SAFETY fears over the construction of a pond to hold rainwater on a Newton Aycliffe estate have prompted the council to insist it must be enclosed by a fence. Sedgefield Borough Council this week approved planning permission for the pond to be built.
THE size of a controversial proposed tennis centre has been cut - reducing the impact on a neighbouring care home. But staff at the Woodlands Respite Care Centre, in Thief Lane, York, which looks after multiple sclerosis sufferers, are still concerned
A METHODIST church in Darlington is celebrating a double anniversary. The congregation at Eastbourne Methodist Church is celebrating the 21st anniversary of its Yarm Road church and the centenary of the previous premises in Louisa Street. Methodists in
PEOPLE living near the new football stadium in Darlington fear proposals for a residents parking scheme will devalue their homes. More than 2,000 copies of a letter have been sent to houses in the side roads and streets near the new Neasham Road Stadium
GATESHEAD Borough Council employees have been walking their way to healthiness as part of efforts to promote European Week of Health and Safety. The council joined forces with the union Unison and the TUC to organise a range of activities for employees
Gary Bennett has surprised supporters of Darlington Football Club by resigning as manager this afternoon. He took the team to the fringes of the play-offs in the Third Division, but Quakers' 2-0 defeat to Swansea City on Tuesday evening was Darlington's
EARLY next week, many media items on the war against terrorism will be prefaced with this phrase or something very like it: "As the war against terrorism enters its second month...'' On radio and TV especially, the pattern has already been set, with presenters
MIDDLESBROUGH Football Club defender Gar-eth Southgate crashed his Mercedes on the way home after his side's 2-0 victory against Sunderland on Monday night. His car was involved in a three-car collision just yards from the Riverside Stadium an hour after
A MALICIOUS caller behind a two-year series of chilling threats against a North-East community has struck again - only hours after police warned the public about his campaign of terror. And his victims have raised fears that he will continue until he
DAVID Blunkett has displayed a great deal of courage in raising the prospect of reforming the laws relating to cannabis. It is a topic ducked by his predecessors at the Home Office for far too long. It is a pity, however, that he has chosen at this stage
NEARLY £1.5m has been allocated to the most deprived districts in the North-East to help regenerate the region. The cash, from the Government's Community Chests, which are part of the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal, will be easy for people
A TAXI driver was punched in the head and face by three passengers. Father-of-six Mohammed Razaq was dropping off the trio on Sunday when they started thumping him from the back and front passenger seats, before kicking and smashing his wing mirror. The
The Government will fight a legal bid to force a public inquiry into the Richard Neale scandal, it was revealed last night. Campaigners representing hundreds of former patients of the disgraced former Northallerton surgeon want the Government to hold
IN the brilliant autumn sunshine, two figures stand side by side as they watch children gathering leaves. One is famous cricketer's wife and socialite Jemima Khan, the other North-East grandmother Hermione Youngs. The contrast could not be more stark
MORE than 100 employees at the County Durham operations of drugs firm GlaxoSmithKline have volunteered for redundancy. The pharmaceutical company wants to cut staff numbers at its Barnard Castle operation by about 400 by 2004, as it looks to rationalise
A WOMAN had more than £2,000 stolen in a late night attack by a youth riding a bike. The robbery took place shortly before 11.30pm on Monday in the Lascelles Park area of Darlington, as the woman walked at the back of Manfield House, off Fenby Avenue,
BISHOP Auckland's Roman past is being brought to life through an exhibition at the Discovery Centre from tomorrow until November 10. On Saturday, a Roman re-enactment group will show weaponry and Rent a Peasant will give spinning and weaving demonstrations
YOUNGSTERS in east Cleveland have been given a taste of life in the driving seat as part of a scheme to make them better drivers. The Megadrive scheme has been operating in the Langbaurgh police area for the past four years and is the only scheme of its
A SCHEME to provide vital first aid for heart attack victims has been launched in Sedgefield. The village is the latest to set up a First Responder scheme, in which a team of trained volunteers remain on standby to respond to emergency calls. The idea
BRITAIN is on course for a "blind eye" policy on cannabis use following a remarkable U-turn by the Government. Home Secretary David Blunkett said yesterday that possession of cannabis should no longer be an arrestable offence, heralding a massive shake-up
POLICE rescued a starving cat and dog from a locked house where they had been left for a fortnight, a court was told yesterday. Rusty the dog and Sooty the cat were ordered by Teesside Magistrates yesterday to be forfeited to the RSPCA which will now
PUPILS uncertain of what to do after their GCSEs are to receive help making their decision. A partnership between Sunderland City Council's Education and Community Services department and secondary schools has been awarded £5.5m from the Excellence Challenge
FORECASTS that Wear Valley's population is declining, leaving a growing retired community, has led to a call for action to reverse the trend. Wear Valley's workforce is expected to decline at an alarming rate over the next few years, as younger people
A FEUD between neighbours over a plot of land has been settled at an Appeal Court hearing. John Clifford, of Front Street North, Trimdon, Sedgefield, asked the court to order a rehearing of his claim against neighbours Robert and Elizabeth Grimley, to
A man has been arrested in connection with a brutal murder - just days before the fifth anniversary of the victim's death. Julie Smailes, a 27-year-old a computer sales manager, was tied up, strangled and stabbed more than 50 times. A 30-year-old man
CHARITY groups in the North-East are taking part in a national event to promote their work. Make A Difference Day is being held on Saturday and organisations around the region are taking the opportunity to show what they do best. Age Concern volunteers
THERE'S a riot going on but residents on the outskirts of Durham have nothing to fear. A disused warehouse on the city's Dragonville Industrial Estate will soon be a hotbed of public disorder. For the building is being turned into a temporary training
CHRISTIANS and Muslims have combined to send a statement to Prime Minister Tony Blair condemning the bombing in Afghanistan. The move follows a meeting in Darlington of representatives from the two religions in the town. At Saturday's gathering, the Reverend
Letters from The Northern Echo WAR ON TERRORISM EVEN though we are regarded as a nation where free speech is welcomed, I find it distressing when I see Muslim fundamentalists burning pictures of Tony Blair and the American flag in our country. They protest
A HARTLEPOOL physiotherapist was cleared of conducting an inappropriate relationship with a female patient, when misconduct proceedings against him began in London yesterday. John Harding, representing the physiotherapist disciplinary board, offered no
A SPECTACULAR firework display will signal the end of the long-running Bedale 750 market charter festivities. The display, organised by the bonfire committee, will last about 25 minutes as usual - but the fireworks will be bigger and more spectacular.
MUSEUMS in the region could get a share of £270m of Government cash if a taskforce's recommendations are followed. The Regional Museums Taskforce yesterday unveiled a five-year plan to overhaul the structure of the museum network, creating regional hubs
PAY deals in the engineering sector have sunk to their lowest level for 18 months and may fall still further, according to new figures. The average settlement for the three months to September dropped to 2.5 per cent amid the deepening economic gloom,
CHILDREN can get in the mood for Halloween this weekend with an afternoon of spooky events. Frightening faces, creepy kits, lantern making and face painting will be among the activities taking place at Thornley Woodlands Centre on Sunday. The activities
IN the long and tortuous history of the search for peace in Northern Ireland, there have been countless false dawns. Despite ceasefires in 1994 and again in 1997, both hailed as historic in their turn, the peace process has lurched from one crisis to
EARLY next week, many media items on the war against terrorism will be prefaced with this phrase or something very like it: "As the war against terrorism enters its second month...'' On radio and TV especially, the pattern has already been set, with presenters
Former Coronation Street star Denise Welch has spoken out over allegations in a Sunday newspaper article portraying her as a "drug-crazed animal". The 43-year-old actress, whose family still live in County Durham, thanked the people of the North-East
INTERMEDIA Solutions has won its biggest contract, to add a new dimension to the website of a Teesside training company. The Darlington company will add e-business services, such as online booking and email functions, to Branta Training Management, of
AN Open University student who drove while disqualified 35 times has been jailed. Adrian Stewart, a 31-year-old former soldier, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance at Harrogate magistrates' Court yesterday. Rodney Noon,
THE first of six towering wind farm turbines - each almost four times taller than the Gateshead Angel - will be hoisted into place on a fellside at the weekend. Components arrived yesterday to get building under way at two separate developments on the
THE month of September 2001 should have seen world-renowned contemporary dance exponent Mark Morris celebrating the opening of his new $6m dance centre in New York. Instead, the 45-year-old dancer and choreographer was preparing to leave his Manhattan
Wear Valley District Council is appealing for visitors to Bishop Auckland's Firework Spectacular on November 2 to use public car parks. In previous years, people in Etherley Lane and Toronto have experienced problems with people leaving cars on private
A GROUP of female golfer have raised more than £1,000 for a hospice after their team captain selected it as her charity for the 2001 season. Valerie Brook, captain of the Darlington Ladies Golf Club, picked St Teresa's Hospice as the worthy cause for
NEW methods of waste collection could be on the way for householders and firms as councillors struggle to meet strict targets. Hambleton District Council must reduce the amount of rubbish it sends to landfill sites to comply with tough new rules laid
AN exhibition on the heroes of the past has seen visitor numbers at a North Yorkshire military museum shoot up. Attendances at the Green Howards Museum in Richmond has gone up by 15 per cent since the Victoria Cross exhibition opened earlier this year
BISHOP Auckland's Roman past is being brought to life through an exhibition at the Discovery Centre from tomorrow until November 10. On Saturday, a Roman re-enactment group will show weaponry and Rent a Peasant will give spinning and weaving demonstrations
BOOKWORMS were in their element as a £1m library officially opened for business. The facility, which is an integral part of the redevelopment of Ripon city centre, has been stocked with more than 15,000 books - twice as many as the old library. Areas
MAKE a date with Olivia Rose (2.10) in the opener at Newcastle this afternoon. The filly disappointed on her debut at the Tyneside track when only ninth, however, she left that form well behind by finishing fourth in a fairly warm six furlong warm maiden
Thousands of rail passengers are facing nightmare journeys if train company Arriva succeeds in scrapping some of its train services in favour of buses. The North-East operator has been in discussions with rail regulators over plans to cut more than 1,000
CHILDREN as young as four are putting themselves at risk of being burned to death by starting fires in a boarded-up block of flats in Middlesbrough. Firefighters have been called to the Agecroft Gardens flats, in Whinney Banks, more than ten times in
MIDDLESBROUGH goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer believes skipper Paul Ince deserved to be shown the red card in the derby clash with Sunderland. Boro boss Steve McClaren is to appeal against referee Mark Halsey's decision to send Ince off; if unsuccessful the
A WOMAN assaulted by her daughter's boyfriend was left with horrific wounds to her face - leaving her skull, cheek and jaw bones visible. Steven Thomas Newbould admitted wounding Carol Nicholson at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. Graham Gaston, prosecuting
A PAINTING of Durham Cathedral by JMW Turner is expected to fetch as much as £30,000 when it goes under the hammer next month. The watercolour, which shows the spectacular interior of the cathedral, will be auctioned at Christie's in London on November
AN exhibition of witty sculptures by artist Martin Procter proved the inspiration for a hugely successful competition at the Mercer Art Gallery, in Harrogate. Mr Procter, who comes from the town, exhibited his work at the gallery over the summer holidays
GEORGE Prudhoe was the son of a stonemason. He was born in Sunderland in 1862, but wound up founding a family firm in Darlington which this year is celebrating its centenary. George came to Darlington to serve as an apprentice stationer and bookseller
A RAIDER wearing a Halloween mask threatened a shop assistant with a screwdriver before making off with money from the till. The man, who was wearing a green mask trimmed with ginger hair, walked into the Co-op in Front Street, Coxhoe, at about 8.20pm
ADAM Boyd last night struck the goal that took Hartlepool United off the bottom of the league. They might have been down to ten men after James Sharp's second-half red card, but Chris Turner's bold move to keep two men up front paid off when the substitute
THE FAMILY of a pensioner who left his house wearing only his pyjamas are growing increasingly worried. Foster Brown, 67, is thought to have left his home in Links Road, Cullercoats, North Tyneside, in the early hours of Monday morning. He was last heard
THE GOOD Old Days came to life in a Chester-le-Street art display this week. Pensioners in Nettlesworth village helped put together a banner that boasted many of their favourite childhood memories. Through the 7ft by 5ft banner, pensioners went on a trip
PEOPLE in the Thorney Close area of Sunderland are being encouraged to develop a holistic approach to keeping fit. The Healthy Living course includes exercise, followed by discussions on health topics, including eating, smoking and stress. Participants
HIGHWAY engineers are to carry out safety improvements to another railway bridge over the East Coast Main Line to help reduce the risk of another Selby-type rail crash. Work is due to start next month on erecting steel barriers on the downhill approach
AN 82-year-old woman had a miraculous escape when a gas explosion destroyed her home. Jane Potts, who lives in the semi-detached house in Redcar Road, on Sunderland's Red house estate, calmly walked over the rubble in her nightie following the blast.
THE Northgate Network vehicle hire operation has hit the half century mark. Part of Darlington-based Northgate plc, Northgate Network has opened its 50th site in Chester, under the Maincrest Hire brand, which also has operations in Liverpool and Warrington
A DARLINGTON building which residents have fought to save from demolition, is once again under threat of being knocked down. But local people have been invited to see plans for the replacement of the Chesterfield building, in the town's West End, in an
CHARITY groups in the North-East are taking part in a national event to promote their work. Make A Difference Day is being held on Saturday and organisations around the region are taking the opportunity to show what they do best. Age Concern volunteers
A PENSIONER who disappeared from his home has been found dead a few yards away. Foster Brown, 67, is thought to have left his home in Links Road, Cullercoats, North Tyneside, early yesterday. He was last heard at his house at about 1.30am and, when his
Northern Ireland moved into a new era last night after the IRA began decommissioning its vast stock of weapons. The move was an unprecedented bid to end lingering Unionist doubts about its commitment to a future free of violence. After three decades of
A LANDLORD yesterday escaped a hefty fine after a young family were almost killed by a poisonous gas leak while staying at his caravan site. The carbon monoxide (CO) seeping into several caravans at owner Sydney Harker's site was only discovered when
THE owner of three dogs, which have been ordered to be destroyed today for attacking a lone grandmother, is fighting to give them a dignified burial. But the move looks set to spark a clash with the owner of the kennels where the animals are being held
Farmers yesterday slammed Government plans to cut payments under the foot-and-mouth welfare scheme as "callous and ill-conceived". Tim Bennett, deputy president of the National Farmers' Union, said no farmer wanted to seek help under the scheme but added
THE new Archdeacon of Auckland has signalled his intent to help his rural diocese recover from the impact of foot-and-mouth disease. The Venerable Ian Jagger, 46, will be overseeing flocks of the religious and rural kind in his roles as Archdeacon of
YOUNGSTERS are spearheading a project to brighten a nature reserve near their homes this weekend. The boys, from the Fens Estate in Hartlepool, will be helping to plant more than 1,000 snowdrop bulbs at Greatham Beck, on Saturday, from 10am to noon. The
Gary Bennett blamed the lack of a killer instinct for Darlington's third-successive defeat. "When you create as many chances as we do away from home you have to take them. If you don't, you're going to get punished," said the Darlington boss. "Naturally
A DARLINGTON florist has been selected to become one of only 20 Interflora judges in the country. Stephanie Pattinson's family have run the Direct Flowers floristry business in Neasham Road for almost 50 years. It was previously known as Richardson's
THE owner of Newcastle Jesters Ice Hockey Club is expected to be stripped of the franchise today despite an appeal from The Northern Echo. An eight-month pay dispute has thrown the club into crisis, and a meeting of Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL) directors
DAREDEVIL staff from Durham's Passport Office raised £1,400 for charity in a sponsored abseil. Eleven workers from the centre signed up for an abseil from Sunderland's Wearmouth Bridge organised by the RNIB, the charity that helps the blind and partially-sighted
FAMILIES in Hartlepool are being invited to take advantage of a range of fun activities to mark the half-term holidays. Bookings are being taken for several events at Summerhill, a 100-acre countryside site, off Catcote Road, which is being developed
workshops in Chester-le-Street will give people the chance to be pampered, preened and punctured. The Looking Good, Feeling Good classes start next week. They include Japanese massage, dressing with confidence and acupuncture. Sessions will be held at
DRIVING in scorching heat under the desert sun of Oman is all in a day's work for a North-East soldier taking part in a huge military exercise in the Middle East. Christopher Elton, of the Royal Logistic Corps, is one of 22,000 British troops serving
CUSTOMERS at a Wearside pub are swapping their beer mats for mouse mats. The Welcome Tavern, in Barrack Road, Sunderland, is offering free computer courses to its punters, thanks to an enterprising landlady and the Back on the Map Partnership. The partnership
AN off-duty police officer repeatedly stabbed during an attack has relived the night he thought he was going to die. PC Robert Aynsley suffered wounds to his chest, arm and leg during the attack by Brett Wight, 24, in May. The 33-year-old officer, who
RESIDENTS in Hartlepool are being given a chance to air their views on plans to reduce household waste. The councils in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton are joining forces to produce a waste management strategy, the first to
THE chairman of BT has promised to resign if the proposed demerger of its mobile phones arm fails to deliver shareholder value. Sir Christopher Bland told shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting in Birmingham that the two proposed firms - BT
HIGH street chain Debenhams has toasted record full-year profits, but said its sales growth had slowed in recent weeks. Strong sales across the retailer's 97 outlets, including stores in Stockton and Sunderland, pushed pre-tax profits to £146.1m in the
THREE students have been chosen to represent their Darlington college and the North-East in a competition for young people in the construction trades. Students Faye Pearson, 20, Daniel Wood, 19, and Lee Fawcett, 19, are the respective regional UK Skillbuild
PUPILS from two Richmondshire schools have outlined their law and order concerns at the relaunch of a district community and police consultation group. Drugs and drunken and disorderly behaviour were among the worries outlined by youngsters from Richmond
