A STATUE of Christ has been torn from its crucifix and smashed only days before the Christian celebration of his birth. The desecration of St George's Church, in South Moor, Stanley, County Dur-ham, has angered the congregation so close to Christmas.
A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme to transform part of the banks of the River Tyne and create hundreds of jobs has been given planning permission. The Point, a £28m project by UK Land Estates, will comprise of office blocks and a hotel, as well as retail,
A DRUNKEN couple who tried to attack and rob taxi drivers on three terror rides were last night starting prison sentences. Margaret Price and Lawrence Stephenson threatened the drivers and tried to escape with their takings, on pre-booked journeys between
FORMER Durham batsman Michael Gough has revealed the part his old club played in helping him take huge strides towards becoming one of the youngest ever first-class umpires. Gough, who turned 26 at the weekend, has been named on the ECB's reserve list
SCHOOL staff and students have donated money and food hampers to a women's refuge following a festive fundraising campaign. King James I Community College, in Bishop Auckland, broke up for the Christmas holiday yesterday, but not before pupils handed
A FAMILY researcher is hoping Bishop Auckland residents can help find the key to a 50-year-old mystery. Gaynor Deakin, of Middlesbrough, is trying to find out information about her grandmother Isobella Gray, known as Ellen, who died in Bishop Auckland
MILLIONS of pounds are to be spent on improving the quality of life for a town's residents. Spread over two years, £16m will be spent on more than 100 projects in seven target areas, geared to making life better, safer and longer. The money, from the
TO put together his latest creation, sculptor Steve Blaylock first had to make an unusual request. The Harrogate-based artist had to approach a garden tools manufacturer and ask: "Can you make me a 10ft garden spade?" After some initial disbelief, the
A NEW police headquarters will open its doors on Teesside in the New Year. Cleveland Chief Constable Sean Price attended a topping-out ceremony of the £6m new Langbaurgh district headquarters yesterday. Referring to the force's motto, he said: "A key
POLICE are still looking for a ferry passenger who disappeared during a North Sea crossing five months ago. Glyn Keatinge vanished from the Princess of Scandinavia ferry on his way back from a trip to Sweden. The 51-year-old had just served a jail term
TWO men who shouted racist abuse at pizza shop workers have been told they will not be going to jail. Mark Frederick Bennett, 20, and Jason Paul Woodbridge, 19, both of Stocksmoor Close, Darlington, yesterday pleaded guilty at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates
THOUSANDS of gifts are on their way to a good home after the Giving Tree appeal recorded its most successful year to date. More than 2,000 presents and donations have been collected since the annual Christmas appeal's launch last month, and involved record
AN experienced biker died in a head-on collision with a car while test-riding a powerful motorcycle. Gary Thomas Stainsby, 38, of Cotsford Park Estate, Horden, was putting a Triumph Sprint ST1050 though its paces when he attempted to overtake a low-loading
THE envelope was marked "Private and confidential", the notepaper headed with the name of a firm of solicitors. A heart sink moment, as GPs are supposed to say of the appearance of particularly pesky patients. The content was altogether more uplifting
CHRISTMAS could be a shocking time for criminals after Cleveland Police's armed response unit picked up their new weapons. The 50,000-volt US-made Tasers will be used from Friday to tackle violent criminals. The hand-held weapons fire mini barbed probes
THE heartbroken parents of Toni Hannant, who was killed by a train, braved the public glare yesterday to make an impassioned plea to youngsters to stay away from railway lines. Only days after 14-year-old Toni died on the line at Blackhall Colliery, County
THE death of 14-year-old Toni Hannant was yesterday blamed on an unknown adult who dismantled a section of security fence next to the railway line. Fencing had been illegally removed near to the spot where the teenager lost her life, probably to provide
TSUNAMI CHRISTMAS: As the Christmas season approaches we are reminded that, for many, the stars that glitter will be a reminder of what might have been. Christmas is about celebration and, yes, enjoying ourselves. Giving and receiving, taking a well-earned
A PRODUCER of environmentally-friendly fuel in County Durham expects turnover to soar in the next two years following the opening of at least five biodiesel plants worldwide. Ray Johnson, a director at Worldwide Bio Refineries (WBR), which is in the process
Kabir Ali turned a whole section of the Pindi Stadium into little England as his batting kept his friends and family rapt on Monday. The Worcestershire all-rounder, who lived in nearby Mirpur between the ages of five and 12, was cheered on by his father
THE envelope was marked "Private and confidential", the notepaper headed with the name of a firm of solicitors. A heart sink moment, as GPs are supposed to say of the appearance of particularly pesky patients. The content was altogether more uplifting
Tony Robinson's Titanic Adventure (C4) The Man Who Captured Nessie (C4) BOTTOM of the sea, baby, bottom of the sea," cried Hollywood director James Cameron, subverting his famous "top of the world" cry after winning an armful of Oscars for Titanic. Cameron
A MARTIAL arts expert jailed for the shotgun murder of a North-East drug dealer had his conviction upheld by Appeal Court judges today. Anthony Bottrill, 46, who was jailed for life in December 2000 over Brian Scott's murder, claimed his conviction was
FEARS were growing last night that County Durham and Tees Valley would miss out on most of a promised £500m Euro-aid package. It followed the Government's announcement that the weekend deal to cap the Brussels budget had slashed £28bn off the sum set
CHINA was last night poised to overhaul the UK as the world's fourth-largest economy after saying growth last year was 16.8 per cent higher than originally thought. The sharp revision of data for 2004 was made after officials under-estimated the contribution
New Darlington captain Joey Hutchinson has dedicated the much-needed win at Stockport County to the coaching staff after the management were criticised during the recent bad run. The win, on December 10, was Quakers' first in six matches and boosted confidence
AIYEGBENI YAKUBU could retire from international football if it helps to prevent more than a month of his Middlesbrough career being spent on the sidelines. That is the worst case scenario the striker is bracing himself for as he waits to hear his country's
THE region's X Factor pop duo have returned to the North-East for Christmas. And excitement is in the air with an engagement and talks of a possible lucrative recording contract. Brothers Carl and Andy Pemberton, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, who form
THE heartbroken parents of Toni Hannant, who was killed by a train, braved the public glare yesterday to make an impassioned plea to youngsters to stay away from railway lines. Only days after 14-year-old Toni died on the line at Blackhall Colliery, County
LIAM Lawrence has rounded on the legion of critics currently belittling Sunderland's attempts to stay in the Premiership and told the likes of Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson: "I'm desperate to prove you wrong". While the Black Cats were the darlings of
MOTHERS who have twins, triplets, quads or quints can share their experiences at a new group. The More the Merrier group, based in Darlington, offers support to mothers who have had multiple births, and provides activities for their children. It is one
THE terrible pain being felt by the parents of tragic teenager Toni Hannant was clear for all to see yesterday as they appeared before television cameras. And so was their courage. In braving the public glare at a time of unimaginable sadness, they deserve
THE envelope was marked "Private and confidential", the notepaper headed with the name of a firm of solicitors. A heart sink moment, as GPs are supposed to say of the appearance of particularly pesky patients. The content was altogether more uplifting
THE region's X Factor pop duo have returned to the North-East for Christmas. And excitement is in the air with an engagement and talks of a possible lucrative recording contract. Brothers Carl and Andy Pemberton, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, who form
MADAM CAVERSFIELD (12.40, Ludlow) appears nothing short of a proverbial penalty kick for the opening Juvenile Novices Selling Hurdle at Ludlow. The David Evans-trained three-year-old looks in a league of her own after two placed efforts from four outings
GRAEME Souness has warned Alan Shearer not to expect to play in every game over the Christmas period as he chases the one goal he needs to equal Jackie Milburn's all-time goalscoring record. Saturday's strike at West Ham took the Newcastle skipper to
A MAMMOTH 700 tonnes of body mass - the equivalent of two jumbo jets - needs to be lost in a North-East town to bring people's weight under control. And now the struggle against an ever-expanding waistline has been put to the top of the agenda for health
An openly homosexual Darlington vicar has "tied the knot" this morning with his partner in one of the first gay "marriages" in the UK. The Rev Christopher Wardale, and retired Northumbria University lecturer Malcolm Macourt, are exchanging vows at a civil
CAMPAIGNERS hoping to prevent the demolition of a landmark pub have appealed to the Prime Minister for support. The Save the White Horse group, in Darlington, wants a meeting with Tony Blair to discuss their efforts. The pub, in North Road, is to be pulled
THE deaths of five people have prompted an urgent winter warning to pedestrians and drivers in North Yorkshire. Five pedestrians have been killed in unrelated accidents on the county's roads in the past month - compared with nine in the whole of last
AN East Durham dental practice is hoping to welcome hundreds of NHS patients following the appointment of another dentist to its team. Earlier this year, in the midst of a growing shortage of dentists and doctors, Easington Primary Care Trust launched
CHILDREN left their small village primary school for the Christmas break on a high note yesterday. An end-of-term carol service rounded off a successful year at Esh Church of England School, in County Durham. In keeping with the school motto, everyone
A course is to be launched to help teachers recognise signs of dyslexia among their pupils and show them ways of dealing with the problem. It is being organised by Leap, a teaching group in Barnard Castle, which has a good success rate in showing adults
FIREFIGHTERS have been recruited to the campaign to educate parents and drivers of the perils of using wrongly-fitted child car seats. Road safety officers from North Yorkshire County Council have been training members of the fire service to check whether
For once we can't blame anyone but ourselves. That is if you take the view that a jury, 12 officially good citizens, represents us all. So responsibility (on second thoughts make that "blame') for the inadequate verdict of manslaughter on four members
THE champagne will be flowing if League One giantkillers Doncaster knock Arsenal out of the Carling Cup tonight but, for once, former Sunderland midfielder Sean Thornton will not be partaking. Not so long ago, the Irishman would have been the first to
THE RFU's disciplinary procedures were called into question after appeals by three players attached to North-East clubs were upheld. * Tabua Cacacaka, sent off two minutes after taking the field as a replacement for Darlington Mowden Park, had his ban
POLICE said yesterday they were still following up calls made after a TV appeal by the mother of murdered shop worker Jenny Nicholl. It is now a week since Ann Nicholl appeared on Crimewatch alongside Detective Inspector Pete Martin, the officer leading
A GRANT of £100,000 has saved a recycling company from possible closure, secured 40 jobs and helped to double capacity. Waste Exchange Services (WES), based at Wilton, near Redcar, east Cleveland, was in danger of closing until it secured a grant from
Automatic life sentences for murder would be scrapped under proposals outlined by the Government's legal advisors. Nick Morrison looks at the case for different 'grades' of murder. IT was part of the horse-trading around the time of the abolition of capital
CUSTOMS officials have seized more than a million cigarettes smuggled into the North-East in the past fortnight. The tobacco, which would have been sold at knock-down prices in the run-up to Christmas, is worth more than £200,000. The cigarettes were
THE major creditors of the stricken Weardale Railway are keeping a revival plan on track by agreeing to a deal that could take it out of administration. Representatives of the 104 businesses which are owed a total of £900,000 by the railway have accepted
A MAN who had to be restrained by police with CS gas after smashing up his mother's house appeared in court yesterday. Gareth Trevor Harrison, 22, of Dodds Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and two charges of resisting a police officer
FORGET the X Factor. And as for the Crazy Frog, he can hop it. For when it comes to the Christmas Number One, a flock of sheep is the nation's most unlikely chart topper. The Baarmy Sheep, a flock of Lake District sheep, are declaring themselves the UK's
The parents of a two-year-old boy were arrested today on suspicion of his murder. Mitchell Bate was found dead at his home in Rodney Street, Hartlepool, Cleveland on September 16 this year. Detective Chief Inspector Gordon Lang said the arrests of a woman
THE campaign to bring the Lindisfarne Gospels back to the North-East will take a step forward when an Early Day Motion is tabled in the Commons in the New Year. City of Durham MP Roberta Blackman-Woods is continuing a Parliamentary campaign started by
