THE animals have been acting very strangely this week. I caught the cat delicately balanced on top of the wardrobe staring straight upwards towards the ceiling. Later that same day, as dusk was descending, the little terrier dog was sitting bolt upright
JUNINHO was still in limbo last night as the saga over his proposed return to Middlesbrough continued to drag on. Reports in Spain claimed that the Brazilian midfielder's father and advisor, Osvaldo Giroldo Snr, had flown back to Teesside and agreed a
Tim Easterby knows exactly what it takes to win today's big race at Newbury - the Weatherbys Super Sprint over five furlongs - having won it twice in the last four years with Flanders and Good Girl. And the Great Habton trainer's Roman Mistress looks
THE region's newest hospital is admitting its first patients today. The long-awaited £8m Sedgefield Community Hospital has opened on the edge of the village, replacing a dilapidated facility. The outdated hospital, consisting of prefabricated huts, had
RAILTRACK was under renewed pressure last night over the problem of potentially lethal trackside junk. The North-East branch of the Rail Passengers Committee condemned the amount of engineering junk left lying beside railway lines in the region. The passenger
POLICE in a North Yorkshire town have opposed the introduction of a local law to curb under-age drinkers because they claim it may not be the answer. Northallerton Town Council asked the police to support a by-law that would ban drinking in public, in
Darren Lehmann posted another personal batting record for Yorkshire in the Roses match at Headingley yesterday - but it would not have been possible without assistance from his former captain, David Byas. In a day restricted to 48 overs by heavy rain
Wildlife presenter Charlotte Uhlenbroek has been likened to several TV personalities, but she's most flattered by being called the new David Attenborough. The temptation is to regard Charlotte Uhlenbroek as the beauty among the beasts. Or call her, as
A COUNCIL has been criticised for not promoting the caf society it announced two years ago. Darlington Borough Council announced in 2000 that pubs and cafes around the town centre would be encouraged to put chairs and tables outside in the summer. A guide
DURHAM University graduate Tim Culley became the eighth person to be evicted from the Big Brother house last night. The battle of Ginger and the Whinger ended when the 23-year-old was told that an overwhelming 1.4 million people had voted him out. Tim
A RAIL worker was suspended from his job for making "insensitive and inappropriate" remarks about the Potters Bar train crash on the Friends Reunited website, it was revealed yesterday. Ross Stevenson, who works for engineering firm Jarvis, was forced
FARMERS around Darlington are being urged to join a scheme to drive out criminals, poachers and vandals. The Farmwatch scheme will be based on a similar project in Teesdale. It will ensure farmers work together and with police to warn of possible offenders
TALENTED youngsters were awarded achievement certificates for their hard work at a ceremony to celebrate the end of the school year. Pupils at King James I Community College, in Bishop Auckland, were presented with gold, silver and bronze awards for their
A STRATEGY to tackle homelessness in Darlington has been backed by councillors. Darlington Borough Council's homelessness and housing advice strategy will see those sleeping rough in the borough counted, monitored and analysed. The strategy was approved
POLLING ward changes in Darlington will be in force by the elections next May. Darlington Borough Council agreed on Thursday to proposals for new ward boundaries, which include merging six wards into three and adding two new divisions. Northgate wards
FARMERS around Darlington are being urged to join a scheme to drive out criminals, poachers and vandals. The Farmwatch scheme will be based on a similar project in Teesdale. It will ensure farmers work together and with police to warn of possible offenders
SWIMMERS made a big splash for charity yesterday at Darlington's Dolphin Centre. Their goal was to raise money for the town's branch of Victim Support. Money raised at the 12-hour swimathon will help to fund the charity's witness service. A spokesman
HUNDREDS of Darlington football fans have been wallowing in nostalgia in the first week of the Farewell to Feethams exhibition, being staged at the town's Arts Centre. Nearly 4,000 people visited the collection of recent and archive photographs in the
NORTH-EAST printing company Statexcolourprint has won a regional award, as well as two world titles, at the Consort Royal Graphic Design and Print Awards in Barcelona. The lithographic printers, from Newcastle, first picked up a regional title followed
THE Government has given a local mining company permission to build an energy plant in a move which could guarantee the future of more than 800 jobs. Energy Minister Brian Wilson has given the Government's consent for Cleveland Potash Ltd to build a gas-fired
FAMILY doctor Harold Shipman may have been driven by an "addiction to killing" when he claimed the lives of at least 215 of his patients, the official inquiry into his crimes said yesterday. A report by High Court judge Dame Janet Smith unveiled for the
A SEASIDE resort will bid farewell to its adopted naval warship today, ending links which stretch back 12 years. HMS Fearless, a veteran of the Falklands and the Navy's last steamship, is saying goodbye to its affiliated town of Scarborough. In what is
A WEEK of football action featuring hundreds of young players from across the country kicks-off in the North-East today. The second Sage Soccer Festival sees scores of teams, male and female, compete in age groups from under-eights to under-19s. Over
A boy's life was ruined by thugs who left him too terrified to go out alone, a court was told yesterday. Fifteen-year-old Christopher Taylor was walking home from school in Middlesbrough when he was set upon by three older youths. One asked him for a
Before his arrest in 1998 none of his patients suspected Harold Shipman was anything other than he appeared - a kindly, caring GP devoted to his practice. Only after he clumsily forged the £386,000 will of his last victim, 81-year-old Kathleen Grundy,
A SCHEME to improve the safety of youngsters travelling to and from school has been hailed a success. An event, Planning for Real, was held at Greatham Primary School, Greatham, to consider ways of protecting children on their daily journeys. A table-top
A HOT air balloon launched Redcar and Cleveland Council's affordable warmth strategy this week. The strategy's key aim is to eradicate fuel poverty and in Redcar and Cleveland that figure is expected to top 17,000 households. The average household will
DURHAM have signed Victoria batsman Brad Hodge as a replacement for Martin Love for the rest of the season. As forecast in Northern Echo Sport on Monday, Durham had reached the point where they had to decide whether it was worth waiting any longer for
A DATE has been set for a public meeting to discuss the idea of a new twin town for Richmond. The town already enjoys formal links with Nord Fron in Norway, and mayor Stuart Parsons and town clerk Peter Clarke depart on the latest five-day exchange trip
A FOOD expert has been showing people how to create cheap and healthy meals in a series of sessions recently. Residents of Wheatley Hill near Easington have been attending Healthy Eating on a Budget sessions led by Tony Kelly from Hartlepool College of
Following five successive victories which propelled them to the top of the table, Lintz came down to earth with a bump last week when they lost to third-from-bottom Ryton. But they bounced back to form against Shotley Bridge in the semi final of the league
A NEW anti-racist education pack will be launched by a North-East charity with the help of footballers at the House of Lords next week. Based in Whitley Bay, Show Racism the Red Card, now in its seventh year, is an anti-racist education charity which
THE Richmondshire district plays host to an open-air concert this evening. Rock in the Quarry, near Barton, on the North Yorkshire, County Durham border, at the beginning of the month was the area's first attempt at a mini-Glastonbury and its success
THE summer line-up at one of the National Trust's most treasured sites has been announced. Children visiting Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon, will be able to follow a Fantasia trail, exploring the elements of earth, wind, fire and water.
A PLAY telling the story of former world boxing champion Glenn McCory and his disabled brother has been rescheduled. Carrying David, which had been due to premiere at Durham's Gala Theatre from August 29 to September 7, has been postponed to April 28
Murton, who last Sunday defeated championship rivals Peterlee in the final of the D and P Andrew Dixon Cup, aim to take another step towards the treble by gaining maximum points from Silksworth today. On Monday they play Bill Quay in the League's other
ONE of the North-East's most popular museums put out the red carpet for its nine millionth visitor. Brian Smith, his wife Jillian, and children Emma, eight, and Jack, six, were given VIP treatment by staff at Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham
AN event for dog lovers and owners is taking place today at Stewart's Park, Middlesbrough, from 11am to 4pm. Pet behaviourist Lindy Metheringham will be on hand to give dog owners tips on how to train their dogs and there will be a chance to have your
Yesterday a report damned her husband as one of the world's most prolific serial killers, but Primrose Shipman has stood by him. Nick Morrison looks at a woman in denial. IT'S a fair bet that the television was not switched on last night in the small
FOOD supplements which are helping youngsters to learn also appear to be clearing up skin problems, experts have found. For the last six months more than 100 County Durham primary school children have taken daily food supplements to improve their concentration
Crook Town aim to complete the double over Langley Park and exact revenge for the defeat they suffered in early May. Since then, they have gone 11 games unbeaten and moved up to third position following victories over championship rivals Esh Winning and
AN event for dog lovers and owners is taking place today at Stewart's Park, Middlesbrough, from 11am to 4pm. Pet behaviourist Lindy Metheringham will be on hand to give dog owners tips on how to train their dogs and there will be a chance to have your
Wildlife presenter Charlotte Uhlenbroek has been likened to several TV personalities, but she's most flattered by being called the new David Attenborough. The temptation is to regard Charlotte Uhlenbroek as the beauty among the beasts. Or call her, as
THE animals have been acting very strangely this week. I caught the cat delicately balanced on top of the wardrobe staring straight upwards towards the ceiling. Later that same day, as dusk was descending, the little terrier dog was sitting bolt upright
VILLAGERS have vowed to maintain their opposition to a proposed housing scheme which would increase the size of their community by a third. West Rainton Housing Action Group issued the statement after discovering that developer George Wimpey UK Ltd had
RESIDENTS are objecting to plans to open a sex shop in a busy shopping area of Middlesbrough. Plans to set up a Fetish Forum store in the town's Linthorpe Road are being resisted by local residents group A New Era. The group, from nearby Granville Road
IN North Ormesby main street almost every shop is steel shuttered, even King Tut's Bazaar. Since it's Sunday teatime, the only open doors are at the bookie's and the Italian takeaway, where specials of the day include chips, cheese and cheese and chips
THE world's most popular railway engine will chug into the region this weekend. Thomas the Tank Engine and some of his best friends will be at the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, on North Road, today and tomorrow. The last time the television engine
Darlington continued their pre-season build-up with a hard-earned win against an inexperienced Newcastle side in front of over 3,000 fans at a rain-soaked Feethams last night. It was Darlington's fourth win in five games this summer and they were made
Adam Low's aunt looks on proudly as he blows up a balloon. "That's the first time he's had enough air in his lungs to do that since his treatment," she says. Adam, ten, was one of dozens of children at the Katie Trust summer party. There's a buzz as the
As the final week inside approaches, things have been hotting up inside the Big Brother house - giving Geordie firefighter Jonny a sleepless night. The known insomniac didn't much like the idea of an early night with everyone going to bed before 11pm
A BUNGLING bank raider could not have chosen a more public target yesterday - but still managed to evade capture. The culprit, believed to be a woman in her twenties, escaped under the noses of a high-profile audience which included the Bishop of Durham
PAUL Irving has been appointed director of primary and community services with Sedgefield Primary Care Trust (PCT). Mr Irving, previously chief executive of the Sedgefield Primary Care Group, has worked in the area since 1990. He was locality director
THE region's newest hospital is admitting its first patients today. The long-awaited £8m Sedgefield Community Hospital has opened on the edge of the village, replacing a dilapidated facility. The outdated hospital, consisting of prefabricated huts, had
VIKING raiders will descend on Barnard Castle, when medieval re-enactment group Anmod Dracan pays a visit later this month. The castle was once owned by Richard III, but was originally built by Norman knights following William the Conqueror's invasion
CHILDREN have become international authors through a four-way partnership with European students. Sixteen youngsters are leaving Howden-le-Wear Primary School this week with copies of the book they co-wrote with ten and 11-year-olds in France, Italy and
A COMMUNITY planning event will take place today on the field at Stephenson Way Primary School, Newton Aycliffe, between 11am and 4.30pm. It offers an opportunity for residents of Malham Crescent, Williamfield, the Dales, Linden Place, Rowan Place, Elmfield
A COMMUNITY planning event will take place today on the field at Stephenson Way Primary School, Newton Aycliffe, between 11am and 4.30pm. It offers an opportunity for residents of Malham Crescent, Williamfield, the Dales, Linden Place, Rowan Place, Elmfield
TWO Darlington students are preparing to go head-to-head to discover who will represent the country in an international competition. Lee Fawcett and Simon Dale are both trainee joiners who attend day-release courses at Darlington College of Technology
ASSURANCES have been given that work to restore Darlington's South Park will be put out to tender. A meeting of Darlington Borough Council has agreed to waive contracts procedure rules on £247,000 of work on the bandstand at the park, but concern was
DARLINGTON'S floral beauty chose the right day to be at its best, when judges for the annual Northumbria in Bloom competition visited to view what the town had to offer. Despite the wet weather yesterday, the three judges arrived for their second visit
A COUPLE who met at a Darlington dance hall celebrated 50 years of marriage yesterday, at a hotel only yards away from where it all started. Norman and Jean Telford married at the town's Eastbourne Methodist Chapel, in Louisa Street, about two years after
A NAVY destroyer which played a key role in the war against terror in the Middle East arrived in the North-East yesterday. HMS York, a Royal Navy Type 42 Air Defence Destroyer, which was built in Wallsend, returned to the region to dock at Newcastle's
THE Government has pledged an extra £40m to help tackle the North-East's growing fridge mountain. Local authorities have been forced to stockpile unwanted refrigerators and freezers. New EU legislation requires that the CFC chemicals used in old fridges
AN OVERHAUL of bus stops and services will come into force in the Darlington area by the end of the month. After complaints from the public and requests from bus operators, a relocation of services between stops in the town centre will be introduced on
HOPES that share prices on the London Stock Exchange would end the week on a high, were dashed last night as a further crisis of confidence shook the city and sent prices tumbling. The temporary reprieve from the recent downward spiral in prices collapsed
PENSIONERS at 17th Century almshouses have been given the technology to turn computer-mad youngsters green with envy. Residents at Sir William Turner's Hospital, at Kirkleatham, near Redcar, east Cleveland, have won a computer, with a year's free access
THE man who helped put North-East cricket on the map has been honoured by one of the region's universities. Don Robson, former leader of Durham County Council, has been given an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Sunderland University. Mr Robson, 66, of Medomsley
POLICE have issued a warning after two incidents in Darlington in which people were targeted by thieves posing as water company officials. The first incident happened in Lowson Street, in the North Road area of town, at lunchtime on Wednesday. After the
WE trust our doctors with our lives. Perhaps even more preciously, we entrust them with the lives of our loved ones - there is no greater sign of trust than when a worried child takes an ailing, elderly parent to a doctor and asks him to do his best.
AN appeal fund for a new community centre in North Ormesby has received a £20,000 boost. The donation was made by Dow's Haltermann Custom Processing Plant in Middlesbrough. Haltermann has been operating in Middlesbrough since 1870. This brings the total
PEOPLE taking their lunch-break in Middlesbrough's Cleveland Centre yesterday were able to listen to one of the country's premier Balkanistic dance bands while they shopped. The Baghdaddies played a mix of gypsy jazz, Balkan beat, ska, folk and punk.
UP to £20m could be spent on improving some County Durham towns and villages. Durham County Council is hoping to carry out environmental improvement work over the next five or six years. A dozen town centres and more than 50 villages are potential targets
THE end of York's long-running Coppergate Riverside public inquiry is in sight. Held to examine Land Securities' £60m scheme to redevelop land between Clifford's Tower and Piccadilly, it was expected to end in February. It now seems likely to finish by
A LOCAL authority is at the forefront of a national initiative to drive forward improvements in the way councils work. Stockton Borough Council is piloting the national scheme of internal assessment for Investors in People (IIP) status. Rob Papworth,
ARMED police faced a "nerve racking" situation when they faced a blind man who was threatening to cut his wife's throat, a judge said yesterday. Powerfully-built Stephen Richardson, 48, dragged his wife Clare, 44, on to the patio of their home and held
A LOCAL authority is considering a controversial plan to use private finance initiative (PFI) to build and repair its schools. Durham County Council is facing a huge backlog of repairs, and some older buildings are unsuitable for modern needs. The council
TWO children trapped by a fire were saved by a quick-thinking passer-by in the early hours yesterday. Jason Costner, 30, fetched a ladder and led the children and their parents to safety after they had become trapped in their upstairs flat in Reid Terrace
RELATIVES of residents of a North-East nursing home facing closure have held a meeting with officials from Durham County Council. Members of the Stoneleigh Action Group met Peter Kemp, director of social services, county council cabinet member Councillor
COMMUNITY leaders have pledged to tackle mounting vandalism after a fresh wave of attacks. Pickering town council suspects the culprits may be bored youngsters, and is therefore planning to invite school heads to a meeting to discuss the problem. Town
COUPLES arguing, rowdy youths and suspicious-looking people are needed by police to help train new recruits. The police training centre at Aykley Heads in Durham has been training its latest intake of recruits by employing volunteers to create situations
NORTH-EAST rock music prospect Pete Shoulder has been added to the line-up of the region's biggest free blues festival. The 18-year-old, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, who last year signed a six-album deal with recording company Sony, will open
Darlington have possibly their last chance of wrestling the championship from Guisborough when the side's meet head to head at Feethams today. The Fountains Garth side are the only unbeaten team, but they have won just one match more than Darlington and
ARMY DAYS: The 68th Regiment Display Team which recreates the activities of the DLI during the Napoleonic Wars will stage a living history camp at Beamish Museum next weekend. RACE TOURNAMENT: An athletics meeting for local clubs is being held from noon
THOUSANDS of people are expected to pack a park in the heart of Harrogate tomorrow as the town dances to the beat of Latin and African music. The annual Fiesta is a traditional part of the Harrogate International Festival, with free performances on a
GRADUATE Gayle Adamson has put her university celebrations on hold as she heads for the 2002 Commonwealth Games carrying the hopes of the nation. The 22-year-old picked up her first class honours degree earlier this week and has since headed off to Manchester
POP hopeful Alex Cromaty is to climb a step up the musical ladder this month when he joins a host of stars performing in front of 25,000 fans. Alex won a talent competition, with the prize of standing alongside the likes of Toploader, Atomic Kitten and
FIREFIGHTERS battled for an hour to contain a blaze at a historic house on the North Yorkshire coast yesterday. The first floor of Tannebaum, on Ruswarp Bank, near Whitby, was severely damaged. Nobody was hurt in the incident, which officers believe was
NORTHERN Echo, the racing pigeon, scrambled any chance of winning the final race of her yearling season by stopping off to lay an egg. Owner Peter Matthews had hoped it might have made her fly a little faster to allow her to lay in the comfort of her
YOUNGSTERS at Eppleby Forcett Primary School, near Richmond, are to have their poems published. The poems were selected for publication in Hidden Treasured North Yorkshire and Little Verses after their success in two poetry competitions. The contests
A MAN planted trees on a roadside after being given misleading advice by North Yorkshire County Council, the local government Ombudsman has found. A report by Patricia Thomas said that the county council has agreed to return £550 to the complainant, who
YOUNGSTERS covered a combined distance of 500 miles on their skateboards as part of an effort to fund a Northallerton skate park. About 25 youngsters took part in the first Northallerton skateathon, organised by local skate shop Popcorn, on Sunday. North
A LORRY overturned at the junction of a motorway yesterday. The truck is believed to have been carrying woodchip and was on the A1M slip road at junction 63 near Chester-le-Street when it rolled onto its side at 6am. The driver was taken to the University
YOUNG volunteers showed off the fruits of their labours this week after sprucing up a school's sensory garden. After being approached by a mother of one of its pupils, the Durham branch of the Prince's Trust volunteers agreed to restore the garden at
FILIPINO staff nurses at the University Hospital of North Tees have successfully got to grips with the Teesside accent by attending a colloquial English course. The 24 nurses had struggled to make themselves understood when talking to patients on the
SHOPPERS in Redcar and Cleveland are being warned to wise up to a scam which could have left them out of pocket. Customers of an east Cleveland supermarket contacted police after discovering that £50 cash-back had been added to their shopping bills. A
THE region's unsung heroes of industry were celebrated at a special awards evening. Organised by the County Durham Learning and Skills Council the event, at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, celebrated individual tales of achievement. Nominations were put forward
RYLSTONE Close is an ordinary horseshoe of ordinary houses, but for 18 months in the late 1970s it was home to one extraordinary resident. Harold Shipman had already killed his first victim when, in 1976, he moved into the recently-built end terrace house
FIVE people have been arrested following police inquiries into the circulation of scores of fake £20 notes. The counterfeit money has been passed at pubs and shops in the Sunderland area in recent days. Detectives have warned people to check notes they
AN action packed day of motorbike and cycling fun takes place tomorrow. Ridewell 2002 is gearing up for its third year at Preston Park, Eaglescliffe near Stockton. It is one of the biggest biking events in the region and last year it attracted more than
RELIEVED mother Andrea Carr cradled her baby son after he cheated death from meningitis - four years after the disease killed his brother. Five-month-old Kenneth Carr was rushed to hospital with meningitis and his family feared the worst after losing
A COLLEGE is going on the road throughout Teesside with a new mobile learning unit as part of a scheme to widen access to further education. Stockton and Billingham College has secured European Social Fund support, and is now able to offer local community
Q I receive Incapacity Benefit of £62.20 a week out of which I have to pay heavy household expenses. My boyfriend who lives with me does not help me much. His wages are £220 a week but £56 of this goes on maintenance and he needs a car to visit his children
MANCHESTER UNITED issued Leeds with an ultimatum last night: Take Rio Ferdinand to the Far East and the transfer is dead. Sir Alex Ferguson will abandon his protracted pursuit of Ferdinand, 23, if the defender flies to China with his Leeds teammates today
IT WAS good to read, at last, a positive letter supporting the Gala Theatre in Durham City (HAS, July 10). I am tired of negative comments about the project. It might not have gone according to plan - do new projects ever work perfectly? The people of
ONE of the country's top building companies has won a contract to build 2,000 homes in the South-East. Bellway Homes, of North Tyneside, is to develop six sites within commuting distance of the M25 to help first-time buyers find houses. The area has been
A LORRY overturned at the junction of a motorway yesterday. The truck is believed to have been carrying woodchip and was on the A1M slip road at junction 63 near Chester-le-Street when it rolled onto its side at 6am. The driver was taken to the University
It's another big day for Norton,who moved off the bottom of the table with last week's emphatic victory at Newcastle. "We batted first and gained 30 points," said Norton chairman Keith Symington. "It was great to win, but very important that we took a
THE most tantalising story of the week is whether the Bonhomme Richard has really been found at the bottom of the North Sea off Filey Head. In 1779, the American Revolution must have seemed half a world away to the people of the North-East, but then,
YOUNGSTERS are learning how to become entrepreneurs with the help of call centre staff. The new Young Enterprise programme, designed to encourage enterprise among primary school pupils, has been piloted at Bexhill Primary School, Sunderland, with the
