Police today confirmed that a body found floating in the North Sea was that of a missing pensioner. The body was 66-year-old Raymond Laing was discovered in the North Docks of Seaham Harbour, County Durham, at around 3pm on Tuesday. The keen walker, who
Not only do many children eat badly, some don't even know what vegetables look like. Is it any wonder we have health scares? OF course you know what a potato looks like. Also carrot, rhubarb, celery, and even fennel, artichoke and butternut squash. But
A SHOPKEEPER'S holiday suitcase has become a vital feature of her thriving business. Christine Taylour regularly flies to the Costa del Sol, in Spain, and returns with pottery to sell in her Barnard Castle shop. She has already travelled to Spain three
Queen in wedding snub THE Queen is to stay away from the civil marriage ceremony of her son, Prince Charles, and Camilla Parker Bowles, Buckingham Palace confirmed last night. But she will attend the church blessing following the civil ceremony. Prince
NEWCASTLE boss Graeme Souness has revealed he made an audacious bid to sign Nolberto Solano during the January transfer window. The Peruvian winger was sold by Sir Bobby Robson to Aston Villa just over a year ago with the former Magpies manager criticised
ALL-WOMEN SHORTLIST: DEREK Foster has done no favours to members of Bishop Auckland Labour Party by delaying news of his retirement (Echo, Feb 16). It means that the shortlist won't be drawn up by the local party but in London by the National Executive
A father and son are facing a possible prison sentence after being convicted of running an illegal slaughterhouse on their farm. Harold Gray, 62, and his son Michael, 31, allowed sheep to be killed in squalid conditions at their Upper Austby farm at Langbar
A TERRIFIED mother's new car veered out of control after a garage forgot to remove protective packing when it left the showroom. Days after buying the Ford Focus, Sharon Seymour said her car "simply took on a life of its own" as she struggled to control
Cherished (BBC1); This World: Coming Of Age (BBC2): CHERISHED was never going to be easy viewing - a mother accused of killing her babies, her enforced separation from her surviving daughter and the uncertainty the court case brings to her relationship
FOUR managers of a Walkers Crisps factory remain suspended from their jobs as a lengthy misconduct inquiry continues. Walkers Snack Foods launched an investigation at its plant in Peterlee, County Durham, early last month, suspending four members of its
Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised to do everything possible to secure an MG Rover tie-up that could save 6,000 jobs. Mr Brown met Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and finance minister Jin Renqing to push the case for the partnership between MG Rover and
A WORK by one of the all-time great painters arrived in the region yesterday - but art lovers will have to wait before they can see it. Claude Monet's 1896 painting Flood Waters arrived at York Art Gallery on loan from the National gallery in London.
A MAN who threw a television, stereo and ashtray at the mother of his three-month-old child was depressed, a court was told yesterday. Michael Wanless, 21, of Station Road, Darlington, attacked his 17-year-old girlfriend after she refused to let him stay
DARLINGTON Borough Council's efforts to use "greener" sources of electricity have been recognised. The council made a commitment last year to procure all its electricity from natural sustainable sources, fed into the National Grid from wind farms and
RESIDENTS who live in an area of Hartlepool are invited to a meeting tomorrow to discuss landscaping options. About 1,000 new homes have been built on the Middle Warren estate and the Hartlepool Borough Council is working with a property developer on
COUNCILLORS have put a stop on funding for a town centre management group. Ryedale District Council's community services and licensing committee had agreed a £5,000 subsidy for the Malton and Norton group by a single vote. But that was overturned at a
A TOWN is being urged to get behind an amateur boxer as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career. Stuey McCrone, 28, joined Spennymoor Boxing Academy as a schoolboy. After a good start in the sport he struck a bad spell and lost nine consecutive
THE manager of a nursing home who stole almost £11,000 from an 81-year-old resident was spared jail yesterday. Fiona Morgan, 40, was heavily in debt when she took cheques for thousands of pounds at a time from the confused elderly woman resident at the
DEVELOPMENT plans that could help secure the future of the region's pioneering "murder mansion" could be approved next week. Improvements to the UK's largest forensic teaching centre at Harperley Hall, near Crook, are being recommended for approval when
A BUSINESSMAN has been forced to close his shop after an undercover operation trapped him dumping sheep's heads, cows' hooves and stomachs in the street. Environmental health bosses were delighted with the court order which bans Jalal Sulman from running
HEALTH chiefs are celebrating success in their campaign to protect the elderly against the risk of flu. GPs and health staff across Craven, Harrogate and Rural District Primary Care Trust have immunised almost three-quarters of local residents aged over
A £2.5M SCHEME to repair and restore water pipes in rural villages has begun. Yorkshire Water is warning residents that disruption is inevitable as the work gets underway in Wensleydale. A total of 27kms of mains pipes will be repaired in Leyburn, Bainbridge
PLANS to build a 28-acre sports and show field are moving forward with the project winning a £20,000 grant. The Hillside Rural Activity Park scheme will see fields near the A19 in North Yorkshire transformed into football and cricket pitches, with changing
ONE of Durham's most famous faces is to recount his four decades in public life at a lecture in the city next month. Colin Beswick, who was recently awarded an MBE for his services to the community, will speak about his 40 years as a city councillor on
TAXPAYERS are facing above-inflation rises in their council tax bills this year to offset a £12m equal pay claim from staff. Members of Durham County Council yesterday voted to ratify the authority's £500m budget for the coming year at an emergency meeting
A FREED rapist struck again in an early morning attack on a seafront path. Clifford Church, 42, who had served eight years in jail, repeatedly raped a married woman. She was walking on The Stray in Redcar when Church attacked. He was released in 2003
Environmentalist Dr David Bellamy will lend his support to efforts to revive a Darlington park when he plants trees in the town's North Lodge Park, on Tuesday. The ten trees have been donated by Cummins Engines, through its Tree Appeal - an initiative
A SECRET review will push up fares and lead to train services being axed across the North-East, MPs warned last night. A group of 12 Labour MPs raised the alarm over the revelation that the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is examining how to make savings
A pensioner who helped to keep his village free of litter has died at the age of 82. Retired farmworker Wally Parr was employed as a litter picker for some years by Staindrop Parish Council, near Barnard Castle. He carried out his task for more hours
TAXPAYERS are facing above-inflation rises in their council tax bills this year to offset a £12m equal pay claim from staff. At an emergency meeting yesterday, members of Durham County Council voted to ratify the authority's £500m budget for the coming
COUNCIL chiefs have issued a warning to parents whose children receive home tuition about the consequences of failing to educate their youngsters properly. Last week, a Darlington couple were fined £200 after the local education authority brought legal
YOUNG people will have the chance to experience life in wartime Britain thanks to a £49,000 Lottery grant. The funding has been given to six local education authorities across the North-East as part of an education scheme called Their Past, Your Future
BUNGED-UP Northerners are to be asked to take part in the world's biggest study into constipation. Not being able to go to the toilet is a major medical problem in the UK, affecting one in five older people. Researchers at Newcastle University estimate
A FOUR-YEAR action plan to improve the take up of exercise in County Durham will be unveiled this week. Durham Sport is to launch its strategic plan at Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside Ground, in Chester-le-Street. The programme is designed to increase
MENTAL health professionals meet today with the aim of improving services by raising the profile of carers. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is jointly staging the conference with the Princess Royal Trust, at Ushaw College, near Durham. Dr Mike Shooter
A NEWLY-FORMED girls' football team is ready to kick-off its first competitive action by parading in new kits. Bowburn Girls' squad has been preparing to make its debut in Durham County FA's mini-leagues, which get under way after a mid-winter break early
ORGANISERS of car boot sales across the country could be prosecuted for allowing the sale of fake goods following a landmark court ruling. George Banks, who runs popular weekly car boot sales at Redcar Racecourse, was fined £6,000 for allowing counterfeit
THE planned retirement of Newcastle United skipper Alan Shearer was again thrown into doubt last night with Graeme Souness admitting he remained 'really hopeful' he would still be working with the 34-year-old next season, writes Adam Murray. The Newcastle
A TOTAL of £9.8m has been granted to create an entire village for old people on Teesside. The retirement home village of 200 houses and villages at Middle Warren estate near Hart in the Hartlepool area could be replicated across the UK. The grant has
BACKING Mad (2.30) might not be such a crazy idea in Lingfield's Littlewoods Bet Direct Handicap this afternoon. Having won at the course over one mile, trainer Andrew Reid then experimented by trying his filly at a mile-and-a-quarter. Mad failed to add
THE Forum music centre in Darlington welcome a 1960s- inspired rock 'n' roll sound tomorrow. The venue's monthly indie music showcase, One Day Left, features recent Newcastle battle of the bands winners Sancho Grey. Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets cost
A contract to improve North-East housing helped construction group Morgan Sindall to record end of year results. The group's affordable housing division, Lovell, which has offices in Stockton, is engaged on Wearside in a £25m property modernisation programme
THE Lingfield Point business complex, in Darlington, is launching a loyalty card offering discounts at shops. The scheme, which has been developed with Darlington's town centre management, provides staff at Lingfield Point companies with discounts for
A UNIVERSITY challenge to find the region's most enterprising students begins today. The event will pit two teams from each of the region's five universities against each other to foster entrepreneurial skills in students. Each team will have to develop
A CORPORATE chauffeur franchise is looking for three entrepreneurs with drive. Minster Chauffeurs, of North Yorkshire, has worked with Darlington-based consultants The Franchise Company to expand its business. Franchisees are offered a week's training
BUCKINGHAM Palace moved swiftly to deny last night what was seen in many quarters to be a snub by the Queen in deciding not to attend Prince Charles's wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles. She will, however, attend the church blessing following the civil
MICHAEL Reiziger is "convinced" Middlesbrough will make the last 16 of the UEFA Cup tomorrow, despite admitting that English clubs are still some way short of the European elite. Last week's 2-2 draw in Graz means that a draw at the Riverside will be
THE Government is proposing to dismantle one of the most cherished principles of the British justice system by planning to detain terror suspects without trial. We do not for one moment underestimate the difficulties of the security problem facing ministers
A BABYSITTER murdered a two-year-old by repeatedly hitting his head against the banisters in her home, a court heard yesterday. Kyle Fisher suffered severe brain swelling, bruising to his jaw, shoulders and head, and was left brain dead following the
ACTORS have spoken of their excitement at taking on one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, which opens tonight. The Teesside-based Boss Theatre Company will stage Measure for Measure at the Arc, in Stockton. Set in a modern but not time-specific era,
BACKING Mad (2.30) might not be such a crazy idea in Lingfield's Littlewoods Bet Direct Handicap this afternoon. Having won at the course over one mile, trainer Andrew Reid then experimented by trying his filly at a mile-and-a-quarter. Mad failed to add
TWO police authority members have finally relented and paid £30 parking fines they each received while on official business. Councillors Barry Coppinger and Ron Lowes caused a furore when they refused to pay the fines incurred when they attended a Cleveland
IF he had such a thing as a grave, Guy Fawkes would probably be spinning in it now. Four centuries ago he tried to blow up the Government - becoming, in the eyes of some, the last person to enter Parliament with honest intentions. The York-born proto-terrorist
WHILE many fans chose not to brave the elements, Darlington turned the heat on their rivals for the play-offs with a 2-1 win over Swansea City at the Williamson Motors Stadium last night. Quakers' lowest ever crowd at the new stadium - 2,709 - watched
THE heavy snow showers and sub-zero conditions which caused chaos across North-East roads on Monday abated a little yesterday -and almost all of the region's schools stayed open. Despite the lull in wintry showers, weather experts and gritting machines
Police chiefs have announced ways to reduce their budget shortfall without affecting front-line cover, accusing ministers of "short-changing" the force. Durham's chief constable, Paul Garvin, has ordered a pruning operation after the Home Office's annual
SENIOR officers were unaware of a recruit's history of mental illness until after he killed himself with his own rifle, an inquest heard. Trainee Coldstream Guard Andrew Browne, 24, was found dead with a single gunshot wound to the head in his dormitory
AFTER seeing his side turn over promotion-chasing Swansea last night, Darlington manager David Hodgson praised his players' fighting spirit. But Hodgson's verbal jousting could see the Football Association hit him with a touchline ban, after being sent
Highly-trained dogs are being wired with hi-tech headset cameras that will allow them to search buildings and send the information back to police handlers. Northumbria Police's specialist dogs are being supplied with the aptly-named Fido headset systems
workers at a North-East circuit board manufacturer are among thousands who could recover part of the pensions they lost when the company went bust. Pensions Minister Malcolm Wicks yesterday announced that employees closest to retirement age when their
A CONFERENCE centre and hotel has become the first in the area to offer free wireless access to the Internet. The system in the Sleep Inn Hotel and Conference Centre, next to junction 59 of the A1 between Darlington and Newton Aycliffe, cost about £5,000
As part of The Northern Echo's Lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region TOMORROW Town Hall, Raby Road, Hartlepool, 10am-7pm FRIDAY Houghton Sports Centre, Station Road
TIMED at 8.43am last Wednesday, the first reaction to last week's column was a gentle rebuke from Eddie Roberts, a Welsh exile in Richmond, North Yorkshire. We'd suggested, recklessly, that Llanfair PG was "just across the Welsh border" when, of course
A permanent memorial to mark the region's worst mining disaster will be erected tomorrow - and mark a successful end to The Northern Echo's campaign to win recognition for the victims of the Stanley pit diaster. The 9ft 6in long and 3ft high memorial
A PLANET that measures less than three miles across has been named after an eminent Durham astronomer in recognition of his research work. The minor planet, or asteroid, which until now has been known only by its number (10979) 4171 T-2, has been named
AT the fourth time of asking this season and at the tenth attempt, Hartlepool United last night finally managed to get the better of Brentford. After a League One defeat at Griffin Park this season, an FA Cup draw and an FA Cup defeat, Pool kept up the
FIVE European Tour tournaments in 2005 and five cuts successfully made. Now I'm taking a well-earned rest this week to celebrate after my exertions in the Far East. Bizarrely, I achieved my aim this time around, despite having a stiff back going into
England boss Andy Robinson last night backed rookie prop Matt Stevens to thrive when he is thrown into the Lansdowne Road bear-pit against Ireland on Sunday. Despite England's dismal RBS 6 Nations Championship form, Robinson has made just one enforced
THE Crown Prosecution Service will decide shortly whether to charge a Premiership footballer following claims he spat at a young fan. The incident allegedly took place at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, when it was reported to stewards that Bolton
WORK is due to begin on a £100m project to create a university campus in an ambitious city centre development. Northumbria University has revealed plans to move its design, law and business schools to the former Warners Cinema site in the Manors area
A TROPHY was paraded at the Stadium of Light last night after Sunderland's mascot, Samson, won a race held for Comic Relief at Scarborough's McCain Stadium. But there is only one trophy that counts on Wearside, and the Championship gong moved significantly
CAN Fame live forever, just like the predictions of the show's theme song? It's certainly joined Joseph and Blood Brothers as the musicals guaranteed to fill seats outside panto season. These days the set is wobblier, 1980s leg warmers are reduced to
BAKERY chain Greggs is opening outlets on industrial estates and at the roadside as it expands away from the high street. The Newcastle company, which last month announced increased sales of 5.7 per cent over the Christmas period, wants to focus expansion
TIMED at 8.43am last Wednesday, the first reaction to last week's column was a gentle rebuke from Eddie Roberts, a Welsh exile in Richmond, North Yorkshire. We'd suggested, recklessly, that Llanfair PG was "just across the Welsh border" when, of course
Cherished (BBC1) This World: Coming Of Age (BBC2) CHERISHED was never going to be easy viewing - a mother accused of killing her babies, her enforced separation from her surviving daughter and the uncertainty the court case brings to her relationship
A DARLINGTON secondary school will remain closed to most of its pupils today after being battered by wintry weather. The falling temperatures caused a pipe to burst at Eastbourne Comprehensive, which flooded the basement-level maths department. The school's
A BABYSITTER murdered a two-year-old by repeatedly hitting his head against the banisters in her home, a court heard yesterday. Kyle Fisher suffered severe brain swelling, bruising to his jaw, shoulders and head, and was left brain dead following the
THE region's schools re-opened yesterday - to the relief of parents and businesses. On Monday, almost 100 schools in County Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool and North Yorkshire were closed. Yesterday, just a handful remained shut, some because footpaths
THE out-going chief executive of Darlington Borough Council has celebrated the authority being rated one of the country's finest and insisted it was in good shape for the future. Barry Keel, who left the council yesterday after eight years, said he was
A PLAY about a mysterious woman detective is to be performed in a village hall. Hunts Roberts Theatre Company will perform Lady Molly of Scotland Yard, adapted from the stories of Baroness Orczy, at Barningham Village Hall, on Friday, March 4, at 7.30pm
A UNIVERSITY challenge to find the region's most enterprising students begins today. The event will pit two teams from each of the region's five universities against each other to foster entrepreneurial skills in students. Each team will have to develop
A PROJECT to build palliative care units at two community hospitals has been given a £3,000 donation. The new units, which will focus on the quality of life of patients and their families, are being built at the Rutson Hospital, Northallerton, and the
Not only do many children eat badly, some don't even know what vegetables look like. Is it any wonder we have health scares? OF course you know what a potato looks like. Also carrot, rhubarb, celery, and even fennel, artichoke and butternut squash. But
AN MP has called for a police authority chairman to resign after the force's finance director quit his job. Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Phil Willis said Paul Adams, director of finance at North Yorkshire Police, had been made a "scapegoat" following
A HOSPICE for children and babies on Teesside is to have a new, quiet garden and woodland area after receiving a £5,000 grant. The garden will be designed as an area where parents and their children can spend some quiet, reflective time. Zoe's Place,
A JOINT project to prevent accidents in the homes of elderly and vulnerable people is proving a huge success. The Handyman Scheme is a free service partly funded by East Durham Homes Care Services and Easington Primary Care Trust. Work carried out under
COUNCIL chiefs have issued a warning to parents whose children receive home tuition about the consequences of failing to educate their youngsters properly. Last week, a Darlington couple were fined £200 after the local education authority brought legal
COUNCIL chiefs have issued a warning to parents whose children receive home tuition about the consequences of failing to educate their youngsters properly. Last week, a Darlington couple were fined £200 after the local education authority brought legal
TAXPAYERS are facing above-inflation rises in their council tax bills this year to offset a £12m equal pay claim from staff. At an emergency meeting yesterday, members of Durham County Council voted to ratify the authority's £500m budget for the coming
A BALLROOM dancing revival is continuing with a trial tea dance becoming a regular monthly date. Hot on the heels of the ratings-winning Strictly Come Dancing series, on BBC TV, two musical veterans from the Durham area teamed up to stage an afternoon
THE farmers market due to be held in Northallerton today has been cancelled because of the weather. Members of Northern Dales Farmers Market Ltd say they cannot guarantee enough stallholders due to the snow. Refuse collections across Hambleton also continue
A PUB landlord is making a mercy dash to Sri Lanka to buy much needed supplies for communities devastated by the Asian tsunami with money raised by people in south-west Durham. Derek Campbell and his wife, Amanda, are frequent visitors to the island and
A BUSINESSMAN has been forced to close his shop after an undercover operation trapped him dumping sheep's heads, cows' hooves and stomachs in the street. Environmental health bosses were delighted with the court order which bans Jalal Sulman from running
NEW laws have been used to shut down an illegal crack house, ending two years of torment for residents in a North-East street. The house in Falkirk Street, Thornaby, will be sealed off for the next three months under anti-social behaviour laws. Five people
THE Crown Prosecution Service will decide shortly whether to charge a Premiership footballer following claims he spat at a young fan. The incident allegedly took place at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, when it was reported to stewards that Bolton
Sage throbbed to the beat of the African Soul Brothers in an evening that had a capacity audience hopping and bopping to a contrasting triple bill. The group Tinariwen, dressed in elegant desert robes and turbans, got the rhythm flowing with hypnotic,
WHITSUN the Dexter cow is full of surprises - three of them, in fact. She's the toast of the farm where she lives at Dalby, in Ryedale, after becoming the proud mum of triplets. Her three offspring, two males and a female, are full of bounce and vitality
PUBLIC views are being sought over the proposed revamp of a 1960s-built town centre shopping precinct. St John's Square, in Seaham, was developed as a modern shopping extension to the town centre, but is now well past its best, vandalised, graffiti-ridden
MURDER squad detectives yesterday took the hunt for the body of Joanne Nelson into North Yorkshire. As her boyfriend, Paul Dyson, appeared in court charged with her killing, teams of officers were scouring the country in the hunt for her remains. Their
A HAVE-A-GO hero clung onto the bonnet of a getaway car as it sped through four streets of a County Durham village before finally being thrown into the road. The 59-year-old man refused hospital treatment after his dramatic attempt to catch the masked
THERE was a drop in business confidence among Darlington business owners last month because of a decrease in turnover levels. Meanwhile, it became clear the manufacturing sector has escaped falling into recession with output figures for the last three
The ban on hunting with dogs looks like being a fiasco. The repeated insistence by the police that the new law has a low priority virtually sends a signal to hunts that they can do what they like and get away with it. They need not be over-scrupulous
A CARTOONIST has lent his support to a campaign to maintain a town's cancer unit. Arthur Morgan has released drawings to back protestors who want to stop health chiefs moving the haematology unit from Darlington Memorial Hospital to Bishop Auckland General
A SIGN language performance of Miss Saigon will be staged on Thursday to allow deaf people to enjoy the spectactular show. Paul Whittaker, of the charity Music and the Deaf, will be appearing on stage alongside the stars of Miss Saigon at the Sunderland
Despite the fact its title is enough to make normal eyes glaze over, the regional spatial strategy is the most important issue facing the North-East today. But not everyone thinks it will be good for the region. Nick Morrison reports. IT was one of the
A BEAMING Mick McCarthy last night challenged Sean Thornton to mix the muscle with the magic after inspiring Sunderland to an easy 4-1 win over Rotherham. The mercurial Irishman wowed the crowd with two stunning free-kicks last night, but it was his overall
A SECRET review will push up fares and lead to train services being axed across the North-East, MPs warned last night. A group of 12 Labour MPs raised the alarm over the revelation that the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is examining how to make savings
A HOUSEHOLDER feared he was going to be killed when a teenage burglar under the influence of drugs attacked him with a hammer. Despite being covered in blood from blows to the head and body, the victim managed to flee and call police on his mobile phone
On February 23, 1905, Chicago lawyer Paul Harris met with a coal dealer, merchant tailor and mining engineer in room 711 of the city's Unity Building and the Rotary club was born. Each with a different profession, they realised they could pool their skills
The North-East's potential will be revealed to a national audience this afternoon, as developers and retailers are told why they should invest in the region. Alan Milburn MP opens the Darlington Development Showcase at the Royal Institute of Chartered
A CORONER made a series of errors when an inquest ruled a North-East airman was unlawfully killed during secret nerve gas experiments, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday. Ministers revealed for the first time why they are challenging November's verdict
TWO teenage boys killed when their car hit a tree were travelling at high speed, an inquest heard yesterday. Police estimated that Kane Banner and Ryan Fairley were travelling between 70 and 100 miles an hour when the Ford Fiesta they were travelling
