BANK on Beaugency (5.00) to make it a profitable afternoon for punters at Sedgefield in the Calverts Carpets Handicap Hurdle. Richard Guest has an impeccable record when it comes to revving up National Hunt recruits and once again he's worked the oracle
ALAN Shearer's European career might have ended with a whimper on Wednesday night, but the veteran striker remains confident of finishing his domestic days with a bang. With the Newcastle skipper due to hang up his boots at the end of the season, this
FIVE friends have joined together in an attempt to climb Britain's three highest mountains for the Make Poverty History campaign. The friends said they wanted to keep the momentum of the campaign going after the G8 summit and Live 8 concerts. In attempting
AREA 51, Format: PS2. Publisher: Midway Games. Price: £24.99. Family friendly? I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you (Err...no): AREA 51 must be the least hush- hush so-called "top secret" military base in the world. UFO buffs have known about
Car dealership Pendragon said increased efficiencies from the acquisition of North Yorkshire-based rival CD Bramall helped it overcome a tough market to post a 19 per cent hike in first-half profits. The Nottingham-based group said the company-transforming
For many years now the people of Arizona have continued to elect Joe Arpaio as their county sheriff. So popular is he that a range of nodding-head dolls made in his likeness have sold in their thousands. The main reason for this popularity appears to
A SINGLE mother has abandoned her 15-year-old daughter and flown to Turkey to start a new life in the sun with her holiday romance boy-friend. Her daughter did not know that her mother had gone - until she arrived home from school to find she had been
MOTHERS-TO-BE with lower levels of folic acid are more likely to have babies with lower, less healthy, birth weights, according to North-East scientists. The health benefits of taking folic acid (vitamin B9) before and during pregnancy are already known
MOTORISTS who park illegally around Darlington Football Club's stadium will now face on-the-spot fines, police have confirmed. Vehicles lining the grass verges along the A66 bypass and nearby country roads have been a cause for concern since the Neasham
THE schedule of prizes for one of County Durham's biggest agricultural shows is now available. Organisers of Bowes Show, in Teesdale, hope that next month's show will be one of the best ever. For the first time, the whole schedule is available to download
A MAN who supplied heroin to undercover police because he believed they were addicts has been jailed. Peter McGreedy took the officers to his dealer and bought two wraps of heroin for them for £10. Teesside Crown Court heard the 27-year-old had met the
CHILDREN moping round the house? Glued to the television, transfixed by computer games or just getting under your feet and on your nerves? Send them outdoors for fresh air and exercise. And if you want some cheap and cheerful incentives to get them out
A North-East festival is creating a stir among music fans across the country. More than 10,000 people, many from outside the region, are expected to attend the Stanley Blues Festival in County Durham tomorrow, which will be headlined by legendary blues
BANK on Beaugency (5.00) to make it a profitable afternoon for punters at Sedgefield in the Calverts Carpets Handicap Hurdle. Richard Guest has an impeccable record when it comes to revving up National Hunt recruits and once again he's worked the oracle
A SPEEDING driver who knocked down and killed a father-of-two and then drove off has been locked up for five years. Daniel Hope was driving his uninsured Rover MG ZR at speeds of 70mph in a 30mph zone when he struck and killed pedestrian Raymond Thompson
A SINGER-songwriter is looking forward to taking centre stage at a theatre where he used to work as a cloakroom attendant. Adrian Morgan Hopper, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, worked at the Gala Theatre, in Durham City, for about six months shortly
PRICE rises at chemicals group ICI helped it stave off the impact of higher raw material costs, the industrial group said last night. ICI - which employs about 480 people in the region, including 350 through its Uniqema division - said the rises helped
MANUFACTURERS and homeowners last night welcomed the Bank of England's decision to cut interest rates by a quarter-point. The move by the Bank of England to reduce its base rate to 4.5 per cent was welcomed by industry leaders, following the UK economy's
ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have said the increase in flights from airports in the North-East is coming at a hefty cost to the local economy. Using data from Office of National Statistics, Friends of the Earth say UK air travellers using the region's airports
Darlington have bolstered their squad by making a double signing in time for tomorrow's league curtain-raiser at Rushden and Diamonds. After being on trial for the last few weeks Congolese forward Guylain Ndunbu-Nsungu and midfielder Nathan Jameson have
AS 6,000 police officers flooded the capital in an unprecedented show of strength to reassure Londoners, Osama bin Laden's lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahri was warning of more attacks. And the blame was being pinned on Tony Blair for his foreign policies and
A SELF-CONFESSED alcoholic has promised to stay out of trouble after pleading guilty to breaching an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo). Joseph Hope, of Wordsworth Close, Darlington, admitted making nuisance 999 calls when he appeared before South Durham
A DARLINGTON man has been sentenced after admitting stealing two cookers from a flat. Aden Hammond, 23, of Pensbury Street, has started a 12-month community rehabilitation order, after pleading guilty to the burglary at Darlington Magistrates' Court yesterday
GIFTED and talented children have taken part in a two-week summer camp that focused on the history of Darlington. The 26 youngsters from three secondary schools and several primary schools had been chosen by their teachers to take part. They visited museums
A SELF-CONFESSED alcoholic has promised to stay out of trouble after pleading guilty to breaching an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo). Joseph Hope, of Wordsworth Close, Darlington, admitted making nuisance 999 calls when he appeared before South Durham
COLLEGE students are to take part in a sports marathon to raise money for charity. The 24-hour badminton session at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, is on Wednesday, August 17 and Thursday, August 18. It is raising money for the Jennifer
A PUB'S former landlord's beer won the vote of drinkers when it held its summer beer festival. The three-day event at the Beamish Mary, at No Place, near Stanley, featured 17 ales and two ciders, all newly-created products, from small breweries up and
NETBALL players from Ferryhill have been rewarded for a successful season. Ferryhill Leisure Centre's eight to eleven-year-old girl's netball team has received Rising Star awards from Sedgefield Borough Council after a season of victories. Carolyn Clayton
THE organisers of a produce show saved from the axe last year say they have had a big response from competitors to this year's event. The second Durham Horticultural and Craft Show will be held in the Durham Room at County Hall, Aykley Heads, Durham,
A COMMUNITY is to help some of its young people realise the dream of a university education. The West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust (WMNT), which is overseeing a £52m redevelopment, is determined a lack of funds will not prove a hurdle to a young
POLICE are looking for a woman who paid for goods with a cloned credit card. Shortly before 4pm on Thursday, June 23, an Asian woman went into the Marks and Spencer store in Durham City and selected £175 worth of clothing. The woman, who spoke with a
PROFESSIONAL skateboarders are about to roll into North Yorkshire as part of a fun day for young people. Ryedale's Child and Youth Project has organised the event with Thornton-le-Dale Playing Fields Association next Friday. It gets underway at 11am on
A HOODY-WEARING youth who is suspected of stealing a mobile phone from a bus is being sought by police. On Tuesday, May 31, a passenger got on the 719 Go Ahead Northern service at Annfield Plain, at 12.35pm, but dropped her mobile before she got off the
THE scale of eight 300ft turbines on a planned wind farm would make it impossible to hide or mitigate their impact on the landscape, according to a council planning chief. In evidence submitted to a public inquiry, Neville Watson, who deals with major
POLICE investigating the rape of a young woman have renewed their appeal for witnesses. The woman in her 20s was returning home from a friend's house in Wheatley Hill, County Durham, on Monday, between 10pm and 10.30pm when she was approached by two men
FROM Hull, Helsinki and Halifax may the good lord deliver us. Steve Cram wouldn't agree, but that will be Paula Radcliffe's cry if she suffers the same fate at the World Championships as at the Olympics. The good omen, as she tackles the 10,000 metres
TRADING standards officers are warning people to be on their guard against Internet scams promising a false inheritance. The latest scam discovered by the Middlesbrough Council team is an e-mail from someone claiming to be a South African solicitor tracing
YOUNG, talented musicians have been making a big noise in Darlington this week. The Forum music centre, in Borough Road, has played host to a group of 14 drummers taking part in a week-long course. The players, aged between 12 and 15, are members of The
REGULAR bus travellers in Darlington are to benefit from having their fares frozen when single ticket prices rise on Sunday. Stagecoach customers buying Darlington Dayrider passes can get unlimited travel for £1.80 a day while those with a Megarider pass
A DISTRICT council is likely to throw its weight behind protestors fighting plans for a huge colliery at a beauty spot and wildlife haven. Residents of Burnopfield, County Durham, are opposing a planning application for a 45-hectare open-cast colliery
THE Prime Minister is being urged to stop plans to demolish 1,500 homes on Teesside. Pleas are being sent to Tony Blair and his deputy, John Prescott, from residents fighting to save their homes in central Middlesbrough. Residents are poised to send a
ARSONISTS who torched a barn on Teesside put their own lives at risk. The barn and 65 tonnes of straw were destroyed in the fire which threatened to spread to a field ready for harvesting. Cleveland Fire Brigade watch manager Martin Holden said: "Once
Tony Blair was yesterday blamed for the London suicide bombings by al Qaida as the terror network vowed there would be more horror and carnage in Britain. In a video message, Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, said the Prime Minister's policies
Mergers are in the air in the North-East's health service. Health Editor Barry Nelson hears the latest news from the man who now heads the NHS from the Tees to the Tweed. DAVID Flory must like hard work. Overnight, the health authority chief's workload
A magistrate spared the life of a dog which attacked a special PC because it has a phobia of fluorescent jackets. Collie-cross Ben bit the officer's thigh when he saw his bright yellow jacket. But a court, which was told the two-year-old had been scared
THOUSANDS of rock fans will be urged to help police and join the hunt for missing teenager Jenny Nicholl today and tomorrow Officers will mingle with crowds at the annual Richmond Live music festival, in North Yorkshire, seeking help in finding the 19
A FISHING boat that sank off the North-East with the loss of two lives was in a poor condition, an accident report has revealed. The Jann Denise II, crewed by father-of-three Bobby Temple, 34, and his 27-year-old stepbrother Brian Allison, both from Fencehouses
A SINGLE mother has abandoned her 15-year-old daughter and flown to Turkey to start a new life in the sun with her holiday romance boy-friend. The teenager did not know that her mother had gone - until she arrived home from school to find she had been
A RESEARCH student from the North-East has captured the attention of scientists around the world after publishing a paper which stands the history of the world on its head. A paper by Durham University PhD student Sophie Bassett, published today in the
Without the Butterwick Children's Hospice, many North-East families would be in dire straits. Health Editor Barry Nelson meets one remarkable family who have found the Stockton hospice invaluable. DENISE and Eric Shotton deserve a medal. Looking after
SUNDERLAND boss Mick McCarthy last night tipped new loan signing Anthony Le Tallec to be this season's Kieran Richardson. Le Tallec completed a season-long loan move to the Stadium of Light earlier this week after struggling to break into the Liverpool
AN alcoholic who attacked a man he believed took photographs of his naked sister while she was asleep has been jailed. Anthony Moroney snapped after he was goaded over claims Richard Sutton had taken pictures of Moroney's sister, who has since died. Teesside
Bad Lads' Army: Officer Class (ITV1) IT'S a man's life in the army - discipline, drilling and learning to smoke a pipe. The reprobates undergoing 1950s-style military training really did have to master the art of pipe smoking. Filter cigarettes didn't
OFFICERS from the North-East and North Yorkshire formed part of the police presence in London yesterday. Cleveland, Durham and North Yorkshire said their forces had officers providing support at the request of the Metropolitan Police. There were claims
THE class of Dale Benkenstein, helped by Paul Collingwood and Gareth Breese, turned a potential two-day defeat into a position of strength for Durham at sunny Southend. After trailing by 49 on first innings, Durham were 13 for two shortly after lunch,
The long summer holiday needn't mean kids kicking their heels. Why not send them outdoors with a cheap and cheerful plaything? CHILDREN moping round the house? Glued to the television, transfixed by computer games or just getting under your feet and on
UNNECESSARY red tape and the under-performance of the region's economy has been blamed for the growing North-South divide. Statistically unemployment could be wiped out in the North-East, if the economy was performing in line with national averages, figures
WHILE legal proceedings can sometimes drag on for years, one North-East law firm has proved positively speedy when compared to the Royal Mail. Staff at Gordon Brown Associates, in Sunderland, were shocked this week when they were returned an undelivered
THOUSANDS of children turned out to play this week at events across the North-East encouraging them to spend more time outside during the summer holidays. National Play Day was all about getting youngsters fit and mobile as well as stimulating their interest
ALAN Shearer's European career might have ended with a whimper on Wednesday night, but the veteran striker remains confident of finishing his domestic days with a bang. With the Newcastle skipper due to hang up his boots at the end of the season, this
VETERANS of a famous Battle of Britain squadron touched down in North Yorkshire this week for a reunion Five former spitfire pilots from 72 Squadron met at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. A dinner was held in the evening and a series of flypasts and displays were
THE new woman at the helm of Darlington Borough Council has outlined some of her aspirations for the future of the area. Chief executive Ada Burns has taken up her post at the town hall this week after moving from the London borough of Greenwich. She
THE number of companies entering insolvency has risen by 25 per cent in the region, a survey showed. In the past three months a quarter more businesses have gone into liquidation, administration or receivership, compared with the same period a year ago
AN online mortgage provider has seen customer inquiries increase by 5,000 per cent after improving its position on Internet search engine listings. The success could see The Mortgage Advisory Service, based in Newcastle, expand and open more offices in
THE funeral of a police officer who died in a road accident was held yesterday. PC Glenn Robinson, 46, was riding his motorcycle home to Harrogate, North Yorkshire, when he was involved in an accident with a car on the A59 seven miles west of the town
STEVE McClaren remains confident of bringing in the two players he feels Middlesbrough are still short of, despite admitting he was rapidly running out of options with the start of the new season fast approaching. The Teessiders take on Spanish side Espanyol
FIVE members of a family are facing jail for their part in a large heroin supplying ring. The latest two dealers were convicted this week and warned by a judge to expect a substantial period behind bars. Mahzar Ali, 28, and Tariq Mahmood, 38, were found
NEW boss Martin Scott is confident he is onto a winner after appointing Steve Agnew as his right-hand man. Scott takes control of Hartlepool tomorrow for the first time since being appointed full-time during the close season. And, after being the No 2
EIGHT teenagers have been arrested following a gang attack in a central Darlington park. The youths, aged between 14 and 17, were traced after police studied closed-circuit television (CCTV) images that showed a couple being surrounded and then punched
PEOPLE who are illegally dumping household and garden waste will be prosecuted, a council has warned. Wear Valley District Council has vowed to crack down on fly-tipping, which it says is costing the taxpayer £7,000 a month to clear. The council has recorded
A MOTHER-OF-FOUR who returned to education after a 20-year break is now heading for a career in the classroom herself. Pauline Dixon, from Moorside, near Consett, returned to her studies three months ago at the age of 41. After passing the National Tests
AN RAF officer from Spennymoor has graduated with flying colours from an RAF college. Flying officer Richard Podmore, 23, successfully completed an Initial Officer training course at RAF Cranwell, near Sleaford, in Lincolnshire. Mr Podmore attended Tudhoe
A RESEARCH student from the North-East has captured the attention of scientists around the world after publishing a paper which stands the history of the world on its head. A paper by Durham University PhD student Sophie Bassett, published today in the
A COUNCIL is planning to make changes to the way it makes decisions. Teesdale District Council is considering changing its committee structure. The council had been labelled "poor'" following a Comprehensive Performance Assessment report last year and
THE son of a missing murder victim has begged his family to continue their quest to bring his anguish to an end. The 18-year-old told of his heartache after a search for his mother, Laura May Al Shatanawi, drew a blank. Detectives received a fresh lead
THE latest in a series of open garden events to raise money for a hospice appeal takes place next week. Earlier this year, St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Durham City, launched the Key Appeal. The appeal, back by The Northern Echo, aims to raise enough money
A RECRUITMENT drive to find more special constables is under way. The Special Constabulary recruitment team of Durham Police will be at the BikeWise event, at force headquarters in Aykley Heads, Durham City, from 10am to 5pm, on Sunday, August 14. Volunteers
YOUNG homeless people in rural communities have started to use an organisation that was set up on their behalf. Already two young people have used the Stop2Night Teesdale project to find temporary accommodation. The service, which began operating in May
A GROUP of youngsters who will embark on a trip of a lifetime next month have organised a fete to help them boost funds for their journey. Members of the Pilgrim Club, in Shildon, are hosting a family fun day at Hackworth Park, Shildon, on Saturday, September
JUDGES from the Britain In Bloom contest visited Durham City yesterday and declared themselves impressed with what they saw. A delegation of judges from the Royal Horticultural Society toured several sites around the area as the city bids to improve on
MOTHERS-TO-BE with lower levels of folic acid are more likely to have babies with lower, less healthy, birth weights, according to North-East scientists. The health benefits of taking folic acid (vitamin B9) before and during pregnancy are already known
A HOSPITAL worker has won a new car on a roulette machine in an amusement arcade. Simon Fallon, of Larkin Close, Crook, is now driving a Seat Ibiza 1.4 TDI SX after hitting the jackpot on the machine at his local family entertainment centre. Mr Fallon
A VINTAGE bus is adding some nostalgic style to public transport across one of the most scenic landscapes in the country. A lovingly-restored Leyland bus, dating from 1946, will be plying across the North York Moors for the next four weeks. It will run
STUDENTS have been getting a taste of how one-sided life can be in an unfair world. The youngsters had to endure a tug o' war with greasy ropes while being squirted with high-pressure water guns in an exercise designed to raise awareness about fair trade
A KIDNEY transplant patient who completed the London Marathon is limbering up for his next challenge - the New York Marathon. It is just over two years since 33-year-old Harry Burrell, from Harrogate, underwent a life-saving kidney transplant operation
MAJOR changes are on the way for the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in a new home. From next week, the brigade's headquarters in Northallerton will be moving to a location across the town. Managers and most administrative staff will be switching
Joana Geronimo was raped and tortured and her family slaughtered for supporting a separatist movement in Angola. But, having found sanctuary in the North-East of England, she is now in danger of being deported. She tells Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings
ROGUE taxi drivers are being targeted in a crackdown on unlicensed vehicles in Middlesbrough. Middlesborough Council's licensing section issued details of vehicles caught in the operation involving Cleveland Police and the Vehicle Operator Services Agency
A POPULAR Teesside seaside resort is bracing itself for one of its biggest events in years. Thousands of people are expected to descend on Seaton Carew next weekend to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Throughout the two days
A RURAL authority is expected to give its support to an agency set up to help elderly and vulnerable people. The Home Improvement Agency (HIA) for Teesdale and Wear Valley districts is being established as a limited company. Next week, Teesdale District
POLICE are seeking information about a gang of youths on bicycles who have been committing crime across Darlington. A group of 15 to 18-year-olds have been commtting offences, including minor damage and burglaries, in various areas of the town. They are
FIVE friends have joined together in an attempt to climb Britain's three highest mountains for the Make Poverty History campaign. The friends said they wanted to keep the momentum of the campaign going after the G8 summit and Live 8 concerts. In attempting
VOLUNTEERS who bring meals on wheels to the elderly are taking part in a safety campaign. Keen to reduce the number of house fires on Teesside, Cleveland Fire Brigade has enlisted help from the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS). The WRVS is in daily
PRODUCE GOES ON DISPLAY: THE annual Skelton and Brotton Produce Show will be held on Saturday, August 27, in Skelton Civil Hall. There will be categories for flowers, vegetables and homecrafts as well as flower arranging, photography and categories for
A GIANT walk-in inflatable is touring North Yorkshire towns this week. The ColourDome appeared in Applegarth, Northallerton, yesterday. The transparent dome allows visitors to walk around inside, completely surrounded by colour. Music is provided inside
TWO drug-dealing brothers were jailed for a total of six years yesterday after they sold drugs to undercover police. Clifford and Mark Duncan were street dealers operating in Redcar and Saltburn, east Cleveland, selling heroin to addicts for £5 a wrap
AREA 51 Format: PS2. Publisher: Midway Games. Price: £24.99. Family friendly? I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you (Err...no) AREA 51 must be the least hush- hush so-called "top secret" military base in the world. UFO buffs have known about
A HANDGUN with ammunition was seized from a house in Middlesbrough last night along with almost £1000 in cash after a police swoop. Middlesbrough District Drug Unit went to an address on Regent Road where they discovered several hundreds of pounds worth
IT only took a few seconds to reduce a chunk of the region's industrial heritage to a pile of dust and rubble yesterday. More than 2,000 tons of concrete and metal crumpled to the earth at Eastgate, County Durham, where a 1960s cement plant could be making
TEESDALE BEAR: I WOULD like to give a massive thank-you to the person who dressed as the Teesdale Bear and campaigned so fervently against circuses which still include animals in their acts (Echo, Aug 1). Wild animals should not be made to live unnatural
