engineering company Whessoe Oil and Gas has secured a £185m joint deal to build a gas terminal, creating about 20 jobs for the region. The company, based in Darlington, has entered into partnership with Dutch company Volker Stevin for the engineering,
Good causes from across the North-East are to share in a £1m windfall from the Big Lottery fund. The fund, which combines the New Opportunities Fund and the National Lottery Charities Board, said that among those to benefit were people with Down's syndrome
THE revival of Blues In The Night marks singer Louise Rose's professional theatre debut although she's no newcomer to the entertainment business. Still only 24, she's been performing since she was eight including singing for the UK in the Eurovision Song
UK DVD/VIDEO RENTAL 1 (6) Spider-Man 2 2 (1) Harry Potter 3 (3) Troy 4 (2) Elf 5 (5) Day After Tomorrow 6 (4) Fahrenheit 9/11 7 (-) 13 Going On 30 8 (-) King Arthur 9 (10) Around The World In 80 Days 10 (9) Shrek 2 Chart supplied by www.blockbuster.co.uk
Rogue traders are costing taxpayers thousands of pounds by cashing in on tough new legislation surrounding the disposal of used tyres. Environmental experts believe an increase in fly-tipping has been sparked by rules which ban the rubber from being dumped
SOME seven centuries ago, it was the language of the underclass, the servants to their Norman masters. Not for nothing does it supply the words for most domestic animals - cow, calf, sheep, swine, deer - while words for the meat - beef, veal, mutton,
EVEN before the mistletoe has been put up in Soapland, the residents of Albert Square are kissing and making up. The problem is that little minx Stacey Slater spots the doomed lovers with lips locked in EastEnders (BBC1). She's been doing her best to
AN international conference on stroke treatment gets under way in the region today. It is hoped the conference could lead to better treatment for stroke victims throughout Europe as well as boosting the North-East economy. The choice of Newcastle to host
IT was Christmas dinner in the Andrew Lloyd Webber household two years ago when one of the guests round the table was American director Joel Schumacher. The conversation moved to The Phantom Of The Opera, the Lloyd Webber musical that has been seen by
THE man in charge of the Queen's parks has visited the region to pick up tips from green-fingered people in the North. Dennis Clarke, services manager of the Royal Parks, which includes Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, called on Newcastle City Council's
DEFENDER Gary Breen has given his young team-mates a glowing commendation by claiming Sunderland can cope when injuries and suspensions hit their promotion push. Sunderland were beaten 2-0 by West Ham on Saturday, with fans' favourite Julio Arca in the
MANUFACTURERS in the region have endorsed comments by multi-millionaire inventor Sir James Dyson that Britain's only chance of prosperity in the 21st Century lies in reinvigorating its manufacturing industry. Sir James used the 29th Richard Dimbleby Lecture
KIERON Dyer has warned his Newcastle team-mates to beware a Lomana LuaLua backlash, after describing the Portsmouth striker as one of the best players he has ever played with. LuaLua will be returning to St James' Park for the first time on Saturday since
HOSPITAL staff are enrolling on a course that will help them achieve information technology success. Staff with the Tees and North-East Yorkshire NHS Trusts will enrol on a course to study the European Computer Driving Licence. Redcar and Cleveland College
ABOUT 20 jobs have been saved at redundancy-hit manufacturer Mono Containers. However, union officials conceded it was unlikely any more jobs could be secured at the Durham company. That means about 60 staff will still lose their jobs, with the company
THE digital revolution yesterday helped retailer Jessops maintain its record of sales and profits growth in every year since 1996. The photographic specialist, which has 268 stores in the UK, said digital cameras accounted for 75 per cent of sales of
LOCAL music website www.dognoise.co.uk will be presenting their second exciting excursion into gig promotion this Tuesday at Darlington's The Forum Music Centre. Headlining is Sunderland band The Golden Virgins, fresh from a national tour to promote their
LEADING insurance broker BiB has announced a partnership with national retail chain Mills Group to launch a range of products for convenience store customers. The Darlington broker has teamed up with the North East-based retailer to develop Mills Convenient
PLANS have been revealed for the North-East's first super-casino - part of a £100m leisure complex next to the Stadium of Light in Sunderland. The proposals, unveiled only weeks after the Government controversially relaxed gambling laws, are likely to
TRANSPORT group Stagecoach yesterday welcomed the progress made by its London bus operation, but warned the growth would not continue indefinitely. The bus and rail group said a good performance by South West Trains also contributed to a 13 per cent rise
London shares recovered to end the day above 4700 yesterday after healthcare stocks led Wall Street higher. After slipping more than 33 points in early trading, the FTSE 100 made up some of its losses to end the session down 24.8 at 4703.9. US stocks
ABOUT 20 jobs have been saved at redundancy-hit manufacturer Mono Containers. However, union officials conceded it was unlikely any more jobs could be secured at the Durham company. That means about 60 staff will still lose their jobs, with the company
I WOULD cheerily have taken a shotgun and blasted the burglars who came in the night to steal our children's quad bike - in my dreams. In reality, we just sighed and upped the security - as we have done every other time, when they have taken lawn mowers
THE North-East's answer to boxing sensation Amir Khan has punched his way to a Commonwealth Youth Games gold medal. In Australia last weekend, Sedgefield's Bradley Saunders overcame Irishman Patrick Murphy to win the light-welterweight title despite fighting
The Clash: London Calling. 25th anniversary edition (Colombia. Two CDs) PROCLAIMED Album of the Decade by the writers of Rolling Stone magazine, when first released, London Calling sees the Clash experimenting with a myriad of musical styles. There's
Keith Urban: Be Here (Capitol Records): I make no excuse this week for once again mentioning the talent of the Country Music Associations Male Vocalist of the year Keith Urban. Over the last few months I have been extolling the virtues of one of the freshest
DETECTIVES were last night hunting a man who stole thousands of pounds after threatening to burn down a bookmaker's shop. Staff at a Ladbrokes shop, in Darlington, were told by the masked thief that he would set fire to the building unless they handed
PRIME Minister Tony Blair last night pledged a fresh drive in his marathon quest for a peace settlement in Northern Ireland. Even though he failed to pull off the deal after republicans resisted Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley's demands for
WHAT'S ON: Japanese pianist Miyako Machida and British violinist Gerald Gregory present a candle-lit concert at Kirkleatham's 17th century Almshouses, near Redcar, at 7.30pm tomorrow. The programme includes Sonatas by Faur and Mozart and works by Kreisler
UNEMPLOYMENT levels on a Darlington estate have dropped by almost a half since the creation of a job-seeking scheme. Firthmoor into Work was set up in May 2002 to provide help, advice and training to get residents on the estate back into employment. More
A FREE music festival is a step nearer a more secure future. Derwentside District Council's leisure officers have been given approval to hold talks with Northern Recording, the organisers of Stanley Blues Festival, in the County Durham town. The event
BOOMING Newcastle was told yesterday it must do more to help low levels of investment and job creation in the North-East. A Government report hailed the economic success of Newcastle and the other seven so-called core cities in England. But the report
COMEDY duo Cannon and Ball are starting their Christmas pantomime run in the North-East tonight. They are starring as pirates Smee and Yoo in Peter Pan, at Darlington Civic Theatre, alongside Lee Brennan, from the boy band 911, who plays the boy who never
A COUNCILLOR who risked disqualification after speaking out on behalf of residents at a planning meeting has been stopped from putting his views forward in writing. Chairman of Dene Valley Parish Council Chris Foote Wood is unable to attend the next meeting
DETECTIVES investigating the death of a man during a blaze thought to have started when a lit firework was pushed through his letterbox, last night charged a teenager with his manslaughter. The youth, aged 15, was one of four people arrested yesterday
A COMMUNITY youth group is playing its part in brightening up Hartlepool. Manor West Youth Project has received £500 for bulb planting, new tools and paint for shop-fronts in the town's Brierton Lane. It has been given the funding by Hartlepool Borough
A TEESSIDE ice-hockey sensation has been signed by one of the world's leading college teams. Michael Farn, formerly of the Billingham Bombers and Great Britain Under-18 teams, has signed for the Ellerton Eels college team in Tampa, Florida. He travelled
MY son emailed to say they were thinking of getting tickets for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for Jonah's third birthday. Did I think that was a good idea? Jonah loves the video of the film, so long as he can fast-forward the scary bits. He loves to hear the
A MOTORIST had to be cut from the wreckage of his car after it was involved in a collision with a coach yesterday. The accident took place in the Faverdale area of Darlington during the morning rush hour and led to queues back to the A1. The incident
OPPONENTS have submitted more than 100 objections over plans for a meat cutting, processing and packing business alongside the A1. The scheme, proposed by P Hutton Limited, would also involve seasonal killing and preparation of poultry and game at Rougham
A COMPANY director has been banned from management for three years after his business went into liquidation owing thousands of pounds. Donald Akester, 60, of High Peak, Hunters Hill, Guisborough, was given the ban by the Insolvency Agency after he agreed
LORD Dearing, chairman of the Higher Education Policy Institute, will give the keynote speech at a conference in the region next week. The University of Durham hosts the fifth conference for UK users of Blackboard e-learning software next Thursday and
THE Government has approved a policy restricting the building of second homes and holiday cottages in the Yorkshire Dales. Under the Yorkshire Dales National Park's restricted occupancy policy, nearly all new homes - including barn conversions - will
WORK is due to start on the first unit at a controversial business park built almost three years ago. It was hoped the 25-acre site at Colburn, near Catterick Garrison, would provide a home for e-commerce firms when it opened in January 2002. But difficulties
A DISTRICT council is celebrating after it was shortlisted for an environmental award. Chester-le-Street District Council is among the winners in this year's national Green Apple Awards. The nomination was based on the work the authority has undertaken
LOVERS of festive lights in the North-East will be leading the way in the UK this Christmas, according to a survey. The British Gas study has found that 27 per cent of homes in the region will be decked out with seasonal illuminations, with most people
A MAN who indecently assaulted a 13-year-old girl as she lay in bed has been jailed for nine months. David Ronald Anderson, 31, of St John's Grove, Redcar, east Cleveland, admitted touching the girl intimately. Deborah Sherwin, prosecuting at Teesside
A WOMAN was spared jail yesterday after a judge said there were exceptional reasons not to send her to prison. Former heroin addict Shelley Hill, 26, was acquitted two years ago of the murder of homeless drug addict Robert Parkin, 29, who was beaten to
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD girl was approached by a young man inquiring about the colour of her underwear, a court heard. He then tried to examine her underwear before threatening the terrified girl, who fled the scene, Durham Crown Court heard. The girl had been
THE first two buildings on Darlington's newest business park have been completed. The office space at Morton Palms, Yarm Road, is expected to become home to about 1,500 jobs once occupied. The two blocks, together providing 71,000 sq ft of space with
YOUNG people helping to restore pride in their community were rewarded yesterday. Pupils at four schools were asked to design posters to promote litter awareness to launch the Pride in Consett North initiative. The campaign, funded by the Northern Rock
ONE of Darlington's oldest doctors' surgeries has made a £2m move to premises on Bondgate. Netherlaw Surgery - now known as Blacketts Medical Practice - has operated from the town's Stanhope Road since the 1920s and has 8,600 patients on its books. The
HOSPITAL staff are enrolling on a course that will help them achieve information technology success. Staff with the Tees and North-East Yorkshire NHS Trusts will enrol on a course to study the European Computer Driving Licence. Redcar and Cleveland College
TWO masked robbers who brandished a sawn-off shotgun at drinkers in a packed club before they made off with thousands of pounds were last night facing lengthy jail sentences. Peter George Caswell, 52, and Shane Round, 31, were on trial at Teesside Crown
A CHARITY that helps victims of crime has closed its last district office in County Durham. Victim Support announced a restructuring programme earlier this year, in the face of a large funding shortfall. Its staff based across the county have been moved
A TAXI driver's takings were stolen by three youths who struck him on the head as he worked on his cab. The attack happened at about 8.15pm on Monday as the 52-year-old was working on the vehicle outside County Cars, in Oxbridge Lane, Stockton. He was
A HOLIDAY company has been ordered to pay £3,800 to a rep who slipped while dancing at a foam party. Karen Reiling, 28, was on stage at a nightclub in Tenerife in 2000 when she was grabbed by a holidaymaker. She fell on the wet stage and banged her head
ZACH Braff was on the set of the US comedy hit Scrubs when his mobile phone rang. On the other end of the line was British actor knight Sir Ian Holm. A shocked Braff couldn't believe it. As a first time feature film writer and director, he was amazed
NEALE Cooper yesterday received mixed news on the injury front. On the day that Hugh Robertson's, Darrell Clarke and Eifion Williams marked their returns with goals in the 3-0 reserve win over Walsall, Cooper discovered that he is going to lose captain
IN for a penny, last week's column on savoury ducks - penny ducks in these copper bottomed parts - stirred memory's pot for many. There have been recollections of Saturday night fry-ups and of Wednesday dinner time treats, revelations of what barely is
A TRANSPORT partnership between five North-East councils is the best urban scheme of its kind in England, according to a study. The Tyne and Wear authorities of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, and North and South Tyneside, have been rated the best metropolitan
ROLF Harris took his commission to create a Christmas card for charity seriously. In fact the 74-year-old presenter even flew to Lapland for research, as we'll see in the Rolf On Art Christmas Special on BBC One on Sunday. ''We needed to go somewhere
THE company operating TransPennine rail services is promising faster trains and more seats when its new weekday timetable begins on Monday. TransPennine Express was recently forced to make temporary cuts to services due to problems with train reliability
SOME seven centuries ago, it was the language of the underclass, the servants to their Norman masters. Not for nothing does it supply the words for most domestic animals - cow, calf, sheep, swine, deer - while words for the meat - beef, veal, mutton,
IN for a penny, last week's column on savoury ducks - penny ducks in these copper bottomed parts - stirred memory's pot for many. There have been recollections of Saturday night fry-ups and of Wednesday dinner time treats, revelations of what barely is
A MAN who has braved the heights of a tall tree to bring Christmas cheer to a generation of children is finally hanging up his ladder. Each festive season since 1987, John Davison has transformed the 60ft tree in his garden into a festive landmark by
SHOPPERS in the North-East are being urged to be on their guard after counterfeit money was found to be in circulation. Police in Stockton have received several reports of counterfeit notes being used and have issued advice to shoppers. PC Don Young said
Labour must make delivering "power to the people" a major mission for a third successive term in office, the party's general election co-ordinator Alan Milburn urged last night. Mr Milburn, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, outlined his ideas
TIM EASTERBY takes County Classic to Huntingdon in the hope of following up her recent impressive Sedgefield success. Despite an unsuitable early pace at the last-named track, County Classic (2.30) still managed to draw nicely clear of Marsh Run in the
A policeman who is accused of murdering his wife has been transferred from prison to a psychiatric hospital. PC Ivor Jones, 40, of the Cleveland force, was too ill to attend court yesterday (Thurs) for his first appearance before a judge since he was
CHILDREN from the North-East chatted to Father Christmas in cyberspace yesterday. Pupils from Abbey Junior School, Darlington, won a competition to put their questions to Santa while he prepares for Christmas. The event took place at the town's Carmel
ONE of the region's largest hospital trusts yesterday played down talk of a financial crisis after officials admitted it faces debts of up to £25m. South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the 1,000-bed James Cook University "super-hospital", in Middlesbrough
HUNDREDS of brewery workers who produce top-selling brands such as Stella Artois are to be balloted on industrial action in a dispute over bargaining rights. Union members at Belgian company Interbrew will vote during the next few weeks following a dispute
BREWER Scottish & Newcastle significantly expanded its pubs empire yesterday by announcing a deal to manage 364 sites being sold by rival Spirit. The estate, which includes 250 neighbourhood pubs, is being sold for £345m to an investment company owned
KIERON Dyer has warned his Newcastle team-mates to beware a Lomana LuaLua backlash, after describing the Portsmouth striker as one of the best players he has ever played with. LuaLua will be returning to St James' Park for the first time on Saturday since
POLICE are becoming increasingly concerned for the safety of a North-East woman and her two-year-old daughter. Wendy St Lawrence, 31, and daughter Lucie have a home in Borough Road, Darlington, but have been staying with family in Elton, near Chester,
SO near and yet so far. Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams are tantalisingly close to "the deal of all deals" which would bring devolved government back to Northern Ireland. After months of negotiations, the end is in sight. But, after so many false dawns, it
PLANS have been revealed for the North-East's first super-casino - part of a £100m leisure complex next to the Stadium of Light in Sunderland. The proposals, unveiled only weeks after the Government controversially relaxed gambling laws, are likely to
DEEPCUT: HAVING followed The Northern Echo's coverage of the Deepcut/Catterick Garrison story, and seen the recent Dispatches programme on Channel 4, I think the way these young people and their families have been treated is a national disgrace. Armed
MIDDLESBROUGH will be forced to field a makeshift back four again this weekend, after both Chris Riggott and Ugo Ehiogu were ruled out of Saturday's trip to Southampton. Riggott missed Monday night's 3-2 win over Manchester City after suffering a hamstring
Bricking It (C4): JAMIE'S Kitchen tried to teach unemployed youngsters to cook. Bricking It puts them in the building trade to turn an empty warehouse into a luxury flat. After seeing what happens in the first episode, I won't be putting in an offer to
CIVIC pressure group officials fear a successful late licence bid by a city centre drinking venue may "open the floodgates". City of Durham Trust chairman Roger Cornwell and his predecessor, Mary Sales, were speaking last night after unsuccessfully opposing
DEVELOPERS have taken their fight to create a 60-acre retail park to London's High Court. Outline planning permissions for the proposal, off McMullen Road, Lingfield, Darlington,were approved by the Environment Department in 1991. The site's owner - Lingfield
TOUGH regulations to control club and pub bouncers come into effect across Britain from Monday, but will not be introduced on Teesside because of delays. Cleveland Police is allowing door staff to continue working over Christmas and the New Year even
FEARS about traffic may lead to the refusal of a scheme for a Sunday market in Spennymoor. Members of Sedgefield council's development control committee will tomorrow be urged to turn down an application to change the use of an industrial estate unit
CHILDREN fighting cancer are to benefit from charity events supported by Arriva Trains Northern employees. More than £900 was gathered in fundraising raffles in York and Newcastle, which were inspired by conductor training manager Les Turnbull. His grandson
A MAN has denied carrying out an indecent assault on a woman in broad daylight. David Peacock is accused of groping the woman in front of two of his friends while walking between pubs in Durham city centre, on a Saturday afternoon in October 2002. Durham
FOOTBALL fans are being given the chance to bid for prizes in a charity Internet auction. Prizes in the Sunderland AFC Foundation Christmas Auction include a round of golf with manager Mick McCarthy or an executive box at the forthcoming home game against
A MAN who indecently assaulted a 13-year-old girl as she lay in bed has been jailed for nine months. David Ronald Anderson, 31, of St John's Grove, Redcar, east Cleveland, admitted touching the girl intimately. Deborah Sherwin, prosecuting at Teesside
PROPOSALS for tackling anti-social behaviour, substance misuse and domestic violence will be discussed at a conference tomorrow. Ninety delegates from County Durham will attend the event at Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside Ground, in Chester-le-Street
COUPLES planning to get married are being invited to a charity gala with a difference. Beamish Hall Hotel, near Stanley, County Durham, is hosting the region's first gala exclusively for engaged couples. The event, on Friday, January 21, will mark the
DARLINGTON striker Alun Armstrong is in talks with Sheffield Wednesday over a possible move to Hillsborough. The 29-year-old and his representatives were in South Yorkshire yesterday, holding discussions with Owls' boss Paul Sturrock before they took
A CHILDREN'S campus offering youngsters access to health, education and welfare services could be created in a town. Derwentside Primary Care Trust plans to create a new, bigger health centre for Stanley, but is struggling to find land large enough. The
HUNDREDS of people packed into a village church for a memorial service for a community stalwart. The service, which was held at St Andrew's Church, Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon, was in memory of 73-year-old Audrey Mackenzie, who died in Harrogate District
CANNON and Ball reckon they've been together 40 years and have done a pantomime every year since 1980, but show some typical Northern nonchalance as they realise that this year's starring roles in Peter Pan clocks up a silver anniversary. The UK's longest-serving
DETECTIVES were last night hunting a man who stole thousands of pounds after threatening to burn down a bookmaker's shop. Staff at a Ladbrokes shop, in Darlington, were told by the masked thief that he would set fire to the building unless they handed
A CANNABIS farm has been discovered in a house owned by former Newcastle United favourite Steve Watson. But police said the Geordie-born defender was not linked to the investigation, which was launched after a raid on his house in the Newcastle suburb
THE team behind an art gallery planned for the North-East is celebrating the choice of this year's Turner Prize winner. The winning artist, Jeremy Deller, features prominently in the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima) collection, which will
PUB regulars yesterday marked the end of an era with a bang - and as many other noises as they could make. Paul and Rosaleen Conroy are bowing out of the Grey Horse pub, in Sherburn Terrace, Consett, County Durham, after 15 years of pulling and brewing
THE North-East's answer to boxing sensation Amir Khan has punched his way to a Commonwealth Youth Games gold medal. In Australia last weekend, Sedgefield's Bradley Saunders overcame Irishman Patrick Murphy to win the light-welterweight title despite fighting
COUNCILLORS have unanimously rejected a scheme to create a waste recycling site alongside the A1 motorway near Boroughbridge. The development proposal by Peacock Bros, a contracting firm, was unanimously rejected members of a North Yorkshire County Council
A SELL-OUT concert by Bedale Festival Choir raised £1,100 for Macmillan Cancer Relief. The concert, held at St Gregory's Church, was backed by local people and businesses, including a late donation by The Buck Inn, Thornton Watlass. Choir treasurer Tony
A MAN who has braved the heights of a tall tree to bring Christmas cheer to a generation of children is finally hanging up his ladder. Each festive season since 1987, John Davison has transformed the 60ft tree in his garden into a festive landmark by
ONE of the region's leading churchmen has received an honorary degree to mark his contribution to North-East life. Former Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle the Right Reverend Ambrose Griffiths has been awarded an honorary doctorate of civil law from Northumbria
A UNIVERSITY student was seriously injured after she and a fellow undergraduate were hit by a car as they crossed a busy road. The girl suffered a serious head injury, a fractured hip and a fractured leg in the accident in Durham on Tuesday. The pair,
A BID to curb illegal off-road driving and motorcycling on moorland tracks is being stepped up in the North York Moors National Park. Karl Gerhardsen, the park's recreation and access officer, said park rangers were patrolling areas known to be used by
MY son emailed to say they were thinking of getting tickets for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for Jonah's third birthday. Did I think that was a good idea? Jonah loves the video of the film, so long as he can fast-forward the scary bits. He loves to hear the
A NORTH-EAST man who burgled a Gloucestershire pub for the money he needed to get to his home town was yesterday jailed for nine months. Anthony Bolton, 43, told Gloucester Crown Court he stole £700 because he wanted to return to Darlington to kill himself
A CANNABIS farm has been discovered in a house owned by former Newcastle United favourite Steve Watson. But police said the Geordie-born defender was not linked to the investigation, which was launched after a raid on his house in the Newcastle suburb
WESLEY Snipes, it's fair to say, is as tough as they come. As fearless vampire hunter Blade, he slices and dices the forces of the undead with such lethal grace that it's hard to tell where the special effects stop and the man begins. Unlike other action
PD Ports, the group controlling Tees and Hartlepool ports, has delayed plans to move from the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) to the main list on the London Stock Exchange. However, a spokeswoman for the company said the transfer had been delayed
Stars: Tom Hanks, Nona Gaye, Michael Jeter, Peter Scolari, Eddie Deezen, Charles Fleischer 100 mins THE film of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book is notable for more than Hanks playing no less than five roles as he's reunited with his Forrest Gump
