add that the PM has adopted
YOUNG gymnasts took centre stage with success in their latest regional competition.Children from Barnard Castle Gymnastics Club took part the recreational floor and vault competition held at Gateshead Leisure Centre.The event hosted by Metro Gymnastics
A RUGBY player has died and one of his teammates is in hospital after the were taken ill while on tour in Sri Lanka. The two men are part of Clems Pirates, which is affiliated to Durham City Rugby Club. The veterans team, which is known
MIDDLESBROUGH go to Aston Villa on Tuesday night looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-final. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson has been speaking to Tony Pulis this morning. Watch the video to see
AN event will be held during Dementia Action Week to find ways to ensure people with the condition feel part of their town.The dementia awareness event at Shildon Civic Hall on Wednesday, May 23 will promote the Alzheimer Society's dementia friendly
SCHOOL aged rowers to seniors of the sport took to the River Wear at the weekend for the first regatta of the year in Durham. The Durham City Regatta is the first of three popular regattas held in the city and was a hit with competitors and spectators
A BRICK was thrown through the window of a house in Shildon. Police were called to the property on Ferens Terrace at around 8.45pm, on March 26. It is believed the suspect, wearing a balaclava, approached the address before stopping in front of
THE 86th consecutive Gilling West Farmers Ball was held at The Morritt hotel, Greta Bridge. A total of 145 guests enjoyed a three-course meal with Prosecco. “We had a raffle and an auction where we raised £4,125 in total for The Great North
A WANTED man enjoying the sunny weather went for a ride with the roof down in the car - only for police to spot him more easily. Three arrests were made after police pulled over the soft-top vehicle in Thornaby yesterday. Cleveland and Durham
A MUCH-loved hospice is encouraging its supporters to celebrate its nurses following the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.International Nurses' Day was held on Saturday to honour the care and support nurses give 24 hours a day.Darlington
AN APPEAL lodged by a developer wishing to build 110 homes just north of Stokesley has been withdrawn. Gladman Developments had been seeking outline planning consent to build 110 homes on a five-and-a-half hectare parcel of land which sits next
DANIEL AYALA is having a scan this morning to determine whether he is able to line up in tomorrow’s play-off semi-final second leg at Villa Park. Ayala injured his knee during Saturday’s first-leg defeat at the Riverside, and was forced to hobble
MIKE ASHLEY insists he wants Rafael Benitez to remain as Newcastle United manager, but the Magpies boss has warned the club’s owner he will have to make a significant summer investment to ensure next season does not turn into another scrap for a mid-table
DETECTIVES are investigating an attempted burglary in which someone tried to steal a cash machine from a town centre shop. An attempt was made to take ATM from inside Heron Foods, on Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, on Saturday afternoon. Police
A CASH boost of £650,000 will see start of a five-year action plan to breathe new life into the centre of a market town. The Bishop Auckland Heritage Action Zone will focus on town centre buildings that have suffered in recent years due to the
THE trial of the former chief executive of the Butterwick Hospice is expected to start on Monday. Update: Butterwick Hospice's former boss admits fraud Graham Leggatt-Chidgey faces charges of fraud and theft in connection with claims
A SCAFFOLD company boss has been spared prison for kicking a bouncer in the head during a brawl. Shaun Keers, 57, broke the doorman’s jaw in two places when he attacked him outside Missoula in Durham after he tried to restrain his stepson.
KYLA Ellis is bright, articulate, and dreams of owning her own dance studio one day. And yet, 19-year-old Kyla found herself homeless, spending a night sleeping on the street, and now lives in a hostel in Stockton. There, but for the grace
A BUSY road in Middlesbrough will reopen after a man who had been on a roof for almost six hours was talked down. Borough Road was sealed off after a man climbed to the top of the probation offices. Police confirmed they were dealing with an
THE strength shown by a girl in the face of a cancer battle motivated families to complete a charity fun run in her honour.Seven-year-old Emily Dickinson was diagnosed with leukaemia just before Christmas and instead of feeling sorry for herself, her
AT just 12 weeks old Ava Pattison had surgery for a cleft lip.Now, at the age of five she inspiring people throughout her community to back a charity campaign close to her family's heart.Last week Ava led an assembly at her school Victoria Lane Academy
BEN GIBSON has reassured supporters that every Middlesbrough player will be revved up and ready to do everything they can to silence a sell-out Villa Park tomorrow night - and bag an end of season trip to Wembley in the process. The challenge of
FORMER Middlesbrough winger Albert Adomah knew all about what the Riverside Stadium could conjure up in terms of an atmosphere, and he was prepared for it.He might not have been as effective as he would have liked on his return to the place he called
A STEAK house has been revealed as the latest restaurant set to open in Durham as part of a £150m development in Durham city.Miller & Carter, which has venues in Newcastle and Sunderland, has said it wants to open at Milburngate, on Durham’s riverbanks
RACING staff at courses across the region will be showing their support for mental health awareness at meetings throughout the week.Racing Welfare is bringing the horseracing industry together in support of Mental Health Awareness Week, running from today
FOUR girls have been chosen to perform the traditional role of leading the parade ahead of a County Durham town's medieval celebration.Sophie Green has been crowned this year's flower queen for Sedgefield Medieval Fair, which returns to the town
A LETTER produced by two North-East MPs has seen the Government make promises to improve mental health support for new mothers.Stockton South MP Dr Paul Williams and Darlington MP Jenny Chapman wrote to the Department of Health and Social Care to press
ART and design students have been giving old items a new lease of life as part of an innovative recycling project.A group of students from New College Durham worked with Durham County Council’s strategic waste and community arts teams to create costumes
HUNDREDS of people are expected to attend a charity football tournament held every year in memory of a woman who died from cancer.The Mary Hayton Charity Football Tournament will be staged at Sacriston Football Club, in Sacriston on Saturday on May 26
A DURHAM city centre church is inviting people to come together and celebrate the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markel by broadcasting the service live on the day.St Nicholas’ Church in Durham’s Market Place will be relaying the service live from
STEVE BRUCE freely admits he spent most of last week coming up with a plan to negate the attacking threat posed by Adama Traore. Tony Pulis now has 24 hours to come up with his own way of unpicking the Aston Villa boss’ scheme. It is advantage
A METICULOUS restoration project has helped shed new light on what life was like in a Victorian poorhouse kitchen.The kitchen at Ripon's Workhouse Museum would have catered for the hungry inhabitants of the poorhouse, and is now open for visitors
RESTORATION work on a Grade II* listed kitchen garden at a Georgian estate has been completed. Landscape gardener Tom Stuart Smith designed the new look for the neglected walled garden at Middleton Lodge estate, near Middleton Tyas. Estate
AN APPEAL lodged by a developer wishing to build 110 homes just north of Stokesley has been withdrawn. Gladman Developments had been seeking outline planning consent to build 110 homes on a five-and-a-half hectare parcel of land which sits next to the
TOMMY Charlton, brother of World Cup winners Bobby and Jack, made his debut this weekend for the England over 60s walking football team aged 72-years-young.Tommy was overcome by emotion as a good luck note from his brothers was read to him before the
A DRUG-ADDLED burglar cannot remember breaking into a house and rifling through drawers before being disturbed and falling down the stairs as he fled. Jack Owens's lawyer claims the sleeping tablets he had taken – zoplicone – are responsible for
THE campaign to preserve of the history and heritage of the Stockton and Darlington Railway is on track to receive a £700,00 cash boost. Historic England is helping transform the birthplace of modern railways into a world-class visitor attraction
A PLANNING appeal over the development of a 430-home estate in Newton Aycliffe has been dismissed. Applicant Willmott Partnership Homes hoped to build the development on land to the east of Woodham Burn, and west of the A167. A four-day planning
VILLAGERS can sit and remember the brave coalminers who stood up against unfair working practises thanks to new memorial benches. When councillors Olwyn Gunn and Fraser Tinsley were alerted to the state of the benches at the Rocking Strike Memorial
WORKERS in need of office space in Richmond are being encouraged to work and socialise together as part of a new project.Two like-minded organisations in Richmond, North Yorkshire have joined forces to encourage local businesses to work, collaborate and
A PHOTOGRAPHY exhibition will celebrate the work of two local artists.Saltburn Studios and Gallery is hosting the work by resident artists Charles Twist and Caed Parker – who are known for running Dr Twist’s Photographarium, which is a recreation of a
CHURCHES covering five communities in the Sedgefield area will be left without a salaried priest following the team vicar’s departure this summer.The Parish of the Upper Skerne, which has churches in Sedgefield, Trimdon Village, Trimdon Grange, Fishburn
ONE in four North-East drinkers are exceeding alcohol guidelines, according to figures released by campaign group Balance. It said an estimated 485,940 people in the region were regularly above recommended limits of 14 units a week with the heaviest
