Archive

  • Barron and Nelson out for Pool

    BELEAGUERED Hartlepool United will be without two first-choice defenders at the weekend. Micky Barron is suspended for the vital trip to Rotherham after his red card in last weekend's pitiful defeat to Blackpool, and central defender Micky Nelson is also

  • A lesson to be learnt

    WHILE controversy continues to rage over proposals to incorporate a successful school in his own constituency into a privately-funded academy, Tony Blair faces a mounting crisis over his national policy on school reforms. We have no doubt that the Prime

  • Architect praises academy setting

    AN architect hired by the Church of England has praised the preferred site of Darlington's proposed education academy. The academy, which is being sponsored by the church, would combine Hurworth and Eastbourne Schools on one site, off Yarm Road. Mike

  • Smart team aims to get whole town going green

    A RECYCLING team is to call at houses in the borough over the next six weeks to encourage people to go green. Waste SMART starts its programme in Hurworth, visiting people at home to tell them more about the recycling facilities in Darlington. Waste SMART

  • Leisure centre plans are revealed

    PLANS for the multi-million revamp of a town's leisure facility have been unveiled. The facelift for Darlington's Dolphin Centre, which will get under way next week, represents the most significant refurbishment since the venue opened in 1982. The work

  • Grant brings centre closer to getting cafe

    A YOUTH cafe and drop-in centre look likely to open in Teesdale after receiving a £60,000 grant. The YMCA Barnard Castle District was awarded the grant from the Northern Rock Foundation. In March, redevelopment work is expected to start on the centre,

  • Marra swims off into the great blue yonder

    Marine rescue experts yesterday saved a dolphin which had been trapped in a marina for almost a month. Animal medics lifted the two-metre-long bottlenose dolphin from Maryport harbour, Cumbria, before it was released back into the sea almost a mile from

  • Don't bank on the moral high ground

    The Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Ebrahim Sheibani, has recently been quoted stating that his country is moving billions of dollars of its money out of the European Union to limit the impact of any economic sanctions that may be brought following

  • Campaign group formed to fight for second-home rights

    THE threat of Government penalties on second home owners in the UK has led to the formation of a campaign group to fight for their rights. Retired businessman Paul Rouse has launched the Association of Second Home Owners to provide a voice for the thousands

  • Andrew blames RFU for Premiership's ugly rugby

    ROB Andrew, once tipped for high office at Twickenham, launched a stinging attack on the RFU after Saturday's Guinness Premiership debacle at Kingston Park. It took a moment of magic from Mathew Tait midway through the second half to lift the game out

  • Victory Roll ready to defy top weight

    TOP-WEIGHT may not be sufficient to prevent Victory Roll (4.00) storming home in Folkestone's Eastwell Manor Handicap Chase. Emma Lavelle's ten-year-old was crocked for the whole of last season, but any lingering signs of injury were completely dispelled

  • Police hunt organisers of painting racket

    Detectives are hunting members of an organised racket who are targeting residents across the region in a money-making scam. Police believe groups of immigrants from Eastern Europe are being transported to different areas around the North-East and dropped

  • Firefighters rescue Treacle from a sticky situation

    TREACLE the Jack Russell did not realise just what thin ice he was skating on when he ventured on to a frozen pond. The tenacious terrier ran on to the ice-covered pond at Quarrington Hill, in east Durham, yesterday morning following a night of sub-zero

  • 'Effective' criminal justice system

    CONFIDENCE is growing in the region's criminal justice system, according to new figures. A report by the National Criminal Justice Board also reveals that the number of ineffective trials - hearings that are aborted or put back - continues to fall. Figures

  • Kyle takes little joy from first-team return

    A BRUTALLY frank Kevin Kyle has admitted Saturday's return from an 18-month injury lay-off was a disaster from start to finish. The Scotland international had feared he might never play football again after a failed hip operation left him in agony over

  • Trading website puts accent on dealing with neighbours

    A WEBSITE aiming to rival eBay has launched in the Tees Valley enabling users to buy and sell almost anything. The site - www.buytees. co.uk - has been set up for people in the Teesside area to trade goods easily and quickly, without having to pay an

  • Boro unable to lift the spirits

    GIVEN the seven days or so that have gone by in the life of Middlesbrough Football Club, it is appropriate that studies have found the fourth week in January to be the most depressing week of the year. A home defeat to Wigan and sensational remarks made

  • Richard Ryan

    LAW firm Watson Burton has made two appointments. Employment lawyer RICHARD RYAN , 27, joins from Thompsons Solicitors, in Newcastle, where he has worked since completing his training with Olswang solicitors. He has experience of tribunals and all aspects

  • Ken Hawley

    KEN HAWLEY has been appointed managing director of building and architectural firm the LHL Group. He is the founder of Hawley and Partners, of Leeds and Doncaster, which merged with Lightly and Lightly, in York, to form the LHL Group last month. As the

  • Collins questions mettle of Boro's foreign legion

    SUNDERLAND'S Danny Collins has turned up the heat ahead of tonight's Tyne-Tees derby by suggesting Middlesbrough's highly-paid foreigners may not have the mettle for a relegation scrap. The Black Cats, rooted to the bottom and some 13 points adrift of

  • Charlie is no featherweight when it comes to quizzes

    A CHIRPY canary has proved he's no bird brain by beating more than 400 humans in a charity quiz - on cricket. Cheeky Charlie left organisers stumped when they rang to say he had won the £50 prize money after correctly answering an impressive nine out

  • Out of this world opportunity for pupils

    INTEREST in Earth and space rocketed this week at a Darlington school when students were given the opportunity to handle a piece of space history. Rare samples of moon rock and lunar dust arrived at Polam Hall Junior School, in Darlington for a flying

  • Plea from groups to help ban smoking

    ANTI-SMOKING campaigners are urging people to back a campaign for public places in Darlington to become smoke free. MPs are expected to vote next month on a ban in pubs and restaurants. Exemptions have been proposed which would see smoking continue in

  • Orchestras link up to aid charities

    TWO orchestras combined their talents to lay on one of the biggest concerts to be held in Darlington for many years. Darlington Orchestra, conducted by David Plews, joined the Cobweb Orchestra, under conductor Andy Jackson, for the Mayor's Charity Concert

  • Regeneration initiative is in the running for awards

    A MULTI-MILLION pound regeneration initiative has been shortlisted for a national award. The plan is designed to redevelop the Parkfield and Mill Lane areas of Stockton - which could see up to £40m invested in housing and the community. Focusing on housing

  • Buildings to be demolished to provide access to station

    CONTROVERSIAL plans to demolish a row of buildings as part of a £16m scheme to reinvent a market town have been given the final go-ahead. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has confirmed a compulsory purchase order on three buildings in Stanley's

  • Walking challenge offers prizes

    IMPROVED health is not the only benefit facing walkers in Wear Valley - there are prizes to be had too. Following the launch of the Wear Walking for Health 10,000 steps-a-day challenge last autumn, people who have completed their personal record cards

  • Park Star and Silk to land double for Shaw

    Derek Shaw, who has sent out a steady flow of winners this year, can boost his tally by taking both divisions of the No 5p Rule 4s At Betdirect Fillies Handicap over six furlongs at Wolverhampton this afternoon. The best bet of the day looks to be Shaw's

  • No deadline transfers for McClaren

    A FRUSTRATED Steve McClaren last night pulled the plug on three deadline-day loan deals after chairman Steve Gibson refused to spend his way out of Middlesbrough's current crisis. McClaren, who is struggling to name 16 fit players for this evening's North-East

  • Objections overruled as mast approved

    PLANS for an 18-metre mobile phone mast in north Durham have been approved, despite public opposition. Derwentside District Council gave the go-ahead for Vodaphone to install the aerial and radio equipment at Unit G1, Park Road, on the North Industrial

  • Pub's Full Monty to support hospice

    A PUB landlord and some of his regulars are preparing to bare all to raise money for charity. Arthur Readman, host of the Black Diamond, in Delves Lane, Consett, and six customers will do their own version of the Full Monty at 9.30pm on Thursday, February

  • Latest plan for £2m school may be given the go-ahead

    PLANS for the £2m relocation of a primary school could be given the go-ahead finally after a blueprint was drawn up for land next to the present site. An application for St Cuthbert's RCVA Primary School, in Crook, was withdrawn more than a year ago after

  • Tourism industry to grow, says boss

    THE chief executive of Yorkshire Tourist Board (YTB) says the county will earn a greater share of the tourism market in coming years. In his annual report, David Andrews said the priority for the industry was to provide quality for visitors. The report

  • Nurses unveil strategy to improve patient care

    NURSES from across north Durham have met to unveil a strategy to improve nursing services across their area. The event, at the Mountjoy Research Centre in Durham, was organised by the Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust (PCT). The strategy

  • More involvement in planning process

    A COUNCIL is examining ways that more people can have a say in the planning process. Derwentside District Council has drawn up a draft statement looking at how the area will change over the next few years, including how planning applications are considered

  • Degree for publican turned policeman

    A FORMER pub landlord is a master of detection - and has the paperwork to prove it. Michael Wall, who used to pull pints at the Yorkshire Dragon pub, on Teesside, has just been awarded a Master's degree in criminal investigation to go with an earlier

  • Saving lives in the community

    A TEN-MONTH-OLD puppy was abandoned by his owners just days before Christmas. Fortunately, the animal found shelter with County Durham greyhound rescuer Angela Taylor, and is now looking for a loving family home. Known as Joe, the dog is a Whippet/Saluki

  • Campaign to make home a safe haven

    POLICE and firefighters are taking to the streets to urge people to improve security and safety in their homes. An advertising trailer is to be towed through the streets of Teesside, promoting home fire safety checks and encouraging people to lock their

  • Healthy eating is on the menu as women cook up a storm

    A COOKBOOK has been published with recipes from local residents on how to eat healthily. Grace Isaac Obed has led the way in healthy eating by compiling the guide - made up of recipes from fellow residents in the Parkfield and Mill Lane community. Included

  • 30/01/06

    KIDNAP THREAT : Re the disgraceful intentions of a radical militant section within the Fathers for Justice pressure group indicating they were preparing an audacious attempt to kidnap Tony Blair's son Leo. While my sympathies are with the Blair family

  • Jaw-jaw about war-war

    OK, so here's another Tuesday column that will probably go down like a lead balloon. I feel I have to say something more about the Middle East. Friends here in London read this column on the Echo's website and they're always asking me not to write about

  • Pushing the planet to the limit

    As a report warns that the pace of climate change could be faster than previously thought, Nick Morrison looks at the latest thinking on what global warming means - and why it won't see us basking in year-round sunshine IT was a year of seemingly endless

  • Success of regional food market standing out

    The region's food and drink sector is growing at between five and ten per cent a year - with the success of farmer's markets a good sign for the rest of the industry. Frances Griss reports THE number of farmers' markets in the region is a good indicator

  • Logan relishes Quakers' revival

    Carlos Logan bounded out of the dressing room fresh from playing a major role in Darlington's latest win and declared Quakers could yet win automatic promotion this season. Had Logan said that at the beginning of last month, the claim would have been

  • Unrest on and off the pitch

    HARTLEPOOL United's players and management were involved in a dressing room bust-up at Victoria Park on Saturday. Following the 3-0 reverse by Blackpool, raised voices were heard coming from the home dressing room as players and staff tried to restore

  • Hodgson bucks the trend as Quakers turn on the style

    NO sooner had Darlington earned their biggest win of the season, than David Hodgson was swapping his tracksuit for a tuxedo as he headed up the A1 to attend a sportsman's dinner in Newcastle. The North-East is not a happy place for managers at the moment

  • 'Major benefits will be lost' with reduction in wardens

    UNION officials have raised concerns over plans to change the community warden service. Unison, in Stockton, has written to every borough councillor over fears that residents will suffer when the number of wardens is cut from 32 to 20 on April 1, despite

  • Filtronic invests £4m - but no extra staff

    MOBILE phone equipment maker Filtronic said it was investing a further £4m at its County Durham factory this year - despite revealing that half-year losses had more than doubled. Filtronic also surprised the City yesterday by announcing the resignation

  • Cup draw favours N-E pair

    UNDER-FIRE Graeme Souness and Steve McClaren last night revealed their satisfaction after being handed favourable draws in the FA Cup fifth round for both Newcastle United and Middlesbrough. The North-East's two remaining clubs in the competition have

  • Can I get help with the cost of research and development?

    STEWART DAVIES, chairman of Darlington Football Club and a senior partner in Haines Watts National Insolvency Practice, has 25 years experience of helping people in financial difficulties resulting from trading problems Q) My business conducts inhouse

  • Family rivals get down to business

    A COMPETITION to encourage entrepreneurs of the future has led to battle lines being drawn in one County Durham household. Ian Storer, director of Corepeople Recruitment in Durham City, is acting as a mentor to one of the schools in the competition -

  • Binman dies in freak accident

    A council binman has died in a freak accident when he was run over by his own truck. The vehicle and three of the crew were collecting waste when John Moffatt, 51, walked to the front of the truck. It then rolled forward, trapping him under it. Mr Moffatt

  • 'It takes nerve to keep spending when you are losing billions'

    TOYOTA is the most impatient of car manufacturers. It simply is not satisfied with second best. That's why it constantly redefines its targets and sets new standards by which it will measure success. The most recent target must have sent a chill down

  • Tourism industry to grow, says boss

    THE chief executive of Yorkshire Tourist Board (YTB) says the county will earn a greater share of the tourism market in coming years. In his annual report, David Andrews said the priority for the industry was to provide quality for visitors. The report

  • Probe into reports of hounds savaging a fox

    POLICE and the RSPCA have launched a joint investigation after a fox was allegedly torn apart by hounds at the edge of a busy main road at the weekend. A member of the public reported to police that a fox was being killed by hounds near to the A684 on

  • Ali Forrest

    Reflex Vehicle Solutions, of Stockton, Teesside, has appointed ALI FORREST to manage its business adminstration. The former PA to the Bishop of Durham will be responsible for stock control for the van hire company. Her other roles have included PA to

  • Tour sights of the North from your desktop

    people around the world are experiencing the breathtaking beauty of the North-East thanks to a technology company's web project. North Shields-based The Virtual Tour Group has created 20 interactive virtual tours, which showcase some of Northumberland

  • Ex-prisoner robs bookies just to get back into jail

    A RECENTLY-RELEASED prisoner carried out a robbery at a betting shop because he wanted to return to jail, a court was told. Martin Kilpatrick, 43, achieved his aim when he was locked up for at least three years and six months. Durham Crown Court heard

  • Family lose everything in blaze

    DOZENS of neighbours rallied round yesterday to help a farming family who lost all their possessions in a fire that destroyed their remote home. Robert and Wendy Scott, both 38, were left with only the clothes they stood up in after the blaze gutted their

  • 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

  • Family escape from house fire

    A family of eight narrowly escaped with their lives today when their home was engulfed in flames. Gary Griffiths and partner Julie Scott say they are just happy to be alive after their house in Chester Walk, Colburn, North Yorkshire, was destroyed by

  • Broken lift turns home into "prison cell"

    A DISABLED man last night described his home as a "prison cell" after a broken lift trapped him inside for three weeks. Terry Waldon has been stranded in his second floor flat since the lift failed on January 13. And despite calls to owners Coast and

  • Honour proves a point for care team

    A NORTH-EAST team which uses acupuncture to ease distressing symptoms has been named runner-up in a national award. Each year, the Prince of Wales Foundation of Integrated Medicine scours the country to find the best complementary health team. This year

  • Lisa Moore

    LISA MOORE has been appointed marketing assistant at investment management firm Wise Speke. She joined the firm, which employs 300 people in its Teesside and Newcastle offices, in 1999 after graduating from Northumbria University in marketing and business

  • Chinese plan to make Rovers 'is on the brink of collapse'

    THE curse on the British motor industry goes on. After winning the bidding war for the remains of MG Rover, the company's new Chinese masters are finding it hard going. The Nanjing Automobile Group (NAG) stunned the business world when its bid for the

  • Multiplex may call MP as a witness

    ALAN Milburn may be called as a High Court witness in the dispute over the sacking of North-East construction workers from the Wembley stadium project. The Australian contractor, Multiplex, is ready to sub-poena the Darlington MP to question him about

  • Darlington's best proves not quite good enough

    DARLINGTON produced what player-coach Craig Lee described as their best 40 minutes of rugby during his time with the club, but were unable to sustain it at home to National Three North leaders Nuneaton. A 10-3 half-time lead became a 16-10 defeat against

  • Bath kidnap victim tells story in TV reconstruction

    Television viewers will tonight hear how a little girl remembered vital safety advice from her mum when she was being driven round in a car by a man who had abducted from her home. The six-year-old, who was taken from the bath of her home in Willington

  • Building a career in the legal profession

    Construction lawyer VINAY PATEL has joined law firm Jacksons from the GXI Group legal team in London. He will be working with the Teesside law firm's commercial property and commercial litigation teams. Mr Patel graduated in law from Brunel University

  • Jill Wheeler

    THE North-East Employer Coalition, which creates job opportunities for disadvantaged people, has appointed JILL WHEELER as its Jobcentre Plus project manager. She will carry out policy and research work. Ms Wheeler, from Sunderland, previously worked

  • Louise Doran

    LOUISE DORAN, from Sunderland, has joined Young Enterprise North East to help recruit volunteers from businesses. After working in the legal and recruitment professions, the 24-year-old decided to make the move to business relations manager at education

  • Pool hit a new low on day of real Victoria Park misery

    SO where do Hartlepool United go from here? If Saturday is anything to go by, the bottom of League One for starters, followed by League Two to follow next season. There's no doubt the season that promised so much hit the nadir as Blackpool, in the bottom

  • Firefighters reject plans for single 999 centre

    FIREFIGHTERS in the North-East have massively rejected plans for a single fire control centre to handle all 999 emergency calls. In a poll conducted by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), 86 per cent of firefighters said the Government should halt the project

  • Burglars broke into supermarket

    POLICE are appealing for information after a village supermarket was targeted by burglars yesterday. The Co-op store, in Willington's Commercial Street, was broken into by thieves at about 2.30am, when the burglars forced their way in through a fire door

  • Looking for school memories

    A SCHOOL is seeking nostalgic memories from former pupils and staff as it prepares for an amalgamation next term. Dene Valley Primary School is to join forces with Eldon Lane Primary School in September, with the current building likely to be demolished

  • Multiplex may call MP as a witness

    ALAN Milburn may be called as a High Court witness in the dispute over the sacking of North-East construction workers from the Wembley stadium project. The Australian contractor, Multiplex, is ready to sub-poena the Darlington MP to question him about

  • Six arrests as officers probe £250,000 vehicle theft scam

    DETECTIVES investigating an elaborate £250,000 vehicle theft scam across the region have arrested six people. About 60 officers carried out a series of raids on homes in Hartlepool town centre yesterday morning in connection with more than 35 incidents

  • Solicitor who used wills cash struck off

    A SOLICITOR has been struck off for borrowing tens of thousands of pounds from the estates of deceased clients. A Law Society disciplinary tribunal found Adrian Gerard Donkin, a solicitor for 30 years, acted dishonestly by misusing money from customers

  • Running scared

    A Briton whose wife and baby daughter were victims of a bizarre killing could also be in danger, it emerged yesterday. Police in the US believe that former York University student Neil Entwistle may be "running scared" of whoever killed his American wife

  • Sodje puts an end to rumours

    Striker Akpo Sodje has denied he is about to leave Darlington and has reiterated his desire to win promotion with the club. With manager David Hodgson working hard to bring in new players before the transfer window closes at midnight tomorrow, there has

  • Mayor makes appeal

    A MAYOR is appealing to villagers to help children suffering from the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the poor economic situation in Belarus. Councillor Maxine Robinson, the Mayor of Sedgefield, is supporting Chernobyl Children Life Line

  • Villagers prepare for second battle over windfarm plans

    VILLAGERS are bracing themselves for another battle, after a planning application for an £8m windfarm on the hillside above their homes was lodged. Residents of Sunniside and Stanley Crook are to protest against the plans for four wind turbines, announced

  • Brass band invites new players

    A BRASS band is appealing for new members. Ripon City Band hopes to fill various positions, including principal cornet and percussion. Band leaders say they would welcome new mem-bers or past members who would like to return. The band has recently been

  • Crackdown aims to reduce motorbike casualties

    MOTORISTS are being targeted in a Government campaign to keep motorcyclists safe on the roads. Adverts will appear on television screens and on radio stations encouraging drivers to take a longer look for bikes. In 2004, 14 motorcyclists died and 188

  • Children forge links around the world through initiative

    CHILDREN in North Yorkshire are making friends around the world thanks to an education programme. Schools in the county are encouraged to form partnerships with those in other countries. Education chiefs say the partnerships give pupils an understanding

  • Another armed robbery in town

    ANOTHER Darlington off- licence store has been robbed at knifepoint - two weeks after three others were raided. Four shops and a takeaway have now been attacked by men carrying knives, since January 14. The latest incident took place at Olympic Mini Stores

  • Pupils receive gold badges

    FORMER pupils from Yarm School have recently returned to collect their gold Duke of Edinburgh Award badges. The 18 pupils have worked on a variety of challenges in order to complete the award, which they started at the school. Susie Power spent her time

  • We did not kill fox, says hunt

    HUNT masters said yesterday they had no involvement in the death of a fox at the weekend. A spokeswoman for the Hurworth Hunt, based at West Rounton, in North Yorkshire, confirmed they were in the area, but said they were only trail hunting and exercising

  • Football team to represent county

    A GIRLS' football team is celebrating after becoming county champions. Coxhoe Girls Under-11s beat stiff competition at the Soccerena in Durham to take the County Durham title. Winners from across the region met to decide who would represent the county

  • Dales transport project wins European award

    AN environmental project to encourage sustainable travel and tourism in the Yorkshire Dales has won a European award. It was judged best at "promoting ecologically-sound travel and tourism" by the Austrian government, which has just taken up presidency

  • Businesses meet to share tourism ideas

    BUSINESSES hoping for a summer tourism boom will gather to promote their attractions. Wear Valley District Council is hosting a Tourism Information Distribution Day, at Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland. The event offers the chance for tourism-related

  • Children to perform dragon dance

    A COUNCIL will celebrate Chinese New Year in style with the help of 20 children. The pupils from the reception class at Ouston Primary School will parade through the Chester-le-Street Civic Mall at 11am today. They will be wearing traditional Chinese

  • Rewards for volunteers on estates

    VOLUNTEERS who have given their time to clean up their estates have been rewarded. Robert Blair, from Seaham, and Fred Patterson and Brenda McWilliam, both from Peterlee, were each presented with a £25 shopping voucher for their efforts to improve the

  • Public forums will focus on transport

    TRANSPORT problems facing Hartlepool and proposed solutions are to be discussed at a series of public meetings this week. The forums are part of an ongoing process to develop the town's second local transport plan (LTP). There will be a public question

  • Council has one of the best websites

    A COUNCIL has won national recognition for having one of the best planning web pages. In the third annual Government survey, commissioned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the plaudit was won by Chester-le-Street District Council. With this

  • Shildon's fine went up from £3 to £5 in 18 years

    A THROWBACK, as it were, the year's first column recalled how Shildon football fans had stoned the referee - a house brick missing him "by the lower fraction of an inch" - after a match in 1909 against Hartlepools United. The poor chap had to be rescued

  • Partner charged with murder

    THE partner of North-East mother-of-two Sharon McShane was last night charged with her murder. Kevin Robert Ashdown, 44, of Bramall Lane, Red Hall estate, Darlington, is due to appear before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe today. He was arrested on Thursday

  • Beacon status beckoning council

    A COUNCIL is one step closer to gaining national recognition. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has completed the final leg of its journey for Beacon status, which recognises and rewards innovative and exemplary teaching and learning practice. It is

  • Neighbours rally round farming family after fire

    Dozens of neighbours have rallied round to help a farming family who lost all their possessions in a fire which destroyed their remote home. Robert and Wendy Scott, both 38, were left with only the clothes they stood up in after the blaze gutted their

  • Burton's Bytes

    SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS ; Publisher: Sony ; Format: PS2 ; price: £39.99 ; Family friendly? 12+ - LET'S not beat about the bush here: Shadow of the Colossus is a remarkable achievement on the PS2. Like its criminally under-rated predecessor Ico, Shadow

  • We must heed the warnings

    FOR most people, the consequences of climate change are dismissed as being so far in the future that it's not worth losing sleep over. But yesterday's report, entitled Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change, is another wake-up call to the world that it cannot

  • Chance to give a dog a home

    AN ambulance service has rolled out a flagship first responder scheme on a Durham housing estate. Community first responder Martin Gillie has been trained to use an automatic defibrillator, which can provide vital treatment in the minutes before an ambulance

  • Archaeology club seeks new members

    A CLUB for junior archaeologists is appealing for new members. Richmondshire Young Archaeologists' Club will hold its first meeting of 2006 at Richmondshire Museum, in Richmond, on Saturday, from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Members will be looking at archaeological

  • Government joins push to cut motorbike death toll

    A MAJOR effort is being launched to reduce the number of motorcyclists killed on the roads of North Yorkshire. Concerted efforts by both police and the county's road safety officers has helped to bikers' death toll in recent years. Now the Government

  • Theatre chief to say great farewell

    A WEEK-long celebration of Harrogate takes centre stage at the town's theatre shortly as a thank you to audiences from departing artistic director Hannah Chissick. After three years at the Oxford Street playhouse, she is leaving to pursue freelance challenges

  • Trio attacked man they had spent a night drinking with

    THREE youths turned on a man they had been drinking with earlier, robbing him of cash, property and his training shoes. Two of the assailants, 20-year-old Thomas Wales and Andrew Greener, 21, were last night behind bars after both admitted taking part

  • McCarthy angry at Cat's capitulation

    THE FA Cup has a habit of throwing up surprises and, at Griffin Park on Saturday, the oldest cup competition in the world duly produced another. Premiership Sunderland, who came to close to beating champions Chelsea earlier this month, were humbled at

  • McCarthy reads riot act ahead of derby

    MICK McCARTHY shunned his Sunderland players after Saturday's humiliating FA Cup exit but has now told them exactly what he thinks ahead of tonight's date with Middlesbrough. When Boro travel to the Stadium of Light the fixture represents a meeting between

  • Midwife revealed love rival's secret abortion

    A NURSE'S career is in ruins after she ended a four-year affair with a patient - and blurted out confidential details of her love rival's secret abortion. Jane Harmer told her former lover that his partner had undergone the abortion 19 years earlier and

  • Christina Carlsson

    PERSIMMON Homes has appointed a sales and marketing trainee at its Teesside office. Having just left Newcastle University, 23-year-old architecture graduate Christina Carlsson lives in Newcastle, but is originally from Sweden. She said: "I've always been

  • Fulham close in on Jimmy

    JIMMY-Floyd Hasselbaink could become a Fulham player within the next 48 hours as the closure of the transfer window approaches. The Middlesbrough striker's opening goal in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Coventry City may yet prove to be his final strike for

  • Eighth place leaves Storm ahead of Els and Singh

    GRAEME STORM was last night plotting his assault on the money-spinning Dubai Desert Classic after finishing ahead of Ernie Els and Vijay Singh in the Qatar Masters. Storm, perfectly placed going into the weekend's play after two steady rounds, claimed

  • Man's body found near scene of accident

    A Police investagation has been launched after a man's body was found near the scene of a car accident. The body of a 40-year-old man, who has not yet been named, was found in the early hours of Tuesday morning in what police are describing as 'suspicious

  • Lyn Ayrton

    LYN AYRTON moves from Gordons, in Leeds, and will be based in Watson Burton's offices in Newcastle and Leeds. She has more than 15 years' experience in complex and high-value divorce and separation settlements.

  • Frozen pitch foils Quakers boss

    DAVID HODGSON'S hopes of adding to his squad before tonight's transfer deadline were yesterday thwarted by a frozen pitch. Hodgson had arranged a behind-closed-doors friendly with Scunthorpe at the 96.6 TFM Arena to assess five trialists. But, after heavy

  • Midwife revealed love rival's secret abortion

    A NURSE'S career is in ruins after she ended a four-year affair with a patient - and blurted out confidential details of her love rival's secret abortion. Jane Harmer told her former lover that his partner had undergone the abortion 19 years earlier and

  • Winter of discontent abates for a while for boss Souness

    "NOW is the winter of our discontent," reflected Richard III in the opening lines of Shakespeare's historical play. These words could easily reflect the current feeling of Newcastle manager Graeme Souness regarding his uneasy tenure on the St James' Park

  • Car goes wrong way on the A66

    MOTORISTS were forced to take evasive action when a driver headed the wrong way down 18 miles of dual carriageway, police have said. Cleveland Police were alerted about the manner in which a Black Proton car was being driven, via 999 calls made by passers-by

  • Bedsearch company ready to launch its own dotcom boom

    Over the next 12 months, online accomodation provider Bedsearcher will go global, pushing up annual booking sales from £4m to an estimated £40m. Deputy Business Editor Kate Bowman reports on the bid to become the biggest dotcom in the region. JIM Mann

  • Michelle and Dave move into top gear with Williamson Motors

    WILLIAMSON Motors in Hartlepool, Teesside, has recruited vehicle technician DAVE WILLIAMS and sales administrator MICHELLE KING. Mr Williams has worked for Holloway and Jennings dealerships in Hartlepool and Sunderland, as commercial workshop foreman

  • Architects invited to submit plans for £6m visitor centre

    ARCHITECTS are being invited to come up with designs for a £6m visitor centre at a museum. The winning design will replace the entrance to the award-winning Beamish Museum, in County Durham, which celebrates the region's coal-mining heritage. It will

  • Joust the job

    By day, Katie Williams teaches people how to drive. But in her spare time, she likes nothing more than to charge at men on horseback, lance levelled at them. Lindsay Jennings meets Lady Katie. "I'M just looking for the other part of his costume, I haven't

  • 31/01/06

    COUNCIL TAX: Durham's Labour MP (Echo, Jan 18) comments that there is absolutely no reason the council tax bills of her constituents should rise excessively this year - remarks targeted only at the Liberal Democrat run city council. I should remind her

  • Final bids handed in to run £18m Business Link contract

    THE final bids for an £18m contract to manage a region-wide business support service were received yesterday. The Business Link network is undergoing a complete overhaul to become a region-wide rather than sub-regional service, and regional development

  • Cummins job boost as orders increase

    CUMMINS is to create 25 jobs as engine production at its North-East plant is stepped up to meet a growing number of orders. The jobs boost came as the international group announced record sales figures for 2005 of $9.9bn (£5.595bn), up 18 per cent on

  • Council chiefs hopeful of land for £12m pool

    COUNCILLORS and officials are confident they can reach a deal to secure the land for a £12m swimming pool and sports hall in Durham City. Liberal Democrat-run Dur- ham City Council has earmarked part of Durham Sixth Form College's playing fields, in Providence

  • NHS deal latest coup for team of law experts

    LAW firm Dickinson Dees has landed a major NHS contract to advise a Midlands hospital trust on a public- private partnership. Dickinson Dees, the largest law firm in the North-East, will work with Mid-Staffordshire General Hospitals Trust on a £6m capital

  • Parents' prayers for liver op baby

    THE parents of an eight-month baby girl are waiting for a phone call that could save her life. Michelle Greene and Gavin Ross, both aged 20, from Darlington, are praying that a liver donor can be found for daughter Tegan. They have also been encouraged

  • Motorists avoid car on wrong side of carriageway

    MOTORISTS were forced to swerve and take evasive action when a rogue driver drove the wrong way down 18 miles of dual carriageway. Cleveland Police headquarters were first alerted about the erratic manner in which a Black Proton car was being driven,