SERVICES provided in Darlington to help young offenders stay away from crime have been ranked among the top 15 in the country. An audit report has marked the borough council's youth offending service against national standards set by the Home Office.
A FRAIL pensioner was tricked out of her savings by two bogus builders who charged almost £18,000 to replace six fence panels and paint a few bricks. The fraud has disgusted police, who last night labelled the two thieves as scum. They told how the bogus
VISITORS will be able to trace the religious history of a hillside village, tour a prison, visit a courthouse and even get a bird's eye view of their towns as hundreds of venues open free of charge. Mount Grace Priory, near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire
EDUCATION Secretary Ruth Kelly visited the region yesterday to see a programme that aims to reverse the North-East brain drain. Every year, the region loses thousands of young people who head south in search of better jobs and more money. Aspire is a
PEOPLE are being invited to take a trip into Durham City's heritage and history with a pint. Tonight, a free tour of four of the city's oldest pubs is being held. The tour will start at the Half Moon, New Elvet, at 7pm, and will visit the Dun Cow, in
A FIREFIGHTER'S cancer scare led him to enlist colleagues to join him in a fundraising charity walk. Eddie Cooper, 36, is leading a team of firefighters and support staff from the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service's Barmston Mere Training Centre,
A 14-YEAR-OLD girl ran away from home to live with a 21-year-old man, a court was told. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said Luke Granger had pestered her to have sex - even turning up at her school. Teesside Crown Court was told they
A PLAN to drill for oil and gas at Dalby Forest has run into opposition from neighbouring farmers. Viking UK, based at East Knapton, Malton, wants to sink an exploratory borehole next to the disused gas valve compound on common land at Ebberston, the
Bradford-born Anthony McGrath completed 1,000 first class runs for the first time in his career as Yorkshire took charge against Worcestershire at Headingley yesterday. McGrath wasted little time in scoring the 24 he required to reach the milestone and
PATIENTS in the Langbaurgh area are full of praise for the standards of local healthcare, ranking it number one in the country, according to a national survey. The Healthcare Commission's Annual Patients' Survey has revealed that 99 per cent of the 415
AN innovative service to tackle menopausal symptoms experienced by women and men after cancer treatment has been shortlisted for a national award. Auricular acupuncture involves inserting ten tiny needles at specific points in the ears to help with such
A MOTORIST has been charged with three counts of causing death by dangerous driving. Michael Logan, 26, of Dacre Gardens, Consett, County Durham, will appear at the town's magistrates' court next Thursday. He is accused of causing a car crash in which
THE woman who has helped millions of Britons learn how to boil an egg is back with the definitive guide to her first love - baking. After sifting through her vast archives, Delia Smith has come up with The Delia Collection: Baking, which brings together
ENGINEERING services group Amec is launching a recruitment drive to fill hundreds of jobs across the UK. The industrial division, which has its headquarters in Darlington, has won a string of lucrative contracts this year. It is recruiting people for
SUNDERLAND striker Chris Brown is expected to complete a loan move to Hull City tomorrow morning. Championship leaders Sheffield United have also been competing for the 20-year-old's signature but, while the Blades already boast a healthy contingent of
The feelgood factor was in evidence again in the City yesterday as the FTSE 100 Index edged towards a key milestone. Positive results from the likes of BAE Systems and Dixons heralded fresh gains for the index as it moved within striking distance of a
A BESOTTED husband who fell in love with another woman and could not take no for an answer was banned from contacting her for five years yesterday. Neighbours said Mohammed Afsar went to the house where she lived and pleaded through the windows for her
A GROUP for people with back pain is moving to a more central location to accommodate its growing membership. Having been up and running for nearly a year, the Teesside branch of Action on Pain continues to expand, with good attendance at most meetings
CUTTING edge 3D special effects will take centre stage at a North-East theatre when Bogglevision premieres in the UK. The new technology, dubbed an "interactive theatre system", is set to dissolve the boundaries between stage and audience when it brings
Lambourn trainer Brian Meehan enjoyed a bumper pay-day when he saddled Johnny The Fish to win the £300,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes at Doncaster, writes TATTENHAM. Not only did he land the first prize of £174,350 for owners the Second Pheasant Inn Partnership
A RUSSIAN boat was boarded by coastguard officers who suspected its captain was drunk. Russian skipper Vladimir Varypayev, 46, was seized by police when he sailed his unseaworthy ship into Blyth, Northumberland. Police and coastguard officials boarded
BARRING an absolute calamity in the last two games, Durham will be promoted in the totesport League if they beat Yorkshire at Headingley on Sunday. Derbyshire's win against Leicestershire on Tuesday night left the Grace Road team two points behind Durham
THE families of two young women trapped in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina said they were overjoyed after the pair arrived home unannounced. Flatmates Josie Baines and Alex Cowan, both 22, had just started a round-the-world trip when they arrived
The UK's biggest coal producer placed further uncertainty over jobs yesterday by announcing plans to mothball its second deep mine this year. UK Coal said the site at Rossington, near Doncaster, would suffer the same fate as its nearby Harworth mine,
ENGINEERING services group Amec is launching a recruitment drive to fill hundreds of jobs across the UK. The industrial division, which has its headquarters in Darlington, has won a string of lucrative contracts this year. It is recruiting people for
THIS month's Seve Trophy has been stripped of a number of its leading lights after five players confirmed they would not be competing in the tournament. Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald have told Colin Montgomerie they will not be available
Darlington manager David Hodgson has a selection dilemma ahead of Saturday's trip to Mansfield, with Shelton Martis admitting he would prefer to stay in central defence. After starting the season at right-back, the Dutchman's solid display in the centre
England plumbed new depths of embarrassment as their World Cup qualification hopes took a battering in Belfast, with David Healy firing Northern Ireland to perhaps the greatest victory in their history. Sven-Goran Eriksson claimed his side could compete
A broken seat bracket on a small aircraft could have caused the crash which killed the pilot, accident investigators say. Dave Chaplin, 61, died when his gyroplane crashed in woodland near the White Horse monument, at Kilburn, North Yorkshire, in December
A Newcastle man serving life for the "ferocious" knife murder of a 12-year-old girl in her own bedroom must serve at least 13 years behind bars before being considered for parole, a top judge ruled today. Ronald Pattinson was just 18 when he was convicted
While England struggle to decide whether Durham's Paul Collingwood or Lancashire's James Anderson should come into the XI for today's Ashes decider, Australia received a much-needed boost with first-choice new ball bowler Glenn McGrath declared fit to
Having already bagged both the Northumberland Plate and Ebor, two of the richest handicaps in Europe, Sergeant Cecil (3.35) now bids to add the £100,000 Doncaster Cup to his impressive 2005 haul. Trainer Rod Millman's handling of the six-year-old this
The popularity of credit cards is declining, as consumers increasingly favour using cash or their debit cards. Debit card usage reached record levels during 2004, to account for more than two-thirds of all plastic transactions, as consumers used the cards
BAE Systems unveiled better-than-expected half-year profits yesterday. The group, which employs about 900 people in the region, posted a 20.4 per cent rise in underlying earnings to £566m, higher than the £507m forecast by City analysts ahead of the results
The largest nail bar chain in the world is opening its third outlet in the North-East. The nails inc chain already has two sites within the House of Fraser and Debenhams stores in the MetroCentre, Gateshead, and is set to open its first city centre site
BROADCASTER ITV posted a 60 per cent hike in first-half profits to £205m, despite falling advertising revenues at its flagship ITV1 channel. The group, which produces shows such as Coronation Street and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!, said advertising
CAMPAIGNERS battling to save a town's swimming pool have devised an action plan. The Shildon Community Pool Group held its first meeting at the Resthouse in Hackworth Park, in the town, on Tuesday night where committee members revealed they were determined
A ROAD is to be designated as a quiet lane if a proposal is approved by councillors. Durham County Council wants to give the status to Pontop Pike Lane, near Annfield Plain, Stanley, as part of a pilot scheme. Quiet lanes are minor rural roads appropriate
PEOPLE are being invited to take a trip into Durham's heritage and history - with a pint in their hand. Tonight, a free tour of four of the city's oldest pubs is being held as part of the Heritage Open Days programme. "It isn't a pub crawl, it is a tour
A WEAPON-WIELDING man and his step-son launched a savage attack on their defenceless victim after he reprimanded a teenager for fooling around in a snooker hall, a court heard. The assault on Neil Honeyman was described as unwarranted and vicious by prosecuting
PLANS to build a village primary school are expected to be approved next week. An application for outline planning permission has been submitted for the school at Low Lane, Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe, near Thirsk. Governors say the present school,
A DETECTIVE who spent four years supporting the family of murdered student Sara Cameron throughout the investigation was honoured last night. Detective Constable Vicky Corner was awarded the High Sheriff's Cup by Northumbria Police. She was recognised
A WIDE range of buildings will open to the public in Darlington. One of the most popular tours is of Darlington Clock Tower. Because of safety restrictions, only a few people are allowed. This year, places were taken within ten minutes of becoming available
THE devastated grandmother of a "little angel" who drowned in a garden pond has described the moment she disappeared. Carol Randall, 46, of Brotton, east Cleveland, told how 15-month-old Katie drowned after she went missing for only a few minutes. The
FUNDING has been secured for a £15m sports and leisure centre in a North Yorkshire town. The complex planned for Catterick Garrison will include two swimming pools and an indoor sports hall. It will also have a fitness suite, squash courts, a library
A CHEESE-ROLLING competition will be held this weekend in a town celebrating 850 years of market trading. Everyone is invited to roll giant, fake cheeses down a hill in Richmond on Saturday. The event is one of several being staged to celebrate the granting
A MAN is recovering in hospital after jumping nearly 35ft from a multi-storey car park. The 45-year-old, from the Sheffield area, sustained a broken heel and bruising to his back in East Street, Darlington, yesterday. Police said the man had been depressed
A COMMUNITY newspaper preparing to launch is looking for volunteers to help bring news to the Ayresome area of Middlesbrough. Ayresome Community Enterprise (ACE) is looking to develop the paper to keep residents abreast of changes that affect them. ACE
EMMERDALE stars will be in action at a celebrity cricket match this weekend. Lorraine Chase, who plays Steph, and Chris Chittell (Eric Pollard) will be in the soap stars' team at Swinton Park, near Masham, North Yorkshire. There will also be a bouncy
PLANS have been put forward for the £8m restoration of a North theatre. Owner Harrogate Borough Council has applied to extend and alter the North Yorkshire town's Royal Hall, as well as for permission to restore the Grade II* listed theatre. The building
JULIAN Elliott can vividly remember the very first child he saw as an educational psychologist. It was a boy who had a range of learning difficulties. He also remembers the first thing the boy's mother said to him as he began his appraisal of her son.
THE country's first National Postcode Lottery winners were celebrating in the streets of a North-East town last night. Mary Burnip, 28, of Second Avenue, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was the lucky winner of the first prize of £25,000. Susan Ritchie
THE pride and the passion with which Natasha Richardson talks about her latest role is as obvious as the looks and voice that clearly identify her as one of the Redgrave acting clan. She refers to the movie in question, Asylum, as "a minor miracle", reflecting
She insulted the heir to the throne's organic jam and chatted openly about William and Harry's love lives. But Princess Michael of Kent's latest indiscretions are likely to be treated sympathetically by her high-ranking relatives, according to royal watchers
ENGLAND'S footballers slipped to a humiliating defeat in Northern Ireland last night. The World Cup qualifying game ended in a 1-0 win for the hosts, a result that will pile the pressure on England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson and increase calls for his
A bakery is set to rise from the ashes of a major unsolved fire which gutted its production base. Peters Cathedral Bakers was forced to transfer production to a disused food factory in Peterlee, east Durham, following the blaze which destroyed its long-standing
JOURNEY WOES: EARLIER this year and for many years before, the Arriva bus service 723 ran from Darlington to Newcastle and the journey time was less than two hours. This service now terminates at Durham. A new timetable effective from July 31 indicates
FUEL protestors last night stood by their ultimatum to repeat their blockade of oil refineries as petrol prices continued to hit motorists. As motorists were warned to brace themselves for queues at filling stations because of panic buying, fuel price
A HOUSING charity says 5,500 North-East children could remain in sub-standard housing unless 5,000 homes are built over the next six years. Shelter says the situation could get worse unless £38m worth of social-rented homes are built in the region. In
THE North coast is to become a haven for sharks that are caught for their fins -the key ingredient in an unusual soup. Tope sharks swim off the region's coast and have been caught to sell to the Far East to create shark fin soup. The dish is considered
HARTLEPOOL United will today discover the extent of Adam Boyd's knee injury, when the striker goes under the knife. The Pool striker hobbled off in Saturday's defeat to Yeovil after a clash with keeper Chris Weale and is facing a mininum of six weeks
DOORSTEP conmen are a menace to society. They prey on the old and the weak and their callousness knows no bounds. The fraudsters who stole the savings of a frail 84-year-old woman in Stockton are among the worst we have come across. They truly are the
FUEL protestors last night stood by their ultimatum to repeat their blockade of oil refineries as petrol prices continued to hit motorists. As motorists were warned to brace themselves for queues at filling stations because of panic buying, fuel price
A FRAIL pensioner was tricked out of her savings by two bogus builders who charged almost £18,000 to replace six fence panels and paint a few bricks. The fraud has disgusted police, who last night labelled the two thieves as scum. They told how the bogus
MORE than 60 companies in the North-East have applied for a Queen's Award before the deadline of October 31. Thirty companies from Northumberland and Tyneside have applied, 14 from County Durham, 15 from Hartlepool and four from Sunderland. But officials
A PET food manufacturer in North Yorkshire has seen turnover increase 60 per cent to £12m in the last year. Wagg Foods, in Thirsk, which sells dry dog and small animal food to stores across the UK, puts its success down to more than £4m worth of investment
JULIAN Elliott can vividly remember the very first child he saw as an educational psychologist. It was a boy who had a range of learning difficulties. He also remembers the first thing the boy's mother said to him as he began his appraisal of her son.
UNTIL this summer, I'd have put watching cricket on a par with going on one of those excruciatingly dull MetroCentre expeditions which dads have to endure occasionally just to show willing. Cricket, like shopping, was something which seemed to go on for
