LAST Sunday was a beautiful afternoon up on Barningham Moor. All Teesdale was spread out before us and the sun shone down on us from a brilliant blue sky streaked only by contrails. There were only a couple of tractors chugging along the quiet lanes of
MIDDLESBROUGH are to be reunited with controversial South American Emerson later this month after they were paired with Greek outfit FC Xanthi in the first round of the UEFA Cup. The Brazilian, whose Teesside career became marred by his vanishing acts
TWO men seen playing with replica machine guns in the street risked being shot dead by armed officers, police have warned. An armed response unit was dispatched after alarmed neighbours reported Paul Curson and Dane Johnson brandishing the guns, which
TOMMY MILLER admits Sunderland are coming to terms with the harsh reality that promising performances don't automatically mean vital survival points in the Premiership. The Black Cats have gradually improved with each display in the top-flight but have
A North-East gymnast aims to bring Olympic glory from the 2012 Games in London back to her home town. Hayley Robson's resolve to make the Great Britain Olympic squad was strengthened when the capital was chosen to host the Games. The 15-year-old was part
NORTH-EAST business leaders will host a high-powered delegation from the Far East next month. The group from Malaysia will tour the region to learn about the North-East and forge links with England. During the four-day stay, they will tour the North-East
DETECTIVES hunting the youth who attacked a ten-month-old baby have issued an e-fit picture of the suspect. Sarah Ali was left battered and bruised by a teenager who tried to snatch her from her pushchair in Borough Road, Middlesbrough, on Wednesday night
A LONG-awaited interchange on the A66 opened to traffic last night. A temporary roundabout will be removed, leaving a new road layout in the £7.6m scheme to provide access to the Middlehaven area of Middlesbrough. Worked started on the project last October
STEWART Downing insists he was never in any doubt where he wanted to play his football this season - despite speculation linking him with a move away from Middlesbrough in the summer. Spurs tested Boro's resolve to keep the player by making a formal offer
A CLIMBER from the North-East has had her left foot and part of her leg amputated after she survived an avalanche that swept her 4,000ft down a mountain in the Swiss Alps. Joanna Newton, 38, managed to dig herself out while her climbing partner, Steve
COUNCIL bosses have pledged to take action to prevent the decline of attractive rural settings. They made the pledge after councillors visited some of the most important countryside areas in the Darlington borough. Members of the authority's environment
STAFF at the centre of a long-running industrial dispute have agreed to strike for the third time in four months. Workers at Country Style Foods, in Stockton, plan to stage the 24-hour walkout next month after attempts to hold talks with company bosses
THE two additions to the new honours boards in Scarborough's dressing rooms yesterday were both South African, and could be seen as just reward for a season's impressive graft. Centuries and five-wicket hauls are recorded, and among those to feature most
A ROADSHOW designed to teach children about the dangers of trespassing on the railways has been hailed a big success. About 1,500 children took part in two days of activities No Messin' Live and organisers said they had been polite and well-behaved. No
A MOTHER who said she would never forgive herself for killing her 18-month-old daughter walked free from court yesterday. Fiona Milson, 33, was given a two-year rehabilitation order after the court heard her daughter ingested at least a teaspoon of the
FOOTBALL stars have signed up for a gruelling fitness task - to clock up a million miles of activity in ten weeks. The Million Miles challenge is a Sport England initiative and part of the Everyday Sport campaign, which aims to get people in the North-East
AN East Cleveland woman leapt to her death on Thursday in front of horrified onlookers. Police were already at the scene with relatives of the woman when she was seen to jump from Huntcliff, Saltburn, at about 2.45pm. The 51-year-old, who has not been
TWO town bands will unite for a joint concert next month. Spennymoor Town Band and the Tavistock Chester-le-Street Riverside Band will perform together at Spennymoor Town Hall, on Saturday, September 17. The concert will help the Chester-le-Street band
RESIDENTS and community leaders have criticised plans for a multi-million pound concert venue. Ripon Cathedral Choir School wants to build a 350-seat assembly hall, classrooms and houses. The development is expected to cost more than £9m. The hall would
A MASTERS student who struck out with a knife during a row with a friend has been spared jail. Abdul Lardhi, 41, plunged a kitchen knife into Brendan Connolly's leg after a night out ended in violence. Newcastle Crown Court heard the friends, who were
A CLIMBER from the North-East has had her left foot and part of her leg amputated after she survived an avalanche that swept her 4,000ft down a mountain in the Swiss Alps. Joanna Newton, 38, managed to dig herself out while her climbing partner, Steve
A SOLDIER who was kicked out of the army for his part in a street brawl was yesterday jailed for two-and-a-half years. Dean Thornton was found guilty of three counts of causing actual bodily harm, one of inflicting grievous bodily harm, assault and affray
Spennymoor Town Band and the Tavistock Chester-le-Street Riverside Band will unite for a concert at Spennymoor Town Hall, on Saturday, September 17. The concert will help musicians from the Chester-le-Street band relax before a performance at London's
A SEX offender has been told he faces jail if he fails to attend a course designed to cure his perverted behaviour. Anthony Young, 24, was yesterday spared prison by a judge who told him: "This is the last-chance saloon for you." Young, of Corporation
A DEVELOPING website speaks for itself - or itsoon will. Middlesbrough's largest housing landlord is launching its own website next month and tenants - and people round the world - will be able to log on and understand. In addition to English, Erimus
PENSIONERS in two former pit villages are to get advice on how to avoid falling prey to bogus-caller thieves. Age Concern Durham County and Durham Police are putting on two presentations, called Beat the Bogeyman, to warn people of the danger of criminals
BUTCHER Peter Buck ignored pricing advice from trading standards and then failed to act after a customer complained about the cost of lamb, a court heard yesterday Buck, of Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge, who has a shop in North Street, Ripon, was given
Bishop Auckland manager Brian Honour has told his players not to take anything for granted at Pontefract in the preliminary round of the FA Cup this afternoon. Bishops have flopped in the early rounds of the competition in recent seasons - they have lost
RECENT matches between Newcastle and Manchester United have tended to be heated affairs, so perhaps it is just as well that Graeme Souness last night claimed new signing Albert Luque was ready to "put his hand in the fire" for his new club. Souness' assessment
YOUNGSTERS who are vandalising a new youth shelter have been warned to use it or lose it. The shelter was built in Willington last summer to provide teenagers with a place to gather as part of a regeneration of the town's park, but instead the facility
FANS' favourite Lee Clark is relishing his second lease of life at St James' Park, but the Newcastle midfielder has admitted his emotional return to Tyneside has been a bittersweet experience. The 32-year-old ended an eight-year exile when he came off
THE price tag for air filtration company Domnick Hunter soared again last night after a second US bidder tabled an offer for the company. County Durham-based Hunter is now valued at £242m following the approach from electrical systems manufacturer Eaton
A Service to celebrate Northumbrian speech was well received - but wreaked havoc with the column's shorthand. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance" - Acts 2:4. THE Pentecost
The number of people waiting for an NHS operation in England has fallen to its lowest level in 17 years, the Government said yesterday. The Department of Health said that the total waiting list stood at 813,700 at the end of July - the lowest since data
TOURISM businesses across the region have reported an increase in visitors between April and June this year. The survey, conducted by regional development agency One NorthEast, has revealed an increase in trade for nearly half of tourism businesses compared
A DARLINGTON youth was abusive to paramedics as they tried to treat his unconscious girlfriend, a court was told. The 16-year-old had been drinking heavily and was shouting insults at the ambulance staff. The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons
Extra police patrols and round-the-clock speed checks will be operating over the weekend. The initiative, in North Yorkshire, is part of Operation Halter - the hard-line policy launched in 2003 in the face of rising motorcycle casualties. This year, there
A NIGHT-TIME Peeping Tom who peered at women in their homes has been banned from leaving his house after dark. Prowler Joseph Smith has also been barred from going near changing rooms after he spied on a schoolgirl as she got undressed at a swimming pool
ANDY WELSH has struck fear into Premiership full-backs and manager Mick McCarthy is looking for Sunderland's young forward Anthony Le Tallec to do the same. Welsh has been one of Sunderland's surprise packages on their return to the Premiership while
A girlie holiday in a log cabin in the Lake District proved to be a relaxing weekend away for Liz Lamb and her friends. NEVER having ventured to the Lakes, the opportunity to get away from it all was too good to miss. It was the first time we had all
THE estimate of economic growth between April and June was revised upwards yesterday following better-than-expected output in the manufacturing sector. It is now thought the UK economy grew by 0.5 per cent in the quarter and by 1.8 per cent on the same
A MOTHER who said she would never forgive herself for killing her 18-month-old daughter walked free from court yesterday. Fiona Milson, 33, was given a two-year rehabilitation order after the court heard her daughter ingested at least a teaspoon of the
JEAN CHARLES DE MENEZES NOW that the fog of spin is lifting, a true account of what led to the death of an innocent man at the hands of the police begins to emerge. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the sanitised version of events put out by the
RECENT matches between Newcastle and Manchester United have tended to be heated affairs, so perhaps it is just as well that Graeme Souness last night claimed new signing Albert Luque was ready to "put his hand in the fire" for his new club. Souness' assessment
YOUNGSTERS have been given an introduction to fishing as part of a national campaign to promote the sport. Twenty-six people attended a day at the Aldin Grange Fisheries at Bearpark, near Durham, yesterday as part of National Angling Week, sponsored by
MORE than two thousand cases of a dangerous new hospital bug have been reported at hospitals across the region. The first set of national statistics on clostridium difficile (C difficile) cases published yesterday suggests that the problem is far more
THE Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is appealing for North-East parents to take care of their children when they visit funfairs and theme parks over the bank holiday weekend. Since 2001, 320 children have been injured at fairs and amusement parks, frequently
YOUNG people are being given the skills to save lives thanks to a new course being run in North Yorkshire. Heartstart is co-ordinated by the British Heart Foundation and is being delivered by airmen from 609 Squadron RAF Leeming. Their latest three-hour
GAVIN Strachan can see the signs that Hartlepool United are getting back to normal. Pool go to Huddersfield this afternoon and, while they have yet to click into top gear, they travel to the Galpharm Stadium on the back of a four-game unbeaten stretch
Andrew Flintoff fulfilled the demand for another spectacular display of attacking strokeplay to become the catalyst for England's push for a crucial victory in the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. The Lancashire all-rounder has already emerged as a
ALLOTMENTS in a North-East town are to be relocated, to help make way for a £170m flagship development. Tees Valley Regeneration is creating hundreds of jobs by bringing offices, a hotel, conference centre and other facilities to the Haughton Road area
A RECRUITMENT day is being held in Derwentside to encourage people to consider a career in healthcare. It is being held at Consett Jobcentre Plus, Medomsley Road, Consett, on Friday, from 10am to 4pm. One of the UK's leading nursing and care agencies,
Judith Holder takes exception when people accuse her of being a Southerner. She'll point out that she was born in Birmingham, went to university in Leeds and now lives in Northumberland. "In a way being a Brummie gives you an inside view of the North-South
AN alcoholic who stole a bottle of champagne to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday was spared jail yesterday. David McCully, 35, made off from Costcutters, in Thorndale Road, Sunderland, with the bottle hidden inside his coat. Newcastle Crown Court heard
TABLE tennis champions from China have thrown down a challenge to players on Teesside. A team made up of some of that country's top seeds has been visiting Hartlepool and Middlesbrough to play some of the area's best players. Feng Liu, who reached the
MOTORCYCLE enthusiast Ted Hardwick has a dream he hopes other riders will help him fulfil. He has helped organise the past 23 Teesside Classic Bike Shows, in conjunction with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's events team. Mr Hardwick is a member
VISITORS to a Stockton museum can revisit schooldays of the past thanks to a new exhibition. The display, at the Green Dragon Museum, which runs from Saturday, September 3, until Saturday, November 19, is an archive of photographs and memorabilia from
NESTLED between two villages in north Durham lies Newfield Farm, where poultry is reared and wheat sways in the fields. The businesses have been established for decades on the eight-and-a-half hectare site between Pelton and Newfields, near Chester-le-Street
REGULARS at a pub in Evenwood rallied round to raise £1,500 for one of their friends who suffered an accident which confined him to a wheelchair. Ian Whillians, who lives in the village, suffered the injuries three months ago, which meant that he is unable
FAST-TRACK fashion students who gave up evenings and holidays to study for a GCSE a year early have been rewarded with top grades. The fashion-conscious girls were offered the chance to study for a GCSE in textile technology, even though it was not available
A garden at one of the region's stately homes will be hosting specialist growers from all over the region next month. The gardens, at Newby Hall, near Ripon, will be hosting a plant fair on September 4, from 10am to 4.30pm. As well as about 25 specialist
A PUB'S request to stay open until 3am has been rejected amid fears the move would increase anti-social behaviour. The Fleece Hotel, in Victoria Road, Richmond, applied to open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays and 2am on Thursdays. But district councillors
A COUNCIL official has won a top award for his work in building and development. Dale Rhodes, who lives in Huntington, near York, is a 28-year-old building control officer with the North Yorkshire Building Control Partnership. He has just won the Royal
FRIGHTENING facts about the region's Roman invaders entertained young visitors at a Roman fort yesterday. Children's author Terry Deary, best known for his Horrible Histories series, uncovered the truth about gory games, rotten recipes and other aspects
ANDY WELSH has struck fear into Premiership full-backs and manager Mick McCarthy is looking for Sunderland's young forward Anthony Le Tallec to do the same. Welsh has been one of Sunderland's surprise packages on their return to the Premiership while
After making his name in the provocative TV series Queer As Folk, Charlie Hunnam is now very selective about the roles he will accept. He tells Steve Pratt how he copes ith long perids of resting and how he plays poker to keep the wolf from the door.
FIVE North-East breast cancer survivors joined hands this week to launch a campaign for charity. The women are from Redcar's Living With Breast Cancer Support Group and are encouraging people to fundraise for Cancer Research UK. They stood outside the
Police hunting the killer of Rory Blackhall yesterday appealed for help in tracing five people, but they refused to confirm media reports that he was alive two days after his disappearance. The plea came as a result of Thursday's reconstruction of the
HEALTH bosses yesterday rubber-stamped a controversial report that could lead to a major hospitals shake-up. It means the hospital reorganisation plan drawn up by health expert Professor Ara Darzi will be put to the people of Teesside and Hartlepool without
David Hodgson has made under-performing striker Clyde Wijnhard an example to those who think their Darlington place is guaranteed this season. The Quakers boss has finally lost patience with Wijnhard, who is facing the prospect of sitting on the bench
WHEN Tottenham take on Chelsea at White Hart Lane this afternoon, one of the sides in action will be a London outfit awash with cash, hoarding the best of young English talent and already suffering the backlash of an unsuccessful attempt to keep every
