THE teenage sister of a Premiership soccer star will be sentenced next month after a court heard police found 1,000 worth of heroin hidden in her underwear. Kirsha Dyer - sister of Newcastle United and England striker Kieron Dyer - was searched after
JANE Doolin has taken her first steps after almost losing both legs to meningitis. The brave eight-year-old is undergoing a series of radical operations where once a year doctors break her legs and reset them to make them grow. Using a
CRUEL Anita Fleming left her four starving cats on their own for so long they were forced to turn cannibal. RSPCA investigators discovered what they described as "a scene from a horror movie" when they raided Fleming's home. Investigators were met
THE full extent of one of the most shocking animal cruelty cases in the region was still being uncovered last night. Rotting carcasses and bones were still being discovered more than a week after inspectors broke in to a NorthEast stable yard to find
Grown men threw up as they struggled to come to terms with the horror they faced at the scene of what could be one of the region's worst cruelty cases. Catherine Jewitt and Chris Booth visited Trimdon, in County Durham, to find out more. FOR months
A WOMAN who was jailed for animal cruelty after cramming 271 pets into her filthy cottage was released on appeal yesterday. Rosalind Gregson, 55, walked free a week into a three-month prison term after an appeal hearing at Preston Crown Court. Last
AS in another of the week's openers, The Last King Of Scotland, this film plays fast and loose with the truth. Inspired by real events, liberties have been taken in transferring the story of homelessman- made-good Chris Gardner to the screen
A PET owner has been banned from keeping animals for 15 years after a dog in her care was so severely emaciated it lost more than half its body weight. An RSPCA inspector visited the home of Leslie-Anne Rhoden in January this year following a call
Outrageous, disgusting and unacceptable. Those are the words the RSPCA used to describe some of the worst cases of animal suffering it tackled last year, as it published figures outlining the scale of the problem. Below, the Northern Echo examines
HUNDREDS of animal abusers in the region are at risk of "graduating" to seriously harming people, a report claims. Campaigners are planning to use their findings to demand that animal cruelty is taken more seriously by prosecutors and the courts.
CRUCIAL expert evidence that could secure a prosecution in one of the region's biggest animal cruelty cases is still being gathered. Two months after the decomposing bodies of about 35 animals were discovered at filthy stables, the RSPCA continues
A MOTHER and daughter who kept 98 dogs and 22 cats in appalling squalor have been warned they could be jailed. Edwina Ashworth and her daughter, Rachel, pleaded guilty to a catalogue of animal cruelty charges that arose from an investigation by the
A CRACKDOWN on those who cause animal suffering is at the core of Government legislation unveiled yesterday. The Animal Welfare Bill is being hailed by ministers as the most significant piece of legislation in this area for nearly a century. It
EVERY year, the RSPCA releases its animal cruelty statistics and they have become depressingly predictable. The number of cases keeps rising and the North-East is repeatedly shown to be among some of the worst offending regions in the country. The
A MAN accused of one of the region's worst animal cruelty cases was in court yesterday. Lee Howard arrived at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court, shielding his face with a jacket as he walked from a car. He faces charges relating to the deaths of
A HEART-WARMING tale of triumph over adversity has arisen from one of the most horrendous cases of animal cruelty the region has ever seen. In June, the RSPCA was called to a block of stables on the outskirts of a County Durham village following reports
THE RSPCA has launched an investigation after the dismembered body of a pet cat was discovered in a NorthEast town. The 15-month-old animal was found without its head or tail in the middle of a field near its owners' home, in Darlington. Black cat
A FORMER Teesside drugs baron is a free man after being cleared by the highest court in Spain. Brian Charrington, a former second-hand car dealer, from Middlesbrough, was released from a German prison in December but was immediately rearrested to
A MAN accused of one of the region's worst animal cruelty cases will go on trial next month. Lee Howard is facing a fiveday trial in relation to the deaths of 29 animals, whose bodies were discovered at Bank Top Stables, at Trimdon, County Durham,
SADISTIC Christmas partygoers who killed a cat in a microwave have reinforced the region's unenviable reputation as the animal cruelty capital of the country. It is thought that the oneyear-old pet may have been roasted alive as a sick joke. The
WE are used to reporting acts of animal cruelty, as sadly, the North-East is one of the worst offending regions in the country. The Northern Echo has a duty to highlight appalling and heartbreaking cases of creatures being neglected and killed in horrific
MAGISTRATES have set a new date for the trial of a man accused of one of the region's worst animal cruelty cases. Lee Howard is facing a five-day trial in relation to the deaths of 29 animals, whose bodies were discovered at Bank Top Stables, in Trimdon
THE full horrific story of how 29 animals were left to starve to death in a North-East stables has finally been revealed. Yesterday, the man at the centre of what has become one of the country's biggest animal cruelty cases was told he could be facing
The man responsible for one of the region's worst cases of animal cruelty is facing prison. Neil Hunter looks at a story that shocked the nation. THE sight, the smell and the sound that greeted investigators at Bank Top Stables was unimaginable.
CRUEL Lee Howard could not hide his terror the last time he faced a prison sentence. The 39-year-old was at Teesside Crown Court little more than a month ago to face fraud charges. He shook uncontrollably and had to be led from the dock to be sick
A YOB who stole a rabbit from a zoo then fed it to the alligators was told yesterday he is likely to face jail. Damien French, now 20, dropped the large white rabbit into the alligator pond at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, in Colwyn Bay, North Wales.
THE Angel of the North last night became the focus of a protest by animal rights activists against a multinational company's use of animal testing. The campaigning group Uncaged projected the slogan "Procter and Gamble test on animals" across the wings
THE man responsible for one of the region's worst animal cruelty cases was yesterday jailed for six months and banned from keeping animals for life. Lee Howard was sentenced for four charges of animal cruelty and neglect relating to the deaths of 29
AN animal cruelty investigation was under way last night after the carcasses of 24 cattle and sheep were discovered at a North-East farm. Animal welfare experts are still examining the site near an old quarry off the A689, at Eastgate, in Weardale.
THE body of a dog has been recovered from a river after it was bound with tape, weighed down with bricks and thrown in. The female Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog, which had white stripes, was recovered from the River Wear, near Durham County Cricket
ACTS of animal cruelty have plummeted to new depths in the region, with one report highlighting children using a live hedgehog as a football. Sickening acts such as the impaling of a pet cat have also been added to the ever-growing list of abuse, such
WHEN Emma Phipps heads to Spain on a mission against animal cruelty she will need little in the way of clothing. The Durham 18-year-old plans to complete the route of the famous Pamplona Running of the Bulls next month, wearing only a placard. Emma
A MAN branded a public nuisance by magistrates after a series of city centre incidents insists he was not guilty of animal cruelty. Last month, Durham Magistrates' Court imposed an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) on homeless Frankie Pearson after
AN allotment holder failed to seek proper treatment for his Shetland pony after it was found with a leg injury, a court heard. A neighbouring plot-holder told Joseph Iley they spotted wire wrapped round a rear leg of the black male pony, in March.
A MAN has been jailed after admitting an "odious" act of cruelty on a dog. Darlington Magistrates' Court yesterday heard how Philip Andrew Riley, 23, lifted a spaniel belonging to an exgirlfriend's mother by its lead and threw it across the road after
Six years on from the launch of The Northern Echo's own campaign, the relentless tide of animal cruelty recorded by the RSPCA continues unabated. Stuart Arnold reports. SIX years ago The Northern Echo launched its Animal Watch campaign to raise awareness
A MAN suspected of killing up to 10,000 greyhounds at his North-East home for £10-a-time has installed extra security after his family received sinister phone calls. Closed-circuit television cameras, floodlights and other security measures were fitted
THE newspaper investigation that has led to allegations that up to 10,000 retired greyhounds have been killed and dumped at a North-East burial site, has caused outrage throughout the country. They are shocking allegations which cast a shadow over
A RABBIT owner has spoken of his disgust after the youths responsible for a killing spree at village allotments avoided custody. Retired Vincent Raine was among several plot-holders affected when two teenagers ransacked allotment sheds. Mr Raine
THE Prison Service was today accused of a cover-up as it maintains a veil of silence over a massive compensation payout to a suicidal inmate. It has repeatedly refused to give details of the incident that led to a £575,000 out-of-court settlement to
THERE are many things of which the North-East can be justifiably proud. But its record on animal cruelty is not one of them. The region has repeatedly topped the league of shame for animal cruelty and it has been The Northern Echo's sad and all-too-regular
SADISTIC yobs caught trying to strap a firework onto a puppy turned their attack on the good Samaritan trying to save it. In the region's latest act of animal cruelty, a gang of youths were spotted trying to tape the firework onto the animal on Saturday
A FARMER has been landed with the bill to dispose of a dead foal dumped on his land. Mark Anderson has condemned the dumping of the hours-old horse on land he rents out for livery at his County Durham farm. Mr Anderson found the carcass when he
MORE horrific cases of animal cruelty have added to the North-East and North Yorkshire's appalling record. In recent days, thugs have left a swan for dead after shooting it four times in the head and set dogs onto cats at a skateboard park. Yesterday
ANIMAL welfare officers are hunting thoughtless thugs who dyed a magpie's feathers. The bird later died from trauma and possible poisoning following the incident in Hartlepool, Teesside. RSPCA Teesside animal collection officer (ACO) John Lawson
A MAN who allowed chickens he kept on allotment plots to starve to death could be banned from keeping livestock for life. Stephen Slater, 39, of Hunstanworth Road, Darlington, kept hens and cockerels in extremely dirty conditions at his two Sugar Hill
ANDY Monkhouse has finally completed his move to Hartlepool United from Swindon Town. After an impressive loan spell - three goals in eight games - the left winger returned to his club. But Pools have got him back to Victoria Park, this time on a permanent
A DISABLED dog, in an appallingly neglected condition, was dumped in a ditch in the latest shameful example of NorthEast animal cruelty. Deaf, blind and unable to stand, with its spine protruding from under its coat, the male, tan collie crossbreed
THE North-East's reputation for animal cruelty sank to a new low as two dog owners were jailed for causing horrendous injuries to their pets. A 55-year-old mother was jailed for four months yesterday after trying to drown a puppy in boiling water.
WILDLIFE rescuers have branded a seaside town "death alley" for swans after a bird was shot and killed. It is the second time a swan has been shot in Whitby, North Yorkshire, in recent weeks. Volunteers from the Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital, near
A CART horse known as a gentle giant has become the latest victim in a catalogue of animal cruelty cases in the region. Jill Selway yesterday described her shock at discovering that her white and brown horse Henry had been slashed up to 18 times with
THUGS slashed a horse to the bone in an attack at a remote stables. The incident at Great Ouseburn stables, North Yorkshire, was the third in a month in which horses were badly injured. This time, 15-year-old gelding, Vallar, was left with a six-inch
A COURT heard how a husband and wife kept their pets in horrific conditions. Bishop Auckland magistrates were told that a dog and a cat belonging to Michael and Shirley Coverdale, of Dale Road, Barnard Castle, were close to death when they were discovered
THERE'S a typically varied menu of folk music available locally this week, with a good crosssection of local, national and international talent on view. Guisborough's Globe presents local heroine Judith Haswell tomorrow night, while it's sister
HEARTLESS thugs stole a rabbit and fed it to a rottweiler in another episode of sickening animal cruelty in the region. The thieves broke into a garden hutch in Horden, east Durham, and took a pet rabbit, before feeding it alive to the dog, say police
WHAT'S ON: Pianist Paul Lewis performs a feast of Beethoven sonatas at The Sage Gateshead, 7.30pm on Wednesday. The Orchestra of Opera North and Leeds Philharmonic Choir perform the Queen Symphony at The Sage 7.30pm on Saturday. The celebration
THE owner of an animal sanctuary has appeared in court to face animal cruelty charges. Cliff Spedding, 46, who runs the Hope Animal Shelter, at Whitecliff Cottages, near Loftus, east Cleveland, appeared at Guisborough Magistrates' Court yesterday,
CD REVIEWS: Bob Brookmeyer New Art Orchestra/New Works (Challenge CHR70066) A reissue of one of Bob Brookmeyer's finest albums recorded in 1997. Although his distinctive valve trombone is featured on Idyll and Boom Boom, the primary focus here
TWO more terrible examples of cruelty to cats have added to the North East's animal cruelty league of shame. Animal welfare officers were last night hunting a youth who hurled a ginger and white cat over a 6ft wall into a garden in Darlington. It
READER Dennis Reed, of Eaglescliffe, points out that one of the better Country shows is broadcast by Radio York's Bob Preedy on Sunday evenings 7-10pm. Bob has now notched up 20 years (well done that man). Another broadcaste of around three decades
A WILDLIFE charity has offered a £500 reward after a swan suffered horrific injuries when it was shot and then became trapped in barbed wire. The bird's shattered wing had to be amputated and a shotgun pellet was removed from its windpipe after it
FORMER Grand Nationalwinning jockey Richard Guest was yesterday allowed to carry on training horses, despite admitting a charge of animal cruelty relating to the death of a thoroughbred at his yard. The 41-year-old trainer, who rode Red Marauder to
ANIMAL cruelty is a very big issue in the NorthEast. Hardly a week goes by when it is not our sad duty to report the latest cases to bring shame on the region. Only yesterday, we reported how a swan had to have a wing amputated after being shot and
QUESTION Thank you for your website. It has been invaluable in helping me understand what has happened to my 12 year old border collie. On Wednesday 17 November 2004 she had what the vet diagnosed the next day as a cerebral vascular accident which
Wil Marlow talks to Tunde Baiyewu about his comeback after ending his Lighthouse Family career, which began on Tyneside. IN 2000 Tunde Baiyewu's world was turned upside down. As one half of the hugely successful soul duo The Lighthouse Family he
QUESTION My dog has just been diagnosed with cancer and had the tumour removed through surgery, the tumor had spread into the stomach and the vet told me that a foot of his gut had to be removed because there were nodules on the gut where the cancer
A TEENAGER who allowed his Staffordshire bull terrier to savage a pet cat to death in an "act of pure malevolence" was sentenced yesterday to four months in a detention centre. Huddersfield Magistrates' Court was shown CCTV footage of 18-year-old Callum
Shes survived filming in Africa while pregnant, so actress Amanda Holdon was fully prepared for the second series of Wild At Heart, she tells Steve Pratt ... complete with oneyear- old and 42 boxes and cases of essentials. EEING actress Hayley
QUESTION Please help us. Our dog up until Saturday was as frisky as any two year old. Bonnie is a West Highland Terrier our vet has said that she may have had a stroke or some kind of ear infection. However, Bonnie became suddenly blind and lost feeling
HUNDREDS of emaciated and decaying carcasses were recovered from a North-East farm yesterday on another black day for animal cruelty in the region. Sickened animal welfare officers recovered 264 dead mice, guinea pigs and rabbits, which were surrounded
DEANO Wicks is reacting as any young lad would on being reunited with the mother who left him as a baby. The market stall holder in EastEnders (BBC1) has gone off the rails faster than an express hitting the wrong kind of leaves. No wonder, after
QUESTION I have read your reply on spondylosis. My dog is only 3 has been diagnosed with this condition, I have been told no jumping, no balls etc. Can you tell me how long it will take before my dog is able to have normal walks again? She is still
QUESTION Can you tell me ple what is the best exercise programme for my bitch to increase muscle tone to its maximiun. Also my bitch is comming into season and has been swollen for about a month and I have seen no blood how long will it be before its
The discovery of hundreds of dead animals at a farm will reinforce the region's appalling record for animal cruelty. Reporter Lauren Pyrah was at the scene yesterday. A PUNGENT yet unidentifiable smell - the sort that lingers in the nostrils for hours
QUESTION My five-year-old Weimararner has a history of re-occuring skin inflamation and ear infection. My vet has prescribed courses of steroids which help whilst the course lasts but the symptoms soon return once the course ends. The irritation is
A MAN at the centre of an RSPCA animal cruelty investigation broke his silence last night to declare his innocence. Alan Magraw told The Northern Echo that although he had, in the past, rented sheds where 264 dead and decaying mice, guinea pigs and
QUESTION Abner has had a problem with his trachea for many years...treatment several times a year for a severe cough. He also has a heart problem and his heart is slightly enalrged as is his liver; he has also had treatment for crystals in his Kidneys
A BUILDER'S merchant accused of killing and burying up to 10,000 greyhounds on land behind his home will face court in the new year. David Smith received death threats this year when he was accused of slaughtering thousands of animals using a bolt
QUESTION My 14 year old Jack Russell has a lump on her tummy. I took her to the vets and he says that it is a result of her not been spayed (though I was never advised to do so when she was a pup). He said that due to her age, the fact that she is
THE North-East's appalling reputation for animal cruelty has worsened in the past year, figures show. Reports of abandoned animals in the region are up 15 per cent on last year, according to the RSPCA. The figures make depressing reading, but are
BARRY Conlon has left Darlington to join League Two rivals Mansfield Town on a free transfer. The Quakers striker has been allowed to leave the 96.6TFM Darlington Arena after failing to make an impact under Dave Penney. Conlon, who rejoined Quakers
THE firefighter who died after setting himself alight in a fire station was a modest hero who once pulled a drowning girl from a reservoir, The Northern Echo can reveal. Father-of-four Tim Tasanne had been a firefighter in North Yorkshire for 28 years
THE death of a man found in a North-East hotel remains a mystery after a post-mortem examination proved inconclusive. The dead man has been named as Adrian Metcalfe, 38, His body was discovered at the Bay View Hotel in Newcomen Terrace, Redcar, on Tuesday
Residents are hitting back against anti-social youths who are making their lives a misery. Gangs of youths blight the lives of Thirsk residents with underage drinking, vandalism and nuisance behaviour. A police blitz last month saw officers stop youths
A MAN may be forced to pull down a £400,000 house he constructed without planning permission. Developer Peter Howell built the house at Ingleby Arncliffe, near Northallerton, in 2005 as a retirement home. The site had outline planning consent for a property
A FEW cans of alcohol cost a man his freedom after he was remanded in custody yesterday following a breach of bail conditions. At an earlier hearing, Sean Anderson, 22, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and resisting arrest, but denied assault, which
YOUNG people in Darlington are to be trained to help them distribute Government funding to their peers. Darlington Borough Council's youth service team has been awarded £310,000 for young people's projects in the borough over the next two years. A scheme
PLANNING consent has been given for the second phase of the development of the Middlehaven site, in Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough Council's planning committee has confirmed outline planning permission for a mixed-use development of the area. The approval
TOP marks were given to a group of well-behaved youngsters when they had a trip round their local museum. The youngsters, from Whitecliffe Primary School, in Carlin How, were awarded a trophy for being on their best behaviour on a visit to the Cleveland
MOTORISTS can buy alcohol along with their petrol, following a successful licence application by a supermarket chain - despite objections from residents and council officials. Stockton Borough Council's licensing sub-committee yesterday granted Tesco
COURT officials have joined forces with police officers to issue a New Year warning to offenders. Fine defaulters are being informed that, if they do not keep up with their payments, they could find a police officer on their doorstep with an arrest warrant
TWO swimming pools have re-opened for business following a £300,000 makeover. Stokesley Leisure Centre closed its doors to swimmers three months ago to allow work to go ahead on retiling the pools and pool surrounds. A new sauna has also been installed
A BREWERY, a caterer and a sign maker have been awarded business grants. The £1,500 awards from Richmondshire District Council will help the three companies expand in the coming year. Sign maker and engraver Mike Rogers, who set up Prestige Signs from
LETTERS are going out to almost 16,000 postal voters in Hartlepool to inform them of important changes following new Government legislation. For all future elections, postal voters will no longer have to get their ballot paper witnessed and signed by
A DRUG addict found with a stash of magic mushrooms, cannabis and amphetamine has been spared jail. Rodney MacRobert was given a community sentence after a judge heard he was trying to beat his long-standing habits. Judge Timothy Stead imposed a community
PUPILS from a Darlington school have raised £1,700 to help some of the world's poorest children. Students from Polam Hall School launched a campaign to raise funds for orphans in Tanzania, in Africa, by packing shopping bags at Sainsbury's, in Victoria
VILLAGES around Darlington will soon have only one police officer between them after cutbacks are made. There is one officer for villages to the west of Darlington, including Heighington and High Coniscliffe, and another for villages to the east of the
JAPANESE education officials have visited Darlington to study its award winng use of technology. Longfield School recently won a top accolade from the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency for the way in which it uses ICT across the
QUESTION I have a 13 yr old collie who is ill at moment. He was diagnosed with a nasal adenocarcinoma over 12 months ago but apparently this hasn,t spread locally. We took him to vet who diagnosed severe hindleg arthritis. He also took some other
The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep... And miles to go before I sleep. This is the piece of poetry from Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost which I carry around in my head.
QUESTION We have recently got a dog from the kennels, and decided to have her neutered. Since returning she has taken to nesting and carrying about a small toy, is this normal? She is also whimpering and whining, which she never used to do. Donna
QUESTION Two months ago my dog had a foreign body removed from his foot and castration. Since then he has been limping on affected leg (hind right) When examined he doesn't express pain. He runs for his ball as usual but limps after exercise. He eats
QUESTION Two weeks ago my dog started coughing (sounding like whooping cough). So I took him to the vet who checked him out and told me he thought it was a throat inflamtion or infection and gave me antibiotics for this - I mentioned his heart murmer
A LAND development company is considering using the huge anhydrite mine under Billingham as a deposit for low-level hazardous and inert waste. But residents have already started a campaign to block the move by NPL Estates Limited to reopen the disused
THE problems at Eastbourne School in Darlington are well chronicled and we take no pleasure in reporting today that it is officially the country's "least effective" school. Equally, we cannot brush that sorry fact under the carpet because it is a matter
JON Stead will celebrate a surprise return to the Premiership later today when he completes a £1m move to Sheffield United. The Sunderland striker was locked in contract discussions at Bramall Lane yesterday after Black Cats officials accepted a formal
HE might have been notoriously impetuous as a player, but Roy Keane's recently-discovered patience was last night revealed as the key factor behind Anthony Stokes' surprise £2m move to Sunderland. Stokes turned down the opportunity to join both Charlton
A TEENAGE father-to-be who died four days after he was airlifted from a road crash has saved the lives of two people in desperate need of kidney transplants. The mother of 18-year-old Simon Walker last night told how her son's death had given others
ENGLAND'S cricketing hierarchy have made some disastrous decisions recently, but few have been as catastrophic as the appointment of Michael Vaughan as captain for the forthcoming one-day series in Australia and March's World Cup. An England one-day side
FUEL company D1 Oils yesterday completed a £3m deal for a site on Merseyside where it will build its second biodiesel plant. The Teesside company announced in September that it had acquired the industrial plant, at Bromborough. D1 plans to invest about
THE Portland Group yesterday said its expansion would continue - only two months after acquiring a North-East chain. Portland, which is based in Durham, announced in November that it had bought the Hide Bar and Grill group, which has sites in Yarm, Durham
Darlington have had a bid accepted for Leyton Orient's Paul Connor but are locked in a three-way battle for the striker. The East London club are aiming to bring in new forwards during the January transfer window so Connor is no longer wanted at Orient
ANDY Monkhouse will become Hartlepool United's second January transfer signing subject to a medical this morning. The 26-year-old midfielder joins for an undisclosed fee following his successful loan period at Victoria Park, scoring three times in eight
ZOLTAN Gera's potential move to Middlesbrough could hinge on whether Tony Mowbray is successful with a raid on his former club. The West Brom boss is resigned to losing his influential playmaker before the end of this month and has moved to sign two of
LESLINGTAYLOR (12.50) could make up into a genuine Cheltenham Festival contender come March if, as anticipated, he maintains his 100 per cent unbeaten record at Catterick today. John Quinn's progessive five-year-old has made a silky-smooth transition
RUTH Kelly's decision to send her dyslexic son to a £15,000-a-year prep school is politically damaging, but does it make her a hypocrite? Labour's enemies in the Press have been quick to use the 'h' word to pile pressure on the Communities Secretary
Mission Africa (BBC1) Ugly Betty (E4) DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles is in charge of a makeover with a difference in Mission Africa. The aim is to build a game reserve in just six weeks in one of the hottest places on earth where drought, danger and
Yorkshire batsman Anthony McGrath claims he is leaving the club with immediate effect because he can't resolve his differences with them. But Yorkshire have hit back by saying they were now in discussions with their solicitors regarding the possibility
SUPERMARKET chain Morrisons, which is creating 350 jobs in the region this year, reported record trading over Christmas. The company, which employs more than 12,000 people across the North-East, yesterday said the final week of trading before Christmas
A SPORTS car flipped onto its roof and hit another vehicle on one of the North-East's most dangerous roads. Two drivers had to be cut free after the smash on the A68 outside Darlington. The road, one of the town's main links to the A1, was closed for
CHEAP FLIGHTS ENVIRONMENT Minister Ian Pearson describes Ryanair as the "unacceptable face of capitalism" (Echo, Jan 6). How can he say this about such a successful company? Ryanair and easyJet, etc have given the less well-off the chance to sample other
WITH four kids in the house, I've become well accustomed to noise. It goes with the territory - part of the deal. The smallest tends to make the biggest noise so keeping nine-year-old Max quiet is crucial to finding some elusive peace. But there was
Hello and welcome to my first blog (not being technically-minded, I'm not even sure of what this is - I guess I'll just wing it). I don't want to bore you with stuff about myself so I'll concentrate instead on other people - those I interview (a fascinating
A HOUSE that made an appearance in the cult gangster movie Get Carter should be saved from demolition because it has become a tourist attraction, it was claimed last night.Developers want to demolish Beechcroft, in Broomside Lane, Belmont, on the edge
ONE-DAY stalwart Paul Collingwood says England are behind schedule as they begin their final preparations for the World Cup.With the World Cup starting in March, Michael Vaughan's side have just the Commonwealth Bank Series, which they open against hosts
PHILL Nixon plays most of his darts on the pimpled and pockmarked board in the corner of Ferryhill and District Working Men's Club.Last night, he played five yards to the left. On the big screen. On national television. Phill - or The Ferryhill Flyer,
FIVE County Durham schools have been praised in a list of the country's most improved schools at GCSE.In Bishop Auckland, Bishop Barrington School and King James I made the list, and St Bede's Catholic School, in Lanchester, and Durham Johnston Comprehensive
TEENAGERS from one of the most deprived parts of the country have helped their council top the exam league tables in this region.Students in Sunderland achieved the seventh best results in England at A-level, beating nearest North-East rival Darlington
OBAFEMI Martins last night revealed that Nigerian pride was spurring him to achieve bigger and better things in the second half of the season, writes SCOTT WILSON. Martins is one of three Nigerian strikers currently plying their trade in the Premiership
A HUGE compensation payout was made to a prisoner - even though officers saved his life, The Northern Echo can reveal. The unknown prisoner was given an out-of-court settlement of £575,000 by the Prison Service after a suicide attempt at Northallerton
A NORTH-East council is believed to be the first authority in the country to call an amnesty on dangerous dogs. The move, by Easington District Council, follows a fatal pit bull terrier attack on five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson from Merseyside, on New Year's
AN off-duty firefighter has died after dousing himself in petrol and setting his clothes alight in front of horrified colleagues. An investigation has been launched into the tragedy, which happened at North-allerton fire station, North Yorkshire. The
SWEEPING changes to company law and their impact on directors' duties and responsibilities will be the subject of two free seminars. The in-house company law team at Blackett Hart & Pratt Solicitors, which is based in Darlington, will guide delegates
BUSINESS leaders have welcomed news that a direct flight from the North-East to Dubai will begin this year, improving links between the region and the Middle East. Emirates Airline announced yesterday that it was to introduce a daily non-stop service
THE big picture, take two. On the day it was announced that Seaham was in line for a multi-million pound film studio complex, the lads in the town's Red Star club fell to remembering one they'd made a little earlier. It was called Life For Ruth, starred
AT 11 o'clock the tools go down and the machines fall silent. Les Lancaster checks his watch. "It's coffee time - will you come and join us?" And we make our way to the canteen. Assorted workers sit at tables drinking tea. There are also crisps and
A NORTH-EAST school hit rock bottom today when it was named as the worst in the country in national league tables.Eastbourne School, in Darlington, was the least effective school in England in the GCSE league tables and the eighth worst in the national
