A survey of council's websites has put Darlington in the top fifteen of most improved sites in the country.

The survey by the Society for Information Technology Management looked at all 452 Council websites in the UK, assessing factors including useability, information and responsiveness to e-mail. Darlington Borough Council's site is www.darlington.gov.uk.

MOTORBIKES STOLEN: A Suzuki GSF 1200 Bandit motorbike, registration P995 AVK, and a red and white Honda CBR 600 Zenith, registration Y139 EBR, were stolen from a garage in Swainby Road, Trimdon Village, overnight on Saturday.

TREE PLANTING: Children and residents in the Stanhope Park area of Darlington helped plant trees on Saturday. The Friends of Stanhope Park organised the event.

SCOOTER TAKEN: A Sym Red Devil scooter, registration number X789 JVN, was stolen from the back garden of a house in Coleridge Road, Chilton, between 10pm on Saturday and 12.15am on Sunday.

SPECIAL MEETING: Sedgefield Borough Council officers are to present the Newton Aycliffe section of the authority's playing field strategy at the Great Aycliffe Town Council offices today.

TYRES SLASHED: Three tyres were slashed on a blue Peugeot 306 in Loraine Walk, Newton Aycliffe, between 2pm and 5pm on Saturday.

FOOTPATH PLAN: Durham County Council is planning to extend the footpath from Newton Aycliffe railway station to Preston Road. The scheme is aimed at improving cycle and pedestrian facilities along the footpath, including improved lighting.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE: A house brick was thrown through the windscreen and rear offside window of a blue Fiat Brava in Elstob Close, Newton Aycliffe, between 6pm on Saturday and 2.30am on Sunday.

PARISH COUNCIL: A meeting of Dene Valley Parish Council will be held in the Methodist Schoolroom, Coundon Grange, today, at 7am.

AREA FORUM: The Newton Aycliffe area forum will meet in the Great Aycliffe Town Council offices, School Aycliffe Lane, tomorrow, at 6.30pm.

FAMILY DISCO: Hurworth Comprehensive School Parent Teacher Association is holding a family disco at The Grange Community Centre, Hurworth, near Darlington, on Friday, at 7.30pm. For details and tickets call (01325) 720424.

SCIENCE WEEKEND: The North of England Lead Mining Museum, in Weardale, will hold science workshops next Saturday and Sunday, from 11am to 4pm.