WORRIED parents who have bought youngsters mini-motor bikes for Christmas have been advised to check guidelines for their use. The head of Durham Police's motorcycle section had earlier warned that the 50cc machines could be seized if they were ridden
NEW Year is extra special for one little girl who has beaten all the odds. When Elena Kidd was two, she was given only months to live after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. Her mother, Lisa, and father, Lee, of Bainbridge Avenue, South Shields, South
SAME-SEX COUPLES: LET us call a spade a spade: Susan Willis' remarks are bigoted and ill informed (HAS, Dec 28). I hope that no gay men or lesbians think that I am one of the "majority" she speaks of. I consider myself able to think for myself and am
A YOUNG North-East rock guitarist has been nominated for blues music's equivalent of a Grammy award. Pete Shoulder, 22, from Waldridge Fell, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, is the frontman of rock trio Winterville, who released their debut album
FORGET Mark Knopfler's Local Hero, when Newcastle and Middlesbrough ran out for the 107th Tyne-Tees derby yesterday Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie would have been a more apt introduction. It's been a while since all three North-East managers
DIFFERENT year, same old story for Sunderland. For the umpteenth time this season, Mick McCarthy's men dominated a game only to finish empty-handed. The story of 2005 already looks like being the tale of 2006. Leading through Liam Lawrence's sensational
A VICTIM of lottery-winning rapist Iorworth Hoare will bid again next month to claim compensation from the multi-millionaire. The woman known only as Mrs A - has won permission from the Court of Appeal to challenge a High Court ruling which prevented
A WIDOWER blind in one eye has raised more than £5,000 for cancer charities whilst preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Following the death of his wife, Judith, Patrick Moran vowed to tackle Africa's highest mountain in her memory. Despite suffering
SPORTING legend Jonathan Edwards has backed a contest which encourages pupils and schools to use creative writing and art to express their feelings about racial equality. The Arts and Minds competition, run by the teachers and headteachers union NASUWT
NEARLY twice as many North-East smokers in the region are quitting compared to people in London, according to new statistics. The official figures, released by the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre, put the North-East out in front when it
A GALLERY devoted to a museum's centrepiece exhibit is one of a number of ideas suggested for its multi-million pound redevelopment. Staff at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham, are hoping for another record year as work begins on a major
IT'S debatable whether the rival managers at yesterday's Tyne-Tees derby were watching the same game as both Graeme Souness and Steve McClaren believed their side should have run-out worthy winners. Souness, whose side hung on to 11th place in the Premiership
LIVER transplant baby Lennox Nicholson could arrive home from hospital this evening. A decision about whether the six-month-old is strong enough to be discharged will be made by doctors at teatime. Doctors are said to be amazed at the baby's recovery
LEADING Christian theologians from across the world will gather in the North-East later this month for a landmark conference. The conference will include a keynote address by a senior figure from the Vatican, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical
A PENSIONER injured when he fell over an open drain has called on council chiefs to make sure the same thing cannot happen to others. Jim Letters, 74, was walking home with friends when he fell after his leg got caught in an open drain that had become
Shildon gave themselves some breathing space and in turn piled the misery on Esh Winning in the ANL Division One relegation zone when they beat their visitors 2-1 at Dean Street. The Railwaymen, now four points above the drop zone, took the lead on ten
IT might be a new year, but the outcome had a familiar ring to it for Hartlepool United yesterday. A 1-1 home draw with Swindon Town at Victoria Park left everyone trudging away with an acute feeling of disappointment. Just as in recent home games with
A DEAF man who was turned away from a club with his 'hearing' dog earlier this year says he is still being regularly told his dog is not allowed in shops and pubs. Ian Brink was told he could not enter the Royal British Legion Club in Newton Aycliffe,
LIVER transplant baby Lennox Nicholson could arrive home from hospital this evening. A decision about whether the six-month-old is strong enough to be discharged will be made by doctors at teatime. Doctors are said to be amazed at the baby's recovery
A FAMILY returned home from holiday to find the alleyway behind their house was strewn with Christmas rubbish. The Nicholsons, from Langholm Crescent, Darlington, did not put out their own rubbish last week because they were away when collections were
Shildon gave themselves some breathing space and in turn piled the misery on Esh Winning in the ANL Division One relegation zone when they beat their visitors 2-1 at Dean Street. The Railwaymen, now four points above the drop zone, took the lead on ten
ALMOST nine years to the day since his last goal in a Newcastle United shirt, local hero Lee Clark provided the last-gasp equaliser for the club he has supported all his life in an enthralling North-East duel with Middlesbrough. Whether or not the 32-
A SUPPORT group helping the battle against one of Britain's biggest killers has won a festive boost. The Northallerton Heart Support Group - which is affiliated to the British Heart Foundation - is £150 richer thanks to Hambleton District Council. The
A HIGH percentage of visitors to last summer's Tall Ships' Races came from outside the region, according to new research. The Newcastle-Gateshead event, in July, attracted a total of 1.5 million visitors during its four-day stay. More than 300,000 national
DANCE fever is hitting the North-East this week with the celebration of the official opening of the region's £7.6m dance house. Dance City, off St James' Boulevard, in Newcastle, which was officially launched yesterday, will mark the event with a week
RESIDENTS of an exclusive block of flats overlooking Harrogate's famous Stray have joined forces to fight plans for a tree preservation order in their grounds. Harrogate Borough Council wants to confirm a provisional tree preservation order covering three
A BAND flying high in a website's ringtone chart are hoping that it will be the springboard to achieving similar success in the music charts. Bishop Auckland-based Battle for 13th are fourth in Moyst ringtone website's unsigned chart with their song Counter
HE finally lost his virginity in the last series of Shameless, but it looks like Chatsworth Estate's cheeky bright spark, Lip Gallagher, may have to ditch his newly acquired pulling pants after discovering that he is well on his way to becoming a teenage
AN apprenticeship is improving training for health and social care students across County Durham. A trainee nurse on the two-year initiative run by Durham County Council and funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has been named cadet of the year
NOVICE fencers from Barnard Castle School are to cross swords with the best in the country after qualifying for a national competition just weeks into their new sport. Stephanie Bramwell, Adrian Denham, Laura Stronach, Hamish Byers, Victoria Raper and
A STUDENT has made a heartfelt plea for motorists to make their own New Year resolutions - to take care around horses. Kelly Inglis spoke out in the hope of preventing tragedies in the future affecting horses and their riders. The 16-year-old was involved
PEOPLE fighting to keep their homes have produced their own blueprint - advocating selective demolition. More than 1,000 terrace houses are to be flattened at South Bank in a plan Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council claims will give the town new houses
WORK to renovate a community centre will start later this month after a group of villagers raised enough funding for work to commence. Since 2001, members of the West Auckland Community Partnership have been raising money to give their village centre
A NORTH-EAST transport company is to provide six touch-screen information kiosks for its passengers. Nexus has provided the iPlus Point terminals at Tyneside and Wearside to deliver outdoor broadband services at the touch of a button. The company will
A COUPLE have been voted neighbours from heaven in an annual award organised by Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association. Shirley and Peter, of the Aged Miners' Homes, in Stella, Blaydon, won the association's Good Neighbour Award after being nominated
NEW visiting times have come into force at Harrogate District Hospital. Those visiting patients at the hospital must now visit between 2pm and 4pm or 6pm and 8pm. The health trust said the move was in response to concerns expressed by patients, visitors
AN action group is being set up to improve festive lights in Malton and Norton next year. The move follows a number of complaints about this year's display. Volunteers are urged to come forward to explore ways of enhancing the display in future, according
LIVER transplant baby Lennox Nicholson could arrive home from hospital this evening. A decision about whether the six-month-old is strong enough to be discharged will be made by doctors at teatime. Doctors are said to be amazed at the baby's recovery
A REGENERATION programme designed to breathe new life into a rundown part of Teesside has reached the midway point in the ambitious multi-million pound project. West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust (WMNT) has a ten-year plan to spend £52m redeveloping
It's going to be a right f****** how's your b****** father when Bob Geldof sits down with that nice Mr Cameron to discuss globalisation. Imagine: "Good morning my dear Sir - may I call you Bob?" "You can call me what you f****** well like, mate! I don't
THE new owners of a remote country pub with a grim past are refusing to be spooked by ghostly goings-on. Nobody told Simon Tijou, 26, and partner Caz Field, 27, about the horrifying history of the Moorcock Inn before they moved in. Thirty years ago, the
A PHOTOGRAPHER from the North-East is helping families and organisations record their histories. Dave Foster, of North Point Multimedia, turns photographs into DVD documentaries, complete with a commentary. Mr Foster and radio presenter Brian Clough,
DAVID HODGSON cited a breakdown in communication as the reason behind Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu's recent uncertainty at the club. It seemed somehow fitting that Darlington's leading scorer let his feet do the talking yesterday. On the same day Hodgson revealed
AS The Northern Echo's long-running campaign to cut waiting times for heart bypass surgery in Britain has illustrated, the Government has made significant progress in the area of coronary care in recent years. We have applauded the Government for the
ROAD chiefs are being blamed for delays to a multi-million pound airport expansion plan and overdue road safety improvements. The Highways Agency is under fire for asking Durham Tees Valley Airport to produce a second traffic study. The airport has already
THE net is closing on a gang of poachers threatening the survival of a deer population. Intelligence passed to the police by countryside wardens, walkers and bird watchers includes the registration numbers of vehicles used by hunters who are systematically
A COLLEGE has been recognised for a scheme that helps pupils into work with a local employer. Durham Community Business College, formerly Deerness Valley Comprehensive, featured in School in Focus on the TeacherNet website for its Fit for Employment scheme
POLICE have confirmed that a man who was killed when he was hit by a train days before Christmas was from Darlington. The 22-year-old, who has yet to be publicly named, was believed to have been on a night out when he was hit by a train at Newcastle Central
A NORTH-EAST Marine is helping to build winter shelters to be used as clinics and classrooms in the earthquake-ravaged province of Kashmir, Pakistan. Marine Ben Turner, of Hartlepool, is based in the town of Bagh as a Royal Marines engineer and is working
Rebus (ITV1) Balderdash & Piffle (BBC2) HOW dolly to barder Ken Stott's jolly old eke again in a latest TV version of Ian Rankin's books about Scottish detective Rebus. You'll have to excuse me if I lapse into Polari after being given a lesson in
A COLLEGE has been recognised for a scheme that helps pupils into work with a local employer. Durham Community Business College, formerly Deerness Valley Comprehensive, featured in School in Focus on the TeacherNet website for its Fit for Employment scheme
DANCE fever is hitting the North-East this week with the celebration of the official opening of the region's £7.6m dance house. Dance City, off St James' Boulevard, in Newcastle, which was officially launched yesterday, will mark the event with a week
POLICE are trying to trace the identity of a mystery man who suffered horrific injuries when he was hit by a car last night. The man, thought to be in his 30s, suffered serious head injuries and broke both his legs after stepping out in front of a Rover
A MAN killed his housemate after a drunken row erupted as they watched The European Cup final, a court heard. Robin Jacques, 41, and Barry Thompson, 41, had gone to a friend's house to see Liverpool play Milan in the Champions League Final on May 25,
TIMMY MURPHY'S trek to Ayr should not be in vain given the enticing prospect of partnering Brave Thought (1.30) in the First Foot Handicap Chase. The southern-based jockey doesn't often travel so far north but when he does it normally pays to take heed
It's fair to say that culture and Middlesbrough are not generally seen as close acquaintances, but when a new art gallery opens later this year, that could change, Nick Morrison reports. GODFREY Worsdale was delighted to be able to put one man's anxieties
A NEW year brings new faces to the wards of Holby City as cardio thoracic registrars Joseph Byrne (played by Luke Roberts) and Sam Strachan (Tom Chambers) join the team. ''It's been terrific,'' smiles 28-year-old Luke when asked how he's settling into
FARMERS stricken by floods which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage and the loss of dozens of cattle, have been given help by Rotary clubs throughout Yorkshire. The total of £40,000 was raised to renew fences and walls washed away in the June
Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King has joined Harchibald on the sidelines and will miss the rest of the season after suffering a strain in an upper tendon. The shock news came just 24 hours after the latter was all but ruled out of the Champion
ALMOST nine years to the day since his last goal in a Newcastle United shirt, local hero Lee Clark provided the last-gasp equaliser for the club he has supported all his life in an enthralling North-East duel with Middlesbrough. Whether or not the 32-
SMOKERS in Darlington are being offered the chance to get help to kick the habit this year. With "stop smoking" resolutions firmly in their minds, people can get the support and prescriptions they need to double their chances of success at clinics being
A BUSINESSMAN has hit back at claims Darlington's market is under threat because of the Pedestrian Heart scheme. Alex Blackham, who owns The Diner and the newly-opened Ultimate Fillings sandwich bar, in the covered market, said his businesses have not
BOSSES of the Tyne and Wear Metro railway system hope to attract more passengers with a mixture of frozen and reduced ticket prices. A review of fares has led to the price of an all-zone annual ticket coming down by 27 per cent, from £550 to £399 - offering
THERE is still time for people to play a key role in a service planned to mark this year's Holocaust Memorial Day in Darlington. Darlington Borough Council and The Northern Echo have teamed up to commemorate the occasion, which has the theme One Person
A LEADING writer and speaker will be in North Yorkshire later this week to give a humorous talk. Adrian Plass will be visiting Crakehall, near Bedale, to give a talk at the village hall, on Saturday, at 3pm. He is best known for the best-selling book
PEOPLE living next to a crime-ridden pathway that even the police have described as dangerous - say they are furious that more is not being done to protect them. It was more than a year ago that residents in Ullswater Avenue, off Neasham Road, Darlington
Tim Henman may have suffered a disappointing 2005 but he started the new year in fine style with a straight sets defeat of French teenager Richard Gasquet in Doha. Henman's serve-and-volley game was too much for Gasquet and the 31-year-old Briton sealed
A RACING fan hopes 2006 will prove to be the year of the greyhound. Ken Alderson was chairman of the owners' association when Middlesbrough's dog track closed ten years ago. Despite a 14,000-name petition, Cleveland Park speedway and dog racing stadium
VILLAGERS are being offered the chance to win £1,000 for their communities by recycling more. Thirty eight parishes are taking part in a pilot scheme in the Hambleton District Council area to boost recycling rates across the district. The amount of glass
A-LEVEL business students have put their textbooks to one side and set up their own company. The group of 11 students from All Saints Secondary School, in York, have created Jorvik Candles. The business, which is run as a virtual shop on the Internet,
FOOTBALL fans can take part in a competition while helping to fund a stadium for an amateur team this month. Bishop Auckland FC are running a Spot the Ball competition throughout January, in association with FilMAR photography, in aid of their new stadium
It was a familiar story for Bishop Auckland in the First Division as they lost 3-0 at Rossendale, to leave them 13 points adrift of safety. They went behind after nine minutes to a Bernard Morley penalty awarded for handball, and after 39 minutes a strike
WORK has begun on the construction of a multi-million pound fire control centre for the North-East. Project chiefs said preparatory work is under way at the site on the Belmont Business Park, near Durham. A ground-breaking ceremony will take place next
Hospital bosses were accused of sacrificing heart patients' welfare to meet targets yesterday after scrapping their operations. Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust has wiped dozens of people from waiting lists for cardiac catheter ablation, the operation which
NORTH Durham MP Kevan Jones has encouraged his constituents to make sure they keep warm this winter by claiming any grants they may be entitled to. Many people in North Durham may be able to claim grants from the Government's Warm Front scheme, which
THOUSANDS of students across North Yorkshire could soon be facing charges of up to £10 a week for their journeys to school or college. The move could ultimately generate almost £1m a year for North Yorkshire County Council, which is facing a struggle
PLANS for a children's play area in a north Durham community are to be approved despite objections from some residents. Planning officers have recommended that Chester-le-Street District Council's planning committee meeting next Monday approves the development
The enigmatic geisha women of Japan are renowned for their beauty and elite accomplishments in the art of entertainment. Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings speaks to two North Yorkshire businesswomen who are bring a geisha to England. IT was a moment they
A NORTH Durham swimming pool reopens today after a £250,000 refurbishment. The Chester-le-Street swimming pool will open this morning following extensive works carried out in the main pool and learner pool areas since they closed in October. Chester-le-Street
FREELANCE artist Louise MacLeod will have raised more than one glass over the festive season. Ms MacLeod, 35, has a thriving business making cheese platters from old bottles supplied by waste management company Yorwaste, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire
AMATEUR footballers from Durham City are turning on the style thanks to a hair salon. Wendy Buttleman, manager of the Toni & Guy salon in Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, has a sponsorship deal with the The Sporties six-a-side team - and they wanted
AN historic cinema is to be returned to the way it looked in the 1930s with £3m cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Tyneside Cinema in Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, is the last surviving purpose-built newsreel cinema in the country that is still showing
PEOPLE will be able to delve into a city's underground secrets when a new course starts soon. The geological suprises are part of a new course at Durham County Council's Clayport Library, in Durham, from Wednesday, January 18. Durham - a Billion Years
A GALLERY devoted to a museum's centrepiece exhibit is one of a number of ideas suggested for its multi-million pound redevelopment. Staff at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham, are hoping for another record year as work begins on a major
A CAMPAIGN to save residents from the heartache and misery of doorstep crime is working, trading standards officers say. A report released today by North Yorkshire Country Council shows that the number of residents visited by doorstep traders has dropped
MICK McCarthy last night admitted he was not surprised by the latest bout of speculation regarding his position as Sunderland boss, but pledged to keep battling despite yesterday's 2-1 defeat at Fulham. Weekend reports linked former Newcastle boss Kevin
AN historic cinema is to be returned to the way it looked in the 1930s with £3m cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Tyneside Cinema in Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, is the last surviving purpose-built newsreel cinema in the country that is still showing
