Local Heroes Awards 2018 - celebrating grassroots sport in the North-East and North Yorkshire
11:14pm A full Local Heroes souvenir supplement with lots of lovely pictures will appear in The Northern Echo newspaper
11:14pm A full Local Heroes souvenir supplement with lots of lovely pictures will appear in The Northern Echo newspaper
A LORRY driver who resorted to sleeping in his van when his marriage ended took terrifying revenge on his estranged family. Mark Taylor threatened to start a fire at their home in Middlesbrough, carried out an arson attack on his ex-wife's car,
AN historic property has been transformed into a magical wonderland with a combination of light, colour and sound. Enchanted Belsay showcases Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, near Morpeth, in Northumberland. A series of light installations, create
TWO men have been convicted of raping a woman in a flat. Saheed Rasoolli, 30, and Araz Abdulla, 23, both had sex with the victim in a bedroom of a flat on Roker Avenue, Sunderland in May 2018. The pair both denied rape but a jury found them
A VOLUNTEER boxing coach has been left feeling completely floored after he was the victim of a nasty unprovoked attack. Robert Ellis was walking through Durham City centre, early on Sunday evening, when he was punched from behind and knocked to
A PENSIONER had money stolen from his account as he used a cash machine in a town market place. Police in Barnard Castle believe the elderly man was approached by an unknown man who told him the cash machine at Barclays Bank, in Market Place, was
A MAN has been charged following an armed robbery at a post office. The incident happened at the Post Office, in Temperance Terrace, Ushaw Moor, near Durham, at about 4.50pm on Wednesday. A Durham Police spokesperson said: “A man entered the
THE trial of a school secretary who denies stealing almost £39,000 from her workplace has been put back by several months. Further evidence which is to be put forward by the Crown to counter the defence case means the trial is likely to take longer
WE live in a topsy-turvy world. We see it on a national level, where those who really want to remain in the EU may plunge us into a no-deal abrupt exit, and those who really want to leave may vote against a deal by which we more-or-less leave and so
STEWART DOWNING thinks Tony Mowbray deserves a warm reception when he returns to Teesside on Saturday – a little over five years since he left Middlesbrough. Mowbray lost his job in charge of his hometown team in October 2013 after a run of just
AN independent panel has recommended awarding inflation-busting pay rises to recognise the dedication and achievements of a council’s leaders. An Independent Remuneration Panel, which all local authorities are required to establish to advise on
EMPLOYERS in the North-East have called for a public vote on the Brexit deal that is on the table before it is finalised. The call came at the first regional launch of the Business for a People’s Vote campaign, in Newcastle, and mirrors the comments
TWO dogs that were beaten with a golf club and pepper sprayed in a break-in say are still traumatised weeks after the attack, their owners say. Hector and Chika, a Rhodesian ridgeback and a ridgeback cross, were in their York home when burglars
A TAKEAWAY owner has been fined nearly £2,000 after a rat infestation was discovered by public health officials. Eatza Pizza in MIddlesbrough was closed down immediately by environmental health officers after after they visited in March as it was
A CLASSIC Christmas film that has been warming hearts for more than 70 years is returning to the big screen. The Gala Theatre in Durham is staging special screenings of It’s a Wonderful Life on Thursday, 20 December, at 2pm and 7.30pm. Produced
A PRISON officer at a Young Offender Institute who was caught out having secret “trysts” in a cleaning cupboard with a 20-year-old inmate has escaped jail. Stacey Sutherland, 27, said she looked for solace with convicted blackmailer Leon Shooter
THIS dramatic footage captures the moment masked raiders smashed their way into a cashpoint. Sparks are flying as a group of people surround the Co-op ATM, in Tang Hall Lane, York, in the early hours of Thursday morning. A witness said he heard
A TEENAGER has released photographs of the shocking injuries he sustained when he fell from an off-road motorbike in a bid to warn others of the dangers of not wearing protective gear. The 15-year-old boy from Darlington said he wanted to make
THE former Archdeacon of Auckland will stand trial next summer on historic sex charges. George Granville Gibson appeared at Teesside Crown Court today and denied three allegations of indecent assault on a male. The retired 82-year-old spoke
A CHILD who was rescued from a house fire in Darlington has died. The seven-year-old girl died in the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, on Wednesday. It follows a house fire in Esk Road, Darlington, at about 1.50pm on Saturday, December
AN intoxicated motorist’s “breathtakingly bad” driving at speed on the A1(M) could have killed a family of five, a court heard. Daniel Pennick was under the influence of drink or drugs, or both, at the wheel of a loaned Mercedes A180, which veered
TONIGHT’S the night to celebrate the most inspiring grassroots sports stars in the North-East and North Yorkshire with the 19th annual Local Heroes Awards. The ceremony honours talented athletes, coaches and volunteers of all ages and in all sports
THERE are few sports that do redemption stories as well as boxing. But then inside or outside the ring, there are few redemption stories as powerful as the one penned by Tyson Fury in Los Angeles on Saturday night. The self-styled ‘Gypsy King’ didn
THE process of finding the next Hartlepool United manager is well underway. Craig Hignett, the club’s caretaker manager and director of football, is taking training this morning in between conducting interviews with candidates who want to replace
A PHARMACIST who murdered his wife by suffocating her with a carrier bag to receive a £2m insurance payout and start a new life with his gay lover was today jailed for a minimum of 30 years. Mitesh Patel, 37, is thought to have injected his wife
THE boss of the JD Wetherspoon pub chain was in the North-East today as part of a national ‘pub crawl’ putting the case for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit. Tim Martin, Wetherspoons’ founder and chairman, is speaking to customers at more than 100 company pubs
STUDENTS have taken part in a project to inspire more women to pursue a career in engineering. The Year 12 pupils from Richmond School and Sixth Form College attended Project Dare, hosted by Network Rail and independent firm of designers and engineers
MOBILE network O2 has said it is investigating a technical fault that has left thousands of mobile customers unable to get online. UK customers have reported not being able to use mobile data to access the internet and other services on the company's
A PORT operator has signed a multi-million pound contract with British Gypsum. The five-year deal will create new jobs and cement Teesport as a major port for bulk handling on the east coast of the UK. British Gypsum, the UK's leading plaster
CONTRACTORS were on standby today to begin resurfacing a section of road closed following a waste spillage for the last week. Weather permitting, it could allow the eastbound section of the A1231, off the A1(M), near the Mill House roundabout in
TRAFFIC cops are being kitted out with new lifesaving equipment to ensure people get swift and effective first aid. The initiative has resulted in Cleveland Police officers being given new mobile defibrillators to help save lives in emergency situations
AN OUTDOOR activity centre which has been offering courses in the Yorkshire Dales since 1976 has once again run a bursary scheme for groups that would otherwise not be able to afford the experience. Low Mill Outdoor Centre, in Askrigg, has a long
HUNDREDS of bus drivers are to go on strike in a fight over pay. Unite has announced the industrial action involving Arriva drivers will take place from Sunday, December 16. Latest: Arriva call on drivers to reconsider strike action
A SCHOOL is to remain closed again today, Thursday, after a water leak forced it to send nearly 1,500 pupils home on Tuesday. Egglescliffe School said as engineers attempted to fit a new pipe yesterday afternoon following the leak on Tuesday it
LAST week, as Jack Ross prepared to preview Sunderland’s FA Cup tie at Walsall, he was accompanied into the press room by someone who wanted to take his place. With Ross watching on from the side of the room, Bali Mumba fielded a couple of questions
SARAH Ann Magson has been fired from the Apprentice after her teammates created a "sexist and sleazy" Christmas chocolate brand. Lord Alan Sugar said that the product would have been successful if the order had come from a "sex shop". The controversial
THOUSANDS of people are flocking to Bishop Auckland's newest landmark for a chance to see views like never before. A total of 3,853 visitors have already been drawn to Auckland Tower, in the town's Market Place, to see the new structure. The
A GANG of rogue traders were jailed for a total of 14 years for defrauding householders and businesses across large parts of northern England while doing tarmac works at their premises. The men - Shaun Thomas Sr, 50, his sons Shaun Thomas Jr, 28
CONCERNED residents have staged a protest calling on a council to return streetlights it removed from a busy walkway between two villages. Campaigners, wearing high visibility vests and carrying torches, last night marched along Brandon Lane, from
ASHLEY FLETCHER has been issued the challenge of proving how much he wants to be a success story at Middlesbrough as the prospect of a January exit nears. Manager Tony Pulis is yet to hand Fletcher a starting spot in the Championship, in fact the
SPONSORED CONTENT DURHAM has bucked the trend by attracting inwards investment totalling £75m over the past 12 months despite the political turmoil surrounding the UK's relationship with Europe. Brian Archer, Managing Director of Business Durham
FOR most artists the opening song is their moment for a big, grand, bombastic entrance; the time to grab the audience`s attention and not let them go. There`s been a fair few this year with a blast of fireworks, billowing smoke machines and the face
ALMOST 2,500 affordable homes need to be built in the North-East every year to ensure that everyone can have a decent place to live, according to a new report. The study, published today by the National Housing Federation, which represents housing
A COMMUNITY café which serves up meals from waste food has become a ‘valuable asset’ since it opened in April, a new report shows. Customers can pay whatever they like to eat at The Refuse Café, in Chester-le-Street, and a study has found it has
A SOCIAL housing group has taken over a local building contractor as it continues its drive to deliver quality property. Thirteen Homes has today announced it has acquired Hartlepool-based Gus Robinson Developments Limited. As part of the deal
WORK which has identified the cause of Type 2 diabetes and shown how it can be reversed is being celebrated. The research from Newcastle University has been identified as one of the UK’s 100 best breakthroughs for its significant impact on people
“JUST go ahead and do it’” That’s the message from a man who refused to let the trauma of a brutal attack from stopping him pursuing his passion for creative writing. That passion has now led Anthony Anderson to the stage of the Stadium of
A BAND of volunteers who stepped up to run a town's Poppy Appeal has revealed the staggering amount raised this year. When the Royal British Legion feared it would have nobody to run its annual campaign in the Bishop Auckland area long-term, a plea
CELEBRATIONS have been held at a Newton Aycliffe care home to mark the 100th birthday of one of its residents. Elizabeth Smithson was treated to a party complete with entertainment and cake yesterday at Lindisfarne Care Home, in Silverdale Place
A KETTLEBELL lifting team has proved its strength and stamina with a successful national performance. The team of eight competitors, based at TU NOVA Strength and Fitness, Albert Hill, Darlington, represented the town at the British Kettlebell Sport
CHRISTMAS came early for more than 100 pensioners who live alone in County Durham. Older people’s charity The Abbeyfield Society joined forces with pub company The Inn Collection Group and Age UK County Durham to throw a free party for older people
ORCHESTRA members tuning up for an annual winter concert have been sharing their talents with the homeless to ensure all community members have their own voice. Musicians with the Darlington Orchestra have recently been working with two charities
PRIMARY school children sat down to a bespoke lunch featuring a special flavour of sausages devised by one of the pupils themselves. It was the reward for Dubmire Academy year two pupil Paige Simpson’s creation, Kicking Chicken, winning a regional
A FAMILY have made a desperate plea for a "forever home" in the Richmond area after struggling to find a property suitable for all of their needs. Alan and Karen Jessop, from Richmond, have been fostering for more than 10 years after their own
A COLLECTION of images which capture the essence of County Durham has just been published in book form. From timeless villages to heather clad hills and waterfalls, ancient market towns and proud castles, County Durham in Photographs by Nathan Atkinson