A POLICE plane was scrambled on Saturday night after reports that three armed had been seen at a farm in Hartlepool. Detective Sergeant Tony Green, of Hartlepool police, said: "It was believed these three males were in the vehicle relating to the quad
PUPILS are backing a headteacher who is going on the run to help a disabled children's charity. Tony Kemp, in charge at Tudhoe St Charles RC Primary, near Spennymoor, for the past ten years, is crossing the Atlantic next month to join thousands of runners
A TEACHER is working alongside one of her ex-pupils at a Darlington school. Judith Kent, 61, has been teaching for 41 years, and works at Abbey Junior School. The year four teacher recently got a new colleague in Fiona Chisman, who she taught at the school
A TOWN'S long-awaited proposals to create a permanent area for use by skateboarders have again had to be put on hold. Northallerton has been looking for a suitable site for a skateboard park for a number of years, but so far the search has been in vain
Neil Killeen bowled Durham to a one-run victory when he struck three times in the final over to shatter Derbyshire in a dramatic finale to the National League Division Two season at Derby. In gloomy light, Killeen bowled James Pyemont and century-making
A PHOTOGRAPHER'S bid to win a national competition has been thwarted - by a yawning ferret. Ex-police officer Bob Nunn, of Stockton, was the first person to get two pictures in the final 12 of the annual Radio Times calendar competition. But Mr Nunn's
FOOTBALL chairman George Reynolds has announced that building work is to begin immediately on Darlington's controversial multi-million pound football stadium after a deal was completed over the weekend. The agreement to hand over the cash for the Neasham
THE family of a child murder victim have revealed they are planning to sue Northumbria Police. The relatives of 11-year-old Wesley Neailey claim the force did not treat his disappearance seriously enough. They are also angered by comments allegedly made
SO tragic was the life of Paula Yates that news of her death at only 41 somehow came as no real surprise. The tone of her life was set in an depressing and unstable childhood, when she felt unloved and unwanted by the man she had been led to believe was
NEWCASTLE paid the price for Richard Arnold's indiscipline on Saturday. The Kiwi flanker now faces an automatic one-match ban under the totting-up procedure for receiving three yellow cards. Mike Tindall scored the solitary try of a scrappy match as Bath
The European Association of Ships in Bottles will hold its regional convention in the Sir William Gray Suite, at Hartlepool's Historic Quay, during the weekend of October 6. The organisers have invited anyone who is interested in ships in bottles to attend
You could feel the tension from the off, as Sunderland struggled to gain midfield possession and we had to work very hard to overcome Derby's frustrating tactics. Two quality goals ensured that the best team won. Kilbane showed what a deadly striker he
MATURE students at a North-East college have created an artistic tribute to their favourite football club. The artists from Stockton and Billingham College have painted an exhibition of pictures to be hung in the Willie Maddren centre at Middlesbrough
ONE of Britain's most renowned theatre groups is to make a return visit to North Yorkshire. The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) will be in Northallerton next spring, with their production of The Tempest. The visit, next March, will be fourth the RSC has
Brandon manager Kenny Lindoe admitted that his side's 3-2 victory at Chester-le-Street on Saturday was "tarnished". Brandon led 3-0 at one stage, but then Lindoe had to endure a nervous last 15 minutes as Chester fought back. "The win was tarnished,"
BUBBLES the pygmy goat won the praise of the judges - and the hearts of scores of children - at an agricultural show at the weekend. The tiny goat picked up the championship trophy at Eggleston Show, in Upper Teesdale, to add to the string of successes
THE streets of Darlington rocked yesterday as the Orange Rhythm and Brews 2000 Festival drew to a close. Bands from all over the region took to the stage at the town's market square for the final day of the festival. A series of free concerts was staged
A FILM which took a North-East woman nine years to make will be premiered in front of its star - world famous naturalist David Bellamy. When Dr Bellamy decided to write a film about mushrooms he looked to the North-East for someone to get his work on
TODAY The Northern Echo launches a great new competition which could net your local pub or club thousands of pounds for a good cause. The Northern Echo Pub and Club Community Challenge is a unique chance to involve the whole community in an easy to enter
A driver is feared to have suffered a punctured lung in a crash at a motor racing circuit yesterday. Nigel Corner was racing a 1960s Ferrari 246 Dino at the Goodwood Revival meeting, near Chichester, West Sussex, when he collided with another car. Mr
When Newcastle won 2-1 at The Dell in February 1972, who would have dreamed it would turn out to be their last league win at the stadium? Alan Shearer was only a year old, Britain had just voted to join the EEC and there was a fuel crisis - so at least
The death of The Dell cannot come soon enough for Newcastle's former Southampton striker Alan Shearer who will be happy to see the back of the ground where he began his career. The stadium will be demolished at the end of the season as the Saints move
CHILDREN on Teesside can look forward to a fun-filled future, thanks to two new playground developments. Work to build a play area in south Middlesbrough started with the cutting of the first sod. Meanwhile, just a few miles away in Hemlington, another
People are wanted to spare and hour or two to help County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted. The group is expanding its home visit service into Durham, Derwentside Chester-le-Street and Easington, and particularly wants to hear from people
SERVICES were held across the North-East yesterday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Pilots from the region were among The Few who held off the might of Hitler's Luftwaffe in 1940, and current and former airmen joined to remember
THE names of every Redcar resident killed in action since 1939 have been put on a new cenotaph in the town. The renovated cenotaph was unveiled and officially blessed at a service on Saturday. The work to the cenotaph was made possible by a host of donations
POLICE are searching for two drivers involved in separate road accidents in Cleveland. The first accident happened on Friday at 2.30pm when a 15-year-old boy lost control of his bike as a car swerved towards him. The boy, who has not been named, was riding
three points is three points. A performance which still didn't have promotion team written on it. The first half the Quakers seemed to have a full tank as Campbell scored a soup-er goal after a mix-up. The second half it seemed we ran out of fuel as chances
A TEENAGE soccer star given the boot by Newcastle United for drug abuse has made a desperate plea to restart his career. Anthony Parry - who was signed by England coach Kevin Keegan as a young trainee - said: "I'm desperate to get back into football,
RESIDENTS of Chester-le-Street can do their bit for the environment following the launch of a door-to-door paper recycling scheme. In a bid to meet Government targets of recycling 25 per cent of all household waste, Ches-ter-le-Street District Council
Wolviston went into second position, just three points behind Nissan, following a strong second-half performance which earned them a 3-0 victory at Whitburn in the Wearside League. The Wearsiders battled hard but once Wolviston broke the deadlock early
BLockade the Vic , hold a public inquiry, this was a scandal. Pools should have been 6-0 up before the Silkmen scored. Domination for 70 minutes, defence solid, chances created, Shilton scores wonder goal and then we sit back, start making substitutions
THE business of policing will be on the agenda when suspended cop Ray Mallon addresses a company meeting later in the month. Tees Valley Business Club has invited Detective Superintendent Mallon to speak at its next meeting to show its members' support
DARLINGTON Mowden Park, whose match at Macclesfield was postponed, should find out next Saturday who are likely to be their chief rivals in North Division One. That's when Blaydon entertain Chester, both having won their first two matches with Blaydon
LEADING veteran Sheila Allen was in record-breaking form as she completed a remarkable double hat-trick of victories in yesterday's Derwentside ten-mile road race. The 43-year-old Houghton and Peterlee Harrier, who first won the event in 1992, made it
LECTURERS and support staff facing compulsory job cuts at a North-East college are to stage a one-day strike. Bosses at Newcastle College are planning to cut 120 jobs and impose new contracts to save £3.3m. Classes are expected to be disrupted when about
MORE than 200 ramblers supporting the Government's right to roam bill held a rally in a remote North-East village yesterday. Members of the Rambling Association from all over the North converged on Blanchland, near Consett, County Durham, to give their
DEPRIVED areas across the region are to share in a £7.5m national scheme appointing community wardens to help police tackle crime. Civilians will join front-line bobbies in the battle against lawlessness, with an emphasis on vandalism and harassment.
IT might not seem like the most romantic of venues, but for one North-East couple the National Glass Centre on Wearside will always be associated with the happiest day of their lives. Andrew and Michele Wakes became the first people to be married at the
DURHAM University students will receive safety tips and advice on beating crime when the term begins on October 1. Police in the city are preparing to give their annual advice to students studying in Durham. PC Dave Hemmingway, university liaison officer
FORMER Durham School headteacher Michael Vallance has opened a building in his name to give pupils modern study facilities. The Vallance building, a former home to day boys of Langley House and their house master, has been refurbished. It now holds a
ONE man was killed and a woman injured in a three vehicle pile-up in North Yorkshire at the weekend. The accident happened on the B6271 Richmond to Brompton-on-Swale road at about 9.50am on Saturday. It involved a blue Nissan Micra travelling towards
A YEAR-long project by a theatre company started with a mystery tour of a famous landmark yesterday. Jack Drum Arts players took visitors on a guided walk/murder-mystery trail of Causey Arch, near Stanley. Dressed as costumed characters, they unravelled
A VETERAN steam driver who was part of the first Darlington railway workers' reunion has died. Ken Lambert, 79, of Belvedere Road, Darlington, spent 45 years as a British Rail train driver before retiring. He then helped to drive the Peckett Northern
SEVEN men and women have appeared in court on heroin related charges after a series of dawn raids by police in County Durham. The seven were among a total of 15 people arrested on Friday in the Branksome, Skerne Park and town centre areas of Darlington
DOG owners walking the talk at the championship show could get free checks on the safety of their mobile phones for the first time. Bishop Auckland company Kristal Microshield was offering free radiation checks for mobile phone owners attending the show
A COUNCIL chief has publicly rejected suggestions that a £650,000 film contract was awarded because the maker is a friend. An inquiry by district auditor Lynn Hunt found no illegality in the decision by Durham City Council to award local producer Brendan
TWO 14-year-old boys from Hurworth House independent school, near Darlington, have won first prize in a national engineering competition. Alex Strachan and Tim Latter devoted a week of their summer holidays to investigating how efficient water wheels
ASIAN couples will be able to marry in Stockton for the first time if a new community centre is given backing from the National Lottery. A proposal to build a £750,000 multi-cultural community initiatives centre in the Parkfield area of Stockton has been
MUSICIANS handed over four £1,000 charity cheques following a successful concert. The Music For Darlington group organise a Last Night of the Proms every year. This year's prom, the fourth, took place in May, in the Dolphin Centre, and was as popular
MEMBERS of the public were given the rare chance of a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what is involved in police work over the weekend. The North Yorkshire force threw open the doors of its stately headquarters for a series of guided tours on Saturday and
WHEN you're a manager in your first season and lose two successive games in a week after a promising start, it would be easy to panic. Not Gary Bennett. The Darlington boss has faith in his side and believes they can be successful this season. Blind faith
THE emphasis was on having a good time when the Toc H movement continued the celebrations for its 85th anniversary at the weekend. The organisation took over the Big Sheep and Little Cow Farm, Bedale, North Yorkshire, for a family fun day. Attractions
POLICE have made another appeal for witnesses following an attack on an elderly woman in the centre of Bishop Auckland on Thursday night. Police questioned three teenage girls following the incident, which started at 9.25pm in the pedestrianised area
THE so-called "non-knife facelift" has been around for quite a few year now. The CACI method uses electrotherapy to lift and tone facial muscles; some reports say that's how Cliff Richard stays looking so young. Now from the same stable comes Futur-Tec
THE spotlight was on four legs rather than two as the region's biggest dog show took centre stage at the weekend. Thousands of dogs and their owners, from all over the country, were in Darlington for the town's championship dog show. The show, which was
SCOTTISH international Don Hutchison masterminded Sunderland's 2-1 home win over Derby County and said: "That's the start of the season for us." It was the 29-year-old Tynesider's best game since his £2.5m close-season transfer from Everton and his first
WORK will start today on a major road and footpath improvement scheme in Hartlepool. The 12-week project involves the replacement of the road and pavements along a stretch of Elwick Road between Arncliffe Gardens and York Road. A new kerb line will also
A COUNTY Durham museum is to hold the largest gathering of classic cars in the region at the weekend. Almost 200 splendid examples are expected at Beamish Open Air Museum for their Classic Car Day, on Sunday. Owners are expected to take part in the event
A MOTORIST was taken to hospital following a collision with another car yesterday. Following the smash in front of the Fina garage in Frederick Street, Meadowfield, near Durham, firefighters cut one of the drivers from his vehicle. He was treated by paramedics
VOLUNTEERS helped to clean up a number of beaches at the weekend to try to protect local wildlife. South Gare, Redcar and Saltburn beaches were targeted by the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust for the clean-up as part of the Beachwatch 2000 project organised
COUNTY Durham is to receive 240 new bus shelters - at no cost to the tax payer. The 15-year agreement with Adshel, worth about £1m, has been won by the company under tender, and marks a significant expansion of Adshel activity in this part of the North-East
IT'S bound to get some traditionalists hot under the dog-collar - but cash dispensers could start appearing in country churches. Hole-in-the-wall machines are one of the options being put forward to the Church of England as a way of improving the lot
The sun hasn't been seen too often this season - but Pakistani Mauhtashim Rashid has certainly shone at Saltburn. The left-arm spinner was a newcomer to the league but proved to be the key to Saltburn winning their first championship in 21 years. Throughout
BALMY weather, free-flowing champagne and the incredible voice of diva Lesley Garrett combined for an unforgettable night at Durham County cricket ground on Saturday. More than 4,000 hamper-laden fans braved the fuel crisis to enjoy the first major non-cricket
Two goals in the last five minutes from striker Paul Rowntree gave Billingham Town the scalp of UniBond League side Harrogate Town. But manager Alan Robinson was quick to concede that Harrogate were more than a match for his side. "Harrogate might be
Spennymoor manager Peter Mulcaster was far from happy after his side went down 4-1 at Burscough on Saturday. Moors, who gave debuts to former Darlington pair Michael Carter and David Wells, are firmly on the bottom of the table after this latest defeat
A NORTH-EAST author has rewritten her popular book detailing the effect of the railway on a small town in the region. Carol Fox's book, The Iron Road, has been re-issued to coincide with the 175th anniversary of the Darlington and Stockton Railway and
A COMMUNITY centre looked more like a Wild West saloon when residents took to the floor for a celebration dance. Families living in Hemlington, near Middlesbrough, gathered at The Oaks Community Centre for a millennium party. Regulars at the 22-year-old
YOUNGSTERS are being urged to stand for election to represent young people's ideas and help shape the future of their town. The South Bank Community Forum is looking for teenagers under the age of 18 to stand as a representative. The representative is
A CARING couple who fell for each other while nursing the elderly have delighted their patients by getting married. Eleanor Gill and Jonathan Shippey both joined BUPA's Elmridge Nursing Home, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, as qualified nurses. Romance
THERE was a sense of bewilderment at Victoria Park on Saturday. A 2-2 draw with Macclesfield left Hartlepool still looking for their first home league win of the season and their first on home territory since beating Mansfield on April 22. Yet during
MOBILE phone masts will be banned from areas near schools and homes as part of a council crackdown. Officials at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council have drawn up a protocol stating exactly where the controversial antennae can be placed. The move follows
THE Chancellor made an appearance in the region at the weekend as anger over the price of fuel continued. But the real Gordon Brown had not been persuaded to come north, for Redcar and Cleveland Conservatives took a life-size cardboard cut-out of him
POLICE CHIEF police officers are looking to change traditional policing methods such as officers pairing up to go on patrol (Echo, Sept 6). As a retired police officer I would dispute that this is traditional policing. In the 1960s police officers would
MACCLESFIELD Town goalkeeper Tony Bullock could be in hot water with the FA after Saturday's 2-2 draw at Victoria Park. As the visitors celebrated a point with an injury-time penalty, Bullock goaded Hartlepool fans in the Town End - and despite being
A SLOW-MOVING convoy reduced a North-East town to a standstill at the weekend as farmers and hauliers continued their protest over high fuel prices. Despite a similar protest being called off in Newcastle, a long line of tractors and lorries drove through
FORMER clients of a murdered prostitute have been quizzed by police who set up a roadblock in a town's red light district at the weekend. Officers stopped passers-by at the Canon Park Industrial Estate on Saturday night and Sunday morning, exactly a week
VOLUNTEERS got their hands dirty at the weekend to clear up ponds to help the wildlife. Recruits with the Acorn Trust removed rubbish and reeds from the Grove Ponds at The Grove, near Consett. The group, some wearing waders, removed any obstacles that
POLICE have issued a warning over a trickster who rings home-owners up claiming they have won vouchers from supermarket chain Safeway. A number of complaints have been received by police in Darlington from members of the public who have gone to collect
REPORTS that a bogus school taxi driver may have tried to pick up a disabled teenager outside a North-East comprehensive school are being investigated by police. The 15-year-old girl is still upset and frightened after being approached outside Willington
HAMILTON RICARD will be fined by manager Bryan Robson for helping to talk Middlesbrough out of three points at Maine Road. The Colombian striker was booked for dissent by referee Stephen Lodge, who then applied the new ten-yard rule to advance the free-kick
A DINOSAUR expert will broadcast to the world on a Disney website devoted to the giant creatures. As a manager for the national Geologists' Association, Jonathan Allinson is an old hand at exploring artefacts from the past. Having started out examining
ACCORDING to experienced judge Eleanor Bothwell, the Darlington Championship Dog Show is one of the best there is. Mrs Bothwell, from Scotland, has been judging at the show for nearly 20 years. This year, she was busy over all three days, judging various
SO tragic was the life of Paula Yates that news of her death at only 41 somehow came as no real surprise. The tone of her life was set in an depressing and unstable childhood, when she felt unloved and unwanted by the man she had been led to believe was
JITTERY Sunderland even had the scoreboard operator pressing the wrong buttons - Derby striker Deon Burton was briefly credited with a goal for a shot which struck the side netting. But it all worked out in the end as Peter Reid's men weathered an early
THE region's police forces will tonight launch the biggest ever crackdown on vehicle crime seen in the north. Operation Outlaw is aimed at catching the organised criminals responsible for more than 60,000 vehicle thefts or break-ins last year. The Durham
PARISHIONERS and residents of Brotton enjoyed a flower festival at the weekend. Throughout the three-day festival, the St Margaret of Antioch Church was open for people to see a variety of displays. The event started on Friday with a preview of the exhibits
A DECISION by NHS managers to grant a second ambulance at Consett a 12-month stay of execution has received a cautious welcome from residents. Bosses at County Durham and Darlington Health Authority say they are prepared to fund a second ambulance to
ABOUT 1,000 jobs could be created in the North-East if, as expected, an American electronics giant announces plans to buy the mothballed Siemens plant today. The state-of-the-art £1.1bn North Tyneside factory, which closed in 1998 with the loss of 1,100
TWENTY volunteers from St John Ambulance helped ensure no disasters befell those at the Darlington Dog show. The service had a presence at the show in a caravan loaned by Darlington Lions Club. Volunteers said they had dealt mainly with cuts and bruises
DARLINGTON goal hero Paul Campbell has set his sights on Bradford City after gunning down Barnet. The 20-year-old midfielder grabbed his second goal of the season as the Quakers beat Barnet 1-0 on Saturday to end a two-game losing streak. But now Campbell
A NORTH-EAST motorist hit the jackpot when he entered a free competition organised by the Welsh Tourist Board. Ian Willey, of Yarm, on Teesside, was entered into the contest to win a Ford Cougar 2L when he phoned the Welsh Tourist Board to request some
A COMMUNITY is cashing in on a old bank building by giving it a new role at the heart of a regeneration scheme. Shop keepers in Willington are concerned because trade has suffered since Barclay's shut their branch in the town under a nationwide campaign
THE winner of the 32nd Darlington Championship Dog Show could have been plying his trade across the Atlantic had it not been for a change of heart by his owner. Martin Phillips nearly sold Norfolk terrier Jaeva Dutch Gold to an American breeder a year
CHRISTMAS is to come early for job-seekers in Hartlepool. The town's new action team for jobs is setting up the first ever Christmas jobs fair at the Middleton Grange Shopping Centre on Friday, September 29. Part-time and full-time seasonal vacancies
ON-LOAN Gary Walsh pulled off two second-half wonder saves to rescue a point for Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough at Maine Road yesterday. Walsh foiled George Weah and Jeff Whitley in spectacular fashion after Paulo Wanchope had levelled for City in the 67th
NO MORE BROKEN HEARTS: According to new research, women are pre-programmed to identify rotters just by looking at their faces. Ignoring the fact that so many disastrous relationships may have been avoidable, it's quite comforting to know we can tune into
AS Karen Dixon sets off in the Olympic three-day event in Sydney, it's to be hoped she's aware of how it could damage her health. The Barnard Castle rider might be an experienced Olympian but had she been around when the modern Olympics began 104 years
GOVERNMENT ministers, MPs and development bosses joined forces today to herald the rejuvenation of the former Siemens factory on Tyneside as a "tremendous boost to the local economy". Around 1500 new jobs are set to be created at the microchip factory
THREE years of intensive effort by a local charity came to a successful conclusion at the weekend with the official opening of their new premises. Tory leader and Richmond MP William Hague, accompanied by his wife Ffion, did the honours as Northdale Horticulture
BREATHTAKING beach dancing will bring the South Tyneside coast to life as part of the National Year of the Artist celebrations next weekend. Staged under the landmark Marsden Rock, the project will see eight performers take part in a dance, light and
I AM researching my family history. Do your readers know where Barry Edge, County Durham, is? My great grandmother was born there in 1847. - Ronald Evans, Ferryhill Station. I DO not know of a place called Barry Edge in County Durham and my guess is that
TRADE stands were again well represented at the show. Everything the dog lover could want was available, from health foods for their pet to photographs and portraits. One of the few charity stands was staffed by North-East volunteers from Pets as Therapy
