NEWCASTLE United football manager Sir Bobby Robson celebrated his 70th birthday on Tuesday with a 3-1 win in Germany against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. Sir Bobby was born in Sacriston and raised in Langley Park. In an interview this week
PARENTS have been warned they will be forced to take lessons in looking after their unruly children if they can not control their behaviour. Darlington police issued the warning after there was a spate of incidents over the weekend where teenagers were
A CASH-STRAPPED council is to continue free school travel for thousands of children. Durham County Council was looking at saving more than £1m a year by bringing its more generous scheme into line with others around the country. Durham gives free travel
A FOOTBALLING youngster who regularly finds himself on the sidelines for wearing glasses will soon be unstoppable on the pitch thanks to an optician. Durham City Blacks player, Jamie Clifford, 11, frequently finds himself travelling to fixtures only to
A SCHOOL is on the last lap to raising the £50,000 it needs to win performing arts college status. Belmont Comprehensive School in Durham held fund-raising events, including a balloon race and a soaking for the headteacher, to bring in the cash it needs
TEARS were shed again at the weekend as new stories emerged of the 168 men and boys who died the North-East's worst mining disaster almost 100 years ago. The emotional scenes came as relatives of the Stanley Pit Disaster came to join the call for a memorial
H is for HAIR and HOLIDAYS and HOME ALONE. It is also for HOTEL , as in "You treat this house like a..." which is probably one of those things you always swore you would never say to your children. Ha! That's what being a parent does for you. HAIR is
CRUCIAL talks aimed at righting a pensions injustice depriving thousands of North-East miners of millions of pounds now face being delayed for at least several months, it has emerged. The Northern Echo reported last month how the Government was facing
A PARK that underwent a £1m revamp last year has changed its name again. Consett Heritage Park was restored after its owners, Derwentside District Council, won the cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Derwentside District Council has agreed to go back
A SCHOOL'S outstanding provision for environmental education, the arts and pupils' personal development were highlighted in a glowing Ofsted report. Cassop Primary, the first wind powered school in England, is a place where children blossom, said education
TRIBUTES have been paid to an experienced Darlington councillor who has decided not to stand in the forthcoming elections. Former mayor Councillor Hannah Straiton, who represents the Park East ward on Darlington Borough Council will be replaced by a new
PATIENTS from Sedgefield borough are taking part in an exercise scheme to help combat heart disease. The cardiac rehabilitation exercise programme, which got under way last month, is being offered to all people who have had coronary artery bypass surgery
THE career of the North-East's newest pop star was thrown into turmoil yesterday when poor ticket sales forced the cancellation of a joint tour by Girls Aloud and One True Voice. The bands, formed in the ITV1 show Popstars: The Rivals, were meant to perform
A MAN who carried out an attack in a Darlington nightclub has been ordered by magistrates to pay his victim £500 compensation. Paul Glen, 22, repeatedly punched Stephen Williamson on the dance floor of the Mardi Gras club, in Gladstone Street, on December
FERRYHILL Town Council has written to Prime Minister Tony Blair to express opposition to planning rules over mobile phone masts. Councillors and residents are opposing plans for a mobile phone mast in Church Lane. The mast is to be sited close to houses
FERRYHILL Town Council has written to Prime Minister Tony Blair to express opposition to planning rules over mobile phone masts. Councillors and residents are opposing plans for a mobile phone mast in Church Lane. The mast is to be sited close to houses
Noble Amusements, in Northgate, Darlington, has lodged a planning appeal with Darlington Borough Council after permission to extend the shop was denied. Noble Organisation Ltd, wants to extend the building to accommodate a tanning centre and offices.
ONE of the North's biggest beer festivals is to return to its former home as it attempts to regain its prominence in the real ale calendar. A shortage of volunteer helpers led to organisers of the Durham Beer Festival scaling down the event in recent
STAFF at supermarket group Asda are to pocket bonuses of up to £300 from the company's benefits scheme. The payouts, totalling £13.7m, will be made on Friday after the company achieved a ten per cent rise in like-for-like sales in the year to January
CINEMA-goers are being urged to see the film The One and Only this weekend and help the Newcastle-Gateshead Capital of Culture bid. The film, starring Patsy Kensit and Donna Air was premiered on Tuesday night, when the two stars and a host of other celebrities
SEVEN members of the Bank of England's interest rate-setting committee voted for a cut in the rate of borrowing this month. Weakening demand prompted the pre-emptive decision to reduce interest rates to a 48-year low of 3.75 per cent, the first time the
OUT-OF-AFRICA stars Shola Ameobi and Lomana LuaLua are ready to challenge the established order at Newcastle. Nigeria-born England Under-21 cap Ameobi and Congo international LuaLua fired United to a vital Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen
YOUNG children have been learning how to ride their bikes properly. An event for pre-school age children was held at Eldon Grove Community Sports Centre, Hartlepool, yesterday. Jackie Ferry, from organisers Hartlepool Borough Council, said: "Many young
A SERIES of family fun weekends are being held at the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. The programme includes art and crafts, painting competitions, treasure hunts, puzzles and games. Volunteers Olive Howe and Irene Macleod will also be telling youngsters
A GRANT of £500 is helping a North Yorkshire charity to publicise its work. Interactive Whitby and District provides play and leisure activities for able-bodied and disabled youngsters as well as respite care and support for their families and carers.
PRIMARY school youngsters let their imagination run riot when some of their favourite characters got together for a pantomime. Harry Potter met Snow White when the production took to the stage last week at St Joseph's RC School, Coundon . The two were
THE owners of a suspected brothel in Darlington were among seven people being questioned by detectives last night following an extensive police investigation. Police made four arrests and confiscated a haul of items as they raided the Pleasure Zone sex
Kate Howden, Paul Jones and Tony Taffinder will be performing their brand of contemporary folk music when their spring tour kicks off at a small folk club in Robin Hoods Bay tomorrow. The performance will start at 8.30pm at the Bay Folk Club, in the Dolphin
MECHANIC Neil Todd entered a competition hoping to win a T-shirt - but now he is in the running for a national title. The 31-year-old, from King Street, Ripon, has beaten hundreds of mechanics to reach the national finals of the Champion Spark Plug Technician
PETER MULLEN: THE Reverend Peter Mullen's article (Echo, Feb 11) was just plain naughty. And the last five lines were not only over the top but distinctly irresponsible. That a young clergy person and peers, just starting out on their ministry, should
DRUMMER Richard Baxendale will be playing to a TV audience of millions tonight. South Shields-born Mr Baxendale, 30, will be part of teenage rock sensation Avril Lavigne's backing band at the Brit Awards. He is among 20 drummers hired to simultaneously
FARMERS last night backed a badger cull in a bid to prevent the spread of tuberculosis in cattle. The Government indicated that it was considering culls outside specific trial areas as fears grow over the spread of the disease. Rural Affairs Secretary
SUNDERLAND footballer Michael Proctor presented prizes to 30 Young Achiever award winners from the city last night. The local-boy-made-good handed out awards reflecting the outstanding accomplishments, skills and efforts of 11 to 20-year-olds, in the
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after two cars crashed on the A19 at the weekend. A Citroen Xsara and Vauxhall Corsa were involved in a head-on collision near Shipton by Beningborough, on the outskirts of York, on Sunday, just before 7pm. A couple
A SERIES of bridge improvements has begun on the A194(M), the road which leads from the A1(M) at Washington towards the Tyne Tunnel. Work is expected to continue until early May as maintenance is carried out to six bridges between the A1(M) intersection
THE Reverend David Wilkinson, of St John's College, Durham University, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, will give a presentation on God and science next week. Mr Wilkinson will give the talk at the Methodist Church, in High Street, Carrville
A GIRL aged 12 and two boys aged 12 and 13 appeared in court yesterday charged with a £1m arson attack on a school. The trio were granted conditional bail when they appeared at North Tyneside Youth Court. The children were charged with arson following
INSURANCE brokers Smart and Cook Group has added seven branches across Yorkshire to its name. The Harrogate business has acquired the branches from brokers Oughtred and Harrison, boosting premium income by about £20m in the process. The deal takes Smart
EXPERT Keith Matthews is about to unveil some of the secrets of the soldiers of the past. As curator of military history at the Castle Museum, in York, he will be taking enthusiasts behind-the-scenes at the extensive military collection. Those taking
RED or Dead fashion house co-founder Wayne Hemingway has been chosen to lead a housing debate in the region next month. The clothes designer famously laid into Britain's housing, accusing architects of "Wimpeyfying" property design. Builders George Wimpey
STUDENTS have been sharing their artistic skills with children. Sarah Burdon, Emma Ford and Sarah Gardener, who are all 21 and final year students at Cleveland College of Art and Design, in Hartlepool, held three workshops at Durham's Oriental Museum
PLANS to build 12 houses in Kirklevington have been recommended for approval. Member's of Stockton Borough Council's will meet tomorrow to discuss the plans to build on land known as Jasmine Field, near Forest Lane. The development would consist of eight
A SENIOR judge issued a stark warning to Yardie gangs trying to create a market for crack cocaine in the North-East: "You will be caught and sentenced heavily." Judge Peter Fox QC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, revealed that there had been an attempt
THE revamped Studio restaurant at Durham's Gala Theatre reopens next week with a bistro-style look. THe new menu is introduced during the run of Brief Encounter, the Middle Ground Theatre company's stage adaptation of David Lean's film, which opens on
A RANGE of activities are on offer at the University of Teesside to celebrate International Women's Day. Based at the university's centre for enterprise, off Victoria Road, Middlesbrough, the two-day event at the start of next month is promising to provide
AN event to demonstrate community creativity in the Tees Valley is to be held at Redcar and Cleveland City Learning Centre, in Eston. The centrepiece of the People and Place exhibition will be an Octorama, which consists of digital images being projected
DURHAM Amateur Operatic Society is looking for singers and backstage crew to take part in its production of My Fair Lady at Durham's Gala Theatre. An open night will be held on Tuesday in Durham Town Hall at 7.15pm for anyone interested in getting involved
A COMMUNITY'S five-year dream of transforming a bare field into a children's playground is set to become a reality. Stanley Crook Village Association has campaigned for new play equipment since the village's old swings were taken down almost six years
A BUSINESSMAN is urging companies to sponsor local students through university. Simon Bailes, managing director of the North-East car dealership of the same name, offers a scholarship for a girl every year to attend Polam Hall School, in Darlington, and
VILLAGERS were given the chance to say what they would like to see in their community. An open day was held in Bowburn Community Centre by Durham City Council's Single Regeneration Budget Six community team. Visitors were given the chance to comment on
It has the potential to revolutionise our lives, but also to devour the entire human race, and is the basis for the latest scientific scare story from Jurassic Park creator Michael Crichton. Nick Morrison tries to get to grips with nanotechnology. WE'VE
STUDENTS shared their artistic skills with youngsters at a workshop this week. Sarah Burdon, Emma Ford and Sarah Gardener, all 21, and final year students at Cleveland College of Art and Design, in Hartlepool, staged three workshops at Durham's Oriental
AFTER 30 years of keeping things ticking over, the man who has wound a North Yorkshire church clock is stepping down. Chris Slater, who wound the clock at St Andrew's Church, Kirkby Malzeard, has been described as "loyalty personified". He also raised
CHILDREN travelled more than 150 miles to see their new classrooms being built. Fitted with solar panels, underfloor heating and suspended lighting, the classrooms are part of a Government-funded initiative. They are being built in York by modular building
PARENTS of children who face a 'hazardous' walk to school hope to win their battle to retain free bus travel. Durham County Council will look again at last year's decision to withdraw the concession from 150 pupils of Blackfyne Community School, Consett
A COUPLE from Chester-le-Street last week admitted masterminding one of the biggest jobs-for-cash scams in Britain. The husband and wife team fleeced 16,000 people - including the elderly and disabled - in a con that netted them £250,000 and funded a
REDUNDANT buildings could be revamped to provide offices and workshops in a bid to combat a shortage in industrial units. Wear Valley District Council is now appealing for people with old buildings or building sites that are not in use to register the
A FAMILY fun day with a serious message takes place this weekend. The Stanley Parenting Advice Network (Span) holds a free fair in the Louisa Centre on Saturday from 11am-2pm. The event aims to mix games for youngsters with advice for parents and carers
Durham's narrow medieval streets were not built for modern traffic. The city was chosen as the site for a cathedral and castle because it was so well defended naturally. In this respect, Durham has often hindered rather than encouraged access. Only the
A WOMAN who was subjected to a brutal attack is calling for residents to take a stand against children who are carrying out a campaign of violent intimidation. Mary Heseltine was held down and kicked in the head on her own doorstep as her grandchildren
WEAPONS of murder will form a small "black museum" at one of the region's leading visitor attractions. Two axes and a meat cleaver are among a big collection of policing artefacts from Durham Police that will have a new home at Beamish Museum. The open
TWO unhappy Middlesbrough stars last night revealed their disapproval at being omitted from the last England squad. Midfielder Jonathan Greening and club skipper Gareth Southgate were both unfortunate absentees when Sven-Goran Eriksson's men took on Australia
AFTER a couple of blank days for jumping fans, milder weather in the Midlands means Warwick's National Hunt card seems likely to go ahead. The £40,000 Michael Page Finance Chase is by far the most valuable race on the card and with a bit of luck the money
IT is, by the discoverer's own admission, "a scruffy-looking weed" - but when it's at the cutting edge of the evolutionary chain, looks just do not matter. Britain's newest species of plant has been discovered in the unlikeliest spot, on neglected waste
A NEW centre for residents on a Darlington housing estate was lowered into position on Monday. The pod will be in Emley Moor, Firthmoor, for three months and will provide people with a meeting place and a place to get advice from wardens, community safety
A FINE food store is celebrating a hat-trick of awards at a ceremony recognising the best local shops. Presented at a gala dinner in Harrogate, the awards acknowledged the best local shops and produce in North Yorkshire, with nominations made by customers
SCHOOLGIRL Abby Kirkham is holding a bring-and-buy sale to help to provide clean water in African villages. Abby, ten, of Langley Park, was moved by the plight of children in Tanzania and Uganda whose nearest safe supply is sometimes miles from home.
RURAL schools, pubs and people are being recognised in a countryside awards initiative. The 2003 Countryside Awards reward innovative businesses, organisations and teaching which helps to sustain and enhance rural life. Among the National Farmers' Union
A PUPPY survived by stealing turkey eggs after playing hide and seek in a barn. The Murray family searched the village of Hamsterley, County Durham, and issued an appeal in The Northern Echo for the safe return of the five-month-old Great Dane puppy,
DARREN looks smart in his collar and tie. It's hard to believe that not so long ago he was grafting for his next fix. Once a prolific shoplifter with a £250 daily heroin habit, he is now attempting to go straight and is doing a bit of voluntary office
PRINCE Charles has stayed for the weekend, King Juan Carlos of Spain enjoyed a few days relaxation there - and it is even rumoured that Madonna and hubby Guy Ritchie would like to visit. But the object of celebrity desire is not the beaches of St Tropez
POLICE have issued an e-fit of a man they believe is part of a gang of bogus callers who struck two communities in one day. The team of three men, claiming to be water board officials, made off with hundreds of pounds after a distraction burglary in Simpson
WORK has begun on a multi-million pound housing scheme to allow older people to live independently in their own homes. The Easthaven extra care scheme is the first of its kind in Darlington because, unlike other sheltered housing schemes, it provides
A SCHOOLBOY'S way with words and passion for football has landed him and his school some useful prizes in a national competition. Alex Richardson wrote a winning poem for BBC Radio's Together programme, which challenged primary school youngsters to write
THE only surviving witness of a massive explosion which ripped through a North-East power station spoke for the first time yesterday of the moment three workmates died. Graeme White, of Billingham, still bandaged from his injuries suffered in August 2001
TAKING up sport after a gap of four decades has brought out the competitive spirit in a group of 50 and 60-somethings who are enjoying getting the most out of life. Three dozen good sports go along twice a week to the Spectrum Leisure Complex in Willington
GORDON WATSON has suffered more injury woe in his bid to return to the table-topping Hartlepool United side. The Pool striker, who finished as the club's top-scorer last season, picked up an ankle injury yesterday while playing for the reserves at Scarborough
A COUPLE had an extra special reason to celebrate St Valentine's Day this year. Reg and Greta Tallentire marked their diamond wedding with friends and family at their home of in Toft Hill, last Friday, and received a card from the Queen. The couple met
The Government last night urged all remaining Britons to leave Iraq as the leaders of England's two main churches challenged Tony Blair's moral case for war. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and Catholic Archbishop of Westminster Cormac
A TRIP to the National Railway Museum in York proved a big attraction for fathers in a new scheme. When Heather Harkin, of the Sure Start Dads and Kids Group, announced that she was arranging a trip to the museum, there was a clamour for places. Ms Harkin's
A TRIP to the National Railway Museum in York proved a big attraction for fathers in a new scheme. When Heather Harkin, of the Sure Start Dads and Kids Group, announced that she was arranging a trip to the museum, there was a clamour for places. Ms Harkin's
A MAN who carried out an attack in a Darlington nightclub has been ordered by magistrates to pay his victim £500 compensation. Paul Glen, 22, repeatedly punched Stephen Williamson on the dance floor of the Mardi Gras club, in Gladstone Street, on December
A FUNDRAISER hoping to drive to Northern Italy in his Mini Cooper later this year has been gathering sponsors. Steve Poad, from Woodham, Newton Aycliffe, visited Asda in Darlington to launch his fundraising efforts for the National Children's Homes (NCH
A FUNDRAISER hoping to drive to Northern Italy in his Mini Cooper later this year has been gathering sponsors. Steve Poad, from Woodham, Newton Aycliffe, visited Asda in Darlington to launch his fundraising efforts for the National Children's Homes (NCH
WORK has begun on a multi-million pound housing scheme to allow older people to live independently in their homes. The Easthaven extra care scheme is the first of its kind in Darlington. Unlike other sheltered housing schemes, it provides 24-hour-care
HEART patients from Sedgefield borough are taking part in an exercise scheme to help combat heart disease. The cardiac rehabilitation exercise programme, which got under way in January, is being offered to all people who have had coronary artery bypass
A FARMERS' buying consortium in the North-East is helping encourage farmers to adopt environmentally friendly farming methods and raise awareness among consumers. Agri-Trade Direct teamed up with The Wildlife Trusts and Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group
MORE than any other politician in living memory, Margaret Thatcher polarised opinion. She was loved or loathed; Britain's saviour to some, Britain's destroyer to others. There are many in the North-East who would sympathise with the actions of Paul Kelleher
COUNCIL taxpayers in North Yorkshire will have to pay 11.5 per cent more to the county authority, it was confirmed yesterday. The rise in the county council precept will mean an extra £84 a year on a Band D property, which presently stands at £733. However
A HOST of television celebrities are heading to the North-East to play in and support a one-off football match. The event, at Darlington's Feethams ground, supports a film to be set mostly at the club and in the town. The film, Down Among the Dead Men
A REGIONAL project designed to help school leavers has won national acclaim. Uproject, run by Connexions County Durham has been praised by the New Opportunities Fund as the most successful of almost 50 similar projects nationally and is to set the standard
TWO unusually life-like models will be joining the team at the World of James Herriot, in Thirsk. Two of its longest serving members of staff, Margi Tipton and David Shields, will give the centre a lasting reminder of their work by becoming the life casts
A MAN who suffered severe head injuries following an accident last week has been identified following a police appeal. The 32-year-old was involved in a collision on Borough Road, Middlesbrough, shortly before 8pm on Tuesday, February 11. He was running
A MAN who suffered severe head injuries following an accident last week has been identified following a police appeal. The 32-year-old was involved in a collision on Borough Road, Middlesbrough, shortly before 8pm on Tuesday, February 11. He was running
MUSICIANS and their fans are campaigning against proposed licensing rules they say will kill grassroots live music. Campaigners believe many pubs will have to stop music sessions if the Government's revamp of the public entertainment licence ends the
RESIDENTS who pioneered a foreign exchange scheme are to be reunited with the German students they met 50 years ago. A small party of pupils made the first links between County Durham and Kreis Wesel, in Germany, when the first exchange took place in
YOUNGSTERS were able to become archaeologists for the day yesterday. A family fun day was held at Davy Jones' Locker at the Maritime Archaeology Resource Centre in Hartlepool's Sir William Gray House. Children learnt some of the skills of an archaeologist
MAMMALS will be in the spotlight when a touring exhibition arrives in the region. The BBC's Life of Mammals exhibition, which complements the popular television series, will be at Newcastle's Centre for Life from next Thursday until March 2. As part of
DRUMMER Richard Baxendale will be playing to a TV audience of millions tonight. South Shields-born Mr Baxendale, 30, will be part of teenage rock sensation Avril Lavigne's backing band at the Brit Awards. He is among 20 drummers hired to simultaneously
SUNDERLAND footballer Michael Proctor presented prizes to 30 Young Achiever award winners from the city last night. The local-boy-made-good handed out awards reflecting the outstanding accomplishments, skills and efforts of 11 to 20-year-olds, in the
A NORTH-East rail firm plans to ease overcrowding with help from its arch-rival. GNER, which operates mainline services linking Durham with Scotland and King's Cross, is to make its trains longer using carriages donated by Virgin Trains. The company owned
A SERIES of bridge improvements has begun on the A194(M), the road which leads from the A1(M) at Washington towards the Tyne Tunnel. Work is expected to continue until early May as maintenance is carried out to six bridges between the A1(M) intersection
VISITORS to a North-East shopping centre can send a video message to their loved ones thanks to new technology. The booth in the Cornmill Centre, in Darlington, allows shoppers to record a video message onto a CD and then send it to a friend or relative
TEN people were arrested during a police operation in Stockton to target criminals in the area. The arrest day also resulted in 35 offences, including burglary and theft, being detected. Detective Inspector Shane Sellers said: "I am confident this type
Families, students, professionals and pensioners from every corner of the North marched in London on Saturday to tell their Prime Minister that war was not the answer. Supporters transcended race, religion and nationality, but their vision of peace was
A horse died and farm equipment including an old tractor was destroyed after a fire broke out in a barn at Cooke's Wood, Broompark, Durham, just after 4am yesterday. At the height of the blaze, 70 tonnes of hay was well alight and it took firefighters
RURAL areas in the North-East are at the forefront of a scheme to help village halls prove their value to the community. Village hall committees will be working with rural community councils to help them assess the service they provide. It is hoped the
POLICE are set to move into a shopping complex that will breath life into east Durham. Officers will be based in the management team's building at the £40m Dalton Park factory outlet centre, near Murton. Traffic crews - the complex is near the A19 - and
THE proud industrial heritage of the North-East will be the focus of a new exhibition that hopes to make science sexier. Renowned scientist Professor Ian Fells will demonstrate how industry was revolutionised by the steam turbine, invented on Tyneside
THE proud industrial heritage of the North-East will be the focus of a new exhibition that hopes to make science sexier. Renowned scientist Professor Ian Fells will demonstrate how industry was revolutionised by the steam turbine, invented on Tyneside
AMPHETAMINES worth £500 were recovered when police raided a house in South Terrace, South Bank, on Tuesday. A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs. The raid followed a meeting in the Langbaurgh area at which residents
A UNIVERSITY is objecting to a planned mobile phone base station over fears that signals will interfere with sensitive scientific equipment. O2 is seeking Durham City Council's permission for a 15m mast on land opposite the New Inn, Church Street Head
BURGLARIES are higher in Teesside and North Yorkshire compared with similar parts of the country, a Home Office study has shown. Ministers and officials yesterday unveiled what they claim is the first true assessment of how England and Wales are policed
MIDDLESBROUGH and east Cleveland MP Ashok Kumar will launch a campaign to save rural pubs when he visits Guisborough today. He will meet Angela Booth, landlady of the Tap and Spile pub, in the Market Place at noon. The MP is calling for more support from
A thief is targeting elderly people in Eston, Normanby and South Bank, police have warned. The woman has been admitted to properties after asking if she could use the phone or shelter from the cold while she waited for a friend. Once inside, she has stolen
THE story of the Blaydon Races and the legend of the Lambton Worm could be on the curriculum for pupils in Germany this week Music teacher Joyce Shaw, 57, has won a grant to teach North-East folklore in a German school, in a pilot project for a cultural
A MAN yesterday denied killing his friend who was found dead in a back yard. Kevin King, 29, is accused of killing David Lilley, a 36-year-old warehouseman from Thirlmere Crescent, Shiney Row, Wearside, on December 1 last year. He pleaded not guilty to
ONE of the North-East's major urban railway stations is on track for a long-awaited refurbishment. Project partners are considering proposals for a £10m upgrade of the central station in Sunderland, following an 18-month study by developers GL Hearn.
HARTLEPOOL'S New Deal for Communities (NDC) group will hold an election next week for a vacant seat on its residents' steering group. Four nominations have been received to represent the north area of NDC. They are: David Tweedale Gray; Abrar Hussian;
HALL EVENTS: A housing surgery will take place from 9.45am to 10.45am next Thursday, in Delves Lane Village Hall. The centre is to start an evening community learning championship certificate course on Monday, March 17. To sign up, call Anne Westgarth
TALENTED young boxers will follow in the footsteps of heavyweight hero Lennox Lewis when they train with his former club in Canada. Globe-trotting Spennymoor Boxing Academy will join members of Waterloo Regional Police Boxing Club for a week in May. Since
A thief is targeting elderly people in Eston, Normanby and South Bank, police have warned. The woman has been admitted to properties after asking if she could use the phone or shelter from the cold while she waited for a friend. Once inside, she has stolen
CHILDREN who drew up a fire escape plan as part of a community project were rewarded by fire officials yesterday. Brother and sister Mark, 11, and Sarah Warner, 15, from Eston, came up with their plan as part of a project for Eston Community Junior Rangers
THE revamped Studio restaurant at Durham's Gala Theatre reopens next week with a bistro-style look. THe new menu is introduced during the run of Brief Encounter, the Middle Ground Theatre company's stage adaptation of David Lean's film, which opens on
A FORMER Soviet Air Force colonel who has become one of Russia's top youth leaders comes to Consett today to forge links. Colonel Misha Kuschkov, a field officer for the Russian YMCA, will meet with bosses at the YMCA, in Parliament Street, Consett. Centre
A SIGNED shirt has been donated by a football club to organisers of an appeal to help a woman with a crippling disease. Darlington Football Club donated the shirt to help Ann Teasdale, who had a leg amputated after contracting the rare reflex sympathetic
Suffering from a broken spine, damaged limbs and a missing right leg below the knee, Neptune, one of Durham's oldest residents, was finally transported to Telford, in Shropshire, for emergency repairs in March 1984. He had been the gift of George Bowes
A BID by clothing retailer Matalan to open a warehouse store on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland has been put on hold. The discount clothing chain had applied for planning permission to build a 35,000sq ft development with a 146 space car park at the
AN internationally renowned band from Newton Aycliffe has taken part in its biggest ever event. The Newton Aycliffe Pipes and Drums performed at an international folk festival in Agrigento, Sicily. There were 23 nations taking part and for the final parade
A GARDEN designed by student Sarah Ali Shaikh Lloyd, of Askham Bryan College, near York, is to be recreated at one of the world's largest flower shows this summer. The entry, at the Hampton Court Flower Show, was a "dream come true", said Sarah, who is
CROWDS gathered in Northallerton to learn about the University of the Third Age (U3A), which aims to convince older people that education is not just for the young. U3A is one of Britain's fastest-growing organ- isations for the over-50s. It is made up
A WOMAN has been nominated for a national award in recognition of her voluntary work. Samantha Lambird, 25, of Belford Gardens, Darlington is the regional winner in the Millennium Volunteer of the Year awards. Ms Lambird, who is in the finals for the
NEWCASTLE United football manager Sir Bobby Robson celebrated his 70th birthday on Tuesday with a 3-1 win in Germany against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. Sir Bobby was born in Sacriston and raised in Langley Park. In an interview this week
Darlington caretaker boss Mick Tait is keeping his fingers crossed defender Matt Clarke will receive the all-clear ahead of Sunday's clash with Wrexham. The former Halifax man, who has missed the last four games after accidentally slicing his thumb open
GIVEN the gravity of what's happening elsewhere in the world, sport's knicker-twisting incidents this week have been small fry. Imagine, for example, the dreadful miseries being suffered by Catherine Zeta Jones and there seems little reason for poor old
VALENTINE'S night in East End Workmen's Club: women at one table, fellers at another. His wife, says club secretary Les Bayles, told him before he came out alone that he loved East End Club more than he loved her. "Pet, I love the Engineers Club more
A COURSE which could open up a whole new world for people with visual problems is being staged in Durham's new library. Clayport Library already runs several information technology classes backed by New College, Durham. Its latest course, using specialist
KEVIN KILBANE last night looked ahead with confidence to Saturday's desperation derby and told Middlesbrough: You don't scare us. Kilbane and his Sunderland teammates are fast running out of time to save their Premiership skins, with just ten fixtures
RESIDENTS have voiced their concerns about plans to regenerate a village by selling greenfield land to housing developers. The cash raised would be used to upgrade the remains of the 18th Century William Turner estate, in Kirkleatham, near Redcar. The
H is for HAIR and HOLIDAYS and HOME ALONE. It is also for HOTEL , as in "You treat this house like a..." which is probably one of those things you always swore you would never say to your children. Ha! That's what being a parent does for you. HAIR is
DISCIPLINARY offences against two Cleveland Police officers will not go ahead for at least another two months, it was confirmed yesterday. A detective sergeant is facing a string of disciplinary offences and a police constable two offences, both of whom
AN unusual building in the heart of Durham is to take on new life as a weekly antiques market to rival London's Portobello Road. The Vane Tempest Hall has had a chequered history dating back to the 1860s. It has been home to a number of army units and
TRANSPORT police launched a major operation this week after reports of children as young as 11 wreaking havoc on the town's railway tracks. The police operation aims to crack down on youngsters vandalising, trespassing and damaging property on the rail
AS The Northern Echo launches its Shopping for a Future campaign, traders in Bishop Auckland have vowed to lead the way. Bishop Auckland, home to the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham since the 13th Century, was once the venue of one of the region's strongest
THE OWNER of a Darlington sex shop and massage parlour will appear in court next week charged with living off immoral earnings. John Middleton, 59, from Kirkby Stephen, who runs the Pleasure Zone sex shop, massage parlour and escort service in Northgate
VILLAGERS in Bowburn got the chance to say what they would like to see in their community at an open day held by Durham City Council. The event was held by the council's Single Regeneration Budget Six community team. Visitors to the community centre were
When so-called love takes a very nasty turn. One woman's comment that "he grabbed me and was banging my head, and I wasn't sure whether he was going to bash my head in first or strangle me" was all too typical of the horror stories told in this contribution
A PRIMARY school is aiming to offer full-time care support to all children up to 11. The plan for West Cornforth Primary School will be introduced in three stages and is the idea of new headteacher Janet Sarsfield. A breakfast club started at the school
NORTH-EAST endurance athletes showed they had big hearts when they handed over the proceeds of a sponsored event. The team from Durham competed in the Ironman Triathlon in Germany to raise money for two youngsters. Nicholas Cornwell, three, and four-year-old
A NORTH-EAST prison is appealing for volunteers to take part in a national scheme to help people with their reading and writing skills. HM Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution, at Barnard Castle, County Durham, needs volunteers to take part in the Link
PRINCE'S Trust volunteers went on a county-wide quest last week to brighten the lives of hospital patients. A team based in Bishop Auckland left their base in the Lightfoot Institute for a fancy dress treasure hunt they hoped would help them to reach
Bookshops always have an important place in a university city and many residents of Durham will remember The House of Andrews, in Saddler Street. Founded in 1808 by George Andrews, the son of a Durham draper, the shop's early customers included William
RESIDENTS celebrated after achieving in a matter of days what local authorities had refused to do for nearly 100 years - resurface their street. Homeowners in Temple Gardens, Templetown, Consett, became so sick of petitioning Durham County Council to
A TELEPHONE kiosk in West Cornforth was destroyed by vandals who set off a firework in it. Several people called the emergency services after an explosion in the village at 10.30pm on Monday. The noise was so loud that some villagers reported hearing
DURHAM University is objecting to a planned mobile phone station because it fears signals will interfere with sensitive equipment. Phone company O2 is seeking Durham City Council's permission for a 15-metre tall mast on land opposite the New Inn, Church
DARLINGTON sixth form student Faye Cowburn had an unusual idea to raise cash for her gap year in South Africa. Faye, 18, from Bishop Middleham, organised a pie eating competition at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, where she is studying A-level French
POLICE are investigating the death of an elderly man whose body was found in a pond yesterday. Officers were called to Teesdale Park, in Thornaby, at about noon, after a passer-by spotted the body in a pond adjacent to the new Stockton Riverside College
DISGRACED church minister Neville Husband is behind bars after being convicted of sexually abusing five young inmates while he worked as a prison officer. Husband, 65, of Shotley Bridge, used his position at a detention centre to prey on his vulnerable
PUPILS from a Darlington school have had their PE lessons transformed to a time of relaxation and calm. Pupils from Years 2, 4 and 6 at Heathfield Primary have taken up yoga as part of an overall child development scheme. The yoga classes are aimed at
DISGRACED church minister Neville Husband is behind bars after being convicted of sexually abusing five young inmates while he worked as a prison officer. Husband, 65, of Shotley Bridge, used his position at a detention centre to prey on his vulnerable
DUTCH union workers could hold the future of steel-making on Teesside in their hands. Corus is being held to ransom over the sale of its aluminium operations because workers in the Netherlands are opposed to the revenue coming to the UK. The Anglo-Dutch
ON our way to Florence this time last week for a three-day break - much cheaper and far more relaxing and enjoyable than a trip to London nowadays - we handed the camera over to our 11-year-old. The idea was to let him record the trip, and for us to view
AN ELDERLY couple have spoken of their devastation after callous burglars stole family heirlooms worth thousands of pounds from their home. The raid took place in Vindomora Road, Ebchester, near Consett, on Sunday, February 9, between 10.50am and 12.15pm
