Archive

  • Ice cream war is hotting up

    A WATER company is prosecuting the UK's largest ice cream manufacturer in a battle over alleged pollution. But Richmond Ice Cream, based at Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, has claimed its expansion plans are under threat because of a lack of investment

  • Knitting pretty

    It was once the preserve of grannies, but thanks to celebrities such as Madonna andJulia Roberts, knitting has now shed its nerdy image. Sarah Foster talks to two young women who are passionate about the pastime. WHEN Hollywood bad boy Russell Crowe swapped

  • Minister visits windfarm project on 'green' tour

    ENVIRONMENT Minister Elliot Morley toured the North-East yesterday to see how businesses, local authorities, transport authorities and communities are setting the standard for sustainable living and working. Mr Morley's visit was part of a national tour

  • Nissan hits the right Note with new model

    PRODUCTION of a new model began yesterday at the region's record-breaking Nissan car factory, creating 200 jobs and safeguarding hundreds more. The Wearside plant started production of the Note well ahead of the official "on sale" date in March. The first

  • Bidding war looms

    INVESTORS in Standard Chartered were in the money yesterday after takeover speculation sparked a rush for shares in the emerging markets bank. Standard was the highest riser on the FTSE 100 Index, with gains of as much as nine per cent after a weekend

  • Council criticised for lack of spending control

    A town council has promised to spend residents' money more wisely after facing fierce criticism over its handling of public funds. Thornaby Town Council, which last year had to pay out £45,000 in an employment tribunal, was severely criticised by auditors

  • Margins 'squeezed' by rising costs

    MANUFACTURERS charged customers less for their goods last month despite a record surge in the cost of raw materials, figures showed yesterday. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said higher fuel and crude oil prices meant companies' input costs

  • Anger after man in fatal accident has ban reduced

    A DISTRAUGHT father is planning to take civil action after a lorry driver involved in a fatal accident had his sentence cut on appeal. Alan Tott broke down and cried last night after seeing Dutch driver Huig Ouwehand have his fine for careless driving

  • Time for a move to prime city site

    COMMERCIAL law firm Robert Muckle is moving into the heart of one of the region's city centre office developments. The practice is taking over three floors of the seven-storey Time Central development, in Gallowgate, Newcastle, putting it at the centre

  • Shrek flexes his muscles

    SHREK SUPER SLAM, Published by: Activision, Formats: PS2, X Box, Game Cube, Price: £25.99: Family friendly? 12+ THE loveable ogre with a foul temper and a big-mouthed donkey for a best friend returns to the consoles once more. Shrek transcends normal

  • Simon Craven

    BUS and train group Arriva has appointed SIMON CRAVEN as director of communications. Mr Craven has been director of strategic communications at BT, where he has worked in a number of senior roles since 1998. He started in his new role on January 3, and

  • Henman out but far from down

    Tim Henman insists he was not shocked by his Australian Open first-round defeat by Dmitry Tursunov as he continues to recover from an injury-disrupted 2005. After falling behind in the opening set Henman recovered to take the lead, but Tursunov dominated

  • Kasper blow for Quakers

    DARLINGTON'S goalkeeping jinx has struck again after Kasper Schmeichel returned to Manchester City yesterday nursing an ankle injury. In a freak accident, the 19-year-old Dane, who made his debut in Saturday's 2-1 win over Peterborough, turned awkwardly

  • On TV last night

    Northern Lights (ITV1) Medical Investigation (five) THERE'S no formula for screen chemistry, it either happens or it doesn't. And it doesn't just apply to romantic pairings. Robson Green and Mark Benton have got it in Northern Lights, making this comedy-drama

  • Man who lived on chips and toast died from malnutrition

    A PICKY eater who refused to have anything but chips, buttered toast and baked beans died of malnutrition. Jobless Scott Martin's poor diet damaged his liver so badly he ended up needing a transplant, his sister said. The 20-year-old Manchester United

  • Burton's Bytes

    SHREK SUPER SLAM Published by: Activision Formats: PS2, X Box, Game Cube Price: £25.99 Family friendly? 12+ THE loveable ogre with a foul temper and a big-mouthed donkey for a best friend returns to the consoles once more. Shrek transcends normal boundaries

  • How do we know our children are safe?

    Revelations that sex offenders have been given clearance to carry on teaching have shocked parents and threatened a Cabinet minister's career. Nick Morrison looks at calls for reassurance that children are not being put at risk. IT started slowly, with

  • Mallon hits out at Blair over crime

    RAY MALLON, the former police chief whose zero tolerance approach earned him the nickname Robocop, has launched an attack on Tony Blair's Respect Agenda. The former Middlesbrough police superintendent accused the Government of paying lip service to tackling

  • Building a new career in the law

    MIKE PLEWS has been promoted to associate at law firm Robert Muckle. He was a chartered civil engineer before becoming a lawyer and leads the construction team at Robert Muckle. He has spent 22 years in the construction industry, having worked on major

  • Andrew Coney

    A London hotelier has swapped the bright lights of the capital for the rolling hills of Northumberland after being appointed general manager of De Vere Slaley Hall. ANDREW CONEY has given up his job running the De Vere Cavendish hotel in the heart of

  • Wine in the Wynd ready for a good start

    A SHOP selling a range of wines and cheeses is to open in one of the region's upmarket towns. Victoria Grief, from Middlesbrough, will launch Blueberries, in Yarm, in early February and has plans to open a second store in the region. After working in

  • Confirmation of role for RAF Leeming

    Uuncertainty over the future of one of the region's major military bases has ended with confirmation that it will stay open. As hoped, RAF Leeming is to become part of a major new communications hub once its roles as a front-line fighter base is over.

  • Bidding war looms

    INVESTORS in Standard Chartered were in the money yesterday after takeover speculation sparked a rush for shares in the emerging markets bank. Standard was the highest riser on the FTSE 100 Index, with gains of as much as nine per cent after a weekend

  • Village school vandalised

    A HEADTEACHER appealed for information yesterday after her village primary school was attacked. Vandals smashed 23 window panes and one window frame over the course of two nights at Ramshaw Primary School, near Barnard Castle, causing more than £1,000

  • Thieves try to steal stones from church

    THIEVES have targeted a village church for a second time - in an attempt to steal the path through the churchyard. Sandstone flags from the 45ft path at Holy Trinity Church, in Acaster Malbis, near York, were stolen in 1999 and had to be replaced at a

  • Football team is dressed for success

    A SCHOOL football team is kitted out for success after receiving a strip from a local firm. Woodhouse Close Junior School's football side take on nearby schools on a regular basis, but after so much wear and tear, their old kits needed replacing. PM Plumbing

  • A safe start at school

    THOUSANDS of children on Teesside are being given a safe start to their school life with a free safety pack. Launched by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's road safety team, it is part of an ongoing scheme which targets more then 2,500 reception children

  • Change of name for town's market

    A DARLINGTON market will change its name next month after 29 years in business. Darlington WI Market will become Darlington Country Market on February 6. The name change was legally required after the WI movement gained charitable status, and all of the

  • School hosts parents' meeting

    PARENTS of children at primary schools which feed into Hurworth School are being invited to an information session on the school's plans. Governors at the school want to expand to take 900 pupils and apply for foundation status from the Government. This

  • Games site plan goes ahead despite residents' concerns

    A SCHEME to transform a small village play area into a multi-purpose games site has been given the go-ahead, despite concerns from nearby residents. The plans to redevelop land at the rear of High Terrace, in Roddymoor, will see a floodlit area suitable

  • Pub campaign group taking case to High Court

    RESIDENTS fighting the closure of a village pub are to take their case to the High Court. The Save the White Horse campaign group has started preparing a High Court case to seek a judicial review against Darlington Borough Council's decision making processes

  • Breach of conduct probe as council's dispute worsens

    FIVE North Yorkshire councillors are being investigated over alleged breaches of their code and conduct. The investigation is the latest chapter of a increasingly bitter dispute at Richmondshire District Council. It follows a complaint to the Standards

  • Improvement plan goes on exhibition

    WORK to improve the appearance of a village will be exhibited tomorrow. Designs are being drawn up to improve Front Street, in the village of Witton Gilbert, near Durham City, and an exhibition showing the plans is to be staged in the village primary

  • Demolition of 61 houses in £7.4m regeneration scheme

    WORK on a multi-million pound scheme to breathe new life into a former pit village has started with the demolition of 61 rundown houses. Empty homes in Nicholas Street and Downs Lane, in the Eppleton area of Hetton-le-Hole, are being knocked down to make

  • Chelsea the launchpad for Cats' fightback, Whitehead

    DEAN Whitehead has urged his Sunderland team-mates to use Sunday's 2-1 defeat to champions elect Chelsea as the springboard for a second-half-of-the-season fightback. Arjen Robben's deflected winner condemned the Black Cats to their 17th Premiership defeat

  • Group for disabled seeking helpers

    A NEW-formed service giving a voice to County Durham's disabled residents is appealing for volunteers. An advocacy service being launched by Spiral Skills will help involve disabled people in decisions affecting their lives. Volunteers known as Citizen

  • Eating Owt: Catered for on the cool side

    THE bar was well filled, standing room only, the blaze in the hearth so magnificent that, had the village fire brigade been turned out, they'd have summoned reinforcements from half way across the county, if only to stand there and admire it. The restaurant

  • Northern Lights shine ever brighter

    For decades, North-East talent sought film fame in London and Hollywood. Today, the region has its own thriving industry. John Dean reports. IT was an event that illustrated not only the cultural importance of film industry, but also its growing economic

  • 'Man had killed brother'

    A MAN found stabbed to death in his home at the weekend had served a jail sentence over the killing of his brother. It is understood that victim Ronald Leckenby, 45, was released last year after serving four-and-a half years for the stabbing of his brother

  • Praise for youths who have transformed village image

    YOUNGSTERS in a village once plagued by anti-social behaviour have won glowing praise for making determined efforts to clean up their image. Middleton St George parish council recently announced that it was keen to work alongside local children, in a

  • Liver op baby progressing after infection

    NORTH-East liver transplant baby Lennox Nicholson is making progress in his fight to overcome a chest infection. The five-month-old, of Oak Road, Guisborough, east Cleveland, has been receiving antibiotics and oxygen after developing bronchiolitis, which

  • Football collection stolen in house raid

    A COLLECTION of football memorabilia as well as electronic equipment and jewellery, worth about £12,000, has been stolen from a home in the region. Items including a framed Newcastle United home shirt signed by the current side, a Toon calendar autographed

  • Keep 'ag tag' homes for local people

    A WATCHDOG claims there is deliberate flouting of the planning system over the sale of restricted occupancy homes. Harrogate Civic Society believes properties given planning consent for sole use by people involved in agriculture or forestry should not

  • Work has improved rural area

    Environmental work has been carried out in the past year as a result of schemes pioneered by the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Project in North Yorkshire. Paul Jackson, project manager for the scheme in Hovingham, said 1.7km

  • Cattle helping protect native wildlife

    A HERD of cattle from a hilltop farm in the region is grazing its way across the nation in the interests of a series of conservation projects. The Gilmonby Herd of Belted Galloway, owned by Paul Coppen of White Close Hill, Gilmonby, near Bowes, County

  • Course helps Stewart into apprenticeship

    A TEENAGER from Middlesbrough is well on his way to joining the next generation of auf wiedersehn brickies, thanks to a tailor-made support scheme. Stewart Aziz, from the town's Park End estate, is receiving on-the-job apprentice training, after completing

  • 'Heartless' thieves make off with new play equipment

    THIEVES have been condemned for stealing from children on Teesside. Playtime at the Grangetown Children's Centre has been ruined after a heavy wooden playhouse and a wooden boat were stolen, shortly after they were installed. The equipment was put in

  • Woodland setting for alternate energy

    A LEAFY woodland park in Billingham is to be the unlikely setting for a new sustainable energy project. Stockton Borough Council plans to install a wind turbine and light-activated panels at the Cowpen Bewley woodland park. The project will begin in the

  • Man who lived on chips and toast died from malnutrition

    A PICKY eater who refused to have anything but chips, buttered toast and baked beans died of malnutrition. Jobless Scott Martin's poor diet damaged his liver so badly he ended up needing a transplant, his sister said. The 20-year-old Manchester United

  • Firm invents 'green' packaging

    A company in the region has devised a new type of recyclable packaging. GM Packaging, in North Shields, North Tyneside, makes the packing from natural ingredients, such as starch. The resin cups and containers function and look as if made from oil-based

  • Sunley should Shine for Powell at Fontwell

    CONDITIONS appear near ideal for Sunley Shines (3.10) to record a second course and distance victory at Fontwell this afternoon. With no racing in the north, we must go south in search of winners and Brendan Powell's six-year-old represents a perfect

  • Contracts signed for research facility

    CONTRACTS have been signed to bring a research facility to the region that could secure jobs in the chemicals industry. A national industrial biotechnology facility is being set up at the Wilton chemical complex, on Teesside. Its work will be vital to

  • Changing practices to reduce pollution

    THEY are among the most far-reaching regulations ever introduced in the British countryside, and they will change the way farmers have operated for centuries. The new UK agricultural waste regulations are designed to reduce pollution on farms by banning

  • Is it the last gasp for final salary pensions?

    The recent decision by the Co-operative Group to close its final salary pension scheme, following the decision by Rentokil Initial to do likewise only a couple of weeks earlier, has proved to be an early New Year wake-up call for employees and trade unions

  • Baby-faced tearaway named and shamed by magistrates

    A BABY-FACED tearaway who is regularly drunk is being named and shamed in the North-East community where dozens of residents have suffered from his antics. John Ashley Kinsella, 12, was made the subject of a three-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo

  • Pool in race for Dean

    HARTLEPOOL United face competition for striker Dean McDonald. Pool last week lodged a £75,000 bid for the Ipswich frontman who spent a month on loan at Victoria Park earlier in the season. But Blackpool and Boston are both interested in his services after

  • Bath kidnap girl 'repeatedly sexually abused'

    A paedophile who snatched a six-year-old girl from her bath repeatedly sexually abused her while he drove her around in his car, a senior detective said today. The ''brave'' victim has given specially-trained officers more in-depth interviews since her

  • Father and son apply for costs

    A COUNCIL may have to pay thousands in costs after a father and son won their two-year planning battle to start a free-range poultry business. Bill Spry and his son, Steven, applied for permission to build a bird shed and temporary building on their 127

  • European law could consign squatter's

    Squatters' rights have for a long time supported the adage that possession is nine-tenths of the law. Someone who is not the legal owner of a piece of land can become so by possessing it for a specified period, usually 12 years. Such adverse possession

  • Company websites are breaking the law

    MORE than 80 per cent of businesses could be facing prosecution for having websites that are inaccessible to disabled people. Websites, as well as buildings, have to be accessible to disabled people, under laws that came into force last year. If they

  • 'Forget the South, let's focus on the world'

    The regional director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) talks to Business Editor Julia Breen about the issues facing businesses in the region. Sarah Green wasted little time returning to work after the birth of her daughter in 2004. From

  • Pension victory for transexual worker

    TRANSEXUALS could soon win more rights when it comes to claiming state pensions. The Advocate General has given an opinion stating that the UK is in breach of EU law after hearing the case of transsexual Sarah Richards. Ms Richards underwent gender reconstruction

  • MP calls for town to retain its own primary care trust

    FORMER Health Secretary Alan Milburn has delivered a plea for Darlington to retain its own primary care trust (PCT). Mr Milburn, who set up a national network of PCTs when he was Secretary of State for Health, strongly criticised merger plans, which could

  • Benefits cheat claimed £31,000

    A BENEFITS cheat who falsely claimed more than £31,000 in income support could lose her home as a result of a court ruling. Mother-of-three Karen Brown admitted making a false benefit claim - by failing to declare that her circumstances had changed as

  • Richard Hall

    Business Link is leading a drive to help businesses in County Durham be more inventive by appointing RICHARD HALL as innovation specialist, providing an innovation and technology advisory service that will encourage businesses of all sizes and types to

  • Sunley should Shine for Powell at Fontwell

    CONDITIONS appear near ideal for Sunley Shines (3.10) to record a second course and distance victory at Fontwell this afternoon. With no racing in the north, we must go south in search of winners and Brendan Powell's six-year-old represents a perfect

  • Benefit cuts to target disabled

    SICK and disabled people will have their benefits slashed if they fail to attend job interviews under a crackdown signalled yesterday. Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton said he was determined to tackle the soaring bill for incapacity benefit by

  • New Year is the best time to go headhunting

    Stewart Davies is best known as chairman of Darlington Football Club. But he is also a senior partner in Haines Watts National Insolvency Practice and has been advising businesses and individuals on financial matters for 25 years - his speciality is helping

  • Pagebet headquarters move to create 75 jobs

    BOOKMAKER Pagebet plans to create 75 jobs as it moves to new £1.5m headquarters. In the past two weeks, the company has opened three betting shops, taking its total to 51, and has also changed its name from Reuben Page to Pagebet. Its new headquarters

  • The day Gordon gaveth

    Gordon "Overtax and Overspend" Brown has suggested that we do proper honour to the Union flag and institute a National Day, like Independence Day in the US and Bastille Day in France. This is the best idea to come out of New Labour in all the nine years

  • Lookers expected to bid for Vardy

    CAR dealer Lookers is expected to make an offer for rival Reg Vardy this week, sparking a possible bidding war with Pendragon. The Manchester company is considering a bid of about 850p a share, valuing Reg Vardy, of Sunderland, at £480m. The move could

  • Andrew Lindsay

    ANDREW LINDSAY, a partner at York commercial law firm Denison Till, has been appointed to lead an international body involved with mergers and acquisitions and promoting overseas trade. Mr Lindsay, who is head of the corporate department at Denison Till

  • Comment from The Northen Echo: A stick but no carrot?

    THE hard-working taxpayer invests £7.6bn a year in people claiming incapacity benefit. Understandably, the taxpayer wants to make sure that he gets good value for his money. He does not want to support people who have no intention of ever going back to

  • Weakening economy puts the skids under car manufacturers

    ANY hopes that the car industry may have had of a rapid turnaround in fortunes during the last quarter of 2005 have been dashed. Sales of new cars are falling at their fastest rate since 1994. Worse still, the biggest falls have been among private buyers

  • Study into future of town's markets

    CONSULTANTS have been called in to examine the future of market trading in a North-East town. Indoor and outdoor traders in Darlington have recently expressed concerns that their livelihoods could be at risk due to a slump in trade. They say the decline

  • Sales sparkle for jeweller

    A JEWELLER has reported a major growth in sales over Christmas compared to the same period last year. E DeWastney Jewellers, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said sales were up 50 per cent on the previous year, helped by strong sales in the three days

  • International chef opens restaurant

    Husband-and-wife team Neal and Fiona Bullock have opened a restaurant in the region. The couple have opened The Cook's Room, in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire. Mr Bullock said: "We've been searching for a suitable property since we returned to the area

  • Hospital scheme remains on track

    OFFICIALS have firmly rejected claims that a £300m hospital modernisation scheme in the North-East could be shelved. The private finance initiative (PFI) project in question is the ambitious plan to overhaul hospitals on Tyneside. As part of the proposal

  • Warnings ignored on sex suspect teachers

    THE Government has ignored warnings from North-East education officials about teachers thought to pose a risk to pupils, The Northern Echo can reveal. Over the past 15 years, education officials have urged the Department for Education and Skills (DfES

  • How the gym beat the taxman's bill

    A FITNESS centre for women is undergoing a revamp after securing a £40,000 VAT refund. Suzanne Brown's Lifespan Ladies Fitness business is investing in equipment at its clubs in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, and Washington, Wearside. The refurbishment

  • Arrests in Jenny Nicholl murder

    Police hunting for murdered teenager Jenny Nicholl have made two arrests. Detectives swooped on two houses in Miss Nicholl's home town of Richmond early this morning. They took away two men who are now being questioned. The houses have been sealed off

  • Contract win in Ireland for Amec

    ENGINEERING group Amec has won a multi-million pound contract to modify a coal-fired power station in Northern Ireland. Workers from Amec's industrial division, in Darlington, will carry out the project, along with consortium partner Alstom. The contract

  • 17/01/06

    GEORGE REYNOLDS: IT IS disgraceful that The Northern Echo allows Mike Amos to beat the sympathy drum for his old mate, the shamed tax cheat George Reynolds (Echo, Jan 11). Lamenting the three years in jail for Reynolds, Mr Amos says: "Many even now would

  • Actor visits young stars

    TV actor Derek Fowlds took time out from his own filming schedule to see some of the budding stars of tomorrow in action. The Heartbeat stalwart - he plays Oscar Blaketon - is the patron of the York School of Dance and Drama. The youngsters are about

  • Tributes for landlady

    TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular landlady who gave everyone in her village, children as well as adults, a treat every Christmas. Dorothy Hauxwell, who has died aged 65, ran the Bridgewater Arms, at Winston, near Barnard Castle, for 27 years, until

  • TV company marks growth

    A TELEVISION company has planted 50 trees in the Yorkshire Dales to mark its 50th anniversary. Actor Zoie Kennedy, who plays staff nurse Meryl Taylor in medical drama The Royal, helped plant the new woodland in Wharfedale. The native broadleaf trees were

  • Michael Lewis, Steven Ball, Chris Costello, Craig Sawdon

    Estate agency Reeds Rains has recruited four local graduates on the company's fast-track management scheme. As part of the six-month management training programme, the recruits will be based in one of Reeds Rains' branches in the region, to gain the practical

  • Volunteers recruited

    VOLUNTEERS for community projects are being recruited at a council office. Richmondshire Volunteer Centre is working from the district council's community office in Dundas Street, Richmond. Volunteer centre officer Alison Metcalfe said it will help raise

  • Late-night bus for revellers

    A FREE late-night bus service ferrying revellers home after a night out has been hailed a success. The service was one of a number of initiatives introduced in Scarborough over the Christmas and New Year period to create a safer night-time economy. And

  • Recycling centre to be blocked

    PROPOSALS for a recycling centre on the edge of Tow Law look likely to be blocked by planners. Brothers Ivan and Philip Anderson want to open a waste transfer station at Thornley Pit House Farm, which they say will create ten jobs. But officers at Durham

  • Chefs trained with the best

    COLLEGE students have been helping some of the best chefs in the country in a bid to win a national competition. The catering students from Darlington College acted as commis chefs during the contest to find the civic chef of the year. Contestants from

  • After 20 years, it's time for Catherine to put her feet up

    AFTER helping at a village playgroup and nursery school for more than 20 years, volunteer Catherine Finlinson is well-known to families in her home village of Hunwick. Until she retired last Friday, she was a regular fixture at the community centre where

  • Newcomers win top award for pub

    A COUPLE who gave up their jobs to run a pub are celebrating winning a top trade award. Ken and Noreen Harris, both 54, who took over The Rose Tree, in Shincliffe, near Durham City, in October 2004, scooped the Newcomer of the Year title for the Tyne

  • Souness suffers more injury woe

    NEWCASTLE UNITED'S injury-ravaged campaign took another turn for the worse yesterday with Graeme Souness confirming Stephen Carr aggravated his hernia problem at Fulham on Saturday. The full-back was making his second start after undergoing an operation

  • Action on compost

    HOUSEHOLDERS are being urged to take part in a scheme to turn their waste into garden compost this year. Durham County Council is working with Wrap, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, to supply compost bins for £4, including delivery. Councillor

  • Library to host reading the classics

    LIBRARY staff will be enjoying a good read this week and are hoping users will do the same. Staff at the Clayport Library, in Durham City, will read excerpts from favourite novels for visitors to enjoy as part of the award-winning library's work with

  • Invitation to retired people

    A GROUP that provides education and leisure opportunities for retired people will meet later this month. Dunelm University of the Third Age offers activities that include walking, digital photography, reading, card games, local history, theatre visits

  • Smokers take a deep breath as they prepare to quit

    A RECORD number of people turned up in Darlington on a single day to take their first important step to making their lives smoke-free. More than 120 people contacted Darlington Primary Care Trust's stop smoking service seeking help to kick the habit.

  • Hospital scheme remains on track

    OFFICIALS have firmly rejected claims that a £300m hospital modernisation scheme in the North-East could be shelved. The private finance initiative (PFI) project in question is the ambitious plan to overhaul hospitals on Tyneside. As part of the proposal

  • Council apologises after tax blunder puts people in the red

    A COUNCIL has apologised for a blunder which saw residents charged council tax several days early over the festive period, leaving some of them overdrawn. Wear Valley District Council's error saw several people go into the red when the money was accidentally

  • Larry Boulton

    TEESSIDE logistics company the Stiller Group has appointed LARRY BOULTON as group development director. Mr Boulton has experience of developing specialist supply chain solutions, having worked with blue-chip companies throughout the UK and Europe. Paul

  • Train for film industry

    VOLUNTEERS are wanted to keep a cinema running. Anyone interested in helping out at the Ritz Cinema, in Thirsk, can attend a training and information day from 2.30pm on Sunday. Michele I'Anson, secretary to the venue's management committee, said: "The

  • Awards to honour the best in sports

    SPORTING achievements by young people from schools and colleges across Teesside will be recognised at a ceremony tomorrow. Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren will present the awards at the 2006 Sports Council's sporting achievement awards for Teesside

  • Army reject conned recruits into performing 3am drill

    MILITARY chiefs were last night awaiting a report into how a teenage girl conned her way into three North-East Army barracks during an astonishing ten-day prank. The 17-year-old girl woke 30 young Paratrooper recruits at 3am and put them through drill

  • Thieves on wrecking spree at hospice shop

    THIEVES have wrecked a charity shop which raises money for the terminally ill. Staff at the Teesside Hospice charity shop, in Eston, near Redcar, east Cleveland, have been left sickened by the crime. The stolen stock - including baby clothing, Wedgwood

  • The drive begins - to create Europe's biggest golf course

    THINGS may not have quite gone to plan for Middlesbrough Football Club on the field at the weekend, but its off-the-field ambitions could soon become the talk of the sporting world. An astonishing scheme revealed last night would see the biggest golf

  • Monsoon swamped by unsold stock

    FASHION retailer Monsoon said tough trading conditions had left it with a glut of stock at the start of its winter sale. Monsoon, which also owns Accessorize, reported a five per cent increase in like-for-like sales for the six weeks to January 7, but

  • Ultimate planning to invest millions

    BAR and nightclub operator Ultimate Leisure has pledged to spend £4m on refurbishments despite issuing a profits warning at the end of last week. The Newcastle company, which operates 33 venues across the North-East, said trading over the festive period

  • Footsie offers investors many happy returns

    Happy New Year. It's been a happy start to 2006 so far, with the stock market having increased by two per cent already. Last year proved to be another good year for investors. The FTSE 100 rose by nearly 17 per cent in 2005, and if dividends from shares

  • Banners fly the flag for festival

    SPECIALLY-DESIGNED banners will remind visitors about a town's renowned festival. One of Stockton's main roundabouts has been transformed to acknowledge its International Riverside Festival. Six pairs of banners, celebrating the event as the UK's finest

  • No rest for McClaren during Boro crisis time

    SLEEPLESS Steve McClaren has admitted Middlesbrough currently find themselves in their biggest crisis since he took charge in 2001, and has demanded his players hold their nerve ahead of tonight's visit of non-League Nuneaton Borough. The Boro boss has

  • Town gets stuck into chewing gum battle

    A NORTH-EAST town is helping to front a new campaign to get the country out of a sticky situation. Twenty cities and towns, including Middlesbrough, have clubbed together to take a full page advert in a national newspaper to tackle the problem of discarded

  • New edition of legal text hits the shelves

    THE sixth edition of a legal text with advice on buying and selling companies has gone on sale. Regional lawyer Robert Thompson has edited Sinclair on Warranties and Indemnities on Share and Asset Sales. Mr Thompson, a partner at law firm Ward Hadaway

  • Where have all the single men gone?

    A DATING agency in the region is desperate seeking single men to balance its books. Lesley Brewer has launched a matchmaking service from her home near Malton, North Yorkshire, and is keen to attract new members. After working for a training organisation

  • Hotel's investment in people is recognised

    A round-up of awards in the North-East business community. Seaham Hall and Serenity Spa, in County Durham, has achieved Investors in People Accreditation. The award comes after a great year for accolades for the region's premier hotel and spa. Last year