Archive

Full-time: Esh Group Eagles Newcastle 97 Durham Wildcats 75 THE Esh Group Eagles Newcastle took a huge step to progressing to the BBL Play-Off Semi-Finals with a superb first-leg win over local rivals Durham Wildcats at Sport Central. The clash

AN unemployed man who entered BBC quiz show Mastermind after losing his job was tonight declared the winner. Chris Webber fired the questions at Clive Dunning. THE new Mastermind of Britain, otherwise known as Clive Dunning, has put his success

THE body of a man has been found at an NHS clinic in Newcastle. Northumbria Police says it believes the body, discovered in a secure area at the city's Hadrian Clinic, is that of missing man Gary Smith, who was last seen on March 31. Mr Smith

JACK LAUGHER believes he and partner Chris Mears will go from strength to strength after finally making their long-awaited competitive debut together and finishing fourth at the Diving World Series in London. The duo first teamed up after last

EMERGENCY services are at the scene of a road accident in Darlington in which a 57-year old grandmother was injured. The woman was driving her silver Renault Megane when it was in collision with a black Mazda at the junction of Park Lane and Parkside

DARLINGTON are appealing for volunteers to help drain the Heritage Park pitch on Saturday morning, with heavy rainfall throwing their Evo-Stik Division One North game against Burscough into doubt. Rain has been falling in County Durham for most

A GUILT-RACKED former carer rang police to confess to a catalogue of sexual and physical assaults committed while working at homes for vulnerable adults. Less than two months after Michael Joseph Mazzetti was dismissed from his job with a company

With Norwich likely to be beaten at Manchester United, there's a huge incentive for both Sunderland and Cardiff as the pair meet in a crucial showdown at the Stadium of Light. A reverse for either team will probably condemn them to the Championship,

MORE than 2,000 customers were left without electricity due to a fault in overhead cables in Sunderland. Wearsiders in the Millfield area of the city, as well as students and staff at the Sunderland University City Campus buildings, lost power,

Manager award The managing director of a County Durham hotel has been shortlisted for a national award. Nick Holmes, MD of Rockliffe Hall in Hurworth, near Darlington, has made it to the final three in the Manager of the Year category of the Caterer

GATESHEAD tackle their final match of the Skrill Premier season tomorrow evening knowing a draw will guarantee them a place in the play-off semi-finals. The Heed entertain second-placed Cambridge United knowing they could find themselves back up

A MAN arrested over an attack on a 40-year-old man whose penis was severed, has been released without charge. The victim, who has not been named by Cleveland Police, was found with serious injuries on the A66 in Middlesbrough early on March 13.

OLDER people can find out about the health services available to them in the Newton Aycliffe area next week. The Pioneering Care Partnership’s (PCP) Cancer Champions team is hosting the event at Newton Aycliffe Youth and Community Centre on Burn

CAR SMASH: Two vehicles have been involved in a crash in Barugh Lane, near Great Barugh near Malton, North Yorkshire.  North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue arrived at the scene at around 3.45pm today. It is believed three people were trapped inside

Police in Sunderland are hunting a man who made inappropriate comments to young children in a school playground. At 12.50pm on Thursday (April 24) a man in his 20s stopped outside South Hylton Primary School, Cambria Road, and shouted to children in

A GIANT robotic crusher will be the star of a North-East exhibition this weekend. Maker Faire UK is being held at the Centre for Life in Newcastle tomorrow (Saturday, April 26 and Sunday (April 27). RoboHand is an interactive art piece originally

POETS are being called on to represent Darlington in an annual best of UK poetry book. Entry is free and, like all the other winners, the Darlington winner gets a free copy of The National Poetry Anthology and has the chance to be picked as the overall

A FLOWER queen has been selected to lead the grand procession at a popular medieval fair next month. Nine-year-old Jessica Darnton will travel by horse drawn carriage during the parade, which heralds the start of Sedgefield Medieval Fair. The

THE MINISTRY of Justice has agreed to pay damages to two more victims of sexual abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre – bringing the total in out-of-court settlements to more than £1m. The awards are the latest in long-running civil actions for the

A MOTORIST’S momentary inattention cost the life of a much-loved husband and father who was riding his motorcycle on a country road, a court heard. Neil Hamilton was travelling westwards on his 600cc BMW machine on the B6301 Hedleyhill Lane, near

Film Club Popeye is the next Darlington Youth Film Club screening at The Forum on Borough Road. It will be shown at 6pm on Monday and admission is £1.50.

Thief steals pensioner’s tree: A HEARTLESS thief has chopped down and stolen a tree from a pensioner’s garden in Shotton Colliery. The seven-foot cherry tree was removed from the 81-year-old woman’s garden in Thornhill Road between 9.30pm on Wednesday

PACT meetings Police and Communities Together meetings for the wards of Haughton West and Middleton St George are taking place on April 30. Haughton West residents are invited along to the Education Village, Salters Lane South, at 4pm to meet with

AN ADVERTISING campaign urging motorists to drive with the safety of pedal and motorcyclists in mind has been launched ahead of the Tour de France Grand Depart. The joint North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Police Think! Bike campaign

A GROUP that strives to ensure Darlington residents get the best possible healthcare has become the first in the region to operate completely independently. Healthwatch Darlington Limited is part of a national Healthwatch network established by

A CHURCH is holding an open day on Saturday, May 3 to show the work it has been doing on a conservation project in its church yard. St Andrew’s Church, Grinton, near Reeth, is continuing its conservation project for its second year, with an aim

PLANS to build 450 homes and a retirement complex in Sedgefield will be showcased to the public next month. UK investment business ESRG is inviting residents to have their say on its proposal to build 218 homes, including executive, family and

ADVICE SURGERY Northallerton councillor David Blades will hold his monthly ward advice surgery meeting in Northallerton Library from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, May 3.

A SERIES of events are taking place across Darlington next month to mark Dementia Awareness Week. The initiative is part of the Alzheimer’s Society’s drive to increase public awareness of the disease and is being supported by the charity’s Darlington

5:00pm Darlington 1 Burscough 2 Bamber Bridge and Ramsbottom United drew, so in the play-off semi-final on Wednesday Darlington will play Ramsbottom, the team that beat DFC home and away...

WORK has started on a multi-million pound affordable housing development in a former coal mining village. Home Group has started work on a £3m development which will provide 28 new affordable homes in Thornley, near Peterlee, County Durham.

A BABY cafe will celebrate its first birthday with a party for families on Monday (April 28). The cafe based at Willington One Point Children’s Centre offers mothers the chance to get health and social advice as well as mingling with other families

POLICE say an escaped Bengal Eagle Owl could swoop on people carrying food. The bird is thought to be hungry after escaping from its owner’s home in Jutland Avenue, Hebburn, South Tyneside. It was reported missing to police on Thursday (April

ACADEMY students had the chance to grill their local MP about how government works when he attended their school for a two hour visit today (Friday, April 25). Tom Blenkinsop, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, spoke to students

HE superglued his hand back together and was a day away from having an infected leg cut off but stubbornly hobbled into work to help a class of wayward teenagers. LUCY RICHARDSON speaks to teacher Michael Steer from C4’s Educating Yorkshire about his

SPRING FAIR: St Andrew's Dawson Street Methodist United Reform Church in Crook is to hold a Spring fair on Saturday, May 10. It runs between 10am and 1pm with free entry and there will be stalls, a raffle, a tombola and refreshments. Proceeds are in

Stolen bike A ladies Scott Voltage mountain bike was stolen from an address on Kitchener Street in Darlington on Monday. The bike is pale green with white suspension forks and police are appealing for the public to contact them on 101 if they are

A NEW on-line health “atlas” has revealed striking patterns of disease in the region - including high rates of lung cancer but lower than average cases of skin cancer. The high resolution maps covering England and Wales show stark variations in

RECENT cases heard at Northallerton Magistrates’ Court include: Karen Marie Alley, 32, of Hambleton Avenue, Thirsk, who admitted to avoiding paying part of a rail fare. She was fined £70, with compensation of £5.30, a £20 victim surcharge and £80

A SOCIAL enterprise which helps members of the Armed Forces community start their own businesses has set up its first regional base outside London in the North-East.  X-Forces was established to help military veterans and the wider forces’ community

DARLINGTON MP Jenny Chapman has backed a campaign to get more people using buses in the town. Ms Chapman attended the Darlington launch of the national Catch the Bus Week initiative and said bus companies should continue to do all they can to encourage

BOOK FAIR The Darlington Book Fair will take place at the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College on Saturday, May 10 between 10am and 4pm. For more information visit pbfa.org.  

A COMMUNITY’s flower display is expected to be more colourful than ever thanks to a cash donation from a homebuilder. Taylor Wimpey has given Stainton and Thornton Parish Council £500 to go towards their annual flower displays. The donation

SWIMMERS from Stockton cut through the competition to emerge victorious in a Tees Valley tournament. More than 200 youngsters aged nine to 16-years-old took part in the swimming gala at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre which marked the first event of

COUNTY Durham primary school children who aim to make a difference showcased their citizenship at a celebration event today (Friday, April 25). The Go-Givers Make a Difference Challenge at Durham University’s Van Mildert College, saw 14 primary

A MULTIPLE sclerosis support group has donated a bladder scanner to their local hospital to help patients with the condition. The scanner was presented to the neuroscience service at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. Worth

WITH five double bedrooms, plus versatile and spacious living accommodation, Craggs Lane Farmhouse, at Tunstall, near Richmond, is a well-presented family property. Enjoying a superb position with a southerly aspect, the main reception rooms and

ONE of the region’s favourite tourist attractions broke an attendance record over Easter. Beamish Museum, near Stanley, Couinty Durham, attracted 5,600 visitors on both Good Friday and Easter Saturday and a total of 30,000 throughout the week,

A FRESH reminder has been issued to residents of Hartlepool that they can check details of future refuse and recycling collections via a new on-line calendar. The days of the week on which residents’ bins are usually emptied remain the same, and

SCORES of volunteers turned out to give Redcar beach a spring clean this morning. The Marine Conservation Society event was part of the national Big Beach Clean Up project which aims to improve beaches for everyone. Councillor Christopher Massey

FORMER North-East football stars helped teach youngsters about the dangers of racism. Ex-Sunderland defender Gary Bennett, now a radio commentator, and former-Middlesbrough player Dean Gordon as well as ex-Newcastle United players Olivier Bernard

A MUSIC festival staged for the first time last year is to make a return tonight. The Consett Festival, which attracted 3,000 people last year, promises to be even better this time around with an extra night of music, which will see it running

ANNUAL MEETING: The annual general meeting of Durham City Centre Youth Project will take place on Thursday, May 15 in Framwellgate Moor Community Centre at 5.30pm. The meeting will include an outline of the charity’s work over the last year and election

A CHESTER-le-Street church will be welcoming friends old and new as it celebrates its bi-centenary. The Bethel United Reformed Church in Low Chare is holding events next weekend to mark the 200th anniversary of the foundation stone being laid on

Durham Rambling Club will do two walks in Cumbria on Sunday, May 4 - nine miles from Ravenstonedale to Orton and 12 miles from Kirkby Stephen to Orton. Travel by coach with pick-ups around Durham costs £12. New members are welcome. For details and

SAGE Gateshead’s general director Anthony Sargent has today (Friday, April 25) announced he is to stand down after 15 years at the helm of the North-East’s premier musical venue. Mr Sargent will leave his post in April 2015, following the venue

WILLOW Burn Hospice is holding a sponsored stroll on Sunday (April 27) to raise money for its building appeal. Between 2 and 5pmwalkers will follow a three-and- a-half mile route from the Three Horseshoes at Maiden Law, near Lanchester, that offers

A MAN has appeared before magistrates accused of robbing a convenience store on Good Friday. Christopher Williams, 31, was arrested after a man wearing a Halloween mask and pink gloves struck at Sainsbury’s on The Avenue in Chester-le-Street, County

POLICE are asking for the public’s help in finding a £3,500 bike stolen from the roof of a car. The mountain bike had been secured to a car parked in Morrison’s car park on Castlegate, Malton, when it was taken at about 12pm on Monday, April 21

A NORTH-EAST car dealership has been recognised for providing excellent service to Motability customers with a national award. Bristol Street Motors Vauxhall in Newcastle, which is part of Vertu Motors PLC, the UK’s sixth largest motor retailer

A PIONEERING energy firm has officially started work on a second North-East factory. Air Products is building another advanced gasification plant in Billingham, near Stockton. The factory will create 50 jobs, support about 750 construction

PRINCESS Diana’s last official letter – written to a humanitarian campaigner who was hijacked by armed paramilitaries – is to go under the hammer. Diana sent the hand-signed note on Kensington Palace paper to Dilys Cheetham, of Richmond, North

A DRUNK-DRIVER who ran away from the crash that killed his friend just four days before Christmas has been jailed for six years and four months. Darrel French had to be chased 200 yards by another motorist after fleeing from the scene of the incident

Darlington Building Society​ NYSD ECB Premier League JUST four teams remain unbeaten after the season’s opening two weekends and once again it’s champions Richmondshire who are leading the way. Familiar rivals Darlington, along with Great Ayton

A TALENTED teenager is becoming an artist to the stars after a succession of celebrities praised her work. Self-taught artist Emilia Apreda, from Whitburn, has impressed stars such as Taylor Swift and stars of Little Mix for her talent of drawing

A NEW mobile phone app which could help improve the treatment of people with multiple sclerosis has been developed with the help of health professionals and patients in the North-East. The new SymTrac app helps users to track their MS symptoms

A PENSIONER has been reunited with her garden gnome as police uncovered a haul of items stolen from Darlington gardens. The 87-year-old, who lives in the Whinfield area of town, was said to be “absolutely delighted” when PC Kathryn Pudney personally

A CHARITY is appealing to businesses to help it offer a greater range of support to adults with learning disabilities. Ripon Community Link is set to move from its Palace Road base to two sites near the city centre to improve its facilities, boost

A COUNCILLOR is fundraising for three different charities in an all-day coffee event. Richmondshire District Councillor Linda Curran is holding an All Day Coffee Morning on Saturday, May 3 in Richmond Town Hall starting at 9am. She will be

ART SHOW A charity art exhibition will be held in Darlington this weekend. The exhibition, held at St Herbert’s Church Hall, in Yarm Road, Darlington, will feature a number of local artists and art groups. The event runs from 10am to 4pm tomorrow

THOSE looking for a charming detached period cottage set in delightful, secluded gardens should take a look at Monday Cottage. The stone-built property in the hamlet of Hartforth, not far from Gilling West, near Richmond, was formerly the laundry

CHAINSAW carvings created by college students are some of the new attractions at a garden attraction which has just reopened. The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, near Ripon, reopened for the season on Friday, April 18. Some of the new

A SCAFFOLDER who fraudently claimed more than £46,000 worth of benefits while working offshore has been jailed for six months. Keith Brown was said by a judge to be responsible for persistent and lengthy offences of benefit fraud over several years

An afternoon tea dance will take place at the Golden Lion Hotel in Northallerton on Sunday, May 11 between 2pm and 4.45pm. Entry is £5 including tea and coffee. There will be a program of mixed dance, including ballroom, sequence, line and folk and

RESTORATIVE justice is helping fractured communities come together, according to a passionate volunteer. Rosie Dixon, 22, devotes her spare time to working with Darlington’s Neighbourhood Resolution scheme, which works to resolve neighbourhood

A LANDMARK pub, which has recently undergone a £450,000 makeover, will be officially reopened next month by an MP. Pat Glass, MP for North-West Durham, is to reopen The Jolly Drovers, in Leadgate, near Consett at a launch night on May 9. Leaseholders

RESEARCHERS are aiming to develop new therapies for osteoarthritis by rejuvenating old stem cells to repair cartilage damage. A research team at York University have been awarded £190,158 from the medical research charity Arthritis Research UK

FREE MICROCHIPPING A Darlington veterinary practice is offering free microchipping for dogs. Darlington Vet Clinic, in Alverton Drive, Faverdale, is taking part in a national campaign by the charity Dogs Trust to offer free microchipping for dogs

FUN FAIR: Carnival Funfairs is offering the free loan of swing boats and T-cups rides to schools and charities within 60 miles of Durham for midweek fairs and gala days. Details can be obtained from 07836350507.

Heard the one about the cancer specialist standing against the Prime Minister in the next General Election? Well, its all true. Health and Education Editor Barry Nelson talked to would-be MP Dr Clive Peedell. It is safe to say that if North-East

SCHOOL children have broken a world record with a celebrity maths marathon to remember. Maths genius Johnny Ball hosted the Think of a Number 'World’s Largest Live Audience Maths Lesson' to 7,000 pupils at Leeds United’s Elland Road ground.

A LIBRARY is to stage a month of events celebrating the region’s rich railway heritage. Clayport Library, in Durham City has organised a packed programme of talks, craft drop-ins and family sessions throughout May to mark Local History Month.

SHOPPERS maintained their appetite for spending last month after official figures showed clothing stores enjoyed their best growth in three years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said retail sales volumes rose 0.1% in March on the prior

Spennymoor can clinch promotion and the league title today, but they will have a tough task at home to Guisborough. Moors go into the game against the fourth placed club with a two point lead over Celtic Nation, and needing a win to make sure of

DOG walkers are being warned to keep their pets on a lead on open access land in an attempt to cut the number of sheep deaths. The National Trust has issued a seasonal reminder for owners to keep tight control of their dogs during lambing season

THE first in a series of monthly car boot sales at Summerhill in Hartlepool will take place tomorrow (Saturday, April 26). Organised by Hartlepool Council, the event will take place from 10am-1pm outside the visitor centre. Admission is 20p for

JACK BROOKS admits he is hungry for a place in Yorkshire’s team for Sunday’s LV= County Championship match against Middlesex, but the inform fast bowler has also conceded that if there was ever a game to miss then one at Lord’s would be it. The

WHEN Karl Dickson left Barnard Castle School he could have expected to graduate straight into the Newcastle academy. Instead he headed south to Coventry University and a three-year switch from rugby to football. Not even England’s foremost

MUTEELA further enhanced her reputation with a dominant front-running display in the Happy Birthday Dadie Oughtred Stakes at Beverley. Mark Johnston’s filly is well-related as a half-sister to the yard’s former Group Onewinning juvenile Awzaan

NEW College Durham will host and Exploring Degrees event providing information about higher education funding at its Framwellgate Moor campus, Durham City, on Wednesday (April 30) at 6pm. For further details, call 0191-375-4040 or visit newcollegedurham.ac.uk

TRAINER Brian Ellison has warned stable star Top Notch Tonto is not yet at the peak of his powers as he prepares to make his seasonal reappearance in the bet365 Mile at Sandown today. The four-year-old did not join Ellison until the middle of last

GAMES and occasions like Easter Monday at Victoria Park don’t happen too often; but Colin Cooper wants his players to make sure Hartlepool United end their season on a positive note. Pools ended a six-game losing streak on Monday as they dramatically

CYCLING over the Andes is the next challenge for a North-East woman now mid-way through an epic 9,000 mile charity quest. Susie Stephen started her journey from her hometown of Darlington in February and ran the equivalent of a marathon a day to

CHELSEA midfielder Ramires will miss the Blues’ title run-in after accepting a four-match ban for violent conduct. The Brazilian had until 6pm yesterday to respond to a Football Association charge for striking Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson in

IT’S two days into your holiday, and that optimistic £100 that was going to fund your entire trip has vanished on lazy lunches, cold beers and comedy fridge magnets. Oh well, you think, you’ll just get more money out. But tackling an ATM abroad

ISTANBUL was this week named the top destination, ahead of cities such as Rome, London, Paris and New York, in the Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations by TripAdvisor. Already the sixth most-visited country in the world with a record-breaking

MAKE the most of spring to explore the beauty of the dales on foot. The Charles Bathurst Inn in Arkengarthdale has a special Muddy Boots Walking Break until June 30. Walkers can save up to £60 off a two or three-night dinner, bed and breakfast

IF a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly. Especially sport. Unless you’re a parent. Children are apparently falling out of love with competitive sports because parents take it all too seriously – think of all those bellowing football dads

NO, I couldn’t make out much of Jamaica Inn. But I could hardly see it either. So much TV drama is set amid the encircling gloom – Jamaica Inn, Shetland, Endeavour? Weren’t the 1960s all bright plastic primary colours? Not in Oxford, apparently

Dear Sharon SADLY, I have to agree with you about the way in which parents let their children run wild, making no attempt to control them. I have to use public transport and am a bit unsteady on my feet and am often nearly knocked over by children

IT’S the hottest seat in television, but the spotlight is landing on the famous black chair for the last time (in this series), as TV’s most gruelling quiz show, Mastermind, wraps up another run. But before we throw ourselves at host John Humphrys

ZAC Efron is hot property at the moment, so it’s little surprise he’s been snapped up for an appearance on one of our most-loved chat shows. After finding the limelight thanks to High School Musical in 2006, he’s gone on to take on grittier roles

IN the ever-changing world of Chatty Man, those being asked to chatter while selecting one of Alan Carr’s strange concoctions to drink, will definitely include Hobbit and Sherlock star Martin Freeman, who talks about his new series Fargo. Lindsay

TWO Sunderland photographers have joined forces to celebrate daily life on Wearside. 24 Hours in Sunderland is a collaboration between photographers Andy Martin and Paul Swinney, exploring the theme of work, life and leisure in the city. The exhibition

A ONCE-in-a-lifetime opportunity is being offered to budding Shakespearean actors at Frosterley Village Hall, Weardale, on Sunday, when a fun session launches a performance of The Tempest, being produced alongside The Royal Shakespeare Company.

AT last something good to write about: the Tommy Cooper biopic Not Like That, Like This on ITV on Monday night. Just seeing him walk on stage made you laugh – he was a really funny man. I thought actor David Threlfall portrayed Cooper really well

THE North-East is demeaned by the appearance of Ukip’s posters on billboards around the region. The messages they carry bear no relationship to the truth and are designed to promote irrational fear and resentment within our communities. It

AS avid theatre goers, my wife and I visited Sunderland Empire last Saturday to catch the new musical Happy Days. Our memories of Happy Days on TV were that it was a lighthearted and entertaining (if not a little cheesy) programme from the US and

TONY KELLY put forward a fair assessment of post-war Britain (HAS, Apr 23). The nation has become a second-rate and dismal failure. It has been led by political failure time after time, because of our own arrogance and sloth. We have become a nation

SO William Wilkinson thinks that Stockton council’s replacement of the cobbles in Yarm high street is the worst vandalism since the Goths sacked Rome (Echo, Apr 23). How refreshing in these days of hype and exaggeration to find someone with a sense

AS a regular reader of The Northern Echo, the headline of “Legs Before Wicket” accompanying the picture of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, batting in New Zealand had indeed stuck in my mind (From the Editor’s Chair, Echo, Apr 21). Not because

GREAT risks have been run to bring you this column. I have risked being bitten by a snake, risked having my house struck by lightning and risked causing displeasure to the fairies just to bring you this flowery titbit. It started a week or so ago

IN the year marking the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, it is fitting that the Government should make a commitment to restore the gravestones of heroic soldiers awarded the Victoria Cross – the highest military award for bravery

STEAM GALA: The Great Northern Railway is to be celebrated at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon’s Spring Steam Gala. The event will see a Stirling single locomotive reunited with its original tender following a two year restoration

Tickets for Darlington's play-off semi-final are selling well and season ticket holders have until 11am tomorrow to snap up theirs. Close to 500 have been sold since they were made available on Wednesday evening, and they go on general sale at

  Now that Fidgety Bridget Wrigglesworth - my third book in the Monstrous Morals series - is in the shops, number four is about to be sent to the printers. Nose-Picker Nicholas Pickering tells the tale about a little boy who can't stop

TONIGHT, Durham Wildcats make history as they contest their first-ever British Basketball League play-off game, against their North-East rivals Esh Group Eagles. It is quite an achievement for the Wildcats’ coach Lee Davie, who has taken the Durham

ADAM JOHNSON thinks Sunderland can head in to this weekend’s crucial relegation encounter at the Stadium of Light boosted to know Cardiff City will have to go on the attack. The Black Cats now have Premier League survival in their sights again

AFTER experiencing the full force of the Championship in his first six months in charge at the Riverside Stadium, Aitor Karanka is ready to have a rethink when it comes to Middlesbrough’s recruitment plans. Since taking over from Tony Mowbray in

IT used to be said that Manchester United were different. Not any more. If this week's messy dismissal of David Moyes has taught us anything, it is that United's claim to ethical superiority over their rivals at the top end of the English and European

A CARER who has dedicated her life to helping adults with learning disabilities said it was fate that her son has Down’s Syndrome. Heather Carr tells Duncan Leatherdale how she will use her son Blake to change the public’s view of the disability.

A FORMER teacher who was accused of regularly parading naked in his front window in full view of neighbours and passers-by could face a jail sentence after he was convicted of three counts of exposure. Andrew Beasley was alleged to have exposed

ON a day when players of yesteryear gathered beneath the Gallowgate End to pay tribute to the last Newcastle United manager to lead the club to a major trophy, the captain of that Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winning team still struggles understand why it

AN aircraft recycling business has starred in a unique TV show. Sycamore Aviation, based at Durham Tees Valley Airport, supplied an Airbus A320 for Kevin McCloud's Supersize Salvage programme. The Channel Four show aired last night (Thursday

A PENSIONER who has barely been outside for almost half a century last night (Thursday, April 24) told how she conquered her agoraphobia to see her grandson receive a Royal honour. Patricia Cooper, 77, has suffered from the debilitating disorder

A GLOBAL aerospace firm cutting a third of its North-East workforce has warned it faces a drop in revenues. Cobham, which operates from Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA), says foreign currency issues have hit earnings in the first three months

LEADERS of a growing community campaign say it would be crazy to allow coal mining in open countryside on the outskirts of Durham. Supporters of the Stop The Opencast Between Pittington and West Rainton (Stopwr) group has been working to defeat

A MOTORIST killed when he lost control of his sports car on the A1(M) had bought the vehicle from his uncle just the previous night. Peter Enright died of multiple injuries when he crashed his Toyota MR2 between Bowburn and Bradbury, on Sunday,

MUSIC FESTIVAL: More than 30 bands will perform at Crookfest being held at Crook Town Football Club's Sir Tom Cowie Millfield ground, in Crook, County Durham, on Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4, from noon to 11pm. Groups set to perform include

CRASH INJURIES A man and a woman were taken to hospital following a two-vehicle collision on Long Lane, Byers Green, near Spennymoor, shortly after 5pm on Thursday (April 24). The 25-year-old female driver of a Ford Ka suffered a suspected broken leg

RISING STARS Harpeth Rising, one of America’s most successful young folk bands, will appear at The Witham, Barnard Castle, on Saturday, May 17, as part of a UK tour to promote their fourth album, Tales from Jackson Bridge, which will be on sale

A COURSE to help people become volunteers at a children’s centre is being run in Willington. The Durham County Council-run access all areas course is geared towards training people to become volunteers at the One Point Children’s Centres. The

SUPERFAST INTERNET EE has launched superfast 4G mobile broadband in Bishop Auckland. The company is the only 4G mobile network accessible in the town and is also available in Durham, Middlesbrough and Darlington. Claire Dobson, regional manager

A NEW course aimed at people wanting to join the police will begin recruiting next week. Bishop Auckland College is launching the HNC/HND in Public Services (Policing and Criminal Investigation) qualification in September. The course will see

MORRIS DANCING Laithkirk Church, near Mickleton, is holding its annual open day on Monday, May 5, from 10.30am to 4pm. Attractions include a performance by the Rumold Morris Dancers at 11.15am, a plant stall, tombola and raffle. There will also

FUNDRAISERS took to the hills to raise money for a charity which supports rural farmers. Just over £1,000 was raised for Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services (Utass) during the five-mile sponsored walk which took participants from Middleton-in-Teesdale

A TOWN council is engaged in a power struggle over the electricity supply to a new performance area. The stage was installed as part of a £400,000 improvement project on the Scar Top area in Barnard Castle and the work included the provision of

A VILLAGE Post Office is to re-open 16 months after it closed due to public demand. The new branch will open in the Mickle Grove Common Room, Mickle Grove, Coundon, in early June. The service will be provided by the sub-postmistress from Bishop