A YOUNG woman's bravery has been hailed by firefighters after she leapt into icy waters beside a flooded river to save a neighbour’s life. Student Leah Curtis plunged into save 62-year-old Danny Smith after his dinghy capsized in Boroughbridge
Happy New Year everyone. Over the festive season I have driven a particular route on a number of occasions that involves crossing a beck. The foundations of the stone bridge that spans this were washed away in floods earlier in the year and
A CREATIVE design company had marked its third birthday with a trio of important milestones. Purple Creative Studio, based in the outskirts of Richmond, North Yorkshire has doubled staff numbers; moved into spacious high-tech offices and re-branded
BUSINESS confidence remains low but there are some positive economic signs for the year ahead, according to the Federation of Small Businesses. National chairman John Walker said that 2012 had proved tough, but suggested the picture for the coming
Peter Mulcaster has decided to quit as manager of second division Horden. Mulcaster decided that he should step down following the defeat by Morpeth on Boxing Day, a setback that left Horden in second bottom place. “No wins in 18 games mean
POLICE are investigating a report of a robbery at a market town convenience store. The alleged incident occurred shortly before 8pm on New Year's Day at the Spar shop in Wolsingham, Weardale, County Durham. The shop was last night cordoned
A high-flying graduate is toasting triple success after being crowned Teesside University’s Student of the Year. Alecia Cotterell was presented with the award shortly after receiving her BSc (Hons) Youth Studies during her graduation ceremony.
A FAMILY’S desire to discover more about their County Durham ancestors has revealed an unexpected connection to one of Charles Dickens’ most celebrated novels. Robert Richardson decided to investigate his Teesdale ancestors as a Christmas surprise
SCORES of intrepid swimmers took a New Year's Day dip in the icy ocean yesterday. There were screams and shrieks as fancy dress-wearing men and women ran into the sea. Veteran fundraiser Ron Gordon, 58, who has been organising fundraising dips
A BUS company has announced fare rises which will come into effect on Sunday (January 6). Arriva North East bosses say a number of fares will be increased so it can maintain its investment at current levels. However, all adult single ticket
A MAN sustained serious facial injuries in a large-scale fight in the early hours of this morning (January 1, 2013). The disturbance happened on Aberdale Road in Grangetown, Middlesbrough, at about 1am. No further details were being released by
DIABETES sufferers should get family and friends involved in coping with the condition, research from a North-East university has found. Having the support of loved ones in being physically active is among a list of ten top tips to combat Type
NEW Year’s Eve was not unusually busy, a police chief has said – despite two nightclub stabbings. Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Kay Blyth said overall arrests were down on the previous year. “Northumbria Police dealt with a number
A FAMILY say they have been left devastated after finding the grave of a loved one wrecked. Ronald Hobson's relatives were called on Monday morning to Thornaby Cemetery to remove any grave ornaments due to a burial in an adjoining plot. However
SOLDIERS in the 21 Royal Engineers, from Ripon's Claro Barracks, have completed a 50-hour training session at their Camp Bastion base in Afghanistan to pay tribute to medic Corporal Channing Day, who was killed in a firefight in October. The ten soldiers
A NORTH-EAST media company famous for printing football publications has won a £200,000 contract to print Liverpool FC’s matchday programme. And the local MP visited the premises of HPM Group in Newton Aycliffe to celebrate the deal. The 100
A SURVIVOR of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami has told how she faced drowning for a second time after her car after it became submerged in floodwaters last month. Nina Aldrich, who developed multiple sclerosis months after witnessing the disaster during
A MAN known as “Father Fitness” resisted the temptation of a New Year lie in to complete day eight of a unique 12 Days of Christmas charity challenge. While many were sleeping off hangovers, Paul Stainthorpe was running the 9.5 miles from his home
TINY Mischa Dixon became the region’s first New Year’s Day baby when she arrived just seconds into 2013. New mum Tanya Dixon, 29, of Marske, near Redcar, could hear Big Ben chime midnight on the radio as Mischa was born at James Cook University
CAMPAIGNERS for an elected government of the North have called on Ed Miliband get serious on ‘one nation’ politics. Leaders of the Hannah Mitchell Foundation (HMF) say the Labour leader must produce radical policies to revive the North’s economy
POLICE have warned motorists to lock their vehicles after a spate of thefts from insecure cars. Officers in Darlington have reminded drivers not to leave valuable items on show in their vehicles, and not to leave their vehicle unattended with the
A VETERAN journalist who helped keep the North-East up to date with the latest news for 60 years has died at the age of 84. Retired reporter Dennis Robinson, of Sedgefield, County Durham, died, peacefully, in hospital on December 22 following a
THREE guns have been found in a blazing wheelie bin. The weapons, a shotgun and two rifles, are believed to have been those stolen – along with some ammunition – from a car parked on Old Mill Road, in Southwick, Sunderland, on Saturday (December
THE British Heart Foundation charity has launched a free New Year New You health pack, including advice about diet, physical activity, quitting smoking and healthy lifestyles. It comes as research suggests North-East people are likely to have consumed
IT’S now or never for a North-East student, after he landed a touring contract as an Elvis impersonator. Mark Nixon, from Ushaw Moor, County Durham, has won a deal to tour Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and the UK fronting an Elvis tribute
POLICE have blamed the recession for a marked drop in New Year’s Day incidents in a town. Officers in Darlington say they dealt with fewer incidents during the early hours of Tuesday, January 1, as revellers chose to celebrate the start of 2013
HUNDREDS of people turned out today (Tuesday, January 1) for two New Year’s Day hunts. Members of the Hurworth Hunt, in North Yorkshire, met outside the Horseshoe Inn, in West Rounton, near Northallerton, before heading off on a trail. The
LARGE areas of North Yorkshire remained at risk of flooding tonight (Tuesday, January 1) as ground water continued to rise. The Environment Agency said as flood plains were still saturated it was maintaining 14 flood warnings for the rivers Ure
A RENOWNED silent movies expert will present a season of faith-based films starting next week (Tuesday, January 8). Dr David Williams, who was made an MBE for services to media studies in the North-East, will begin his series ‘Films of Faith in
HEALTH chiefs are launching four new groups to help smokers quit their habit for the New Year. The County Durham and Darlington Stop Smoking Service is setting up community-based quit smoking groups in Thornley, Wingate, Fishburn and Wheatley Hill
TONY MOWBRAY makes three changes to his Middlesbrough side for this afternoon’s Championship match against Derby County at Pride Park. Lukas Jutkiewicz, Adam Reach and Stuart Parnaby come in for Ishmael Miller, Marvin Emnes and Justin Hoyte as
VOLUNTEERS are wanted to inspect two North-East prisons. An appeal has been made for new members of the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) for Low Newton and Durham prisons, both in Durham City. Duties include sampling the food, as volunteers
CATHEDRAL chiefs are delighted after a new shop exceeded all expectations in its first few months. Durham Cathedral opened a new shop in its western Undercroft in late October, two-and-a-half years after American brothers Phil and Mark Brewer suddenly
THIRTY-eight public libraries will see their opening hours cut tomorrow (Wednesday, January 2). Facing a spending squeeze of nearly £200m over the next few years, Labour-led Durham County Council chose to keep all its libraries open – but with
A MAN and woman in their early thirties had to be rushed to hospital this afternoon following a car accident in St Helen Auckland, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Firefighters had to free the pair from the wreckage of their car after they
POLICE in Darlington were called out to a domestic dispute yesterday (Monday, December 31) following reports of a distraught woman being dragged across the road. The incident occurred at around 1.30am on West Auckland Road at the junction with
THE daughter of PC David Rathband who hung himself after being shot in the face and blinded by fugitive gunman Raoul Moat has revealed she wants to become a police officer. Fourteen-year-old Mia Rathband says she is intent on joining the Northumbria
THE New Year started with a bang for a North-East police force, as an explosion sparked a fire at its headquarters. Firefighters rushed to Durham Constabulary’s ageing HQ, in Aykley Heads, Durham City, this morning (Tuesday, January 1), after a
FREE sports festivals, taster sessions and exciting coaching opportunities will be offered at four sites across County Durham this year thanks to a major grant from a high street bank. Durham County Council has secured a £35,952 grant from the
MARTIN O'NEILL has been forced in to a transfer rethink after admitting he does not know if experienced defender Wes Brown will return to action for Sunderland this season. O'Neill had been expecting to offload either Titus Bramble or Matt Kilgallon
A POLICE headquarters is on fire this morning, after an overheated battery sparked an explosion. Fire crews are currently battling the blaze at Durham Constabulary HQ, in Aykley Heads, Durham City. A police spokesman said the fire, in offices
JOHN Hughes has saluted the elder statesman in his Hartlepool United squad, after they engineered a first victory under his control. And today, with Preston visiting Victoria Park, Hughes is asking Steve Howard and Ritchie Humphreys to go again. The
ALAN Pardew has urged Demba Ba to bring an end to the fevered speculation regarding his future by making a definitive statement about his plans for this month's transfer window. The transfer market swung back into action this morning with Ba's
THE support of a town mayor has signalled the acceptance of a charity which helps homeless people, many of whom have criminal records, turn their lives around. Duncan Leatherdale reports. WHEN Cornerstone first moved into Willington High Street
THE first major sporting event of 2013? Look no further than Alexandra Palace this evening for the final of the PDC World Darts Championship. Some people might decry darts' status as a sport, but there is no denying the success or popularity of
A ROAD safety charity has branded the hundreds of motorists in the region still driving despite having 12 or more penalty points on their licence as "outrageous". The Northern Echo can reveal that 430 drivers in the North-East and North Yorkshire
A YOUNG man whose aunt, mother and sister were shot dead a year ago today (January 1) has seen in the New Year in London, after deciding it would have been too painful to spend the anniversary of the tragedy at home. Taxi driver Michael Atherton
A VIKING-inspired parade heralded the arrival of the New Year in Newcastle. Thousands took to the streets of the city for a New Year’s Eve Winter Carnival featuring a colourful procession which drew on Norse mythology and Viking folklore for family
