AN encore usually comes as an added treat at the end of a concert. But, being one of the encores specially-commissioned as part of Royal Northern Sinfonia’s 60th anniversary, William Marsey’s The Sea was moved to pride of place in the middle of
THE man known as “Nick” whose allegations sparked the Westminster sex abuse investigation has denied charges of perverting the course of justice, and of fraud. Carl Beech, 51, faced a judge at Newcastle Crown Court by video link yesterday. Appearing
A 33-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with inciting terrorism in Germany. Fatah Mohammed Abdullah, from the Arthur’s Hill area of Newcastle, is accused of encouraging another person to plough a car into crowds, attack people with a meat cleaver and
A BUILDER who left a homeowner in the lurch after failing to complete a kitchen extension has been convicted of fraud. Michael Anthony Fagan, of Swift Construction NE Ltd, pleaded guilty to fraud by misrepresentation when he appeared at Newton Aycliffe
MORE than three-quarters of £839,500 fund established to offset the impact of a huge energy from waste incinerator plant has been released to an array of community projects. A meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s business and environmental
AMERICAN author James Patterson will make his first visit to a North Yorkshire crime writing festival later this year, it has been announced. The Theakston Old Peculier festival, which is described as the world’s biggest celebration of the crime
THREE years on from his son, Guy, winning the Darlington & DMC-organised Jack Frost Stages Rally at Croft Circuit, it was the turn of Peter Smith to claim the honours following a thrilling tussle that lasted throughout the day, writes Larry Carter
AN iconic 1970s dance movie will be performed on stage in the region next month. The Theatre Royal stage, in Newcastle, will be awash with neon as Saturday Night Fever arrives on March 5 to 9. It’s 40 years since Saturday Night Fever hit UK cinema
A WOMAN has won an award for her contribution to North-East football. Louise Wanless was at the North-East Football Writers’ Association Annual Awards, on Sunday evening, at Ramside Hall Hotel, in Durham. She was awarded the John Fotheringham
A YOUNG woman who has had her life saved three times by transplant surgery has nominated a fellow student for an award in recognition of his support. Linzi Saunders, 21, who is studying fine art, has put forward her close friend, Kevin Rudkin, for
ENERGY benchmarking specialist, troo, has launched a new, innovative technology platform which allows companies to instantly compare the energy market and see what a good price looks like, free of charge, without any obligations. Its customers who
A FIRST aid charity will host a life-saving workshop to shoppers in a major supermarket. St John's Ambulance has joined ASDA to provide advice on how to use defibrillators if an emergency presents itself. The charity said the workshop will take
A PROFESSOR who worked at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle has received a lifetime achievement award for his work in the rare disease area of pulmonary hypertension. Paul Corris, was recognised by the International Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute
AN INDEPENDENT charity which offers support to victims of rural crime in North Yorkshire has been paid a visit by Princess Anne. The royal family member, and patron of ‘Victim Support,’ discussed the impact, and spoke to those who have been the
POLICE are appealing for help to trace four eastern European men in connection with a burglary. A Durham Police spokesperson said: "Four men wearing balaclavas broke into a property on Wensley Close, in Ouston, Chester-le-Street, and stole £4,000
PRINCESS Anne visited the region to see Queen Victoria’s 150-year-old royal carriage which was restored at the National Railway Museum in York. The princess, who is daughter of the Queen, and the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, turned out to the
BRYAN OVIEDO still has a part to play in Sunderland’s season despite the ongoing fall-out from the collapse of a proposed deadline-day move to West Brom. Oviedo was expected to head to the Hawthorns on a season-long loan last month, but despite
JACK ROSS says Chris Maguire will be a permanent fixture in his Sunderland starting line-up provided he maintains the standards he set in the second half of Friday’s 2-2 draw with Accrington Stanley. Maguire set up both of the Black Cats’ goals
BRITISH music legends Madness are bringing their 40th anniversary celebrations to Scarborough Open Air Theatre this summer. The band is celebrating four decades of success and will play at the Scarborough venue on Friday July 19. From
A MAN caught helping to get drugs, mobile phones and a flick knife into a North-East prison is now behind bars himself. David John Ireland, 34, from North Shields, has been given a 16-month prison sentence after previously pleading guilty to three
A HANDFUL of North-East MPs took to Twitter following the resignation of seven Labour MPs over anti-Semitism and bullying within their party. Here's what they had to say: Anna Turley, Redcar MP "Very disappointing news that some colleagues
MARTIN DUBRAVKA has been backed to bounce back from his recent mistakes, with his fine form over the course of the last 12 months having earned him one of the biggest honours in North-East football. Dubravka was crowned the North-East Football Writers
DOZENS of youngsters can kickstart the school day on a healthy footing thanks to new funding for their breakfast club. Children at Brandon Primary School, on the outskirts of Durham, can look forward to two years of nutritious food following support
AN image of a suspect has been released by police as detectives investigate a robbery at Middlesbrough shop. The robbery at the One Stop store on Linthorpe Road, happened at around 4.30pm on Sunday, February 10. A Cleveland Police spokewoman
THE Queen of County Durham is back and raring to go. Star mare Mabs Cross has returned to Michael Dods’ yard at Denton, near Darlington, after her winter holiday with her owners, the Armstrong family, at Highfield Farm, in Lancashire. And the
GLEN DURRANT claimed his maiden PDC title at the weekend as he triumphed in the Players Championship Four in Wigan. The Teesside tungsten star was in fine form all day, and added to his name to the list of PDC winners as he beat Dimitri van den
POLICE are investigating after a man was punched to the ground and kicked. It took place at around 8.25pm on Saturday, February 16, in Kings Drive, near to Guthrum Place, Newton Aycliffe. Around three to four men approached the victim before
SEVEN Labour MPs who quit the party have released a statement setting out the political position of their new independent grouping. 7 Labour MPs resign from party over anti-semitism and bullying This is the statement in full: "We
A GROUP of seven Labour MPs have resigned from the party to create a new Independent Group in the House of Commons, in the most significant split in British politics since the breakaway of the Social Democratic Party in the 1980s. Chuka Umunna,
THOUSANDS of young fish have been released into North East rivers to give stocks a boost and encourage people to go fishing. This week more than 1,600 barbel were released into the River Tees at Broken Scar, Darlington, and more than 2,300 roach
SMOKING has been completely banned on two hospital sites in the region in a bid to encourage patients, visitors and NHS staff to quit the habit. South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STHFT), which runs both the James Cook University Hospital
AS Jack Ross freely admits, you have to be a certain type of character to succeed at Sunderland. Playing in front of 30,000 supporters in League One is a massive privilege, but it comes with a fair amount of responsibility and pressure attached.
A MAN has been given a suspended prison sentence and disqualified from keeping animals for life after keeping two malnourished dogs in filthy conditions. Chris Adam, 26, of The Avenue, Coxhoe, County Durham, appeared before South Shields Magistrates
AT about 11.30pm on Saturday, January 30, 1869, rail puncher Philip Trainer was shot at point blank range in the left eye amid a crowd of Irishmen gathered outside a public house on Darlington’s Albert Hill. The bullet lodged deep in his brain.
FEWER than 38 per cent of North East women are aware of the link between alcohol and breast cancer – despite evidence that any level of regular drinking increases the risks. The findings are the result of a survey by Balance as it runs a campaign
A MAN with a greying ponytail made inappropriate comments to two schoolgirls on their way to school on South Parade, Northallerton on Thursday, police are warning. The man was white, aged 40 to 50 years old, wearing sunglasses and a blue or black
Stefanie Woodcock - Proud Lancastrian living in Darlington My Dad’s passion for photography inspired me and I have created visual memories ever since. My first camera was a small box looking 110 film camera when I was about 8 years old. I
RIVAL cricket teams are set to go head-to-head – not on the cricket pitch but in the kitchen. Richmondshire Cricket Club and Rockliffe Park Cricket Club, based at Rockliffe Hall, near Darlington, have joined forces for a fun evening to raise funds
A SCHEME to reduce congestion for drivers travelling on the A66 in Darlington gets underway this month. Highways England is introducing a third lane on the B6280 approach to Morton Palms roundabout to relieve congestion and improve journeys times
A PAIR of North-East institutions have come together to celebrate a true milestone achievement. Over the past 22 years, Darlington Building Society has raised £100,000 for St Teresa’s Hospice, which supports people with life-limiting illnesses at
JACK ROSS has backed Will Grigg to rediscover his goalscoring form, despite the striker having missed two more excellent chances to open his Sunderland account in Friday’s 2-2 draw with Accrington Stanley. Having spurned two gilt-edged opportunities
Having been frustrated as they drew 2-2 with Accrington Stanley on Friday, Sunderland get another chance to return to winning ways when they host Gillingham tomorrow. What were the main talking points to have emerged from Friday’s game, and what
AN outspoken judge got it wrong when she jailed a teenager for lying about a drink-drive crash in a case she described as “farcical”. District Judge Christine Harrison imposed a 12-week sentence on Alicia Jones last month without seeking a probation
THE INSPIRING story of how Scottish factory workers played their part in undermining General Pinochet's regime in Chile is to be screened at a North Yorkshire cinema. The documentary, Nae Pasaran! tells the tale of the Rolls-Royce East Kilbride
LANDLORDS could be squeezed for more than £1.5m if they leave homes in County Durham sitting empty under new plans. Almost 7,000 properties have been left vacant across the county, according to figures obtained by Durham County Council’s (DCC)
STAFF and students at UTC South Durham are celebrating after education watchdogs praised how it prepares young people for the world of work. After its first ever inspection, Ofsted awarded a ‘good’ rating to the school and sixth form, in Newton
A BUDDY Bookmarks project is being launched today in a bid to show how not all friendships and relationships are healthy. The Darlington Soroptimists are being the project, which is backed by the Mayor of Darlington, Councillor Veronica Copeland
PRICELESS archaeological treasures and natural habitat is being destroyed by arsonists on an ancient hill fort, a campaign group is warning following a large blaze on Friday. The Eston Hills area has been plagued by vandals and arsonists in recent
A ROBOTIC baby seal named Bob is helping to have a calming effect on dementia patients in the region. Older people with dementia and Alzheimer's are benefitting from the interactive robotic seal which has been designed as a therapy to reduce stress
A TEENAGE rallycross driver who drove a car for the first time just one year ago has already clocked up four national awards. Luke Constantine, a Year 10 student at Richmond School and Sixth Form College, is the youngest British Trials and Rally
A CHARITY is hoping to transform the lives of youngsters thanks to fundraising efforts by local travel agents. The Together 21 project – which works to provide support to children with Down syndrome – was presented with a cheque by Hays travel in
AN INDEPENDENT candidate is rallying for votes ahead of a local election. Darrien Wright handed out letters to residents of the Bank Top and Lascelles Ward under Darlington Borough Council's responsibility. Mr Wright said ward residents would
A STORE will soon reopen to the community after a £610,000 refurbishment. The Co-op on Loftus High Street closed for a major refurbishment, but is set to reopen on Thursday, February 21. The company said it would be hosting offers and promotions
A CHARITY that supports people affected by cancer has branched out to take its free services into north Durham. The Solan Connor Fawcett Family Cancer Trust launched a new weekly drop-in facility in January and will soon run a monthly support group
A MIXTURE of school-age karate students and adults have celebrated success after they took home 15 medals during the Yorkshire Open Championships 2019. The winners, part of JS Karate who are based in North Yorkshire, managed to secure six gold medals
RESIDENTS have welcomed plans for a former hospital to be turned into a hospice at a planning consultation over the use of the old Lambert Hospital. Last year, Hambleton District Council bought the former Thirsk hospital, with the objective the
