A MAN was arrested after a 45-minute police siege at a house on Bishop Auckland's Woodhouse Close Estate on Saturday. Officers surrounded the house, in Lusby Crescent, where a man had barricaded himself in the attic. They forced their way in and arrested
The weather just about wiped out the entire league programme in the North-East on Saturday. There was no play at all in the Darlington Building Society NYSD Premier League Premier Division and Division One, the Federation Special Durham Senior League,
IN just 47 minutes of football, Ritchie Humphreys exorcised the demons which have been shadowing him since April 31. Save for the frame of the Cheltenham goal on that fateful play-off night, Hartlepool United could have been kicking-off the new season
MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren has signalled his intention to continue in his role with England. Sven-Goran Eriksson's right-hand man believes his skills on the training field have developed more since teaming up with the national side. There were
BURGLARS escaped with thousands of pounds worth of property after targeting an isolated farm house in what appears to be a well-planned daytime break-in. Police today appealed for witnesses who may have seen a vehicle carrying the culprits to or from
A WOMAN driver was airlifted to hospital yesterday after her car crashed into a wall in Teesdale. Police said the car had left the B6278 at Folly Top, as the woman drove towards Middleton-in-Teesdale. The vehicle had spun around and hit the wall twice
SCUBA divers were hard at work at the weekend clearing out a pond on a Darlington housing estate. The members of the Darlington Dolphins Scuba Diving Club were surveying and cleaning out the Brinkburn pond as part of the area's summer fair. The fair was
THREE colleagues who conquered the three highest peaks in Britain have raised more than £2,500 for charity in memory of their friend, who died from bowel cancer. Steven Wilkinson, Andy Collinshaw and Steven Young set themselves a challenge of climbing
THERE was once a slogan: "Crime - together we can crack it." Our front page story today tells how the judicial system is failing young people who are on the verge of a career of crime. Because there are not enough custodial places available for them,
A CRIME-FIGHTING campaign to crack down on the activities of drug dealers in Darlington has helped police seize £20,000 of drugs, it was revealed last night. Four arrests were made as a direct result of the campaign and heroin and amphetamines, with a
ROTARY DISPLAY: Crook Rotary Club is holding an exhibition in Crook library. Public relations officer Ken Davison said: "The display gives information on Rotary and what we do locally and internationally. "Last year, through our president, Father Tony
RAIN dampened hopes of a rousing return for Sedgefield Show after an enforced year's break because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak. Government restrictions meant there were no sheep, cattle or goat classes on the Robert Brown Showfield on Saturday, but
A TEESSIDE ice rink is to remain shut throughout the school summer holidays. Billingham Forum had hoped to reopen its ice rink before the school term started in September following the replacement of the ice pad. But now managers say there is at least
AN elderly woman was badly burnt in a suspected gas blast which left her home severely damaged. The 81-year-old victim, who lives alone, is believed to have been asleep when the explosion and fire ripped through the bungalow in Jarrow, South Tyneside,
A TOWN centre church has set up an action group to increase its role in the community. The congregation and clerical team at St Cuthbert's church in Darlington have launched a project called Our Future Together. The aim of the project is to make the church
NORTH-EAST blues legend Ray Stubbs performs in the region this week. Ray Stubbs R 'n' B Allstars play at the Darlington Arts Centre on Friday, at 8pm. Tickets cost £5 and are available on (01325) 486555.
A Gateshead Labour Party group is launching a campaign to persuade pubs to sell cheaper soft drinks. Bob Goldsworthy, of the Heworth and Pelaw Labour Party Action Team, said: "The team has been approached by members of the public objecting to the high
A RURAL firm has announced plans to close one of two factories in the region with the loss of 41 jobs. Directors at Westler Foods, famous for its hot dogs, are blaming last year's foot-and-mouth crisis and cheap beef imports on continued losses. The closure
PARENTS whose children attend a special school are urging a council to let them use a road reserved for buses and bikes. They claim their journey to Holmwood School, in Easterside, Middlesbrough, is a nightmare each morning because the main road into
plans for more medical recruitment drives in Europe have been confirmed by North-East hospitals as the first patients in the region are seen by a German "flying doctor". The Government is desperate to bring down waiting lists by flying in teams of surgeons
CANCER survivors and sufferers got on their bikes to raise funds for research to beat the disease. The 300-strong field in the Durham Cycle for Life event yesterday included many entrants who have overcome or are fighting cancer. Everyone who set off
NORTH-EAST farmers have decided to call off a day of action planned for today, which would have severely disrupted traffic in two dales. The action was planned as a protest against the Government's refusal to lift a 20-day ban on the movment of sheep
A MOTORIST was cut free from his car by firefighters after it crashed into a wall. The 38-year-old local man was rushed to Middlesbrough General Hospital with serious chest and head injuries after the accident just after 7am on Saturday. Police said the
POLICE chiefs have claimed that a county's biggest shake-up in policing for a decade will result in more bobbies on the beat and no redundancies. Under the sweeping changes, due to be implemented next April, the six police divisions in County Durham will
A SEAFOOD company is to close a North-East processing plant with the loss of 40 jobs. Scotprime Seafoods is to run down its shellfish processing operation near the Sunderland fish quay with the closure expected by the end of next month. The High Street
A FORMER Army sergeant from Teesside has been appointed the Roman Catholic priest for the Falkland Islands, in the South Atlantic. Father Michael McPartland, 62, will take responsibility for the pastoral care of 10,000 people on the Islands and their
AN MP is calling for CCTV cameras to be installed at a parade of shops targeted by criminals. Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, wants to see better security measures in place at Marton Road shops, in Marton, Middlesbrough. He
WET weather failed to dampen spirits at the 38th Billingham International Folklore Festival. Despite a torrential downpour, more than 1,000 people filled a marquee in the town's John Whitehead Park to watch the opening concert on Saturday afternoon. Festival
AN application for a public entertainment licence at a Bedale pub was withdrawn at only 35 minutes' notice. The Three Coopers in Emgate had applied for an evening licence covering a disco and karaoke singers. But when the licensing committee of Hambleton
Darlington RA were denied an opening-day victory when ten-man Ryhope equalised with just five minutes remaining. Danny Sowden had given the visitors the lead on the hour before drama unfolded ten minutes later when Ryhope goalkeeper Michael Burlinson
RESIDENTS of coastal communities in North Yorkshire are being urged to come up with ideas on how to improve their towns and villages. The county council's Yorkshire Coast and Moors area committee has a budget this year of nearly £70,000. In the past year
TWO retired teachers who are well-known to generations of South Durham people celebrated their golden wedding at the weekend. Dez and Betty Bone, from Escomb, have lived and worked in the area for all their 50 years of marriage. They met in 1948, when
THRILL-SEEKERS can enjoy some free fun and help a leading lung charity. Volunteers are needed to take part in a zip slide event staged by Breathe North, the regional arm of the British Lung Foundation. They are required to take a daring ride on a 550ft
A NURSES' leader believes patients are dying unnecessarily due to pressure on overworked hospital staff. Beverly Malone, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, was speaking after a West Midland hospital admitted responsibility for the death
ALONG with the joy came tears. While Stephen Harmison became the leading Test wicket-taker among Durham's first-class players, Jimmy Daley has called time on a sadly unfulfilled career. In observing last week that Harmison was only the second player -
LIFE in ancient Egyptian society comes under the microscope at a specialist museum this month. Egyptology expert John Ruffle will give a talk at Durham's Oriental Museum to tie in with a month-long display looking at daily life in ancient Egypt. Life,
TWIN brothers John and Anthony Yorke have got footballers seeing double with their refereeing talents. The pair, from Chilton, County Durham, who celebrated their 16th birthdays yesterday, took up referee training at the age of 14 and have become familiar
A Scottish MP wants to change the law so pubs, cafes and restaurants could be fined if they stop mothers breastfeeding on their premises. Women's Editor Christen Pears looks at some of the issues surrounding breastfeeding in public. KAREN Barrass breastfed
A NEW award scheme has been launched which aims to preserve some of the region's wildlife habitats. Churchyards and burial grounds can be a haven for species of wildflower, butterflies, birds and small mammals. The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has joined
Men have killed and died for it, fortunes have been won and lost - for thousands of years gold has held us in its power. But, while the days of the gold rush may be long gone, Nick Morrison meets a prospector who still has a glint in his eye. THERE'S
A FAMOUS fashion designer's first memories of North Yorkshire are among the reminiscences of 100 celebrities who have contributed to a book which is raising money for the BBC Children in Need Appeal. Former Barnardos child Bruce Oldfield was a baby when
A TEN-YEAR-OLD girl feared missing from home has been found safe and well. Natasha Shields, of Boxer Court, South Bank, Middlesbrough, was reported missing by her mother in the early hours of Saturday. Later that day she was discovered staying with friends
A POPULAR event in Hartlepool's calendar finished on a sour note at the weekend when fights erupted around the historic Headland. Families had gathered to the final night of the ten-day Headland Carnival on Saturday hoping to enjoy the atmosphere. However
Q Why is Hull also called Kingston upon Hull, was it a town belonging to the King and should it not be called Kingston upon Humber? I would be very grateful if you could also outline the history of this city. - Bill Hutchinson, Chester-le-Street . AHull
GRAND NATIONAL winning trainer Norman Mason doesn't have too many winners on the summer jumping circuit but Night Fighter (3.45) could prove the exception at Southwell today. At this time of year most of Norman's horses are turned out to grass for a well-deserved
DEFENDING champion Martin Scaife produced a breathtaking finish to beat Chester-le-Street clubmate Stewy Bell in yesterday's Darlington 10K - the fastest in the North-East this year. Scaife looked beaten as Bell swept into the finishing straight on High
Stretching fact to the point of utter disbelief HOW fortunate for the BBC that real life events - recent reports of embryo mix-ups at a fertility clinic - gave this two-parter a topicality that they couldn't have foreseen when making it. How unfortunate
A LONG-RUNNING saga over plans for a new children's playing field could end tomorrow. Residents of East Heslerton, near Malton, have clashed over proposals put forward by the parish council to site the facility in Carr Lane. Protestors hit out at the
MIDDLESBROUGH have been dealt a massive blow after learning Brazilian star Juninho has suffered a "serious" cruciate ligament injury. The 29-year-old midfielder, who signed less than a week ago for £3.8m, will miss Saturday's Premiership kick-off at Southampton
Yorkshire Phoenix scored four more runs than Glamorgan Dragons in their crunch match at Cardiff yesterday but they still went down by 21 under the Duckworth-Lewis system for calculating rain-hit games. After the contest had been reduced to 38-overs by
LIVER disease caused by drinking is destroying more young lives in the region, according to an expert. Professor Mike Bramble, of James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, said he has seen a 50 per cent rise in admissions due to alcohol-related liver
AN APPEAL was made last night for witnesses to a fatal car crash. A 35-year-old female passenger, who has yet to be named by police, died when the Vauxhall Cavalier in which she was travelling failed to negotiate a bend and collided with a telegraph pole
FORTY years of cement-making in Weardale has ended with a plea for Government money to help one of the most deprived parts of Britain. The dale is losing 147 jobs with the closure of Lafarge UK's Blue Circle Works, at Eastgate. There are fears that the
Start as you mean to go on, so they say and if Darlington adhere to that proverb they will enjoy a great season. Darlington deserved the three points purely on their second half performance; a massive improvement on the opening 45 minutes which had set
Darren Lehmann returns to Australia tomorrow with a broken little finger on his left hand which will keep him out of his country's trip to Kenya in a few days' time. It is the cruellest of luck on the Yorkshire captain who was "devastated" to learn the
HUNDREDS of 10K road race runners pounded the streets yesterday. About 1,200 runners of all ages took part in the annual Darlington race, as well as a junior competition and a family fun run. The 10k runners competed for the first time on a new two- lap
Q Why is Hull also called Kingston upon Hull, was it a town belonging to the King and should it not be called Kingston upon Humber? I would be very grateful if you could also outline the history of this city. - Bill Hutchinson, Chester-le-Street . AHull
TWO teenage Good Samaritans came to the aid of a toddler seen wandering outside a busy pub in the early hours of the morning. Now Hope Mourne's mother, Joanne, wants to find the mystery girls who brought the four-year-old home safely. Hope's adventure
AN APPEAL was made last night for witnesses to a fatal car crash. A 35-year-old female passenger, who has yet to be named by police, died when the Vauxhall Cavalier in which she was travelling failed to negotiate a bend and collided with a telegraph pole
A TEN-YEAR-OLD girl feared missing from home has been found safe and well. Natasha Shields, of Boxer Court, South Bank, Middlesbrough, was reported missing by her mother in the early hours of Saturday. Later that day she was discovered staying with friends
A thief who robbed a dying man is being hunted by police, it was revealed last night. A bracelet, necklace and mobile phone were taken from 45-year-old John Clayton after he collapsed twice in Darlington town centre. Mr Clayton, known as Michael, had
BUS services from Darlington to two North-East cities are to be withdrawn. Stagecoach North-East has been forced to cancel its daily x90 service from Darlington to Newcastle and the MetroCentre and its new service from Darlington to York because it is
MANY of the region's top street musicians and performers descended on North Yorkshire at the weekend. The first Ripon Busking Festival brought a variety of entertainers to the city's market place on Saturday. Crowds were enthralled by acts ranging from
QUIZ fans in Crook are being asked to support a fundraising campaign inspired by a father's fight against heart disease. Since Joe Hesp died two years ago, his wife Susan and her relatives and friends have donated thousands of pounds to the British Heart
RAINWATER could be used to help power steam trains at a new £8m North-East museum. Experts are examining ways of "harvesting" rain to generate power for the massive boilers used by old-fashioned locos at the soon-to-be built Shildon Railway Village, in
A CIVIC leader has unveiled a new tourist information centre which could boost Ripon's economy. The Smeaton Information Centre, on the marina, was opened on Saturday by the city's mayor, Councillor Bernard Bateman. The launch of the £340,000 facility
The families of missing schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman came together in an emotional prayer service yesterday - exactly one week after the girls disappeared. Kevin and Nicola Wells sat close to Leslie and Sharon Chapman as their parish vicar
RAIN dampened hopes of a rousing return for Sedgefield Show after an enforced year's break because of foot-and-mouth. Government restrictions meant there were no sheep, cattle or goat classes on the Robert Brown Showfield on Saturday, but organisers hope
ROAD accident victims in County Durham can rest assured they will be in safe hands once the fire brigade arrives on the scene. For a team of Durham and Darlington brigade firefighters came out top of 51 competing crews to win the British National Extrication
SUNDERLAND AFC is to appeal against a setback in its attempt to create training and youth development facilities. Chairman Bob Murray said last night the club would challenge a refusal of planning permission for five additional elements to the proposed
A SILENT tribute to people who lost their lives while serving their country will take place in Middlesbrough today. The service, at the memorial garden in Albert Park at noon, has been organised by the Teesside branch of the Landing Ship Tanks and Landing
WHEN it comes to baking pork pies Eddie Blackburn has got it right at last. For three years he has been trying to prove he is the "upper crust" at his local pub - and yesterday he did. Unfortunately, Mr Blackburn could not be there to see his pie triumph
Organisers of Romaldkirk Parish Fair are hoping for sunshine on Saturday. The event will feature fell races, exhibitions, a parade, fancy dress competition and music by Stanhope Silver Band. Local historian Alan Wilkinson will be guest of honour. The
TRADERS in Bishop Auckland will be playing hide-and-seek with ten tiny teddy bears over the next two weeks. The toys, which all have their own names attached to them, have been hidden in shop windows around the town to mark today's Teddy Bears Picnic,
A WOMAN is appealing to the people of Guisborough and Redcar to provide clues about her family heritage. Gail Dowson, of Leeds, is hoping to hear from descendants of William Chamberlain and Sarah Chapman who married in 1875 at Guisborough. The couple
THE family of a retired Army officer, who lay in agony for at least six hours after falling from his hospital bed, are demanding a full inquiry. Major Harold Lewis died just days after he broke his hip and suffered a head injury in the incident at York
IT could have been a washout, but organisers of Kirkleatham Rally say this year's event was a success despite a soggy start. The rally, held in the grounds of Kirkleatham Hall Museum, in Redcar, on Saturday and Sunday, played host to classic cars, gigantic
POLICE are probing the deaths of two men in a bedsit. North Yorkshire Police were called to an address in Franklin Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, at 3.10pm on Saturday, where they found the bodies of two local men, aged 28 and 30. It is believed the
THE University of Teesside has set up helplines for students receiving their A-level results onThursday. The Middlesbrough university is expecting hundreds of calls from students who did not make the grade for their first or second choice courses, or
THE mysterious disappearance of a wealthy boat owner took a new twist at the weekend when it emerged that he had been due to appear in court on arson charges. Nicholas Lightowler, 57, disappeared more than a week ago, after taking a £180,000 motor cruiser
A PET which outgrew its former home is shedding pounds prior to flying off to the sun. Pampered python Scarlet is the biggest creature ever taken in at the Reptile Trust sanctuary, in Burnopfield, County Durham. Although only 11ft long, the Burmese python
A TINY worm which thrives on rain-soaked moorland has ensured one of the bleakest starts in living memory to the Glorious Twelfth - the traditional start of the grouse-shooting season. Few guns are expected to be fired on Northern moors today after exceptionally
SHARES are up for grabs in a chestnut filly which is the latest recruit to The Northern Echo Racing Partnership. The two-year-old, in training with Michael Dods at Denton Hall, near Darlington, is to be named NorthernEcho Sport. She is the partnership's
MEMBERS of Wear Valley District Council's planning committee are visiting a site behind the Deerness Estate, at Tow Law, where farmer Ian Robson has applied to build three homes. Mr Robson told a meeting last week he was trying to diversify after his
Spennymoor Town Band is boosting the Mayor's Charity Appeal by give £1 from each sale of its new compact disc. The CDs cost £9.99 and cassettes £5.99. They are available from the Town Hall on (01388) 815276 or band members. Hugh Stephenson, band secretary
A FOUNTAIN is to be installed in the Ferryhill Town Hall garden to commemorate the Queen's golden jubilee. A grant of £2,200 from the National Lottery Awards for All scheme means the project can now go ahead. The Ferryhill 2000 Committee and Ferryhill
TEENAGE trials and tribulations in the heart of Yorkshire are proving to be a recipe for success for author Julia Clarke. Between You and Me, the fourth novel in two years to be penned by the Harrogate writer, is published by Oxford University Press this
A MAN was arrested after a 45-minute police siege at a house on Bishop Auckland's Woodhouse Close Estate on Saturday. Officers surrounded the house, in Lusby Crescent, where a man had barricaded himself in the attic. They forced their way in and arrested
A 15-YEAR-OLD girl from Scarborough is in a critical condition after undergoing a heart transplant operation. Amelia Scholey, of Roseberry Avenue, Scarborough, underwent the operation at Great Ormond Street hospital, in London, earlier this week, but
RESIDENTS are rallying to oppose what they fear would prove obtrusive developments either side of their rural hamlet. People in Old Quarrington, near Bowburn, on the outskirts of Durham, are preparing to fight a proposed opencast coal operation. They
YOUNGSTERS can knock summer holiday boredom for six at a cricket summer school this month. Bowey Homes is sponsoring a week-long cricket school, including specialist coaching from some of the best cricket players and coaches in the region, at Ashbrooke
AN APPEAL was made last night for witnesses to a fatal car crash. A 35-year-old female passenger, who has yet to be named by police, died when the Vauxhall Cavalier in which she was travelling failed to negotiate a bend and collided with a telegraph pole
I AM writing in response to Councillor Alex Cunningham's remarks regarding the proposals to demolish the Forum in Billingham (Echo, July 30). He says: "The central issue in all of this is that the Forum buildings are in a poor condition." Surely the central
A union chief believes the North-East workforce remains the country's poor relation in the pay stakes. The region's biggest union, the GMB, claims the "scourge" of low pay is hitting the pockets of North-East workers. GMB regional secretary Kevin Curran
SHARES are up for grabs in a chestnut filly which is the latest recruit to The Northern Echo Racing Partnership. The two-year-old, in training with Michael Dods at Denton Hall, near Darlington, is to be named NorthernEcho Sport. She is the partnership's
Vanessa Feltz once had a figure that matched her larger-than-life personality, but these days she's a svelte 12. She talks to Womens Editor Christen Pears about losing weight and her new TV series. BEING overweight is hard enough, but being overweight
TAXI drivers in Middlesbrough have accused councillors of riding roughshod over them with plans to move two taxi ranks. The cabbies claim the decision to move the ranks in Hill Street and Grange Road, will make them less visible to potential passengers
PEOPLE living in Hambleton are being encouraged to become organ donors. Every household in the area will receive its electoral registration form later this month along with a plea from district council chairman Percy Featherstone, urging residents and
EIGHT youngsters have triumphed in a demanding swimming challenge. They received medals after attending Swim Kidz sessions at Hambleton Leisure Centre in Northallerton. The youngsters completed the ASA Honours and Gold Awards scheme. The tasks included
DEFENCE chiefs remained tight lipped last night over reports that an inquiry has been launched into a network of suspected paedophiles in the armed forces. They refused to confirm allegations that military police were investigating personnel at RAF Leeming
Ashley Nicholls could not have asked for a better start to his career. He collected the ball near the corner of the Cambridge penalty area, considered laying the ball off to a teammate, before letting fly with a superb bending shot. Goalkeeper Shaun Marshall
THE dire shortage of young offenders accommodation was highlighted last night after it emerged that a 16-year-old girl was locked up with a murderer. The Darlington teenager was forced to share a cell with the woman lifer after robbing another girl of
BELEAGUERED homeowners are continuing a huge clean-up operation today after flash floods wreaked havoc for the second time in a week. Dozens of houses are still under water and families in temporary accommodation after the storms which battered the east
