A MAN whose Staffordshire bull terrier savaged a neighbour's pet and left it for dead was banned from keeping dogs for 15 years. Harrogate magistrates yesterday heard how Hooch, the Staffordshire bull terrier owned by Michael McDermid, caused havoc in
GRAEME SOUNESS is set to hand Alan Shearer a coaching role at St James' Park next season. The Newcastle captain, who returns to United's first-team squad for today's visit of struggling Southampton following a 12-game absence through injury, insists he
A LEISURE group has completed the £650,000 purchase of a pub as it switches the focus of its business. Darlington company Olma Leisure has sold most of its 15 town centre pubs and is acquiring food or accommodation-led pubs in North Yorkshire and the
THE curtain went up for panto favourite Aladdin this week. Members of the Saltburn '53 Drama Group are presenting the show at the Community Theatre. Dancer Maureen Payne, who broke her leg recently, was determined that the show must go on. The show's
A LEISURE group has completed the £650,000 purchase of a pub as it switches the focus of its business. Darlington company Olma Leisure has sold most of its 15 town centre pubs and is acquiring food or accommodation-led pubs in North Yorkshire and the
LET'S be honest, it's no fun when you pass on your cold to the wife during a week off together. Days of cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing and shopping have been peppered with "this is all your fault" comments from a sack of misery stretched out on the
PLANS for a £15m college development have been announced. Redcar and Cleveland College in Corporation Road, Redcar will be transformed by the investment. The project will include facilities for visual and performing arts, hairdressing and beauty therapy
FOUR teenagers gave up their freedom yesterday to raise money for the tsunami fund. The youngsters, all pupils at the Allertonshire School, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, were handcuffed together in pairs for the whole school day. North Yorkshire Police
A PUB'S charity crusade has raised £2,824 for a campaign to help improve the lives of young diabetic people. The Ash Tree, in Carr Lane, Spennymoor, is supporting paediatric consultant Dr Bill Lamb, who is raising funds to help patients at Bishop Auckland
MAGISTRATES have fined a Marske housing developer that charged two buyers £8,000 over the advertised brochure price. Lexington Payne Homes was fined £500 for each offence, ordered to pay £1,000 costs to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, which brought
A SURVEY into the site of a proposed new crossing of the River Wear at Sunderland has found an overwhelming majority in favour of a bridge at Claxheugh. More than 73 per cent of respondents favoured a crossing at the site near South Hylton, compared to
YOUNG people in Darlington are being invited to attend an open evening about the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme. The event takes place on Monday, January 24, from 7pm to 9pm, at the Eastbourne Project Centre, in Bourne Avenue, off Hundens Lane. The scheme
A WASTE management company said yesterday that it would not tolerate threats to its staff after several were targeted last weekend. Yorwaste was forced to close a number of tips because of Saturday's high winds. All the sites reopened on Sunday, but the
PLANS to give Consett its first community centre have taken a step forward after councillors approved a pilot project. Consett has no dedicated main venue in which groups can meet and activities be staged. But Durham County Council's former old people's
SEVERAL thousands of pounds worth of cannabis plants were seized in a police raid in a south Durham village yesterday. Six officers swooped on an end-of-terrace bungalow in Jackson Street, Coundon Grange, near Bishop Auckland, shortly before noon. In
A BUILDING society has announced it is to close its branch in a North Yorkshire market town. The Leyburn branch of the Darlington Building Society will shut in April. The society blames the decision on a dwindling number of customers. A spokesman for
A VOLUNTARY scheme that could see 40 long-term unemployed and disadvantaged people back in work within 18 months will start soon. The project will help unemployed people gain confidence by finding them voluntary work placements. They can then build on
A WALKING the Way to Health initiative, which aims to get more people walking in their communities, is being launched in Middlesbrough and Eston. The Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland branch of the initiative has set up groups of healthy walkers
PEOPLE wanting to help raise money for charity are being urged to go about it in the right way. Stockton Borough Council's trading standards department has issued the appeal in the wake of the tsunami disaster. The council is keen to support the raising
OPPORTUNITIES for people to recycle their rubbish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire are increasing. Four new recycling centres have been set up, taking the total across the district - in towns, villages and schools - to 121. They have been
THE Durham Miners' Gala has gone from being a dying event in the 1990s to a spectacle that attracts people in the sort of numbers it enjoyed when the county still had working pits. Each year sees more banners paraded as communities track down the old
A TEENAGER from north Durham will join a delegation of young people calling on the Government to listen to their views. On Tuesday, Craig McGee, 14, of Lily Gardens, in Dipton, will travel to London to be present when Minister for Children Margaret Hodge
FLIGHT COMMAND'S straightforward yet effective front-running style should be sufficient to see off his main rivals in Wetherby's £15,000 Celery And Stilton Novices Chase. Peter Beaumont's gelding shovelled on the coal from the word go at Bangor last month
Q Could my wife claim Carer's Allowance for looking after me now she has taken early retirement? I receive Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for mobility. A To receive Carer's Allowance, the carer must be looking after someone who
A WOMAN who was employed to work as a receptionist at a brothel has been spared jail. Diane Loughman, 46, took phone calls from would-be punters at the brothel in Middlesbrough run by her estranged husband, Kai Fat Ho. Teesside Crown Court heard that
COUNCILLORS in Darlington are urged to support a plan for an equestrian centre in Hurworth. The riding school, on the site of the old Skipbridge Brickworks, would include 22 stables and a woodland area, featuring ponds and wetlands. The application for
A 15-YEAR-OLD faces being locked up after a confrontation with a home owner. The teenager got into the property in Parkside, Darlington, through an unlocked door with the intent to steal, the town's youth court heard yesterday. Ciaran Grogan, prosecuting
A BUSINESSMAN has been fined £1,500 after waste from his company was found dumped in a country lane. Joseph Leadbetter, whose firm Auto Electrics is in Wood Street, Spennymoor, admitted two offences against environment laws when he appeared before Durham
CREWS from RAF Leeming have returned from a six-week operation where they policed the skies above the Baltic states. A detachment from the base was stationed at the former Soviet Zokniai airforce base, near Siauliai in north-west Lithuania. The Baltic
THEY would have been the Damien Hirsts and Tracey Emins of their age. But unlike the fleeting nature of modern art, the works of these North-East artists have stood the test of time. More than 250 examples of England's finest array of prehistoric rock
A HOME care company has proved it looks after its workforce as well as looking after clients by securing Investors in People status. Premier Community Care, in Bishop Auckland, showed commitment to staff development and training. The company, which offers
MOST cats are doing well if they reach the grand old age of 17 - but at 21, Tiggy the dark brown tabby is an example to them all. Although not yet the oldest cat around, she is still lively and playful, and just a few months short of her 22nd birthday
PEOPLE across Yorkshire are being urged to sign a petition appealing for the Government to do more to protect the region's marine environment. The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust believes time is running out for the habitats of seas around the coast. It claims
TWO people died as ice caused several accidents on roads yesterday. The A19 was closed for seven hours following a fatal accident a mile south of the A690 at 6.20am. It involved a 24-year-old male scooter rider from Sunderland, who died. In another incident
A VOLUNTARY scheme that could see 40 long-term unemployed and disadvantaged people back in work within 18 months will start soon. The project will help unemployed people gain confidence by finding them voluntary work placements. They can then build on
TOMMY SMITH admits Sunderland's unwillingness to come up with a suitable contract led to him opting for a move to Derby County in the summer. Smith will be in the Rams forward line tomorrow lunchtime when the Black Cats travel to Pride Park and the ex-Watford
DISCERNING backers seeking a solid each-way alternative to the favourite in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton need look no further than Green Tango (3.25). At he head of the market for the £50,000 showpiece, Martin Pipe's multiple winner Royal Hector is
A THIEF got more than he bargained for when he unwittingly targeted a group of North-East police chiefs who were taking a break from a Home Office conference in London. Northumbria Police Deputy Chief Constable Michael Craik and assistant chief constables
ORGANISERS of a criminal justice roadshow yesterday described it as a huge success. The open day at the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington, organised by County Durham and Darlington Criminal Justice Board, featured 15 organisations including Durham Constabulary
A TAXI driver who mowed down and killed a promising British athlete, who was a protege of Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes, was in jail last night. University student Edward Prickett, 21, had been supporting his team-mates during the British University
A TWO year exile from Premiership football has been hard for Sunderland's Stephen Wright to take and he is desperate for a return to the promised land this summer. During his days at Liverpool he was hailed as one of this country's brightest young defensive
PRINCE Charles avoided questions about his son, Prince Harry, on a visit to the flood-stricken city of Carlisle yesterday. The Prince of Wales was visiting the area to meet those who were worst-affected by the floods that struck last weekend. But while
ROB Andrew will lead Newcastle Falcons into "the biggest game Kingston Park has ever seen" tomorrow hoping his side's home support help to overcome an injury crisis that threatens to derail the club's Heineken Cup campaign. The Falcons boss will conduct
STAND-IN skipper Jermaine Jenas will be happy to hand the captain's armband back to Alan Shearer today - providing Newcastle United reap the rewards. Shearer, who has recovered from calf and thigh injuries, is due to make his first appearance since November
HEALTH experts in the region issued a rallying cry to the North-East yesterday - with a warning that we have to change the way we live. Dr Bill Kirkup, regional director of public health, said the provisions of the Government's Public Health White Paper
FRANCK QUEUDRUE claims Stewart Downing's 'insouciance', or carefree approach to life on the Premiership stage has turned him into England's most talented left-winger in years. Despite not even turning 21, Downing continues to hit the headlines for his
WORK on much-needed improvements to a dated CCTV system in an area blighted by crime started this week. Businesses and villagers in Skelton have experienced an increase in crime and vandalism in recent months. A project to improve cameras was given the
The film awards season begins tomorrow with the Golden Globe Awards and climaxing in the Oscars next month. Steve Pratt looks at who's in the running for the gongs this year. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: three words that mean so much in Hollywood at this time
STEVE McCLAREN has given an honest assessment of the fickle nature of football club management admitting 'you're a hero one day, a bum the next'. Boro play host to David Moyes' Everton tomorrow - the Toffees undoubtedly the Premier League's surprise packet
MARATHON man Peter Briggs has pledged to run three races for charity. The property technician for Coast and Country Housing Association will compete in the London Marathon, Loch Ness Marathon and the Redcar Half Marathon. He will be raising cash for Coast
UNION leaders hope they can hold talks with Gordon Brown about financial aid to save North-East shipyards. GMB general secretary Kevin Curran and regional secretary Tom Brennan met Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon to raise concerns about the Swan Hunter shipyards
Spennymoor manager Graeme Clark believes today's FA Trophy tie at Eastwood Town is their "biggest game of the season." Moors, still the last North-East club to reach the semi-finals way back in 1978, go to the UniBond First Division club seeking a place
A LEADING North Yorkshire school has rescued a congregation whose crumbling church could be declared redundant. Governors at Harrogate Grammar School have given their backing to a good-neighbour initiative, which allows their main assembly hall to be
Appearing in two soaps was once thought excessive - now it's fashionable to have notched up a triple score as actors discover the soap way to stardom. When Ben Hull joins the cast of five's Family Affairs next week he also joins soap's three-timers -
THE region's largest centre for hip and knee replacements is to reopen after experts gave it the all clear. Bosses at Bishop Auckland General Hospital decided to close the unit before Christmas because of a persistent problem with infections. The decision
A COURT has heard how a teenager accidentally shot a 13-year-old boy dead during a hunting trip for rabbits. Thirteen-year-old William Buffey was killed by a single round to the back of the head from a .22 rifle on February 22 last year. Two people appeared
CONTROVERSIAL plans for a holiday log cabin in a rural village have been given the go-ahead. Residents in Liverton Mines were split after proposals were put to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council for a holiday-let log cabin. Following a planning committee
The congregation at Ramshaw chapel may be depleted, but there's an abundant sense of worship. WHEN Charles Wesley wrote the glorious hymn Oh For A Thousand Tongues To Sing, it is unlikely that he could have envisaged the average country chapel in the
A WOULD-BE arsonist who nearly blew up his own home in a drunken fit of rage has been sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institution. Andrew James, 20, sat with a cigarette lighter in his hand having turned on all the gas rings on the kitchen
A LEADING figure in the industrial regeneration and revival of the North-East was honoured at his former university yesterday. Economist Dr John Bridge, who has been at the forefront of regional development groups in the region for almost 25 years, was
DAVID HODGSON believes his Darlington side are ten wins away from achieving their play-off goal. With 19 games to go, Hodgson has set a minimum 70-point target to finish in the top seven of League Two. And with five wins and a draw from their last nine
The skies are in high, high dudgeon. The wind howls like a deranged wolf; trees thrash wildly against the gale; debris pours from the grey sky, and stinging droplets of rain, like tiny bullets of ice, rattle against my cheeks. And above all is the roar
CLEVELAND Police have come under fire after a dramatic fall in the number of breath tests carried out to trap drink-drivers. Liberal Democrats MPs described as "very worrying" the revelation that the annual tally of tests had plunged from 34,200 to just
A TAILOR synonymous with well-dressed English gentlemen for two centuries is opening a branch in the region. Crombie, of Leeds, is opening a store in Eldon Gardens, Newcastle, next month. The business, founded in 1805, is best-known for men's woollen
A COMPANY that has held weekly markets for three months has been warned to stop the events or face legal action. Nobles Promotions has been holding indoor Sunday markets and tabletop fairs on Greenland Industrial Estate, in Spennymoor, without permission
POLICE have been cracking down on troublemakers. Chester-le-Street beat sergeant John Stephenson said police had launched Operation Provenance at Gibside Shops, following complaints from businesses. Sgt Stephenson said several people had been arrested
DOMESTIC violence counsellors have vowed to carry on their work despite losing out on a £750,000 grant. A consortium between Darlington Domestic Violence Forum and County Durham's womens refuges had hoped to secure the money from the Northern Rock Foundation
A MAN who gave a homeless woman a bed for a night and then attacked her has been jailed. Jason Spayne, 32, met his victim in a pub when she was looking for a place to live. The court was told he invited her to stay with him, but he had only one bed. They
UNION leaders hope they can hold talks with Gordon Brown about financial aid to save North-East shipyards. GMB general secretary Kevin Curran and regional secretary Tom Brennan met Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon to raise concerns about the Swan Hunter shipyards
A MAJOR overhaul of a town's bus station is about to go ahead. Middlesbrough bus station, opened by actress and star of television's Coronation Street, the late Pat Phoenix, in 1982, is showing signs of wear and tear. Cracks in the station's concrete
ON your bike was the message from colleagues to retiring cycle shop worker Chris Thompson. Mr Thompson, who left Bike Sport in Darlington after more than 20 years in the cycle trade, was given a touring bike by colleagues as a retirement present. The
YOUNGSTERS at a village school have raised more than £3,000 for an international charity. Staff and pupils at Hurworth House School, near Darlington, raised the cash for Medecins Sans Frontieres by holding a non-uniform day and sponsored-French vocabulary
SMOKING is to be banned in a Hartlepool restaurant. Farrars has, however, provided a heated area outside the restaurant for people who want to smoke. Mark Farrar, head chef and restaurant owner, said: "Many of our customers, even those who do smoke, have
DOMESTIC violence counsellors have vowed to carry on despite losing out on a £750,000 grant. A consortium between Darlington Domestic Violence Forum and County Durham's women refugees had hoped to secure the money from the Northern Rock Foundation. But
THEY would have been the Damien Hirsts and Tracey Emins of their age. But unlike the fleeting nature of modern art, the works of these North-East artists have stood the test of time. More than 250 examples of England's finest array of prehistoric rock
A TEENAGER stole from a friend's house as revenge for an alleged theft, a court heard yesterday. The 16-year-old, from Darlington, took a mobile phone and cordless drill from the house because he believed the homeowner's son had stolen from him, the town's
ROAD safety chiefs have issued an appeal to motorists in a bid to protect pupils at a Hartlepool primary school. Officers are concerned that some drivers are ignoring red lights outside Golden Flatts Primary School in Seaton Lane. The problem was identified
A LEADING North Yorkshire school has rescued a congregation whose crumbling church could be declared redundant. Governors at Harrogate Grammar School have given their backing to a good-neighbour initiative, which allows their main assembly hall to be
A NORTH-EAST university will host an open day on tourism and travel. Sunderland University will hold the event, giving advice on courses available, at the Industry Centre, on Sunderland Enterprise Park West (off Wessington Way), from 10.30am to 3.30pm
YOUNGSTERS in Derwentside have been learning how to stay safe while walking to school. Forty-five reception and nursery children from 15 schools in the Stanley area met larger than life cartoon character Safety Sam. He made his first visit to the town
YOUNGSTERS at a North Yorkshire school practised staying silent yesterday as they prepared for a national charity effort. The 38 pupils at East Cowton Primary School, near Northallerton, will be among those taking part in the Big Hush in aid of Macmillan
A hospital is hosting a recruitment open day. Middleton St George Hospital is holding the event next Thursday to talk to people about vacancies and training schemes. Positions available are predominantly for registered mental health nurses, support workers
TWO 13-year-old girls befriended a pensioner then stole cash and cigarettes from her house when she was out, a court heard yesterday. The teenagers, from Darlington, would regularly visit 76-year-old Doreen Spence because she allowed them to smoke, the
A PUB'S charity crusade has raised £2,824 for a campaign to help improve the lives of young diabetic people. The Ash Tree, in Carr Lane, Spennymoor, is supporting paediatric consultant Dr Bill Lamb, who is raising funds to help patients at Bishop Auckland
A SCHOOL is celebrating after turning around its fortunes to receive top marks from Government inspectors. A team from Ofsted found huge improvements at Woodhouse Close Junior School, in Bishop Auckland, which, it said, gave pupils a very good all-round
POWERFUL Morpeth Harriers get the first chance of the new year to underline their position as the North-East's most successful athletics club by going for a hat-trick of victories in tomorrow's 22nd annual Cathedral Cross Country Relays in Durham City
GANGS of troublesome youths are being warned to get off the streets by 9pm or face arrest. The crackdown on drunken and yobbish behaviour in the Gresham area of Middlesbrough was sparked by complaints from residents, who are fed up with congregating gangs
SCHOOLCHILDREN in Stockton have chosen their book of the year and the winner will be announced at an awards ceremony later this month. More than 1,000 youngsters from 25 schools across the borough have been trying to find their favourite author from a
A work of art that will light-up the North-East's premier music venue has been unveiled. The Star Ceiling has been installed in the lift area of the car park block, behind The Sage Gateshead. Representing the night sky, it livens up the plain space for
A FLOOD-HIT football club has something to cheer after signing Billy the fish. Carlisle United's Brunton Park ground was deluged by 8ft of floodwater when the River Eden burst its banks last weekend. During efforts to drain the water from the pitch Billy
Newcastle Benfield Saints' manager Keith Sheardown believes his side are unlikely to be lifting the Albany Northern League title in May. Saints went level on points with Dunston at the top in midweek, but have played four games more than their rivals.
AN MP has criticised JobCentre bosses for delays in arranging interviews to help people get off benefits. Commons questions tabled by Labour backbencher Vera Baird have exposed how JobCentres in Redcar and Eston, in the Tees Valley, are failing to hit
AN off-duty detective tackled a drug-fuelled burglar after he saw him steal from the home of an elderly woman. Durham Crown Court heard that Detective Constable Edward Hollingsworth saw Michael Price, who was unsteady on his feet, acting suspiciously
WHEN Prince Harry admitted smoking cannabis three years ago, he was promptly sent to a drug rehabilitation centre in London by his father, the Prince of Wales, to make him aware of the dangers of addiction. It was an illustration of strong parenting and
ONE of the region's most successful brass bands is celebrating gaining financial support. Fishburn Band, in County Durham, which was established in the 1950s, will be backed for the next three years by trade union law firm Thompsons. The award-winning
THE BBC has decided not to screen part of its reality TV show Dragons' Den following a dispute between a North-East business tycoon and a technology company. Darlington-based entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne threatened legal action after allegations were
MORE than half of the region's businesses will seek finance to fund growth plans over the next two years, researchers have found. A survey of North-East companies found 56 per cent would be looking for business funding before 2007, compared to the national
CONTINUED strong demand for digital cameras helped photographic specialist Jessops to another upbeat set of sales figures. The group, which has 271 stores, described Christmas trading conditions as tough, but said it still improved total sales by 10.4
GRAEME SOUNESS is set to hand Alan Shearer a coaching role at St James' Park next season. The Newcastle captain, who returns to United's first-team squad for today's visit of struggling Southampton following a 12-game absence through injury, insists he
A TAILOR synonymous with well-dressed English gentlemen for two centuries is opening a branch in the region. Crombie, of Leeds, is opening a store in Eldon Gardens, Newcastle, next month. The business, founded in 1805, is best-known for men's woollen
Relaxing in the Wynyard Golf Club bar, Graeme Storm tucked into his breakfast. A mug of coffee and a healthy portion of scrambled eggs on toast. "Just bear with me," says Storm. "Feel free to ask me what ever you like but I'm just going to have something
Mowden Park go into today's derby clash with Darlington desperate to bounce back from last week's disappointment. Manager Jim Dyson was highly critical of his team after a 'pathetic' performance in the 5-0 defeat at the hands of Dudley Kingswinford, but
ECONOMY: JOHN Beech's implication (HAS, Jan 6) that Durham County Council is responsible for regional economic disparity is as misleading as some of the factual statements he makes. County Durham doesn't have the highest unemployment rate in the United
MICK McCARTHY has not given up hope of bolstering Sunderland's forward line after watching another of his transfer targets move on. McCarthy openly admitted last night that he showed an interest in 20-goal striker Dean Ashton but was put off by Crewe's
CHRIS Westwood made his Hartlepool United debut at Torquay in March 1999. Almost six years on and it's fair to say that, as Pool go back to Plainmoor this afternoon, player and club - as well as Torquay's goalscorer that day - have come a long, long way
A TEENAGER spoke last night of his terror after being confronted by armed police during an aid trip to Romania. Ashley Clough, 14, from Norton, near Stockton, was travelling with Convoy Aid founder Rod Jones and his wife, Gabriella, when they were ordered
A TEENAGER punched a man in the head three times during a fight, a court heard. Damien Clark, 19, of Blackenfell Cottage, Chester-le-Street, was involved in a fracas in North Road, Durham, at 2.10am on December 5. He admitted threatening behaviour at
A MANUFACTURER that has enjoyed a bumper year said last night that talk of a recession was premature. Grundfos Manufacturing, in Sunderland, saw turnover rise 10.5 per cent to £77m last year, with sales rising by 12 per cent. Managing director Niels Vinther
CHRISTMAS might as well be celebrated in January if you are a football agent - for the rest of us December 25 will do. Players' advisors came under the cosh again this week when the Football League revealed that many of its financially crippled clubs
THE BBC has decided not to screen part of its reality TV show Dragons' Den following a dispute between a North-East business tycoon and a technology company. Darlington-based entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne threatened legal action after allegations were
The film awards season begins tomorrow with the Golden Globe Awards and climaxing in the Oscars next month. Steve Pratt looks at who's in the running for the gongs this year. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: three words that mean so much in Hollywood at this time
A BOY who sustained serious brain damage in a car accident 11 years ago is expected to receive £1.75m in compensation. The parents of George Currie, who was three when he was hit by a car on a road in County Durham, said he would now be able to have a
Any man or woman seeking regular exercise mixed with a spot of fun could do worse than have a go at border morris dancing with Teesdale's own acclaimed team, Black Sheep. Those taking up the pastime are guaranteed to get rapidly fitter as they clack their
