TWICE a week for more than 30 years Chris Slater has had the task of winding the church clock in the village where he lives. Each time, he has had to trek up and down the 30 tower steps of St Andrew's Church, Kirkby Mal-zeard, near Ripon. At the top,
potential nurses are being invited to an education day at Northallerton on Wednesday. The event, at the Friarage Hospital, is being held to attract people from the region who may be interested in taking up nursing as a career. Visitors will get up-to-date
LADY Olga Maitland has thrown her weight behind the bid to bring the European Capital of Culture 2008 to the North-East. During a visit to Northumbria University, Lady Olga took the chance to see some of the high-profile cultural regeneration projects
A NORTH-EAST delivery company helped to raise £68,000 last year for the ChildLine charity. DHL Newcastle joined a nationwide bid by the company for ChildLine, which helps children and young people in danger or distress. Between last June and December,
WITH European neighbours, church leaders, backbench MPs, and millions of ordinary peace protestors ganging up on him, the pressure on Tony Blair can never have been so great. But at least he can take comfort from the fact that he doesn't have to worry
A FORMER heroin addict has had £400 wiped off a hefty fines tally in recognition of the changes he has made to his lifestyle. Robert Caine, 35, of Hall Lane Estate, Willington, appeared before Sedgefield magistrates in Newton Aycliffe yesterday charged
CHURCHGOERS are pulling out all the stops to have the latest phase in restoration of the organ at St Mary's parish church, Richmond, completed by early summer. Work is under way to renew parts of the Harrison and Harrison organ and further work on the
For five years Tayyip Oruc has been living under a death sentence after fleeing his Turkish homeland. Now his final application for asylum has been rejected, he tells Gavin Havery how he fears that sentence may be carried out. EVERY day for the last five
A thief got more than he bargained for when he hijacked a car - a passenger was still sitting inside. Disabled pensioner Marjorie Walker was in her husband, Clifford's, car in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, when a youth suddenly leapt into the driver's
A TEENAGE boy and girl admitted obstructing a police officer when they appeared before South Durham magistrates in Darlington yesterday. Hari Jandoo, prosecuting, said the officer was called to a Darlington street in the evening after police confronted
A COUNCILLOR has described vandals who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the development of a children's play area as "mindless yobs". Contractors have begun to lay the foundations for the £140,000 play area at Grayfields in Hartlepool. They
GURKHAS tasted defeat yesterday when a judge ruled that the Ministry of Defence had not treated them unlawfully, despite offering pay and conditions inferior to those of British soldiers. Twenty Nepalese veterans were represented by the Prime Minister's
TODDLERS are being invited to take their parents to Stockton's Central Library for weekly storytime sessions. A cosy corner has been developed in the library with new toys from the Sure Start team and a regular parents and toddler session is being run
BUS and rail group Go-Ahead's South Central franchise was the driving force behind a 56 per cent surge in underlying half-year profits. The addition of the London commuter service 15 months ago helped turnover rise 24 per cent to £537.7m and profits reach
EXTREME right wing groups such as the British National Party (BNP) must not be allowed to play the race card in the North-East, say protestors. The BNP is fielding a record number of candidates in the region's local elections this year, with more than
A police spotter plane was called to locate a man suffering from depression, who ran into woodland on Thursday morning. A woman staying in the Little Stainton area, near Darlington, called the police after her 34-year-old husband was seen running across
CHILDREN have the chance to learn more about the life of explorer Captain James Cook with exhibitions at local libraries. The displays, which will form part of a touring exhibition visiting each of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's 13 libraries,
A MOTHER who was knocked down by a bus was recovering in hospital today. The 32-year-old woman and her two children were involved with an accident with a single-decker bus in Sunderland city centre on Friday at 2pm. A police spokesman said last night:
A TEENAGE boy and girl admitted obstructing a police officer when they appeared before South Durham magistrates in Darlington yesterday. Hari Jandoo, prosecuting, said the officer was called to a Darlington street in the evening after police confronted
KESTRELS should have a nice des res thanks to the efforts of a new environmental group. Members of Case (Chester-le-Street Action for a Sustainable Environment) installed a nesting box for the birds on a tower at Lumley Castle. The group was launched
DURHAM cricket chairman Bill Midgley this week called for a swift decision over England's opposition for Chester-le-Street's historic first Test match this summer. Mr Midgley wants to avoid a repeat of the recent saga in the lead up to England's planned
RESIDENTS have voiced their concerns about controversial plans to regenerate a village by selling greenfield land to housing developers. The cash raised would be used to upgrade the remains of the eighteenth century William Turner estate in Kirkleatham
WAR ON IRAQ: I TRAVELLED with my family to the anti-war demonstration in London last Saturday. It was cold and dull and, inevitably, the huge number of people made progress frustratingly slow. We had misgivings about finding ourselves amongst a group
A SCOUT group has bid a fond farewell to its headquarters of 63 years. The 2nd Chester-le-Street Scout Group has met at its hut beneath the town's railway viaduct in South Burns since 1940. But the area is earmarked for a long-awaited redevelopment -
AN expanding Tees Valley labels company has passed the six million-label mark in less than a year of operation. First Choice Labels, based at UK Steel Enterprise's Innovation Centre at Kirkleatham, Redcar, supplies major companies in the food and electronic
Durham City manager Billy Cruddas says that this afternoon's home game against title challengers Bedlington is "crucial" City go into the game nine points behind leaders Billingham Synthonia with three games in hand, and six behind Bedlington and Brandon
POLICE are alarmed about the number of people who were caught drink-driving in Teesside over the weekend. Officers arrested 24 motorists who failed breath tests, six times the number who were caught over the same period last year. Police said it could
The match-of-the-day is unquestionably at Brinkburn Road where high-flying Darlington RA meet championship favourites Birtley Town. "It is a massive game and one that we have got to win if we are to have any chance of clinching the title," said RA manager
OBJECTORS to a controversial animal incinerator, given the go-ahead by planners, have vowed to continue their fight. People living in the Charltons, near Guisborough, were dismayed on Thursday when plans for a farm animal burner were approved by the North
Chester-le-Street will bid to become the first North-East women's team to win an English National Cross Country Championship at Parliament Hill Fields, London, today. The Cestrians - first and second in last weekend's North-East Road Relay Championships
A PREGNANT woman who survived a brutal robbery in a North-East hospital car park has lost her baby. The tragedy happened after the 20-year-old collapsed in a shop and was taken to hospital. The woman, who has not been named, was mugged by two men in January
ONE of the longest disputes in recent railway history was over last night - to the relief of North-East train passengers. The Rail Maritime and Transport union announced it was reluctantly accepting a four per cent pay offer put to Arriva Trains Northern
MIDDLESBROUGH centre-forward Malcolm Christie hopes to come face-to-face with one of his heroes at the Stadium of Light today. The £3m capture from Derby County in January has recovered from a dead leg, sustained in the draw at Liverpool two weeks ago
TWENTY months ago Steve McClaren inherited an ageing, deflated Middlesbrough squad that had the look of a Nationwide League side. But when Boro take to the field at the Stadium of Light this afternoon the proof of the massive transformation job McClaren
Chester Moor WI: ELSIE Haddick opened the meeting by welcoming members, visitors and the guest speaker. Mrs B Reay gave a demonstration of the art of making greetings cards with the use of decorated paper napkins and golf lettering. Members were given
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
BLINKERED boss Howard Wilkinson is refusing to accept that Sunderland are in the midst of a relegation scrap. The Black Cats go into today's clash with North-East rivals Middlesbrough with many fans already resigned to life in the Nationwide League. But
COUNTY Durham householders will have to pay at least an extra £10 for their policing. Durham Police Authority is levying a 23.5 per cent increase in its share of the council tax bill, taking the cost for a Band A property from almost £43 to just over
THE latest equipment and advice for deaf people will be on show at an exhibition in Durham. Spotlight on Deafness will be held on Thursday, March 13, in County Hall. Among the exhibits will be a video phone, supplied by the Royal National Institute for
CHILDREN came face-to-face with some of nature's deadliest and most exotic creations yesterday. Tarantulas, scorpions and giant land snails were on show when the Zoolab UK animal roadshow visited Delaval Community Primary School, in Newcastle. Trish Wilce
THE General Dental Council is looking for volunteers from the region to join the body which regulates British dentistry. This is the first time the council has recruited members from the North-East. Fifteen members of the public are needed for the Fitness
THE trial of a man charged with the murder of a market trader is to be held at Newcastle Crown Court. Jonathan Crossling, 37, of Hillside Avenue, Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, appeared before Teesside Crown Court yesterday, where he spoke only to confirm
EAST Cleveland's first civilian patrols started pounding the streets yesterday. The six newly-appointed police community support officers (Pcsos) met Redcar MP Vera Baird and police commander Adrian Roberts on their first round. The Pcsos have completed
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott will be the main speaker at a conference arranged by the Campaign for the English Regions next week. The conference at The Guildhall, York, on Monday, from 10am, is being held to consider the range of powers and functions
FIVE-A-SIDE footballers have smartened up their act with the help of a new strip. Bishop Auckland College provided the light blue and maroon outfits for Auckland Youth and Community Centre's under-14s team. Players are all members of the Auckland Youth
A FORMAL survey seems likely in Middleham in the wake of a public meeting called to thrash out a strategy for the future. An estimated 70 people were at the town's Key Centre when projects which could be funded under the Countryside Agency's Vital Villages
WORK experience turned out to be child's play for two Bishop Auckland students. Kayleigh Race and Suzanne Brass took time out from their studies at King James I Community College to spend a week learning about childcare in the Bishop Auckland College
FUNDRAISING efforts to help a woman receive urgent medical treatment in the US have received a £300 boost. When Peter Corey heard of the plight of Ann Teasdale, he was determined to help. Mrs Teasdale, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, had to have a
THERE were mixed fortunes for manufacturers and the public yesterday after the pound tumbled to a four-year low against the euro. The news was good for industry, making it possible for British manufacturers to compete on a more level playing field with
New College in Durham has been awarded a Kitemark accreditation. The college received the award after working with other colleges and groups in County Durham to develop non-accredited learning and widen participation among people who are difficult to
A MAN was last night being held behind bars accused of the murder of British backpacker Caroline Stuttle, in Australia. Ian Douglas Previte, 30, was charged with murder and robbery when he appeared before magistrates in Bundaberg, Queensland. He was remanded
TEN companies have been warned they will be named and shamed if they refuse to sign up to an anti-litter campaign. Darlington Borough Council believes the companies are the worst offenders in the town for not cleaning up litter created by their customers
THE career of an ambulance technician is in ruins after he was yesterday jailed for three years for indecently assaulting a teenage girl. Michael Wise followed the 14-year-old home from South Shields town centre and carried out the indecent act as she
THE North-East has the opportunity to tap into markets worth £1.38bn, according to a leading international trade director. John Williams, of Trade Partners UK, said openings are available in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands
DOLLS' houses, teddy bears and dolls will be on sale at the biggest fair of its kind in the North-East today. Exhibitors from all over the country will be meeting at Newcastle Racecourse at High Gosforth Park, between 10.30pm and 4.30pm. First established
A FAMILY is distraught after one of their pets died of internal injuries a day after it was stolen. A pair of ferrets belonging to 13-year-old David Neal were stolen from the back yard of the family home in Trimdon Grange, County Durham on Wednesday night
YOUNGSTERS have spent their half-term taking part in an event designed to encourage them to become more healthy. Middlesbrough Football Community Project and Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust joined forces to deliver positive health messages to 50 youngsters
A PUB opens its doors tomorrow night to anyone alarmed or disgruntled over tax bills expected to start dropping through letterboxes later this year. Cath Thompson, the landlady at the Bay Horse, Catterick, North Yorkshire, has been so incensed in the
A MAN who torched the home he shared with his partner because they had a row was jailed for a year yesterday. Stephen Lincoln, 20, set fire to the curtains of the flat in Coquet Avenue, South Shields, after an argument with Helen Bell on July 13, causing
New College in Durham has been awarded a Kitemark accreditation. The college received the award after working with other colleges and groups in County Durham to develop non-accredited learning and widen participation among people who are difficult to
YOUNGSTERS from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Spain, have signed a petition against a war with Iraq. The group of 42 were in the county for a conference, organised by Durham County Council to discuss how children with disabilities are
A VILLAGE community has appealed for more dog warden patrols to prompt irresponsible owners to clean up after their pets. Catterick ward councillors Tony Pelton and Patrick Brennan said there were particular problems on playing fields to the rear of Rowan
A NUMBER of schemes are planned to boost the economy and quality of life in the Whitby area. Under the umbrella of the Market Towns Initiative, they include an IT club to provide 120 training places through Whitby Business Development Agency. Also proposed
Transport police are deploying extra officers to combat a deadly craze among children in the North-East. Julia Breen joined them on patrol. A ROW of children stand on the rail tracks as a high-speed express train hurtles towards them. Unflinching, the
The Books and Banter group meets for discussions on books, local history, talks and quizzes at Stockton Central Library. The group, which also has regular guest speakers, meets on Wednesdays from 10.30am to noon. There is no charge for anyone interested
A REPORT by the Audit Commission has found the community safety service provided by Middlesbrough Council is fair and has promising prospects for improvement. A commission inspection team gave the service one star because community safety is a high priority
A community project in Middlesbrough has been given a royal seal of approval. The Trinity Project, in North Ormesby, has been awarded the Duke of York's Community Initiative. The initiative aims to encourage the development of community spirit throughout
HAMBLETON District Council is introducing a charge for its rat and mouse treatments at domestic properties from April 1. Each treatment or visit from a pest control officer will cost £25, plus VAT, but householders will continue to be given advice free
Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix last night ordered Iraq to destroy dozens of missiles with ranges that violated UN limits. The order confronts the Iraqi government with a serious dilemma - whether to give up a valuable weapons system its military
ROTTING branches and decaying tree stumps will litter the local woods as conservationists realise the importance of life after death. Forest conservationists hope the 20ft stumps will become perches for birds of prey, nesting sites for woodpeckers and
POLICE have arrested four people in a drive to reduce anti-social behaviour in a Darlington street. Officers patrolled Peabody Street between 10pm and 5am from Monday until Thursday after a series of complaints from residents about people living in the
JAZZ NIGHT: The Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazzmen are playing from 8pm to 11pm on Saturday, March 1, in Springwell Village Hall. Tickets are £3. TEXAS MUSIC: Texas Flood is appearing at 8pm on Friday, in the Keelboat Inn, at Fatfield. OUR HERITAGE: The
A petrol barge being unloaded in a US oil depot exploded with a thunderous blast yesterday, killing at least one worker and sending a fiery column of black smoke so high it could be seen more than 30 miles away. With the US on high alert for terrorism
WORK has been completed on the first 1,000 homes to benefit from a project to rid Redcar and East Cleveland of fuel poverty. Warm Zone is a project that was set up last year with the aim of carrying out work in 25,000 homes in the borough in the next
THE Duke of Edinburgh was in the region yesterday to open a flagship science unit where anti-cancer drugs are being developed. Spending the day in York, Prince Philip toured the £7m Biocentre and visited the University of York's £25m biology research
A DOG who, in true Lassie style, saved the life of an elderly man trapped in a North-East wood, is in line for a national award. Floyd, a dobermann from Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, found a man freezing to death in the dark of an 800-acre forest. His owner
A DELICATESSEN, which has been in Darlington for almost 100 years, has been fined for selling 12-month-old meat. Prest and Villiers Limited pleaded guilty to two offences under the Food Safety Act 1990 when the case was heard at Darlington Magistrates
AN INMATE has denied threatening to kill a prison officer and his family. Keith Pringle is alleged to have threatened to kill the officer, his wife and children during a "dirty protest" at Frankland Prison, near Durham, on September 10. Pringle, 33, formerly
The following cases were dealt with by Sedgefield magistrates sitting in Newton Aycliffe yesterday: BOUND OVER: Janet Armstrong, 51, of Church Drive, Cockfield, has agreed to be bound over to keep the peace for three months after police were called to
FLEET-FOOTED Fondmort (3.05) has both the speed and jumping power to defy top-weight and give his rivals a good hiding in this afternoon's feature event, the Racing Post Handicap Chase at Kempton. Fondmort captured the racing public's imagination with
A PROJECT is being launched in Chester-le-Street to encourage otters to settle on the River Wear. Two otter holts are to be built on the banks of the river at the Riverside Park to provide a resting and breeding area, following reported sightings of the
A NORTH-EAST charity has benefited from coins and notes handed in by holidaymakers after their visits abroad. The former Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor Mary Carr, set up the scheme last year, urging people to donate old coins and notes before the
A SENIOR manager at a London arts and entertainment centre is to return to the North-East to take over the running of the National Glass Centre. Vicky Nicholls, brought up on Teesside, is head of marketing and development for the company managing the
The Books and Banter group meets for discussions on books, local history, talks and quizzes at Stockton Central Library. The group, which also has regular guest speakers, meets on Wednesdays from 10.30am to noon. There is no charge for anyone interested
A CHARITY has reached a fund-raising target that will allow it to provide affordable holidays to people with disabilities. The North-East Disabled Motorists Club, which meets in Perkinsville, near Chester-le-Street, has raised enough money to buy a caravan
The following cases were dealt with by Sedgefield magistrates sitting in Newton Aycliffe yesterday: BOUND OVER: Janet Armstrong, 51, of Church Drive, Cockfield, has agreed to be bound over to keep the peace for three months after police were called to
GOVERNMENT inspectors and council managers have been explaining why a housing department had been rated as poor. At a meeting at the civic centre in Chester-le-Street,on Thursday, housing inspector Suki Jandu told residents and councillors that inspectors
COUNCILLORS are expected to agree a £3m project to demolish more than 150 houses in west Middlesbrough, when they meet next Tuesday. Middlesbrough Council will have compulsory purchase powers to buy the 110 private properties, off West Lane, which are
TWO people are believed to have died in a head-on collision near Darlington this morning. Drivers on the A167 were this morning being diverted by police after the fatal accident between a lorry and a pick-up truck at 8.30am, just north of Croft and two
RELIABLE Chris Westwood is convinced Hartlepool United can compete with the best teams in the Second Division should they win promotion this season. The centre-back, who signed a new two-year deal last week, has been influential in Pool's rise to the
Darlington caretaker boss Mick Tait is hoping to introduce the Clarke and Clark show when his side locks horns with Third Division high-flyers Wrexham tomorrow afternoon. For the second time this season defender Matt Clarke is expected to answer Tait's
DARLINGTON Mowden Park are to include Newcastle Falcons Academy player Nick Wainwright at centre in today's match at Scunthorpe. Originally from Barnsley, Wainwright is in his final year with the academy and although he can also play at fly half his best
INCENTIVES are being offered to encourage more traders to join a town's open air-market. Chester-le-Street District Council has put together a support package for people wanting to try their hand at running their own market stall. The deal offers an initial
RESIDENTS and town councillors have again joined forces against a controversial housing development. Plans to build 19 houses and 24 flats on less than one hectare of land have sparked outrage among Northallerton residents who believe it will cause a
THE only surviving eyewitness of a massive explosion which ripped through a Teesside power plant has spoken for the first time of the moment he witnessed the deaths of his three workmates. Graeme White of Billingham, still bandaged from his injuries sustained
FRAUDSTERS are costing the region's economy £500m a year - and the figure is rising. Experts say the North-East and North Yorkshire loses £57,000 an hour, almost £1,000 a minute, through fraud. Police forces from across the area have teamed up with businesses
THE families of the men who died after being engulfed in a fireball at a power plant explosion broke their silence last night. They spoke out yesterday after an inquest into the tragedy at Teesside Power Station at Wilton, near Redcar, east Cleveland,
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
Q I keep hearing about Pensioner Credit. What is it and who is it for? A It is a new benefit starting in October for people of 65 and over who are on modest incomes. Those to benefit will be single people with weekly incomes under £139 and couples getting
After months of sickening sweetness as the wife of Coronation Street's dastardly villain Richard Hillman, Gail finally discovers this week why her fans have been shunning her. How will the soap's most tragic character cipe with beign married to a serial
Chris Gardner is dressed in a blue frock coat and matching finery, wears spectacles perched perilously half way down his nose and bears a creditable (if not necessarily intentional) resemblance to Johann Sebastian Bach. Another chap looks like he might
MARY REVELEY'S record with her southern raiders hasn't always come up to scratch over recent years, but there was nothing wrong with Il Cavaliere's successful sortie to Kempton in January. They say lightning never strikes in the same place twice, however
ENGLAND'S stirring victories over the cricketing giants of the Netherlands and Namibia this week were sadly eclipsed by the earth-shattering news that footballer David Beckham had sustained a minor scrape over his eye, poor thing. We're on the verge of
TWO men facing an attempted murder charge following a shooting appeared before Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday. Dean Rye, 33, of Boosbeck Road, Skelton Green, and Anthony Dewing, 20, of Larch Road, Guisborough, are charged with the attempted murder of
DOCTORS in the region are predicting that a radical reforms package may help to solve the chronic shortage of GPs. But a patient watchdog has expressed fears that the proposed GP contract will fail to boost the North-East's medical workforce. The region
SALTBURN teenager Faye Nesbitt hopes to become a professional singer, and her latest song has been written by an 82-year-old neighbour, Mary Allen. Faye, a 15-year-old Huntcliff School pupil, likes classical, folk, pop and rock music and has performed
BRAZILIAN Juninho is on course for his long-awaited comeback against Newcastle United on March 5. The exciting attacking midfielder has not kicked a ball this season after suffering serious knee ligament damage in a summer friendly in Italy. But Juninho
SUNDERLAND'S Kevin Kilbane insists Middlesbrough can be drawn into the relegation dogfight if they lose this afternoon's Wear-Tees derby. Boro are ten points clear of the relegation zone and defeat at the Stadium of Light will force them to take a nervous
ALAN SHEARER believes Newcastle United's future is at its brightest since he joined the club more than six years ago - with his Champions League stand-in Shola Ameobi a jewel in the St James' Park crown. Shearer, 32, returns to action today at Elland
SIR BOBBY ROBSON last night leapt to the defence of Peter Ridsdale three weeks after taking advantage of Leeds United's financial crisis by snapping up Jonathan Woodgate. Ridsdale is being villified by Leeds fans for dismantling a team that reached the
CONCERNS over the influx of applications to build mobile phone masts has prompted a councillor to call for the help of an independent expert. Chester-le-Street District councillor John Evans is aiming to persuade councils in the region to collectively
A PAEDOPHILE who disappeared after he was released from prison was found by police living in the North-East with an unsuspecting woman and her young child, a court was told yesterday. Graham Bailey, 22, was jailed three years ago for indecently assaulting
VILLAGERS hope to create a play park to give bored youngsters something to do and keep them out of trouble. Sherburn Oak (Outdoor Action for Kids) has been launched at Sherburn Village to develop land next to the sports centre as an area for children
A SCHEME to improve safety in pensioners' homes was launched in Durham yesterday. David Colin-Thorne, the national director for primary care, launched the Handyvan scheme during a tour of the area. The scheme aims to ensure the safety of people over the
CAMPAIGNERS have highlighted severe overcrowding at a North-East prison after a woman was found hanged in her cell. Staff at Durham Prison found the 48-year-old, thought to be from the South, hanging from a home-made ligature just before midnight on Thursday
Blood donor sessions will be held on Monday at the Community Association, in Tyne Road, Stanley, from 2pm to 7pm, and in the Elvet Suite of the Three Tuns Hotel, in New Elvet, Durham, from 2.30pm to 7pm.
A golden retriever has all the attributes to make the perfect guide dog - apart from a name. North-East baker Warburtons has raised £2,500 for charity Guide Dogs For the Blind, to support the puppy through her first year of training to become a guide
OFF-BEAT stunts are to be staged on people in Newcastle on Monday as part of a build-up to the premiere of Jackass The Movie. In the run-up to the London premiere on Tuesday, a Jackass ambulance full of stunt-men will be making a 48-hour trip through
A PRIMARY school has received an Activemark Gold Award, for keeping pupils fit and active. St Cuthbert's RC Primary School, Chester-le-Street, received the award from paralympic athlete Stephen Miller, at a ceremony at Peterlee Leisure Centre. Sport England's
CHILDREN are being given the chance to win a bedroom makeover. Milkman Tony Baldwin, from ACC Milk's depot in Hetton-le-Hole, near Sunderland, will be dropping off entry forms for the competition on his round. To win, youngsters must send in a drawing
A MAN claiming to be a water board official ransacked an elderly woman's bedroom yesterday. The man knocked on the door of her home in Deneside, Lanchester, at about 3pm and asked to check her water, to see "if it was blue". As the 81-year-old turned
A MOTHER was seriously ill in hospital last night after she and her two children were involved in an accident with a bus. The 32-year-old woman is believed to have been crossing Holmeside, in Sunderland city centre yesterday with her son and daughter,
THE Government last night played down fears over the spread of a cattle disease which can infect humans. The Government was preparing to cull three cows on an unidentified farm near Middlesbrough suspected of having bovine brucellosis. The bacterial disease
TWO North-East police officers gunned down by a pub landlord nearly a century ago are to be remembered in a special service. PC George Mussell and Sergeant Andrew Barton were killed on duty in 1913 at a North-East pub - a crime which shocked the region
A heroin dealer who is the mother of two schoolchildren was jailed for three years yesterday. Police who followed Sheelagh Devlin's green Ford Escort through Billingham, Teesside, later found heroin, Ecstasy pills and amphetamine powder in her purse.
A YOUNG girl was presented with the ultimate prize yesterday when she won a fully furnished dolls' house. Jennifer Cockburn, eight, of Belmont, Durham, was among five winners nationally in a competition set by the Formative Fun chain of educational toy
COUNTY Durham householders will have to pay an extra £10 a year at least for their policing. Durham Police Authority is levying a 23.5 per cent increase in its share of the council tax bill, taking the cost for a Band A property from almost £43 to just
A COMPANY has applied for planning permission to build a 277-space car park on a North-East business park. Lingfield Investments wants to build the car park at the Lingfield Point park, in Darlington. Darlington Borough Council will decide on the application
One of the largest child abuse group actions ever brought before a UK court has resulted in 11th hour compensation deals worth up to £200,000, A 60-strong group of people who, as children, were in the care of Sunderland City Council in the 1960s to 1980s
RELATIVES of North-East murder victims will today release black balloons at a memorial service. The ceremony - the first of its kind on Tyneside - takes place in St Mary's RC Cathedral, in Clayton Street, Newcastle. Organised by the North-East Victims
A MAN damaged a door while attempting to get into his girlfriend's house, a court heard yesterday. Police were called to a house in Hawthorne Road, Sedgefield, in the early hours of December 27, magistrates in Newton Aycliffe were told. Christian Lee
HOME care for cancer patients is to receive a huge boost in one of the most poorly served parts of the region. Macmillan Cancer Relief has confirmed that a major National Lottery grant has been awarded to improve services in Easington, County Durham.
HOUSEHOLDERS in the North called yesterday for reductions in their council tax after a report revealed that housing near landfill sites is worth thousands of pounds less than comparable homes. A study by Cambridge Econometrics of landfill sites across
COUNTY Durham householders will have to pay an extra £10 a year at least for their policing. Durham Police Authority is levying a 23.5 per cent increase in its share of the council tax bill, taking the cost for a Band A property from almost £43 to just
A schoolboy who admitted giving a savage beating to a friend, who will never make a full recovery, can only be given a maximum six months behind bars after a test case ruling. The 18-year-old, from Durham, attacked his friend after drinking six or seven
A FORMER heroin addict has had £400 wiped off a hefty fines tally in recognition of the changes he has made to his lifestyle. Robert Caine, 35, of Hall Lane Estate, Willington, appeared before Sedgefield magistrates in Newton Aycliffe yesterday charged
AN APPEAL was made last night for information to help police catch the gang responsible for an armed raid on a taxi company premises. Proprietor John McManners was slightly injured and three members of his family, plus office assistant John Shawcross,
A WARDEN at a home for retired clergy who swindled residents of their life savings has been ordered to pay back £197,000. Richard Devereux raided residents' funds to finance a luxury lifestyle including a home in Devon, regular Caribbean holidays and
PLANS to develop a disused football ground should begin in earnest this year. The former Ferryhill Athletic FC ground has stood empty since the club went bust about nine years ago. The lease on the ground was initially claimed by the Vaux Brewery, but
THE future of Stockton's transport network will be mapped out in a series of roadshows appearing across the town. The roadshows, which allow residents to take part in the mid-term review of the Local Transport Plan, start on March 3 and encourage people
NEWSPAPER bosses have rejected complaints made by Hartlepool MP Peter Mandelson against the editor of his local paper. Johnston Press, publisher of the Hartlepool Mail, confirmed yesterday that editor Harry Blackwood was "away from the office on sick
FAMILIES with loved ones serving in the Gulf have been invited to a cathedral service tomorrow. A silent procession will make its way from the Parish Eucharist at Ripon Cathedral, from 9.30am, to a new shrine of Justice and Peace, in the Chapel of God
