A KITTEN was rescued from a fire which caused significant damage to a house in County Durham. On Tuesday afternoon, fire and rescue crews from Consett and High Handenhold stations were called to the blaze in the South Moor area of Stanley.
A PARISH council will launch a new initiative next week in a bid to bring together local groups. Startforth Parish Council will hold the first annual community forum event at Startforth Morritt Community Centre on Wednesday, May 29, from 7pm.
THE North-East operator of a care home has been fined £270,000 following the death of a resident who ate chlorine tablets he believed to be mints. James McConnell, 72, who had Alzheimer's, was staying at Lomond Court Care Home in Glenrothes, Fife
GATESHEAD appear to have been sold to a supporter-led buy-out - although there was another twist in the tale on Wednesday. The club's Indian owner Dr Ranjan Varghese is believed to have sold the club for £25,000 after less than a year at the helm
A FORMER Army communications expert has pledged to put the community at the heart of every decision after being voted in as leader of Richmondshire District Council. Five-time Mayor of Colburn and Independent councillor Angie Dale has been elected
MIDDLESBROUGH’S next manager looks certain to be on the look-out for at least one new striker as soon as they fill the breach left by Tony Pulis – amid talk that Slavisa Jokanovic is set to be interviewed for the post. Former Fulham boss Jokanovic
IN 2011, when the BBC exposed serious mistreatment of patients at Winterbourne View care home, near Bristol, the situation, quite rightly, turned into a national scandal which led to a commitment from then-Prime Minister David Cameron that such abuse
THE FINISHING touches are being made to a luxury cinema ahead of its opening in two weeks. The six-screen Odeon Luxe in Durham is scheduled to open to the public on Wednesday, June 5. Durham's Riverwalk developers reveals new walkway as
RESIDENTS will have no incentive to start accessing council services online if a local authority continues to improve its call answering times, a meeting has heard. North Yorkshire County Council’s executive was told while the last year had seen
MIKE ASHLEY and Rafa Benitez are satisfied with the progress that has been made on the Newcastle United manager’s contract talks, even if there is no immediate rush to get things tied up on either side. After last week’s meeting between Ashley and
HUNDREDS of veteran vehicles will be roaring into a North Yorkshire racecourse next month. The Classic Car and Bike Show will be held at Ripon Racecource on Sunday, June 9. Classic cars such as restored MGs and Austin Sevens, plus vintage motorcycles
DURHAM slipped to their fourth defeat in a row in the Championship and remain rooted to the bottom of Division Two after losing by six wickets to Gloucestershire. Gloucestershire secured their first win of the Division Two season at Emirates Riverside
A ROAD which was closed after a sinkhole appeared- leaving some motorists facing a diversion of up to 16 miles- has reopened ahead of schedule. Durham County Council had to shut the A689 at Wearhead, in Upper Weardale, on Tuesday, May 14 in the
A BURGLAR who raided a dental practice has been convicted after leaving blood at his own crime scene. Wayne Carr, 29, broke into Mydentist Orthodontic Centre on Laura Street, Sunderland, last August 22. While inside, he stole a safe containing
In an open letter to popstar Miley Cyrus who will be performing in Middlesbrough for the BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, The Northern Echo invites her to sample the sights and delights of Teesside during her stay. Alright Miley, Welcome to Boro.
THE wife of a man with dementia who was a victim of rogue traders said the incident stripped him of his self-confidence before his death. Father-and-son Mark and William Nunn, aged 60 and 33, from Doncaster, pocketed £20,000 by conning elderly
A MICROLIGHT plane crash in the Langley Park area was a well-intentioned false alarm, police can confirm. Officers were called to reports of a distressed signal from a microlight shortly after 4.30pm on May 21. The National Police Air Service
The announcement that British Steel has gone into liquidation is the latest blow to an industry which once dominated manufacturing in the UK – and on Teesside. IT had been known that there was ironstone in the Cleveland Hills since the 12th century
A BURST main has resulted in water flooding into the road. A resident on Estoril Road South, Darlington, filmed the water pouring into the street and lifting the road surface. Northumbrian Water is working on mains replacement work in
AIDEN McGEADY has benefited from the extra rest and Jack Ross thinks there is every chance Sunderland will be able to call on him at Wembley on Sunday. The Irish winger missed both legs of the League One play-off semi-final against Portsmouth because
ALAN JORDAN urges all Echo readers opposed to the Brexit Party to vote for the Liberal Democrats whatever our view on the party’s other policies (HAS, May 17). I am opposed to the Brexit Party, however I shall certainly not vote in the manner Mr
WHEN will those stupid idiots responsible for this embarrassing Eurovision Song Contest charade realise that it is futile to even consider entering. About 159m people voted and we were last. Those of you who watched it want your heads looking
AS an ex-submariner, I fully understand the pressures on the skippers and crew of all naval ships and submarines. I will never understand how the decorated and well respected captain of HMS Queen Elizabeth, 50-year-old Commodore Nick Cook-Priest
ON May 25, Ban Bloodsports UK has organised a day of action against grouse shooting on the Yorkshire Moors. Campaigners across the country will be urging Yorkshire Water to finally make a commitment to end its grouse shooting leases. So far 19
REGARDING the Tories’ exciting new times in Darlington, let’s hope they do something about the bus lane on North Road. About 90 per cent of drivers have no ideas how to use it. Or they cannot read the big blue signs. It’s only a bus lane certain
FIRE crews tackled a major fire at a pub in North Yorkshire last night (May 21). The blaze at The Forresters Arms in Kilburn, near Thirsk, which is also a B&B, was reported at about 8.30pm, and crews from across the county attended. North
A FORMER council employee has been convicted of fraud and ordered to pay back more than £5,000. Paul Watson was employed by Shildon Town Council as manager of the town’s Civic Hall for 11 years until he left in April, 2018. While he was there
A MAN’S “judgement error” on being arrested over a groping allegation he was never charged with, has left him with a £1,750 court bill. Self-employed plant-hire and scrap metal operator William Scott Armstrong has also had to meet his own legal
A 27-year-old who was born and raised in County Durham has become the youngest person to be elected as chairman of the area’s local authority. Councillor Katie Corrigan was officially installed as chairman at Durham County Council’s annual meeting
A TEENAGER has been hit by a car and knocked off his bicycle outside a secondary school. Emergency services were called to the scene of the crash outside Hummersknott Academy, off Edinburgh Drive, in Darlington shortly after 8am on Wednesday morning
HUNDREDS of staff were evacuated from a call centre this morning after a suspicious package was found. The workers were evacuated from npower offices in Houghton-Le-Spring whilst police carried out an investigation. Staff were asked to leave
The owners of British Steel have been branded 'sharks' after it was revealed that the company has gone into administration. Earlier this week it was announced that Britain's second-largest steel producer was on the brink of collapse putting thousands
CHILDREN in the Tour de Yorkshire host town of Bedale have been presented with a very appropriate reminder of the historic event. Bedale Town Council organised for every child at the primary school and primary-age children at Mowbray school to receive
SPONSORED CONTENT A REGIONAL property developer has spoken of its pride as it enters the second phase of its most recent North-East building project. House-hunters have already begun to snap up the newly-built three and four-bedroom properties
A CAMPAIGN to encouraging people to shop at their local markets is being backed by Hambleton District Council. Stall holders on markets in Northallerton and Thirsk which are run by the district council are taking part in the National Association
PUPILS from a Darlington school have struck gold, silver and bronze during their annual netball tour and adventure weekend. A total of 33 keen young netball players from Longfield Academy travelled to Boreatton Park, in Shropshire, to compete in
A SNACKS manufacturer which is home to some of the nation’s most-loved brands has launched a new £6m production facility – with the help of Pom-Bear. KP Snacks, which has a factory in Billingham, near Stockton, opened a new pellet production facility
A NORTH-East school has become the first in the country to join a national campaign designed to stop students being short-changed with their lunch money. Carmel College, in Darlington, has already made changes to the school IT system which allows
THE entry slip road to the northbound carriageway of the A1(M) was partially blocked near Chester-le-Street following an accident on Wednesday morning. The accident happened on the slip road at Junction 63. The road has now reopened.
A CANAL and water garden created for Welcome to Yorkshire at RHS Chelsea Flower Show is making waves after being awarded a highly coveted Gold Medal. The garden is inspired by Yorkshire's industrial heritage and stunning landscapes and features
OVER a dozen people have been arrested after a man was threatened with a firearm in Newcastle last week. At about 8.20pm on Wednesday, May 15, a group of men knocked on the door of an address on Moorhead in Cowgate. When the 37-year-old occupant
A CHARITY is looking for new volunteers to support children and families of prisoners. The successful applicants will be helping out at HMP Holme House near Stockton and HMP Kirklevington Grange near Yarm. Nepacs is looking for people who can
UP TO 80,000 visitors are set to return to York as the ambitious pop up Shakespeare Rose Theatre takes centre stage again in the city. After a hugely successful first season the organisers decided never mind to be or not to be it was a definite
THOUSANDS of festival-goers are gearing up for Radio 1's Big Weekend later this week, but not everyone will be happy to see them. Residents living near Stewart Park in Middlesbrough have complained about the work being done to prepare the site
NORTH Yorkshire police say they’re reaching out to women and people in black and minority ethnic communities in their latest recruitment drive. The campaign to take on 56 trainee police officers over the next year was launched this week following
AN UNDERCOVER investigation into alleged abuse at a County Durham care home will be the subject of a BBC documentary being shown tomorrow. The BBC's Panorama has carried out an investigation into alleged abuse at Whorlton Hall, near Barnard Castle
A DOZEN councillors have promised to draw a line under months of instability and division for the sake of their town. For two years, the Spennymoor Independents People Before Politics (SIPBP) group held a majority at Spennymoor Town Council.
DARLINGTON boss Alun Armstrong will begin assembling a new-look squad soon and, while there is tough competition for the best available players in the region, he believes there is “value for money” available. Quakers this week announced that Armstrong
OVER £5m has been injected into local communities by Sirius Minerals as the company works towards developing it's huge fertiliser mine on the North York Moors. The mine near Whitby and accompanying 23 mile underground transport conveyer system
A BRIDGE in Darlington has been permanently closed to traffic following a structural survey to assess its integrity. The bridge over Cocker Beck on Westbrook Terrace was temporarily closed to vehicles in July last year after concerns were raised
A GRASSROOTS girls' football team that was on the verge of folding four years ago is celebrating winning a major trophy. Earlier this month, the Darlington Spraire Lasses lifted the Russel Foster League Shield, their first honour since the club's
A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER took to the sky yesterday to complete a fundraising challenge that is not for the faint hearted. Kitty Grove-Stephensen, from Middlesbrough, took part in a sponsored flight in a microlight aircraft with East Durham Microlights
A DAREDEVIL councillor has jumped out of a plane as the final act of his year in office. Durham County Council's outgoing Chairman, Cllr John Lethbridge finally completed his three-mile high skydive after two previous attempts were thwarted by the
A MAN has been jailed for 15 years after being found guilty of child cruelty and indecently assaulting a child. Shane Peeke, of Murrayfield Way, Darlington, was sentenced via videolink at Teesside Crown Court after the judge heard how he beat the
A GROUP of anglers have cleared a riverside of waste in a community clean-up. Fifteen members of Chester-le-Street and District Angling Club (CDAC) teamed together to tidy 40 bags of litter from long stretches of the banks of the River Wear in the
THE younger bairn has just shifted from London to Hertfordshire, one of those places where hurricanes hardly ever happen. Much more congenial for them, it presents us with the slight disappointment that rail travel is no longer the best bet. Pottering
SUNDAY’S Wembley showdown with Charlton Athletic has been billed as Sunderland’s opportunity to extract revenge for one of the most infamous play-off final defeats of all time. For thousands of the fans that will flock to London this weekend, it
A FARM in County Durham had an unusual delivery when its donkey gave birth to a rare set of twins. Mum Violet surprised her owners at North East Carriage Company, which is based in Stanley, when she gave birth to the cute duo on Saturday.
PROPOSED development in Durham city and the continued expansion of the city's university continues to dominate discussions of a trust charged with its conservation. The City of Durham Trust will discuss the last 12 months at its annual general meeting
SKATING enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the arrival of sporting professionals to celebrate a town’s new attraction. The new skate park recently opened in Newton Aycliffe thanks to a joint effort between Great Aycliffe Town Council and a construction
THE stages for Radio 1's Big Weekend is starting to take shape as excitement builds for three days of musical entertainment. More than 64,000 people are expected to flock to Middlesbrough's Stewart Park to listen to performances from an eclectic
A RUNNING duo has conquered one of the hardest marathons in the world in the hopes of helping youngsters with disabilities. Charity founder Chris Read flew to China with his son Ben to take part in the Great Wall Marathon. The race is staged
A MASKED gang armed with a machete smashed their way into a family's home while the children were getting ready for bed and stole their bulldog puppy, a court was told yesterday. DNA from a Dracula mask believed to have been inadvertently dropped
A COMPANY used to supplying specialist agricultural and construction plant to other businesses has seen the diggers move in on its own site for a change. Last month, the first ground was broken for new premises for Lloyd Ltd at Bishop Auckland.
A CAMERAWOMAN is swapping life behind the lens for a starring role as she takes part in a new campaign. Lauren Byrne, from Darlington, is one of seven film industry workers featured in a campaign movie designed to encourage new and diverse recruits
THE “wild west” environment of Durham is having a negative impact on trade and employment in the city, an MP has told parliament. During a debate on licensing in Durham, MP Roberta Blackman-Woods told parliament that city centre drinking is becoming
