A DISUSED ship repair yard could be reopened by the end of next month, it was announced yesterday. The former Cammell Laird yard at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, used to employ more than 100 people. But it has not been operating since April last year
THE Prime Minister's North-East constituents clearly do not think that now is the right time to bomb or attack Iraq. The Northern Echo's poll shows that only 17.6 per cent of people in Tony Blair's Sedgefield, County Durham, constituency feel he would
EVEN in a normal year, the First Division is the most unpredictable, fluctuating league with the capacity to shock at every turn. So, what are we to make of the forthcoming season's contest in this, the most abnormal of years? There is no Fulham who can
DURHAM have added South African paceman Dewald Pretorius to their list of possibilities for their second overseas player next season. They took the chance to have a look at the South Northumberland professional in Thursday's friendly against Scotland
FARMERS in the region may still go ahead with Monday's planned protest, despite a Government pledge to relax the 20-day ban on livestock movements. North-East farmers will decide this weekend whether to stage a day of action, in spite of a nationwide
THE Dambusters raid is one of the most famous and was arguably one of the most dangerous raids of the Second World War. The outrageous operation required ultra-low flying and nerves of steel in the face of a lethal barrage of anti-aircraft fire. Nineteen
PLANS for the region's first national museum have been unanimously welcomed by councillors. It was agreed that the £8m railway museum to be built in Shildon, County Durham will breathe new life into the town, which was once at the heart of the industry
A VINTAGE bus used in TV's Heartbeat series celebrated its 60th birthday yesterday ahead of a heritage festival. The 1942 ex-United double-decker will be one of the attractions at this year's Darlington Heritage Open Days Festival next month. Having been
Stockton fixture secretary Mike Syson is under no illusion as to the importance of today's match at Tynemouth with just three points separating the pair at the bottom of the table. "It goes without saying that the result is crucial for both of us. In
It is a really big weekend for Murton and Hylton, who after meeting in today's top-of-the-table clash, are in opposition again at Ryhope tomorrow to decide the result of the Frank Lees Trophy. First, though, the pair will concentrate all their thoughts
POP Idol finalist Aaron Bayley will be performing at a festival in the region. The 27-year-old, from Newcastle, will take to the stage at this year's Orange Darlington Festival. Since ITV's Pop Idol series ended, he has been busy recording and performing
A woman had an astonishing escape yesterday when the minibus she was driving plunged into a ravine at a beauty spot. The vehicle hurtled 200ft down the Hole of Horcum, on the North York Moors. The driver, who was the only person in the minibus, was airlifted
THE former spiritual guru to the Beatles is behind ambitious plans to eradicate crime and poverty in the North-East. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who famously introduced the Fab Four to Eastern mysticism in 1967, broke his self-imposed 25-year silence with
A PET show with a difference is heading for the region later this month. There will not be any live animals at the event, at the World of James Herriot museum, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. The museum is playing host to Poppet's Peculiar Petshop Show -
IT is clear there is little support in this country for military action against Iraq. If the Prime Minister has failed to get that message from the British public, he will be well advised to study The Northern Echo's poll of his constituents in Sedgefield
Q I am a man aged 69 who worked until I was 66. I have never applied for a state pension. Could I apply now and, if so, from when would it be payable? A You could have claimed at any time from the age of 65, whether you were working or not. Your pension
GREAT BRITAIN and Ireland are in a strong position to avenge last year's heavy defeat inflicted by the Rest of the World in the Shergar Cup at Ascot today. The six jockeys picked to represent the home team are being "managed" by the former world snooker
From early beginnings rebelling against the 17th Century govenment, the Baptist Church in the North-East spread southwards. A Baptist church in the area had just celebrated its 350th anniversary, and the congregation seems far more content than its religious
TONY Blair was urged last night to step back from war with Iraq - by voters in his own North-East constituency. An exclusive poll conducted in Sedgefield by The Northern Echo revealed that 64.6 per cent believe the Prime Minister should not support a
THE eerie silence which fell over an isolated corner of the region yesterday spoke volumes for the mood of the men and women who had just lost the jobs they loved. For the first time in nearly four decades of round-the-clock working, the giant dusty grey
GEORGE Boateng is desperate to prove his worth to the Middlesbrough faithful as soon as possible. The battling midfielder could not have made a bigger first impression on his new employers following his £5m switch from Aston Villa. Boateng's encouraging
THERE is a mesmeric fascination with water rooted deeply within us all. Maybe it has something to do with the bucket-loads that fall down from the heavens every summer, usually just after the barbecue has been lit. Maybe it is because we are island dwellers
PULL up the regulator and there's a massive whoosh as a sauna of warm steam envelopes your legs and a shower of rubbish flies out of the chimney and lands on your head. But Sans Pareil is alive. She's moving. Ever so slowly, with great rushes of smoke
SUNDERLAND are hoping to tie up a deal to bring Spanish striker Raul Tamudo to the club. Tamudo has been on manager Peter Reid's wanted list all summer and now the front-man is understood to be stepping closer to a move to the Stadium of Light. Reid hopes
OUR sister newspaper, The East Cleveland Advertiser, sponsor a fascinating six-runner handicap on Northern Echo Family Fun Day at Redcar tomorrow. In such a relatively small field the task of finding the winner ought not to be that difficult, but nothing
Darlington's Tommy Taylor has called on his team to hit the ground running as the season starts at Cambridge this afternoon. Quakers have enjoyed a successful pre-season, completing a satisfactory sequence of results with a 6-0 win over Northern League
CHRIS Turner insists there's no pressure on his shoulders going into the new season. Hartlepool United kick-off the new campaign at Carlisle this afternoon, aiming to carry on the good work of last season which saw them race into the play-offs only to
SO, the future of English football is bleak, right? George Reynolds reckons clubs will go to the wall this season. More clubs than ever have been in administration in the last 12 months. Bradford City, a Premiership team as recently as 15 months ago,
Nostalgia series are hugely popular and become even more so when they're about a programme as genuinely loved as The Brothers. Steve Pratt reports. Tyne Tees Television producer-director Jason Beresford watched eagerly as old hit programmes to be recalled
Start as you mean to go on, so they say and if Darlington adhere to that proverb they will enjoy a great season because Quakers began the season with a hard-earned opening day win - eventually. Darlington deserved the three points purely on their second
THE directly-elected mayor of a remote town in Texas has been castrated in a drunken fight by an irate resident. A court heard this week that one of the mayor's testicles was found in the accused's fridge. This case will undoubtedly cause great consternation
The "metric martyrs" convicted of selling food in imperial measures will next week take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. The five traders are due to lodge papers at Strasbourg on Monday in a case backed by the civil rights group, Liberty
TWO teenage boys were attacked by thugs and had their bikes stolen after a visit to a beauty spot. One of the boys was punched while his friend was pushed to the ground, near Broken Scar, Darlington. The pair, aged 13 and 14, had just left the picnic
THE grieving family of a taxi driver who died after driving his car into a dock claimed yesterday that "fundamental safety failures" were to blame for the accident. A jury at Teesside's Coroner's Court recorded a verdict of accidental death after hearing
MOTOR-MAD Nicholas Attwell loved driving cars. Hatchbacks, saloons, coupes and sports cars - he just could not get enough. There was one problem. None of the cars he drove actually belonged to him. Attwell was a serial vehicle thief. One day, after more
A NORTH-EAST public relations and marketing consultancy, Karol Marketing, yesterday announced details of a new £500,000 quayside development to house its growing business. Work has started on transforming the former Fighting Cocks pub, on a site over
A NAKED car driver is being hunted by police after being seen near a park. The driver drove away after being spotted by a woman pedestrian. The incident happened in Cornwall Road, alongside Harrogate's Valley Gardens, at about 3.30am on Thursday. The
Now that they have their noses in front - albeit by a slender two-point margin - Saltburn are sure they can go all the way and win the championship. They were frustrated at being unable to gain the last Darlington RA wicket last Saturday, but overjoyed
EUROPEAN grants aimed at boosting business and jobs in the North-East have exceeded £40m and the money is expected to help 12,000 businesses and create 9,500 jobs. This progress was highlighted as representatives from the education, public, voluntary
DFDS Seaways is offering its corporate clients a chance to get away with murder. The company's meetings, incentives, conference and events division has teamed up for Murder on the Menu, a murder mystery event company offering clients a team-building or
HEALTH bosses have apologised for the "insensitive appointment" of disgraced gynaecologist Richard Neale to the role of checking standards of doctors at a hospital. Greater Manchester Health Authority admitted his appointment - to an administrative role
BRITAIN'S trade gap widened in June as exports slumped, figures showed yesterday. Economists said the figures highlighted the fragility of global demand, but also revealed that the UK "shut down" during the month as attention was focussed on the World
Hetton Lyons, the only club to have applied for entry into the Foster's ECB North East Regional Premier League, have a lot of ground to make up if they are to win the championship and achieve their ambition. "We are 42 points behind Burnmoor which is
MANY professional naturalists have no doubt that certain predators do indeed need to be controlled (Echo, Aug 5). The RSPB, for example, shoots foxes and traps crows, mink and rats on some nature reserves to protect ground nesting birds. Many wildlife
NEARLY 1,000 runners are expected to compete in tomorrow's annual Darlington 10K on a new, safer two-lap course. Police had expressed concerns for the safety of athletes on the old route and have worked closely with Darlington Council officials to find
As the nation celebrates Paula Radcliffe's medal-winning success, and athletes experienced and novice prepare for the Darlington 10k tomorrow, Glen Reynolds muses on the benefits of putting on those running shoes. THERE is no doubt that wanting to run
SCHOOLFRIENDS of missing ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman yesterday made an emotional appeal for their return, as police said the youngsters could now be anywhere in the country - or even abroad. Jennie White, Natalie Parr, Sean Flack and
THE family of a woman who died in hospital after taking an overdose is to pursue a claim for clinical negligence. It follows an inquest verdict of, "misadventure, contributed to by neglect", recorded by North Durham coroner Andrew Tweddle into the death
NOT many newly-weds can claim to have had a horse race named after them, but for one North-East couple it was all part of their big day. When trainer Brian Ellison married Claire Bell, of Durham, yesterday he had an unusual surprise for her - an afternoon
IN just 47 minutes of football, Ritchie Humphreys exorcised the demons which have been shadowing him since April 31. Save for the frame of the Cheltenham goal on that fateful play-off night, Hartlepool United could have been kicking-off the new season
POLICE have released security camera pictures in their hunt for a man who allegedly committed an indecent act in a sports centre's female changing rooms. A woman was left traumatised when she found out that she had undressed in Darlington's Dolphin Centre
A HOSPITAL cleaner will have to undergo tests for hepatitis B after she was pricked with a used hypodermic needle while cleaning the men's public toilets. Claire Hopper, from Middlehope Grove, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, will also have to undergo
POLICE are appealing for a missing man to get in touch. Concern is growing for Thomas Brett Wilkinson, 41, known as Brett, of Evenwood, County Durham. He was last seen in his home village on August 1, and is thought to be driving his silver Ford Fiesta
A ROAD run that has sparked international interest is expected to have the highest number of entrants in its history. The Darlington 10k run has been swamped with hundreds of entries from runners eager to sign up for the event. Race organisers believe
DARREN Gough was last night ordered to miss England's Ashes tour and the World Cup - or risk retirement. Gough is still keen to play in this winter's series in Australia and the World Cup, despite facing a third knee operation in six months. He will celebrate
Kimblesworth, denied the opportunity to stay out in front when their game at Ushaw Moor was the only one to be cancelled last week, aim to keep the pressure on new leaders Evenwood by defeating Tudhoe today. "Obviously we were all disappointed that last
STEVE HARPER will head out to Bosnia with his Newcastle United teammates on Monday just hours after putting pen to paper on a new five-year deal at St James' Park. The 27-year-old understudy to Shay Given has agreed the new contract which will signal
Arsenal have claimed their first trophy of the season after beating Liverpool 1-0 in the Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. A debut goal from Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto Silva was enough to hand Arsene Wenger's men a confidence-boosting
