Crook Town are setting up a junior section in a big step forward for the club. It’s a first for the club as they start to build for the future, both on and off the field as a nightmare season in the Northern League comes to an end. They could be
Shildon moved into third place in the ENL First Division when they won 4-0 at Central Avenue tonight. The Railwaymen took the lead after 17 minutes through Darren Craddock in a goalmouth scramble, then they went 2-0 up on half time when Paul Connor
A PILOT scheme to breath test drinkers at the pub door will begin “imminently”, a safety chief confirmed tonight (Wednesday, February 25), as the first student river angels took to the streets of Durham to protect their drunken course mates.Terry Collins
Prince Harry was given a rousing three cheers by ex-servicemen when he visited a residential home for veterans - some of whom were in Afghanistan at the same time as him. He was at Avondale House, an oasis of more than 30 one-bedroom flats in the
AFTER a particularly damning Ofsted report, the Department for Education has tonight declared that there is no future for Durham Free School. It will close at Easter despite a campaign by parents to save the Christian academy. In confirming the
KATY MCLEAN has been reinstated as England captain for their Six Nations match against Ireland on Friday evening.Tamara Taylor, Mclean’s Darlington Mowden Park Sharks teammate, steps down to vice-captain having skippered England in their first two Six
HOPES and fears of homeless young people in the North-East are reflected in a new exhibition at Durham Cathedral.The collection of mixed-media art work, including poetry and photography, has been compiled by 40 contributors across the region.It highlights
A MAN has been caught fly tipping on CCTV and now authorities are trying to find out who he is. A camera filmed him throwing an empty cabling drum and other items straight from a Ford Transit and into Pemberton Road car park, in Consett, just after
THIEVES have caused an estimated £10,000 worth of damage to a rural church by stealing lead and damaging stonework.Police have appealed for witnesses following the incident in Redmire, near Leyburn, North Yorkshire, which took place at some point between
WITNESSES are being sought for a serious assault which left a man needing hospital treatment for a stab wound to his chest.The mass brawl, involving several people, took place on Essex Street in Middlesbrough at around 5pm on Monday, February 23.Several
THERE was a far from frosty reception for three special guests who surprised children at a party to celebrate their achievements in a school project.More than 200 youngsters were thrilled when Elsa, Anna and Olaf from the hit Disney film Frozen dropped
SENIOR football figures appeared in court today (WEDNESDAY) to face perjury charges relating to a legal battle over a £1m transfer deal involving a former North-East footballer. Wearside agent Tony McGill, 56, is bringing a private prosecution
A NORTH-EAST MP has clashed with one of the candidates hoping to defeat her at the General Election in May. Peter Cuthbertson, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Darlington, challenged his Labour counterpart, the town's sitting MP, over
A SPECTACULAR musical event to mark the anniversary of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp by soldiers from the Durham Light Infantry has been placed in jeopardy.North-East based InterOpera plans to stage the Darkness to Light event
POLICE tonight (WEDNESDAY) confirmed a fire at a North-East leisure centre is being treated as suspicious.Firefighters were called to Eastbourne Sports Complex, in Darlington, on Tuesday evening, after a fire in a toilet block.A spokesman for Darlington
TWO men who admit taking part in a joint enterprise to supply cannabis will face a further wait to be sentenced after one of them missed his appointment with the probation service. Shabab Asif claimed not to have received an appointment letter
STAFF at a North-East visitor attraction dressed as suffragettes to encourage people to vote for a colleague in a national tourism competition. Beamish Museum workers are drumming up support for Matthew Henderson who is hoping to become the VisitEngland
A MOTHER and mental health worker who is helping women have natural births by teaching them hypnosis is celebrating after her first “hypno baby” was born.Nicky Logan, from Brompton, Northallerton began training in hypnobirthing after using it for the
THOUSANDS of the region’s residents poised to cash in their pension pots will have as few as nine face-to-face advisers to offer help, The Northern Echo can reveal.Radical new freedoms – allowing over-55s to withdraw their pension and spend it as they
A CHRISTIAN free school is to be closed at Easter, the Department for Education announced tonight (Wednesday, February 25). Durham Free School (DFS) has been facing the axe since Education Secretary Nicky Morgan announced she intended to withdraw
A NEW flood defence warning system has gone live after the Environment Agency and Middlesbrough Football Club have teamed up to help protect residents from flooding.The new flood warning service, run by the Environment Agency, will help protect more than
CONCERNS have been raised over rubbish being dumped in an alley behind two residential streets in Bishop Auckland.David Farms, who lives in South View, off Cockton Hill Road, said a combination of black bin bags and other unwanted items seem to appear
SUPPORTERS of the Tees Valley police helicopter have made impassioned pleas for the service to survive, with more than 750 people signing a petition backing the aircraft in just three days. Members of the public have spoken of how the National
AFTER performing a city's ancient and curious tradition several thousand times, George Pickles has hung up his hat and horn.At the age of 77, the retired machine tool engineer has decided to step down as the Hornblower of Ripon, having Set The Watch daily
A COUPLE who discovered a spark between them while working at an electrical factory celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary today (Thursday, February 25). John and Margaret Johnson, of Middlestone Moor, near Spennymoor, County Durham, met at
MORE light is being shed on proposals to bring the North-East’s only international cricket ground up to standard for future World Cup fixtures. Durham County Cricket Club is revealing plans for the proposed installation of permanent floodlights
SIX-week-old Otto, the otter cub, had been searching from its mother and sibling for days, and being too young to eat fish and invertebrates, sounded a plea for help as he lay exhausted on a North Yorkshire riverbank last Friday. Luckily for Otto
AN air ambulance charity in the North-East is hoping to receive a £250,000 windfall to boost its life-saving work, as part of a £5m package of donations.The Association of Air Ambulances (AAA), which represents the majority of air ambulance operators
TALENTED cross-country runners from a North-East school will represent the region at an upcoming competition.Students from Hummersknott Academy, in Darlington, competed against more than 200 runners at the recent Durham Schools Cross Country Championship
OSCAR-winning film producer Lord David Puttnam will present a series of free lectures over the next month.The Chariots of Fire producer is to give three talks at Sunderland University to inspire people to become involved in the creative industries. The
THE funeral of a North-East firefighter who died suddenly has been held today. (Wednesday, February 25) A vintage fire engine formed part of the cortege as family, friends and colleagues said a final farewell to Consett Watch Manager Ian Bell.
NEWCASTLE UNITED face a battle with West Ham and AC Milan in their efforts to sign Morgan Sanson this summer.The 20-year-old currently plays for Montpellier and has attracted the attention of the Magpies through their chief scout Graham Carr who is believed
AN annual survey to reveal what residents of Ferryhill think about their town may be scrapped after less than three per cent of forms were completed this year. Ferryhill Town Council sends out surveys to all homes in the area and 8,056 were delivered
PERMISSION has been granted to create a £1m leisure attraction on the banks of the Tees which will include the UK's tallest rope course. Stockton Borough Council’s planning committee today (Wednesday, February 25) approved the plan to create the
GUS POYET hopes Emanuele Giaccherini will come back ‘perfect’ after being ruled out for the rest of the season. The Italian playmaker has made just four starts this season after missing the start of the campaign, before limping off against Burnley
A DEAL has been signed to use £330m of taxpayers' cash to kick start major projects and create up to 5,000 jobs across the region. The transformation of the derelict former Vaux Brewery site in Sunderland; development of land beside Hitachi train factory
STUDENTS have been considering the bitter truth in an initiative designed to help stay safe and flourish in the modern world.Experts in the fields of sexual health, cyber safety, and drug, alcohol and substance abuse spent the day working with Year 9
A SERIES of roadshows are being held in North Yorkshire to help people living in rural areas tackle the winter weather.The “Keep Warm, Keep Well” roadshows have been organised by the charity Rural Action Yorkshire.They have been designed to help communities
CAMILLA Dallerup is one of the original stars of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Having won the title in 2008 with Holby City’s Tom Chambers, Denmark-born Camilla left the show after six series. A TV presenter, motivational speaker and dance and
DEMENTIA sufferers and their carers in Teesdale are being invited to take part in a free music therapy this week in Barnard Castle. The Alzheimer’s Society Singing for the Brain session will be held at the Methodist Church on Friday, February 27, from
A WOMAN has been banned from keeping horses for five years after she was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an underweight horse with a deformed hoof.Pamela Brown, of Browney Lane, Durham, denied four charges of failing to ensure its welfare
A POPULAR milkman who spent 40 years serving south Durham said it was the customers who kept him going so long.Alfie Blackett, of Bishop Auckland, retired last month after deciding he could not face another bad winter in the job.The 74-year-old use to
Worthington C.I.U. Winter League The gap at the top of the First Division closed to two points after Bearpark A took all five points at Fishburn with wins from Glen Morton, Shaun Easter, Alex Donaldson, Steven Armstrong and David Craggs with a
Bishop Auckland League Bishop Auckland Snooker Club moved into second place in the table after they only dropped three points at Crook Queen’s, who had singles points from Tony Hepper and Jason Baird. The visitors had two singles points each from
CROOK Tri Angular League In the First Round of the Team Knock Out the White Swan edged to victory over the visiting Willington Queen’s Head A when Ian Hodkinson beat Jimmy Gallagher in the deciding pool game. In the Crown’s victory they had
Crook & District League Crook King’s Head, who led the league for most of the early part of the season, slipped down to equal fourth spot when they went down to their second consecutive defeat when they lost by three points at the Mill A.
County Super League Spennymoor Railway visited Grove and Moorside Club, where they made a good start by winning two of the three pair’s games. The results of the six singles were (Grove names first) Andy Allaker 18.79 beat Wilf Mole 17.87; Ray
A PROJECT to plant a fruit orchard at boarding schools across Britain is blossoming as students leave a lasting legacy for the future.Boarders at Ripon Grammar School have planted a cherry tree as part of the Boarding Schools Association initiative to
LONGER opening hours are being introduced at GP practices in the Hambleton and Richmondshire districts.The scheme is being introduced by Heartbeat Alliance, a newly formed group of local GPs working together to make improvements to local health services.The
MORE than 60 people attended the first screening of a new film aimed at raising awareness of a charity which provides home-based hospice care.The five-minute film, produced by Herriot Hospice Homecare, received its first screening at the historic Ritz
LABOUR councillors have voted to raise council tax by the highest increase possible without triggering a local referendum, ignoring Tory and Lib Dem calls for a tax freeze. Knowing an increase of two per cent or more would force a costly countywide
BUSINESS leaders are calling on the Government to save a beleaguered council masterplan, amid political demands for heads to roll over the “absolute fiasco”. Last week, Planning Inspector Harold Stephens savaged Durham County Council’s 20-year
A YOUTH theatre has wowed judges of a one-act play festival - beating off competition from other youth and adult groups for a spot in the semi-final.Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal Youth Theatre picked up four awards at the northern heat of the All
STAFF are a building society in Consett have agreed to a second year of fundraising for a north Durham hospice.Last year, the Middle Street branch of Newcastle Building Society raised £1,864 for Willow Burn Hospice, near Lanchester.The company has announced
A PADDLING pool in a popular park is set to undergo a renovation.A total of £250,000 is to be spent replacing the ageing pool at Riverside Park in Chester-le-Street and creating a new play area.Durham County Council says the existing paddling pool, which
A YOUNG girl has raised around £600 for charity by having 17-and-a-half inches cut from her hair. Eight-year-old Phoebe Stephenson’s long locks were trimmed to a neat bob and have been donated to make wigs for children undergoing treatment for
MOST people have been in a hurry to jump out of a taxi at one time or anther - be it to make a plane, train or simply meet up with friends. And many people will have left something behind in the rush. But a baby? A goldfish? A false leg?
AN e-fit of a man suspected of carrying out a sexual assault as been released by police. The attack took place at around 12.15pm on Tuesday, February 17 as an 18-year-old woman was making her way along Stephenson Street towards Borough Road, in
COUNCILLORS will meet next week to discuss controversial plans to create housing on the site of Shotley Bridge Cricket Club.The proposals have been submitted to build 25 detached houses and two 30 apartment blocks on land where former England captain
A SERIES of events will be held this weekend to encourage people to share stories about living in Spennymoor.St Paul’s Church will host the initiative as part of a faith sharing weekend to explore how life has changed over the years.Cardboard testimonies
A FOOTBALL ground is the latest area to be spruced up in an ongoing environmental improvement scheme.A new fence has been installed at Willington AFC to replace a 50 year old corrugated tin fence and tidy up the outside of the Hall Lane ground.Pupils
The winning numbers for the Great North Air Ambulance weekly lottery draw for Wednesday, February 25, 2015 are: £200 N23285, Barnard Castle; £100 N31768, Darlington; £50 N46627, Stanley; £50 N26744, Darlington; £25 N03394, Northallerton; £25 N16343
A WAREHOUSE operator has created hundreds of jobs as it benefits from increased demand.Vantec, in Sunderland, says it has taken on about 250 workers.Bosses say the expansion comes amid rising clamour for its services, after previously securing deals with
THE Archbishop of York will deliver an annual lecture in Durham next week (Friday, March 6). Dr John Sentamu’s Annual Borderlands Lecture will be titled: God’s Mission is Restorative Justice.The Archbishop will speak at Leech Hall, in Durham University
DIVISION TWO LAST Sunday saw a number of surprising results especially in Division Two with the three top sides all losing but pride of place must go to Norton Unicorn who recorded their first victory of the season after 22 defeats against Rimswell
I HAVE just spent a wonderful week in Scarborough with my family, staying in a fantastic holiday apartment looking down over North Bay. The people of Scarborough were warm and friendly, the scenery was magnificent, and we found time to travel round
She's had her share of criticism over the years, but Judy Finnigan knows that's part of the fame game. And, she tells Hannah Stephenson, at 66 and now a proud grandma, it no longer upsets her A barefoot Judy Finnigan welcomes me into her lovely
The art of cooking a restaurant-worthy plate of food is a skill many aspire to. So when Ashley Barnard was offered the chance to create a three-course dinner under the tuition of Masterchef contestant Rob Taylor, her days of living off beans on toast
VOLUNTEERS collected more than a dozen bags of rubbish strewn along a popular riverside route.The Friends of Rockwell Nature Reserve held a litter pick on Saturday (February 21) in a bid to clear one of the area’s busiest patches.Eight volunteers toiled
A PATIENT with a rare lung condition has criticised the “fragmented” oxygen-at-home service after he struggled to get the vital supplies he needed when his health deteriorated.Colin Peel, 70, from Darlington, who relies on portable canisters of oxygen
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save wildflower meadows in Darlington that have been left undeveloped for more than a decade.Meadows at Maidendale Farm, at the end of Salters Lane South, were allocated as employment land by Darlington Borough Council
YOU know a car manufacturer is struggling to summon up enthusiasm for a new model when it trumpets the front door armrest as a great new design feature. According to Nissan, the new Pulsar hatchback has "the widest armrests in the sector" . Not
YET again this week the Reverend Peter Mullen was off on his hobby-horse about the NHS (Echo, Feb 24). On the strength of discussions with two doctors he complains about a “plethora of bureaucrats of byzantine proportions”. To a great extent
WATCHING the disgraceful performance of the so-called Chelsea supporters on the Paris Metro last week took me back to a holiday in France in 2002. After watching England beat Argentina in a pub in Nice, we cut it fine to catch the train from Nice
AS a "student" of politics for more than 50 years, I consider the forthcoming General Election to be unique. Lord Ashcroft's independent polls predict at least 50 Westminster seats may be won by the SNP, mainly at the expense of the Labour and
AS the General Election draws nearer, the language used during Prime Minister's Question Time, mainly orchestrated by David Cameron and backed up by his bunch of baying henchmen, has descended to that of the gutter. The ultimate low point was reached
DURHAM City is a World Heritage site. Indeed the heart of the city has been described as both unique and the finest architectural and historic site in the world. Accordingly, in planning terms, the city requires very special consideration indeed
WHAT a dreadful letter (HAS, Feb 13) complaining that the mugging of Gateshead pensioner Alan Barnes and subsequent fund raising by Katie Cutler had been over publicised. No wonder the author didn't give a name. I just wonder how that person
EVEN though the band first got together at school in 1976, it's hard to believe that this year marks the 35th Anniversary of the release of the debut single and album by Bad Manners. The world will always fondly remember the on-stage lunacy and
AN air ambulance in the North-East could be in line for a £250,000 windfall to boost its life-saving work, as part of a £5m package of donations. The Association of Air Ambulances (AAA), which represents the majority of air ambulance operators
A MAN who demanded cash from a shop had the BB gun he was brandishing snatched off him by staff. Police are appealing for information after the attempted robbery in Newcastle. At 6.15pm on Tuesday, the man entered the S A Shariff shop in Wellfield
Farsley 3 Darlington 2 A week ago Darlington topped of the table having lost only three games and were on course for automatic promotion. Today their situation suddenly appears much less optimistic as they are three points off the top having suffered
TO North Shields, long nicknamed The Robins, where excitement grows ahead of Saturday’s FA Vase quarter-final at Erith and Belvedere.Since the Al Jolson version of When the Red Red Robin apparently still attracts copyright issues, they’ve even had a new
The play’s the thing….but the memories take centre stage, tooLIKE Norton Woodseats, Pegasus and Stork – which back then really was the name for butter – Dulwich Hamlet was one of those memorably-named football clubs periodically encountered by North-East
THE head of the Claudia Lawrence investigation says he is confident detectives' current lines of inquiry will lead to arrests, as a fresh search was conducted outside her home. Teams of specialist officers and a dog unit today (Wednesday, Friday
AN academy rated as “inadequate” by Ofsted last November has announced its principal and an assistant principal are stepping down on health grounds. This morning students at St Aidan’s Church of England Academy in Hundens Lane, Darlington, were
AN Englishman: Michael McGoldrick, an Irishman: John Doyle and a Scotsman: John McCusker set off for a gig in the little town in County Durham.“What’s the quickest way to Barnard Castle?” says McCusker. “Do you have a car?” answers Doyle. “No,” replies
POLICE treated a fire which started at a sports centre last night as suspicious. Firefighters went to Eastbourne Sports Complex in Darlington when an alarm was activated at about 7pm. Several people were evacuated while officers wearing breathing
A MAN ran his own satellite television subscription service allowing “customers” to access Sky programmes, a court was told. Alexander Woodmass was said to have 56 clients, including pubs and clubs in the area, who paid him for their Sky coverage
GRAHAM WYLIE’S Back In Focus is a major doubt for April’s Grand National after suffering a freak injury in his stable. Trained in Ireland by Willie Mullins, Back In Focus has suffered a suspected broken cheekbone and will require treatment before
NEWCASTLE UNITED are ready to make long-term transfer fancy Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang their number one target as they look to overhaul their misfiring squad in the summer. Despite the absence of a permanent head coach, Newcastle’s recruitment team
AS a keen observer of horsepower, North Yorkshire trainer Brian Ellison has proved so often that he knows a good engine when he sees one, writes Steve Carroll. So when he describes Cheltenham-bound novice Definitly Red as “a Rolls Royce”, it takes
A CHEMICALS research specialist has recruited five recent graduates and placement students from universities in the region to support its expansion plans. High Force Research based at Bowburn, near Durham City , has appointed graduates Joe O’ Sullivan
AITOR KARANKA was delighted to see his Middlesbrough defenders produce an error-free display in last night’s 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers – now he is demanding similar standards from his strikers. Albert Adomah’s first-half finish secured a hard-fought
Middlesbrough 1 Bolton Wanderers 0 AT this stage of the season, it is points rather than performances that matter. On Saturday, Middlesbrough were irrepressible as they outclassed Leeds United, but somehow finished with nothing. Last night, they
HARTLEPOOL United’s hopes of signing a new centre-forward have been raised. Boss Ronnie Moore was close to landing a striker last Friday, but the deal was pulled at the last minute by the other club involved. Cambridge striker Ryan Bird played
DJ John Peel memorably described the debut performance by Seventies supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer as a "waste of electricity". The list of crimes committed in the name of rock and roll is as long as Sting’s back catalogue, in fact a few
Yorkshire’s Director of Cricket, Martyn Moxon, is confident that Colin Graves will not “leave the club in the lurch” when he takes up his new post as Chairman of England and Wales Cricket Board in May. As expected, the current Yorkshire chairman
NORTH-EAST councils are examining new powers to ban the consumption of so-called legal highs after it emerged that the attacker who mugged disabled pensioner Alan Barnes was after cash to feed his habit.Twenty-five year old Richard Gatiss attacked frail
SOLDIERS from across the country will gather in the region later this week to remember comrades who lost their lives in Afghanistan.The arrival of two dusty memorial plaques at the Army headquarters in Catterick Garrison prompted senior officers to organise
PROPOSALS to ‘future-proof’ a key railway station look set to take a step forward if councillors agree to release funds for a wide-ranging masterplan.Darlington’s Bank Top station has been the focus of a number of regeneration proposals in recent years
A SERIAL thug who smashed up the home of a woman he had met online after she dumped him has finally been jailed after a judge said it was 'extraordinary' he was not already behind bars. Besotted boyfriend Anthony Bradley, 46, reacted furiously
THE boss of a hairdressing business ‘named and shamed’ by the Government for not paying minimum wage says it made a genuine mistake. Karen Aitken said the member of staff in question, who has now left Angel Hair Design, had been fully paid-up,
THE first students trained to keep their classmates safe following a spate of tragic deaths will take up their voluntary riverside ranger roles tonight (Wednesday, February 25). About 50 Durham University students have already completed the training
NORTH-EAST firms have welcomed beefed-up laws aimed at tackling the scourge of late payments to suppliers. Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, has today outlined new measures that he said will open up billions of pounds in Government
CONSTRUCTION company Shepherd is offering people from the region the chance to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of rail history in the making. The Darlington-based company is opening the doors to Hitachi’s train factory in Newton Aycliffe on Friday
A TINY baby born 11 weeks prematurely weighing just 3lb 5oz who was kept breathing by the equivalent of ten espressos a day will celebrate the first birthday her parents feared she would never see this weekend (Sunday, March 1). When Michelle Jones
REGIONAL growth bodies face overhaul as Labour aims to stop the region being “kidded” by the Coalition Government, a senior minister has claimed.Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said the region’s two local enterprise partnerships (Leps) will be reformed to
A FAMILY engineering firm has hailed its diversity after securing work across a number of sectors.Francis Brown Limited, in Stockton, is overseeing energy projects across the oil, gas and renewable industries.The 112-year-old firm is making stainless
DEFLATION. Falling prices. This should be a positive, right? Maybe for some, but there are industries, which have seen prices falling faster than costs, squeezing margins for years and the knock-on consequences are very real. Inflation
POO-covered children, colour blindness and easy access to porn are among the most inventive excuses offered by viewers for not having a TV licence. Some of the most far-fetched excuses offered over the past 12 months by the region’s residents for
AIRLINES – as well as huge numbers of passengers – will desert a North-East airport if Scotland slashes its taxes, a transport minister has admitted. But Robert Goodwill appeared to rule out lower rates of air passenger duty (APD) in the North,
NORTON SQUASH Club hosted the fourth County Durham and Cleveland Primary Schools squash competition before February half-term. Eleven schools were invited from nomination or from winning local competitions, and nine competed. This was the largest Finals
