EIGHT people were arrested yesterday afternoon following police raids on two houses on Teesside. Twenty officers swooped on the properties, in Aire Street, South Bank, seizing a small amount of suspected crack cocaine, drugs paraphernalia and cash. Four
Sunderland, without a league win at Old Trafford for 44 years, were put to the sword as Manchester United romped to a 4-1 victory for their tenth win in 11 Premiership games. England striker Kevin Phillips had lifted Sunderland's hopes when he levelled
Police are warning that some tablets lost in a North resort could be fatal if taken in quantity by a child. The Pfizer blood pressure pills were lost in Scarborough, either in the Falsgrave area or on a number seven bus. They are wrapped in foil in a
LEADING North-East people in the fields of sport, art and culture are being asked to sign up and support the campaign for an elected regional assembly. Their names will feature in a full-page advertisement that campaigners are planning to run in The Northern
THE funeral has taken place of a ten-year-old girl who died in a freak whirlpool accident. Melissa Blagdon died when her hair became entangled in the pool's suction pump at a luxury leisure centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The youngster was with
NEWCASTLE boss Bobby Robson yesterday acted decisively to fill the yawning void left by the loss of injured Kieron Dyer when he beat off competition from Leeds to complete a £5m swoop for Nottingham Forest's midfield prodigy Jermaine Jenas. On a day of
DARLINGTON are anxious to play Macclesfield at home come hell or high water today. With three matches to rearrange in North Division One, they have already pencilled in two of them for dates set aside for the county cup semi-finals and final. The trip
A SPECIALLY-commissioned show is being staged by a new drama group. Daniel and the Pride of Kings, composed by Will Todd, with words by Ben Dunwell, was commissioned by St Oswald's Church, in Durham, and was first performed there in February 1998. Four
A MAN had to be rescued from a ravine after he fled the scene of an accident. The rescue was carried out by the Line Rescue team from Peterlee Fire Station after the man, in his late teens, climbed into a deep, wooded ravine beside the Blackhouse to Edmondsley
RECORD-BREAKING Gordon Watson is backing Hartlepool United's wingers to provide him with even more goals this season. Watson scored goal number 13 for the first time in his 14-year career against Scunthorpe United on Tuesday night, and he is hoping to
STAFF were given the seal of approval for their quality of childcare yesterday. Nursery nurses at the Pennywell Neighbourhood Centre, in Sunderland, have received the Pre-School Learning Alliance Accreditation for their childcare facility, which has been
HEART patient Edna Irwin, who claimed she had to wait two years for surgery, is recovering at home after a successful quadruple bypass operation. Mrs Irwin, 69, from Darlington, had surgery on the NHS at the private BUPA Hospital, at Washington, three
A MAN was jailed yesterday after admitting supplying Ecstasy in a North-East nightclub. Andrew Prudhoe, 22, of Masefield Avenue, Swalwell, Gateshead, admitted being in possession of 23 of the tablets at Tall Trees, in Yarm, near Stockton, in March last
A FERRYHILL woman died from an overdose of paracetamol, an inquest heard. The hearing at Bishop Auckland Magistrates Court was told that Catherine Philips, 37, of Church Street, Ferryhill Station, was found asleep on a mattress in the front room by her
A GOVERNMENT letter hinting at the possible use of a foot-and-mouth burial site during the winter months has sparked fury among residents campaigning for its closure. People living near the controversial site at Inkerman, Tow Law, County Durham, were
RENTS for council house tenants are to rise by £1.75 a week in the Sedgefield borough. A formula for fixing rent levels was due to be introduced this year, but the computer software is not ready. Over the next ten years, rents will be linked 70 per cent
BOBBY Moncur, former captain of both Newcastle United and Sunderland, visited manufacturing firm BHK to congratulate staff on increased productivity. Bobby was invited to the Peterlee chipboard plant to meet 80 production workers who are on a training
EVEN at £8 a bottle, there are likely to be plenty of takers for Newcastle's latest limited edition beer. Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell, of the band Lindisfarne, became the latest celebrities to support Sammy's Own Broon, made in memory of local actor
A TOP barrister is to chair the independent inquiry into North-East psychiatrists William Kerr and Michael Haslam. Patients have made a series of allegations against the two consultants, who worked in North Yorkshire. Officials have announced that Nigel
Craig Bellamy's 14th goal of the season kept Newcastle firmly in title contention as they came from behind twice at St James' Park against relegation battlers Bolton. Skipper Alan Shearer pulled the Magpies back into the game on two occasions to take
A LANGUAGE unit aimed at supporting refugees in the North-East has been launched. The newly-expanded unit for English Speakers of Other Languages (Esol) was officially opened at Newcastle College by Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland. The extension of the
AN extremist group, whose meetings have previously attracted controversy, plans to hold another gathering today. Police on Wearside say the National Front plans to meet outside Sunderland Civic Centre to organise a local branch and contest elections.
Archie Shuttleworth will soon make his presence felt in Coronation Street. He is an undertaker, an appropriate figure to arrive in Weatherfield as the long-running ITV soap embarks on a much-publicised cull of cast members. He'll come in handy to pick
Archie Shuttleworth will soon make his presence felt in Coronation Street. He is an undertaker, an appropriate figure to arrive in Weatherfield as the long-running ITV soap embarks on a much-publicised cull of cast members. He'll come in handy to pick
PENSIONERS are being urged to be on their guard after bogus officials stole substantial sums of cash from two women. Two men posing as water company workers preyed on women living alone at Croxdale and at Coxhoe, on Thursday afternoon. They escaped with
A SERIES of public meetings are to be arranged in North Yorkshire to give those affected by the foot-and-mouth crisis a chance to have their say. The Government has insisted there is little chance of a public inquiry into how it handled the affair. Recent
At first glance, the link between a classic Dutch play about outdated shipping laws in a small village at the turn of the century and a North Yorkshire fishing town is none too apparent. The sepia picture, depicting a young boy sitting on a rock in the
A UNIVERSITY'S law team has joined up with two community organisations to set up a legal advice centre. The Northside Advice and Resource Project will offer legal advice, information and representation to people in Sunderland whose experience of the legal
SIX POINTS from Darlington's next two games can make the Third Division club serious promotion contenders - that's the verdict of manager Tommy Taylor. But it's a tall order as the matches against Rushden and Diamonds today and at Carlisle on Tuesday
Olympic swimmer Nick Gillingham and cartoon character Tony the Tiger visited Teesdale Sports Centre, in Barnard Castle, to present awards to children. They met dozens of youngsters, parents and staff as part of the Kellogg's Frosties Amateur Swimming
A MAN who subjected his girlfriend to 22 hours of "systematic and barbaric cruelty" must serve his full time in jail. Judges at London's Court of Appeal heard yesterday how 56-year-old Vincent Agar had spent almost an entire day torturing his girlfriend
DURHAM City Council is holding a two-day exhibition and conference as its first "public participation" event. It will be held on Monday and Tuesday, February 18 and 19, at the Deerness Valley Leisure Centre, Ushaw Moor, between 9.30am and 3.45pm. Visitors
AN inquiry into the assets of North-East drugs baron Paul Terry opened yesterday. Terry, 29, of Hesleden Avenue, Acklam, Middlesbrough, was jailed for ten years on January 5, for running what detectives called the region's biggest heroin network. Terry
INVESTORS face a testing time next week as some of Britain's highest profile companies report figures. In particular, comments from BT and British Airways will test confidence. Last month, British Airways offered the first sign that its post-September
UNDER-FIRE Sunderland manager Peter Reid, facing an increasing barrage of criticism from disgruntled fans, believes he has the backing of the "silent majority." As he prepared for today's formidable visit to face top-of-the-table Manchester United at
Betting on Birkdale isn't such a bad idea in the three-and-a-half-mile Singer & Friedlander National Trial at Uttoxeter today. Not many of the 17-strong field will still be going when the winning post comes into view, but at least we know Birkdale
A CHARITY is offering a holistic approach to cancer treatment. The Helping Hands Cancer Support Group, in Chester-le-Street, holds monthly meetings for patients who want to treat their illness through massage, aromatherapy and reflexology. Run by volunteers
ELECTRICITY generator British Energy plans to plough £31m into improving the condition of its nuclear plants. British Energy, which has eight stations in the UK, including one in Hartlepool employing 450 staff, will invest the money over the next two
BRITAIN'S struggling manufacturing sector contracted for the 11th month in a row in January - but the suffering eased slightly, a survey has revealed. The monthly report, by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS), showed its index - which
Letters from The Northern Echo EUROPE ANTI-euro and pro-euro correspondents alike seem to be afraid of admitting that both sides have non-economic points as their strongest cards. The economic arguments are impossible to prove either way because they
A WOULD-BE soldier turned down by the Army has been angered by reports that one of Jamie Bulger's killers is considering joining up. Simon Robinson, 24, of Catterick Village, North Yokshire, says he was told a tattoo on his neck is too aggressive and
A POLICEMAN is playing a pivotal role in breaking down the language barrier in the multi-cultural North-East. Cleveland Police community affairs officer Inspector Harry Simpson has brought a Language Line telephone interpreting service - available in
POETS, singers and musicians will converge on Durham for an event next week. Participants in Durham County Council's Sharp Stick: Point Blank Verse poetry residency will showcase their work in the Stake Out event at County Hall, Durham, on Thursday, at
A RECORD seven students from a Durham school have received offers from Oxford and Cambridge universities. The group, from Durham High School for Girls, at Farewell Hall, make up 18 per cent of their year - the highest number ever to make successful applications
SIX North-East men arrested on suspicion of terrorist activity were last night reunited with their families after being released without charge. The men, from Teesside and Darlington, were set free by detectives after spending four days in police custody
YOUNG people in a part of Hartlepool are being urged to find out more about a local youth group on their doorstep. Paintballing, Army assault course training, computer and Internet sessions, pool and table tennis are just some of the activities organised
AN Army dog handler who has served across Europe is now embarking on an operation to inform young people about career opportunities. For the next two weeks, Crook-born Fusilier Lee Bainbridge, 29, will be taking part in Operation Northern Spirit, a recruitment
A BUSINESSMAN'S bid to keep the North-East Blue Circle cement plant open looks doomed. Angus Ward wants to buy the Eastgate works, in Weardale, County Durham, where 147 people face losing their jobs later this year. But its owner, the French conglomerate
THE author of a poignant letter of condolence to the grieving parents of a First World War soldier had less than a year left to live himself, it was revealed yesterday. Earlier this week, The Northern Echo reported how the letter was recently discovered
A PENSIONER was caught by quick-thinking photo-lab staff after he walked into their shop with pictures of a teenage schoolboy dressed only in his underwear. Two female members of staff at the Klick Photopoint shop, in Newcastle, kept the 69-year-old talking
A FEMALE shop worker was left shocked after a man performed a sex act in front of her as he viewed the covers of pornographic magazines. The incident happened in Terrick's, in Neasham Road, Darlington, at about 6.25pm on Thursday. After looking at magazine
THE Rev George Hemming, soldier, missionary and occasional snake charmer, was almost 70 when invited to return to glorious Swaledale to lead the Congregational Church in Reeth. Though he took little persuading ("I knew it was right") the church had just
THE Rev George Hemming, soldier, missionary and occasional snake charmer, was almost 70 when invited to return to glorious Swaledale to lead the Congregational Church in Reeth. Though he took little persuading ("I knew it was right") the church had just
Another late goal condemned Darlington to their tenth away defeat of the season with a 2-1 loss at Rushden. After an even first half, during which the hosts took the lead, Darlo had looked the better side after the interval and will feel hard done by
A PIONEERING group has picked up another award for its crime-fighting work. The Justice Support Project on Teesside provides one-to-one support to young tearaways under the age of 18 and youths who have been cautioned by the police. During the years it
PENSIONERS are being warned to be vigilant after bogus officials stole cash and valuables from three pensioners. Two men posing as water company workers stole from an elderly man's home in Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, on Thursday. The thieves tricked
OUTDOOR training centre Peat Rigg has gone online thanks to help from the North-East Chamber of Commerce. The Pickering training company has launched a website www.peatrigg.co.uk developed in conjunction with Internet company MBD. The site includes information
Hartlepool's third division clash with Carlisle at Brunton Park has been postponed. After a 9.30 inspection this morning, the pitch was deemed unplayable after heavy overnight rain. Pools boss Chris Turner told the clubs official website: "It's done us
North-East local authorities are backing police efforts to reduce vehicle speeds - by buying their own speed cameras and then handing them to the police. Members of the Northumbria Police Authority approved a one-year sponsorship package worth £105,000
SEDGEFIELD Borough Council is to carry out a review of all discretionary services it provides in preparation for next year's budget. The authority's element of the council tax is to increase by 12.5 per cent and the council faces significant statutory
A FATHER is turning his second appearance in the Redcar half marathon into a family fundraising affair. Ian Welch, 56, took up running after taking early retirement as a metallurgist at British Steel and plans to raise money for the Hearing Dogs for Deaf
THE "considerable uncertainty" of waiting to see if he would have to serve longer behind bars must have been intolerable for Alfred Welch. Well, Lord Justice Pill clearly thought so, because it was that uncertainty which persuaded him that Welch deserved
THE family of a man killed in the street were outraged last night after his attacker escaped an extra year in jail because a court felt he had suffered "uncertainty" over calls to increase his sentence. Instead of increasing Alfred Welch's sentence by
IT'S not every day you allow 15-year-olds to hang "radioactive nuclear waste" precariously from a home-made crane. But it's not every day you cram 100 budding engineers into a sports hall and let them loose on a testing modern conundrum - how to store
TEENAGERS from six countries are taking part in a multi-national youth project in County Durham which aims to tackle racism and prejudice. Thirty-two 16-year-olds from Russia, Slovakia, Hungary, France and Germany are spending a week in the county, where
A MOTHER who campaigned for changes to the murder law following the death of her son last night branded the appeal judges' decision on Alfred Welch "a disgrace". Pat Gibson has become a national campaigner for stiffer sentencing since her son Michael
THE chequered history of a Dales market town goes under the microscope at a two-day seminar this spring. Expert on the area Steve Moorhouse - who helped the BBC compile the Talking Landscape series - will be on a panel ready to answer questions on Middleham's
A SINGING policeman from Teesside is pounding a new beat - by releasing his first single next month. PC Brian McCarthy, 35, a Cleveland Police trainer, has already made his mark in the music world with an album of self-penned songs available to buy on
A TOP coach has welcomed moves to enhance the prospects of the region's swimmers. Kevin Renshaw, whose pupils include Durham schoolgirl Stephanie Proud, who was selected for the January World Cup, spoke following a visit by Sports Minister Richard Caborn
FAMILIES are invited to enjoy a sneak preview of a park redevelopment during a guided walk. The Friends of Herrington Country Park are inviting people to join them for their first formal walk around the park's boundaries, at 10am, on Wednesday. Reclaimed
A COLLEGE worker is recovering after impaling himself on iron railings. Cyril Hammond, 61, a technician at Teesside Tertiary College, Middlesbrough, had to have a two-feet section of iron railing cut from his leg after falling on to the railings surrounding
SCIENTISTS have begun arriving at a £10m new research centre on the banks of the River Tees. The Wolfson Research Institute on the University of Durham's Stockton campus will provide top-class accommodation for more than 100 people. The complex includes
A TREASURY-enforced shake-up of Britain's air defence will lead to more aircraft being based at North Yorkshire's front-line fighter base RAF Leeming. But fears that the move could leave London wide open to a September 11-style attack have been dismissed
A school's latest toy is providing pupils with a haven from the excitement of the playground. A cross between a gazebo, a children's roundabout and a mobile bandstand, the Blue Haven at South Pelaw Infants School, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, has
A LARGE-SCALE undercover police operation has resulted in the conviction of a gang of drug dealers. The three-month Northumbria Police investigation, named Operation Lynx, culminated in raids at addresses across Newcastle, netting £17,000 worth of heroin
CONFIDENT boss Steve McClaren believes Middlesbrough's home form could be the major factor behind his side continuing to climb away from the relegation zone. McClaren, whose team have only lost once on home soil since September 29th's 3-1 defeat to Southampton
A GOOD practice agreement between car dealers and a council on Teesside has been praised by motorists. Dealers must show that they comply with exacting standards of service and have a commitment to good trading practice beyond basic legal requirements
