CUB Scouts have toured a police station, looked behind the scenes at a cinema and explored the control room at the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, as part of a challenge. Houghton-le-Spring Cub Scouts put their ingenuity to the test when they were given
A TENANT who sued a council for making his budgie asthmatic, and a man who dug up paving slabs to fake an accident were among bogus compensation claims made to North-East local authorities this year. The number of compensation claims against local authorities
AN inquiry is to be launched following a blunder by planning officers that cost a council £15,000 earlier this year. The authority's review will investigate the balance of power between members and officers at Wear Valley's civic centre. It will look
A CLEAN-UP initiative has already helped more than 6,000 homes benefit from reduced crime and a safer environment since its launch. Operation Clean Sweep is a radical approach to cleansing by concentrating resources in a particular area of Hartlepool
A man who arrived at hospital with his severed hand in a box after it was hacked off during a punishment attack, refused to help police catch his attackers. Stephen Scott was targeted when underworld figures discovered he was robbing drug dealers of their
THE acute medicine team at the James Cook University Hospital has scooped a national award for being innovators in their field. Dr Vince Connolly and his team won the acute medicine category, run in association with the Royal College of Physicians, at
A SCHOOLBOY Santa has been left broken-hearted because Passport Office delays may force the teenager to pull out of a mercy trip. Ashley Clough, who has already packed his bag, planned to give up his Christmas to hand out gifts in Romania to poverty-stricken
DURHAM City MP Gerry Steinberg has stepped up his efforts to retain local healthcare services for vulnerable village residents. Patients in Kelloe and Quarrington Hill have been advised that Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust is not able
Michael Skyers taps into his animal instincts for his role as Aslan in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. He talks to Steve Pratt. IN person, Michael Skyers is more pussycat than lion but he'll be roaring as the king of the jungle in a revival of the
A POLICE officer has told how he used pedal power to bring two car thieves to justice. PC Stuart Hall was cycling through Sunderland when he saw someone driving a stolen Peugeot 307. He radioed for help and followed the car as it went through the city
A NEW book for people who don't know their dickers from their farntickles, or their booler from their boilie, has been launched. A Dictionary of North-East Dialect is a guide to our regional mode of speech and explains where some of the more colourful
The Stray Brass Quintet will play at the Carols for Christmas celebration presented by Guisborough Choral Society. The event, at the Methodist Church, Westgate, Guisborough, will start at 7.30pm on Saturday. Tickets are £7, concessions £6, and are available
NEXT time the words Hartlepool United and Victoria Park are heard in the Darren Barnard household, expect the Welsh international to break into a cold sweat. If being part of the Grimsby back line that conceded eight along Clarence Road last season wasn't
Spain won the Davis Cup for the second time as Carlos Moya wrapped up victory over the United States by beating Andy Roddick. Playing on a red clay surface chosen by Spain, Roddick showed commendable resilience in the second and third sets but could not
Capheaton trainer Ann Hamilton landed a rare double with Superior Weapon and Tynedale at Newcastle in the middle of last month. And she can be on the mark with the same two horses back at the same course today. They can win the Weatherbys Insurance Handicap
TWO national touring exhibitions opened in the region at the weekend. Durham Light Infantry Museum and Art Gallery, in Durham, is hosting Images 28 and Spotlight on Eduardo Paolozzi. Paolozzi's screen prints broke ground in graphic art in the 1960s and
A DRAMATIC painting depicting one of the North-East's most famous heroine's has surfaced at auction. The picture shows Grace Darling's historic rescue of nine people from a paddle steamer wrecked on the Farne Islands, off the North-East coast, during
THE long-term future of a popular free music festival could be secured this afternoon. The Stanley Blues Festival nearly folded this year when Derwentside District Council withdrew funding and administrative support. But the authority reversed its decision
NEWCASTLE UNITED'S romantic FA Cup tie with Non-League Yeading is likely to be switched but not to St James' Park - ensuring there should be no repeat of a feud that occurred the last time the Magpies met similar opposition. In 1998 there was a tremendous
SECOND-HAND smoke kills 200 people a year in the North-East, figures reveal. And it is estimated that as many as 35 of these die from exposure to tobacco fumes in the workplace. US anti-smoking campaigner Professor Stanton Glantz will explain how this
THE family of a soldier shot dead by a drunken squaddie are appealing against the killer's sentence. Guardsman Dean Troy Eddy, 21, of Billingham, Teesside, was killed when a round went off and hit him after Green Howard John Michael Smith seized a rifle
THOUSANDS of visitors streamed into a North-East city at the weekend for an annual Christmas festival. The two-day event in Durham featured family entertainment, live music and a traditional market on the Palace Green. Local performers included Lanchester
IN front of their main sponsors, the Horror Channel, Darlington bared their fangs to overcome an early second half fright and record a crucial victory. The Gateshead-based Sky movie channel have agreed a two-year deal through their managing director,
THE wristband West Ham striker Sergei Rebrov wore at the Stadium of Light was in support of the Orange Revolution back in his native Ukraine and to protest against the country's pro-Russian prime minister Viktor Yanukovich. Next weekend Sunderland manager
PEOPLE gathered in a 101-year-old park yesterday to say goodbye to a group of trees which are facing the chop. The 26 trees in North Lodge Park, Darlington, have been identified as either diseased or growing badly, and have to be cut down because they
A NEW person charged with safeguarding the region's historic sites and industrial legacy has been appointed. Carol Pyrah, English Heritage's new North-East director, aims to improve its service and is looking at projects such as regenerating coalfield
A MAN has been arrested in connection with an assault in which a man suffered serious head injuries. Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack, which took place in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in the early hours of Saturday. The incident took place
A SHORTAGE of beds at a North-East hospital is continuing to cause problems, it has been claimed. Since it opened in 2001, the £96m privately-financed University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, has faced criticism that it was built with too
THE story of a Second World War Canadian airman, who earned Britain's highest military honour while based in the North-East, is to be televised in his home country. The Historica Foundation of Canada, an organisation which promotes Canadian history and
TWO applications to run a new North-East commercial radio station will be debated this week. Communications regulator Ofcom is advertising for the FM licence for Durham City and the surrounding area, including Spennymoor, Chester-le-Street and Bishop
A NEW 15-metre high dam is protecting 600 homes and business from floods in two North-East towns. The dam, which is 320 metres long and took 18 months to build, is part of a £8.8m flood defence scheme for West Auckland and South Church, in County Durham
Craig Hignett has told Darlington manager David Hodgson he will be fit to face Mansfield Town tomorrow night. The former Middlesbrough playmaker has not played since scoring twice in last month's 2-1 win at Rushden & Diamonds. Hignett limped off immediately
TRAILING 19-13 with 15 minutes left, Newcastle finally cut loose with three tries in six minutes to settle the first of their back-to-back Heineken Cup clashes with Edinburgh yesterday. A third win out of three kept the Falcons on course for the quarter-finals
AN application to extend a roofing company factory in a Teesdale village could be approved. The application, by CA Group, for a factory unit is part of a £1.5m expansion by the group. Despite concerns about how the new unit might affect nearby homes,
TWO Russian cosmonauts will land in the region this month to reveal what life is like on the Mir space station. The cosmonauts, Dr Alexander Martynov and Alexander Volkov will be giving two lectures arranged by the University of Sunderland at the Stadium
THE long-term future of a popular free music festival could be secured this afternoon. The Stanley Blues Festival nearly folded this year when Derwentside District Council withdrew funding and administrative support. But the authority reversed its decision
ONE of the region's train operators is launching a bid today for a new franchise on the flagship East Coast route between London and Scotland. GNER's 0930 Edinburgh to London service will become a "battle train" today, as it delivers important documents
ONE of the Church of England's most senior figures has warned that the Church is in danger of "imploding" over controversial issues. The Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, said infighting over issues such as the ordination of homosexual clergy and female
THE region has gained an important voice at the highest levels of UK food safety enforcement. Alan Richards, head of scientific services at Durham County Council, has been appointed vice-president of the National Association of Public Analysts. Public
A GUN dealer and shooting range owner has just completed an order destined for a former US president. While Allan Henry is used to supplying country sports enthusiasts, the last thing he expected was to oversee the creation of two custom-made shotguns
THE costly stalemate over what to put on signs for a renamed airport could be broken this week. Officials from Durham Tees Valley Airport wanted to spend tens of thousands of pounds on signs to replace old ones bearing the Teesside Airport name. But the
TWO Russian cosmonauts will land in the region this month to reveal what life is like on the Mir space station. The cosmonauts, Dr Alexander Martynov and Alexander Volkov will be giving two lectures arranged by the University of Sunderland at the Stadium
ONE of the Church of England's most senior figures has warned that the Church is in danger of "imploding" over controversial issues. The Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, said infighting over issues such as the ordination of homosexual clergy and female
FORMER London Marathon veteran champion Dave Robertson out-kicked and outsmarted his younger rivals to win the Elswick Harriers' Norman Woodcock Memorial six-mile road race at Gosforth Park, Newcastle. The 44-year-old Sunderland Harrier avenged his defeat
TEENAGERS are taking a children's musical on the road around Teesside. The story and songs for the musical, Going for a Song, were written by Geoff Hardisty, a tutor at Stockton Riverside College. Now 18-year-old drama students at the college will take
A POLICEMAN accused of stabbing his wife to death has made his first appearance in court charged with murder. Police found mother-of-three Maria Jones, 36, in the bedroom of the couple's home on Thursday last week. She had multiple stab wounds. Cleveland
YOUNG swimmers gave themselves an early Christmas present when they clocked up national qualification times at a weekend gala. Wear Valley Swimming Club welcomed 27 other teams, including one from Dumfries, Scotland, to the two-day event at Bishop Auckland
TWO Age Concern projects are aimed at keeping elderly dales residents warm and well during the winter months. A series of winter check days ending this week highlights issues such as motoring, welfare rights, heating and security. Flu jabs are also on
CHRISTMAS cards designed by a former adult comic illustrator are being used to teach students how to combat burglars. Steve Donald, who worked as an artist on Viz, has designed the festive greeting cards, which are being distributed to students in Newcastle
RESIDENTS of a Teesdale market town turned out in droves to witness the switching on of the town's Christmas lights. The event in Barnard Castle was hosted by Steve Wight from Radio Teesdale. A speech was given by the town mayor John Watson and the Methodist
A COLLEGE lecturer is hoping to help feed the world 20 years after she did her bit for Band Aid as a student. Paula Willis was the student representative and was awarded a trophy in 1984 for her part in raising the most money at Darlington College of
ONE of Darlington's most environmentally-friendly schools is launching a scheme to boost its green credentials. Harrowgate Hill Junior School, in Thompson Street West, already has a host of schemes - from recycling and energy-saving initiatives to wildlife
POLICE are appealing for information after an arsonist tried to set fire to a house in Darlington. The offender put lighted paper through the letterbox of a house in Lanethorpe Crescent, Eastbourne. The flames set fire to the curtains and part of the
HEART patients in Darlington helped to raise hundreds of pounds by taking part in a sponsored walk. Darlington Coronary Support Group staged the annual event and raised £346 for the British Heart Foundation One of the group's founders, Jim Rutherford,
SHOPS and businesses in Darlington are the latest target in a campaign to keep the town litter-free. Over the next month, Darlington Borough Council will contact more than 400 businesses, asking them to help crack down on those drop rubbish. For the past
PLANS for a new village library have hit a major snag after the proposed building was found to be unsuitable. Langley Park, near Durham, and Coundon, have been without a full mobile library service since it was withdrawn in February. Durham County Council
LOTTO millionaire Marion Richardson is buying football star Craig Bellamy's luxury mansion. The European Lottery winner is paying the Premiership player £1.7m for his rural home. Mrs Richardson, a mother-of-five whose £16.7m jackpot was the sixth highest
THE long-term future of a popular free music festival looks set to be secured tonight. The Stanley Blues Festival nearly folded this year, when Derwentside District Council withdrew funding and administrative support. But the council backtracked after
A moorland farm is in line for a new lease of life as holiday accommodation and as a centre for teaching the ancient craft of stone wall building. The North York Moors National Park Authority's planning committee is to approve the plan for Forest Lodge
SECOND-HAND smoke kills 200 people a year in the North-East, figures reveal. And it is estimated that as many as 35 of these die from exposure to tobacco fumes in the workplace. US anti-smoking campaigner Professor Stanton Glantz will explain how this
Spennymoor manager Graeme Clark believes that Moors can keep climbing the table after their 2-1 home win over Burscough on Saturday. Moors are now ninth in the table with every chance of pushing on for a possible play-off place at the end of the season
GOVERNMENT funding for improvements to North Yorkshire's transport system has left council officials scratching their heads. And the withdrawal of funding for a transport scheme at a coastal town has been met with an angry response. Although North Yorkshire
A CHURCH has started the festive season with a Christmas tree festival. Nearly 30 trees of different shapes and sizes adorn St Mary's Church, in Thirsk. The trees have been sponsored by local businesses and parishioners, and decorated in a variety of
A school is set to get the go-ahead to double the amount of security lighting in its car park after complaints it has become a regular haunt of late-night boy racers. People living near Harrogate Grammar School, off Otley Road, Harrogate, say the car
Councillors have put potential jobs before new homes by rejecting a planned housing scheme. Members of a Ripon area planning committee of Harrogate Borough Council voted unanimously against the housing scheme in St Wilfrid's Road, Ripon. It would have
A PENSIONER is fighting for life after she was involved in an accident with a car. The incident took place in Stamfordham Road, near Westerhope Methodist Ch-urch, Newcastle, at 4.39pm on Friday. The pedestrian, an 87-year-old woman, last night remained
RESIDENTS will have the chance to blow away winter cobwebs on a guided tour of some of the region's most dramatic and scenic views. Countryside wardens will lead the free event next weekend and will follow the Hart to Haswell Walkway route in Hartlepool
YOUNGSTERS cooked up a tasty total for BBC Children in Need. The teenagers, aged 15 to 17, were taking part in Stockton Borough Council's Entry to Employment Scheme, when they raised £144.60. The lunch, held in Thornaby, near Stockton, included chilli
A TEENAGER who bravely battled against cancer from the age of nine has died. Robert Brownless, 16, was yesterday described by his family as having an infectious personality and an amazing will to live. The youngster, who recently celebrated his birthday
Celebrity hairstylist Paul Yacomine spent 14 years developing his new hair treatment range. He talks to Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings about the search for the perfect formla, Hollywood actress Andie MacDowell and living in a draughty warehouse. FOR
A TEENAGER was recovering yesterday after she was the victim of a bizarre late-night drive-by attack. The 18-year-old, who has not been identified, was walking home from a night out in Durham City when a bottle was thrown at her head from a passing car
The Stray Brass Quintet will play at the Carols for Christmas celebration presented by Guisborough Choral Society. The event, at the Methodist Church, Westgate, Guisborough, will start at 7.30pm on Saturday. Tickets are £7, concessions £6, and are available
TWO talented golfers will go head to head when they tee-off at an annual golf tournament. Faye Sanderson and Craig Wilkinson will play the first match in the Stan Calvert Cup on Wednesday, a clash across a range of sports between Newcastle and Northumbria
FORMER Darlington Football Club owner and chairman George Reynolds was last night recovering from an emergency operation. But speaking from his bed in the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, Mr Reynolds pledged he would make a personal
THE oldest football club competition in the world showed its romantic charm was as strong as ever last night when Newcastle United were drawn away to non-league Yeading in the FA Cup. Graeme Souness' Premiership rich boys have been paired with the little
HARRY Smurthwaite, among the best all-round sportsmen the North-East ever produced - and one of its unfailing, unchanging gentlemen - died on Barnard Castle golf course on Monday. He was 68, played regular cricket until last season, excelled at tennis
TRAILING 19-13 with 15 minutes left, Newcastle finally cut loose with three tries in six minutes to settle the first of their back-to-back Heineken Cup clashes with Edinburgh yesterday. A third win out of three kept the Falcons on course for the quarter-finals
THREE youngsters are to hear carols they have written performed in public for the first time. The pupils, from Queen Mary's School, Baldersby Park, near Thirsk, will hear them sung at Ripon Cathedral as part of the celebrations for the Christmas season
THE oldest football club competition in the world showed its romantic charm was as strong as ever last night when Newcastle United were drawn away to non-league Yeading in the FA Cup. Graeme Souness' Premiership rich boys have been paired with the little
THE family of a soldier shot dead by a drunken squaddie are appealing against the killer's sentence. Guardsman Dean Troy Eddy, 21, of Billingham, Teesside, was killed when a round went off and hit him after Green Howard John Michael Smith seized a rifle
A TEAM of North-East market traders are reading The Northern Echo to boost their general knowledge for a TV quiz show. Seven traders from Stanley Indoor Market, in the Clifford Centre, Stanley, County Durham, are taking part in a Christmas special of
THIRSK'S Royal British Legion Band will hold a free Christmas concert in Thirsk Town Hall, North Yorkshire, at 7.30pm on Saturday. The band will be joined by Carlton Miniott Primary School Choir, and the training band will play a small selection of music
THE costly stalemate over what to put on signs for a renamed airport could be broken this week. Officials from Durham Tees Valley Airport wanted to spend tens of thousands of pounds on signs to replace old ones bearing the Teesside Airport name. But the
SPORTS agent Jonathan Barnett, is suing for libel over accusations that his "disgraceful" demand for a £750,000 fee derailed the transfer of Leicester City star, Mussy Izzet, to Middlesbrough FC. His counsel, Mr David Sherbourne, told a High Court libel
INDEPENDENT Ballet Wales will stage Sleeping Beauty in the town hall at Bishop Auckland, County Durham, at 7.30pm on Sunday. Tickets are £8 and £6, available on (01388) 602610. Published: 06/12/2004
THREE youngsters are to hear carols they have written performed in public for the first time. The pupils, from Queen Mary's School, Baldersby Park, near Thirsk, will hear them sung at Ripon Cathedral as part of the celebrations for the Christmas season
POLICE acting on a tip-off raided a house and recovered thousands of pounds worth of suspected cocaine. Officers from the Cleveland Police Drugs Unit discovered the suspect powder with an estimated street value of £2,000. Following a call from a member
WHEN Graeme Souness examines the defensive options he inherited when he took over at St James' Park in September, he must feel like a blackjack player who has just been dealt 15. He can stick or he can twist but, ultimately, it matters little because
FIRE SERVICE: I WONDER if the councillors, tradespeople, and general public of Durham and Darlington realise the amount of revenue that will be lost from the coffers if the chief fire officer of Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue is allowed to give
THE VALUE of skipper Dave Guthrie to Blaydon was underlined when he returned ahead of schedule on Saturday and helped them end a run of seven defeats. Blaydon hadn't won since Guthrie broke his chest bone in the Powergen Cup second round win against Wharfedale
Danny Mills returns to Middlesbrough in a Manchester City shirt tonight with words from old teammate Gareth Southgate ringing in his ears: 'Beware the threat of Stewart Downing'. Mills was the right-back who helped Boro lift their first major trophy in
The Royal (ITV1); Fungus The Bogeyman (BBC1); The Medici: Godfathers Of The Renaissance (C4): Here comes the bride. And, hang on a minute, there goes the bride. She's legged it back up the aisle and out of the door of the church. And what's more, the
THOSE of us who've seen all the previous Customs House pantos from South Tyneside kings of the genre, Ray Spencer and Bob Stott, could well come out of this show saying we've seen it all before. The format, with its blend of wordplay and slapstick, plus
AROUND 30 firefighters spent more than three hours tackling a blaze in an old Victorian building. Fire crews from around Teesside were called to the unoccupied house in Bishopton Road, Stockton at 1.27am today after reports of a fire in the roof. The
A NORTH-EAST girl has won a ride in a mini-version of the Grand National. Lucy Burke, ten, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, will compete in the Osborne Refrigerators Shetland Pony Grand National at the Olympia International Show Jumping Championships from
SHOPS in Middlesbrough are being warned to deal with their waste - or face the courts. Middlesbrough Council is concerned that waste generated by shops taking in extra stock for Christmas could end up blowing about the town's streets. It has previously
MICKY Nelson's future could be decided in the coming days. Neale Cooper left the big defender out of his Hartlepool United squad for Saturday's rout of Aldershot. And Pool proved, with Ben Clark back from a hamstring strain, they can cope without the
SCOUTS in Teesdale enjoyed outdoor activities on a weekend trip to the Lake District. Twenty-five scouts and six leaders from 1st Barnard Castle Scout Group stayed at the YHA hostel at Thorney How, near Grasmere. Activities included climbing, tower building
Michael Skyers taps into his animal instincts for his role as Aslan in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. He talks to Steve Pratt. IN person, Michael Skyers is more pussycat than lion but he'll be roaring as the king of the jungle in a revival of the
POLICE are investigating an attack on the grave of a North-East father. Jeff Sture's tombstone in Newton Aycliffe Cemetery, County Durham, was singled out in a malicious act believed to be aimed at other members of his family. His picture was chipped
Wearside League: Stokesley SC anticipated a difficult game against Ryhope CW but in the event were in seventh heaven after demolishing their opponents. The Wearsiders had been in outstanding form but more than met their match as Stokesley romped to a
The Albany Northern League: Shildon manager Kenny Lindoe told his defence to stop "pressing the self-destruct button" after they were beaten 3-1 by Morpeth on Saturday. Shildon have now lost two home games inside a week to leave them in the wrong half
THERE are times in politics when the momentum which builds up against a senior figure is simply irresistible - just ask Peter Mandelson. Whether David Blunkett has broken the rules governing his position as Home Secretary will be decided by Sir Alan Budd's
A guided walk to say a final farewell to one of Durham's best-known landmarks takes place next week. After more than 130 years spanning the railway which was to become the East Coast Main Line, the old Relly Bridge is to be demolished later this month
TOURISM bosses are urging businesses across the North-East to enter the Nation's Best Breakfast competition. One NorthEast Tourism is calling on B&Bs, cafes, hotels, pubs and restaurants to enter as a way of showcasing the high standard of regional
CHEESEMAKERS from North Yorkshire are helping to provide a bumper feast for some of the nation's old soldiers over the festive period. The Dairy Council's Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses for London's Chelsea Pensioners featured cheeses from three producers
ROOKIE right-back Steven Taylor last night admitted that his progress into the Newcastle first team has been inspired by the exploits of fellow 18-year-old Tony McMahon. After making his senior debut at Old Trafford in October, McMahon is in line for
Just the other night in the centre of Durham, I was walking home, lost in my own thoughts. I hadn't realised that a car had slowed down to the pace of my walk. This only became obvious when two of the passengers in the car leant out of the window and
A POLICEMAN accused of stabbing his wife to death has made his first appearance in court charged with murder. Police found mother-of-three Maria Jones, 36, in the bedroom of the couple's home on Thursday last week. She had multiple stab wounds. Cleveland
A BATTLE to safeguard one of the country's oldest regiments is being fought by councillors. Labour councillors are calling on the Ministry of Defence to retain the Green Howards, a Yorkshire regiment raised in 1688, which has its headquarters in Richmond
MYSTERY still surrounds exactly what drove a devoted grandfather to stab his wife to death before turning a kitchen knife on himself. Family and friends of former cable worker Derek Wood, 60, of Stephenson Street, Darlington, cannot fathom why the man
THOMAS MYHRE experienced the win at all costs team spirit that pushed Crystal Palace to promotion last season and he is feeling a similar atmosphere around Sunderland this time around. The Norwegian goalkeeper spent three months on loan at Selhurst Park
YOUNGSTERS dressed as Kings and Angels delighted crowds by singing Christmas carols at a town's lights ceremony. Children from schools and other organisations in Shildon took part in the town's Christmas procession yesterday which ended in the market
COUNCIL services for children and young people are likely to improve, according to a report. An Audit Commission inspection rated Sedgefield Borough Council's youth-focused services as fair with promising prospects for improvement. Inspectors looked at
BISHOP Auckland tennis club ended a successful season with a presentation night in the golf club. Mixed doubles teams had won the Darlington and District League and Division Two of the Cleveland League, with Lorraine Colwell and Cliff Mulholland taking
Four cars were broken into in Darlington on Thursday and Friday. The vehicles were in Haughton Green, Deepdale Way, Fenby Avenue and George Short Close. Three had bags stolen from inside and a stereo system was stolen from the other.
VOLUNTEERS have followed up a revamp of a village cricket hut by planting spring-flowering bulbs. A team of North Bitchburn residents planted daffodils and tulips outside the hut and crocuses and daffodils around the village. They joined a Pride Campaign
SHOWER company worker John Bennett raised £130 for Children in Need by having his head shaved on the factory floor. After losing his locks Mr Bennett, who works for shower enclosure makers Roman, in Newton Aycliffe, ran around the building collecting
A CHURCH in Darlington swapped carol singers for a quieter sort of congregation over the weekend when it displayed 12 Christmas trees. The 7ft trees filled St Columba's Church and hall, each decorated on the theme of a festive song by a local group as
A WOMAN was injured after she was attacked in the street. The 21-year-old had returned to Guisborough after a night out in Redcar when she was attacked by a heavy set man. After a struggle she managed to escape with minor injures, and raised the alarm
ONE of the biggest names in regional radio will be back on the air next year. Paul "Goffy" Gough, who spent a decade at Century Radio and hosted its breakfast show for more than seven years before he left in April, is joining Metro Radio The married father-of-three
Michael Dobbs, bestselling author of House of Cards and former aide to Margaret Thatcher and John Major, has been described as the spin doctor of his generation. As his new novel, Churchill's Hour, is published, he talks to Hannah Stephenson about his
A GUIDED walk to say a final farewell to one of Durham's best-known landmarks takes place next week. After more than 130 years spanning the railway which was to become the East Coast Main Line, the old Relly Bridge is to be demolished later this month
MYSTERY still surrounds exactly what drove a devoted grandfather to stab his wife to death before turning a kitchen knife on himself. Family and friends of former cable worker Derek Wood, 60, of Stephenson Street, Darlington, cannot fathom why the man
A PUB lived up to its name when it scooped a national award - for its toilets. The Water House in North Road, Durham, part of the JD Wetherspoon's chain, was awarded the maximum five star rating by judges in the Loo of the Year competition. An independent
A NATIONAL Kung Fu champion demonstrated his martial arts prowess at an event aimed at raising young people's aspirations this weekend. Shaka Brown, from Gateshead, launched the Drop the T road show on Saturday, with a traditional Chinese lion dance.
COUNCILLORS will get a behind-the-scenes look at a project to overhaul a key town centre building next week. The Mechanics Institute, in Chester-le-Street, is to be transformed into a £1.3m enterprise and learning centre, that will also offer child care
THE head of a bus operator who was criticised for making sweeping changes to rural services met some of his fiercest critics. Paul Matthews, chief executive of Go North East, attended a public meeting in the Lamplight Arts Centre in Stanley. The meeting
STOCKTON Borough Council has been selected by the Government to qualify as a national pioneer for local transport initiatives. The town will now bid to become a National Centre of Excellence for Local Transport Delivery. As one of only 17 authorities
DURHAM'S Paul Collingwood had his first taste of leading England yesterday when Michael Vaughan left the field for an hour in the final one-day match in Zimbabwe. Vaughan went off for treatment on a sore knee and Collingwood took the reins in the absence
