Archive news from the The Northern Echo (2024)

'No risk' to public after fire at fertiliser plant which caused bright orange cloud

The police have this eveningurged residents that there is no wider risk following a fire that broke out at a fertiliser plant today. A plume of bright orange smoke was the sight for many residents in Billingham this afternoon (May 24) who spotted

General Election 2024: North East constituency names and boundary changes explained

Voters in the North East will now go to the polls for a second time this year after Rishi Sunak’s calling of a snap general election. The Prime Minister announced on Wednesday that a general election will be held on July 4. But many people

Fundraiser set up for 'amazing' Leah Harrison after tragic mudslide death

A fundraising drivehas been launched to support the family of a Darlington schoolgirl who died in a tragic mudslide incident. Leah Harrison, a year six pupil at Mount Pleasant PrimarySchool, was on a school tripwhen she was caught up in the

TV star says fond farewell to BBC viewers after 20 years with throwback clips

A North East BBC TV presenter has bid farewell to viewers after 20 years of presenting the news and sports coverage across the region. Award-winning news and sports reporter and presenter Jeff Brown made his final broadcast today (Friday, May

North East retail park confirms bank holiday opening times - with Primark now open

Teesside Park have confirmed their opening hours ahead of the bank holiday weekend. The retail park have confirmed the site will be open from 9am to 7pm on Saturday (May 25), 10:30am to 4:30pm on Sunday (May 26), and 9am to 6pm on Monday (May 27

Family of mother-of-four speak of their heartache as her murderer is jailed

The family of a loving mother-of-four who was brutally murdered by her estranged husband’s jealous rage have spoken of their heartache. Sally Turner suffered almost 70 knife wounds when Harry Turner launched his ‘murderous attack’ when she received

Residents concerned over plans for new McDonald's drive-thru in North East town

Plans for a new McDonald’s drive-thru in a North East town have been met with objections by residents. The plans would see the new restaurant erected on Yarm Road in Stockton, adjacent to the existing supermarket. A McDonald’s spokesperson

Nurse ‘stood and cried’ as house flooded following heavy rainfall

An NHS nurse has said he “stood and cried” as flood water spilled into his property “within minutes” following heavy rainfall on Wednesday. PaulJones-King, 48, from Loftus, North Yorkshire, said it is the second time within a year that his property

'He changed so many lives' - Farewell to County Durham community youth leader

A community in County Durham has come together, smiling through sadness, to honour the life of a much-loved youth leader. Hundreds of people paid their respects to Billy Robson from Consett who died earlier this month following a short battle with

Pictures as beaming Take That fans take over stadium for North East gig

Take That gave Teesside music lovers their Greatest Day of 2024 when they took to the stage this evening for their first Riverside gig in five years- here are some pictures of fans from the show. The Riverside Stadium was ready to Shine earlier

Incident clear at chemical plant after 'orange smoke' spotted in North East town

An investigation is to be held after an orange gas was was released from a North East chemical plant. Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade both attended the CF Fertilisers plant on Haverton Hill in Billingham this afternoon(Friday, May 24

Darlington re-sign former player Joe Leesley ahead of new season

DARLINGTON have announced the re-signing of utility player Joe Leesley. Leesley previously played for Quakers during a loan spell from Boston during the 2022-23 season, scoring one goal in his seven appearances. He then moved to Kidderminster Harriers

Work on ambitious new development at County Durham castle nears completion

An ambitious two-year development scheme for a medieval castle in County Durham is nearing completion. Some of the region’s most skilled contractors have been involved in creating a new retail, hospitality and events spaces at Raby Castle, near

Water firms splash out on North Yorkshire robots

Harrogate-based Synthotech has won contracts worth £5.8million to find leaks in the water mains. The company, along with its innovation division Synovate, received the work from the fourth round of Ofwat’s Water Breakthrough Challenge. The

Cause of 'underground explosion' in County Durham explained as cordon lifted

The cause of an 'underground explosion' in Durham City has been revealed after witnesses reported seeing flames shooting out the pavement and police put a cordon in place. Emergency services were called shortly after 12.30pm today (May 24) to

Flames seen shooting out the pavement after 'underground explosion' in Durham

Flames were seen shooting from the pavement during an underground explosion in Durham City this afternoon - which saw numerous emergency services at the scene. Emergency services were called at about12.30pmto an area of North Road, close to Framwelgate

LIVE: Excitement as Take That begin show at Middlesbrough Riverside

9:33pm Pictures of Take That Here our are first pictures of Take That on stage in Middlesbrough!

Major blow to Sunderland's head-coach search as another target is off the table

DANNY ROHL has signed a new long-term contract at Sheffield Wednesday, ruling him out of the running to be Sunderland’s head coach. Rohl, who masterminded the Owls’ successful survival battle in the second half of last season, was one of the candidates

Road cordoned off after 'underground explosion' as police investigate scene

A busy city centre street has been closed after what police believe to have been an underground explosion. Pavements in Durham city centre were damaged but there were no reports of any injuries following the incident at around 12.30pm on Friday

County Durham mum gets life in prison for 'callous' murder of three-year-old son

A mother who beat her three-year-old son with a bamboo cane after claiming the Bible advised the use of the rod weeks before she murdered him has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 25 years. Christina Robinson, 30, had exposed her son

RECAP: 'Underground explosion' causes damage to pavements in County Durham

RECAP: Incident clear after orange smoke seen on North East street

4:11pm Recap: There were reports of a 'chemical explosion' after orange smoke was spotted near Charlton's Pond in

Price of a pint and merch at Take That's Middlesbrough gig - and it isn't cheap

As Take That fans pack out the Riverside in Middlesbrough tonight some have been left stunned at the price of a pint. The hit band, formed in the 90s, are performing for one night only at the home of Middlesbrough FC on their ‘This Life’ tour.

Howe defends Newcastle selection after hammering as duo's future set to be decided

EDDIE Howe says he "couldn't risk" playing any senior players after a young and inexperienced Newcastle United side were on the receiving end of an 8-0 hammering against the A-League All Stars in Melbourne. Howe named a strong side for Wednesday's

Boss of County Durham anti-suicide charity to run to every Premier League ground

A charity boss is set to run to every Premier League stadium in England as part of a gruelling 900-mile fundraising challenge. Matthew Smith, who runsIf U Care Share based in Chester-le-Street, unveiled his ambitious plan at an event at Close

Predatory Darlington sex offender assaulted teenager and accessed child abuse images

A predatory sex offender has been jailed for abusing a teenager and downloading more than 100 child sex abuse images. Christopher Grundy, posting as Boylover44, was caught by an undercover police officer posing as a pervert with similar sexual

Durham postman who stabbed estranged wife 68 times in 'jealous rage' jailed for life

A man who savagely stabbed his estranged wife to death in a jealous rage has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the ‘murderous attack’. Harry Turner used two knives to repeatedly stab his victimwhile she was in her daughter’s home before

Business Brew podcast: Andy Ray on what it takes to be named Business of the Year

For thelatest Business Brew podcast from BUSINESSiQ, I talked toAndy Ray, Group Operations Director of the Applebridge Family of businesses, winner of the coveted Business of the Year title at the recent BUSINESSiQ Awards. Andy shares insights

Durham Pride in Armed Forces Day cancelled due to bad weather

The Pride in Armed Forces event in Durham has been cancelled due to weather conditions over the weekend. The event was set toinclude an outdoor stage, food vans, a family market, veterans stalls and a paintball range but it has been rained off

Turning back the clocks with Gary Numan at O2 City Hall in Newcastle

Gary Numan turned back the clocks at the O2 City Hall on Thursday night. The legendary artist arrived in the UK hot off the back of an appearance at the Cruel Worlds festival in the US, which took place two weeks prior.On this tour, the New Wave

What has gone wrong with Marcus Rashford - and is the forward's decline terminal?

GARETH SOUTHGATE’S announcement of his provisional England squad for the Euros earlier this week led to a number of heated debates. Jordan Henderson, finally dropped. Nick Pope, surprisingly overlooked. Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarell Quansah, late outsiders

Racecourse attack leaves victim with fractured eye socket as three men arrested

Onepersonhas been left with a fractured eye socket after a serious assault at a racecourse earlier this month, and police have arrested three men in connection with the incident. North Yorkshire Police say that three men have been arrested on

Car hits side barrier of road as fire service mistake smoke for 'popped airbag'

A car hit the side barrier of the A66 on Thursday (May 23), as emergency services mistook a deployed airbag assmoke billowing from the car. Emergency services were called to the A66 near Scotch Corner at about 9.45am, following reports of a single-car

Putting a bottle to a stopper from the days of Darlington's brewery

MEMORIES 675 told how Leanne Carroll had discovered a 100-year-old bottle-stopper from Hindes’ Brewery in Darlington while out walking in the Skerningham area of town. Now D Nightingale of Consett kindly sends in a picture of the sort of bottle

MasterChef winner spotted in Cumbrian country pub hours after victory

Thisyear's Masterchef winner was spotted at a country pub in Cumbria. Veterinary surgeon Brin Pirathapan won the 20th series of MasterChef on Wednesday with dishes that included octopus and venison. Brin was spotted at the King's Head in

County Durham mum sentenced for cruelty against three-year-old son she murdered

A mother who beat her three-year-old son with a bamboo cane after claiming the Bible advised the use of the rod will be sentenced on Friday for his murder. Christina Robinson, 30, had exposed her boy Dwelaniyah to cruelty and excruciating pain

Millions of Tesco shoppers issued one-week warning before they lose out

Tesco shoppers have been issued a one-week warning before they miss out on a share of £17m worth of Clubcard vouchers. The supermarket giant is alerting Clubcard customers that almost £17m worth of vouchers are due to expire at the end of May.

Councils across the UK 'refusing to fix potholes' that are 'too small'

It has been found that council areas across the UK are "refusing" to repair potholes "deemed too small". A third of local authorities in Britain state that there is a minimum size a pothole must be before repairs are considered, according to an

Outnumbered to return for 2024 Christmas special after 8 year hiatus

BBC comedy series Outnumbered, starringHugh Dennis, will return to TV screens for the first time in eightyears with a2024Christmas special. Outnumbered, whichfollows the "chaos in the downsized home of Pete and Sue Brockman", ran for five

How do I register for a postal vote ahead of the 2024 General Election?

With a General Election only six weeks away, manyacross the UK will be looking to makesure they have everything they needbefore heading to the polls. With the election taking place in July, a lot of voters willhave summer holidays booked and

Energy bills set to fall as Ofgem lowers price cap - how much you could save

The average household energy bill will fall by 7 per cent from July after Ofgem announced it was lowering its energy price cap in response to lower wholesale prices. The regulator announced it was dropping its price cap from £1,690 to £1,568 for

Expert warns UK households are unintentionally attracting mutant super rats

Rats in your home or garden areless than ideal but dealing with a 22-inch giant rat is the stuff of nightmares for many. In recent years, mutant super rats have been reported across the UK with their presence causing “savage attacks, unsanitary

EastEnders fan favourite hints at joining Strictly Come Dancing 2024

EastEnders fans have been left convinced that a show favouriteis taking part in the 2024 series of Strictly Come Dancing. James Farrar, who plays Zack Hudson on the BBC show, has been rather busy lately after his character was exposed for cheating

HSBC fined more than £6m over treatment of customers

HSBC has been fined £6.2 million for failures over the treatment of customers who were in arrears or experiencing financial difficulty. It put around 1.5 million people at risk of greater financial harm, according to the Financial Conduct Authority

SUNDERLAND head coach target Danny Rohl is set to stay at Sheffield Wednesday this summer, with the German boss telling media in his homeland he wants "continuity" and is targeting a top 10 finish next season. In an interview with Kicker, Rohl

Yorkshire Water apologise for burst pipe cutting off water in village

Work is being carried out to fix the water supply toa village near Northallerton after it was cut off this morning. Yorkshire Water has confirmed that 25homes have been cut off and has apologised for the "inconvenience". The pipe has burst

Eight County Durham roads to avoid over the bank holiday weekend

County Durham's motorists will have eight road closures to avoid nearby on the National Highways network this week. And two of them are expected to cause moderate delays – with drivers facing holdups of between 10 minutes and half an hour.

Mapped: How did the North East vote in the last General Election?

The Prime Minister after much anticipation yesterday revealed the date of the 2024 general election - but how did the North East vote in the last one in 2019? Take a look at our map. July 4 - write that date down, as it's now confirmed to be the

First look at the new Bishop Auckland attraction opening to the public this Saturday

A rainbow of colours including pale pastels, mauves, yellows, whites, rich pinks and purples will greet visitors to a County Durham town's newest attraction. The Northern Echo was granted a privileged first look at the new historic walled garden

Burst pipe leaves village completely cut off from water

Residents in a village near Yarm are reporting that they have been completely cut off from water after a crucial pipe has burst. Appleton Wiske might not be the only village affected by the faulty pipe at Great Smeaton. Villagers on social

Drivers hit out at 'shambolic' roundabout where people can't see for overgrown grass

Residents and drivers have expressed their angerat the 'shambolic' state of a roundabout that has got so bad for overgrown grass that it's claimed that people can't see over it while trying to drive around it. The stretch of road on the A19 Stokesley

Named: Man given hefty fine after garden waste dumped in Bishop Auckland

Aman has been fined hundreds of pounds after failing to assist with a fly-tipping investigation. Durham County Council took legal action against Carl Illingworth, of Hilton Road in Bishop Auckland, after waste was dumped on land near Greenfields

Durham Council leader clashes with Labour and responds to coalition critics

Politicians have clashed as Durham County Council marked the start of a new local authority year. Members of the opposition Labour Party hit back at claims from council leader Amanda Hopgood that the Joint Administration continues to be in charge

'Fly high beautiful Leah' - floral tributes at Darlington school after mudslide death

Floral tributes along with touching messages have been laid at the entrance of a Darlington school as a community mourns the tragic death of a 10-year-old pupil. Leah Harrison, 10, who was a year six pupil at Mount Pleasant Primary School in Darlington

Take That in Middlesbrough: Full setlist for Riverside concert

Fans of Take That are gearing up for a night of the band’s biggest hits at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough on Friday (May 24). With a back-catalogue of number ones spanning three decades, current members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark

Carrick reiterates 'day one' Middlesbrough vow as future stars offered incentive

MICHAEL Carrick has every intention of continuing to give Middlesbrough's academy youngsters a first team chance at the Riverside, telling the club's stars of tomorrow that if he deems them good enough they'll get their dream opportunity. Carrick

Readers pay tribute to Darlington schoolgirl Leah Harrison killed in tragedy

Tributes have flooded in from readers of the Echo after the tragic passing of a Darlington schoolgirl. Leah Harrison, a year six pupil at Mount Pleasant PrimarySchool, was on a school tripwhen she was caught up in the mudslide near Carlton Bank

First look at historic new site showcasing County Durham's railway heritage

A new exhibition space will give visitors an insight into County Durham’s historic role in building the railways. The New Hall has opened at Locomotion in Shildon and tells the story of early railway development. The purpose-built facility is

Rock legend gives fans 'finest concert experiences of their lives' - review

IT’S an odd piece of synchronicity that the two colossus’s of music find themselves touring Europe at the same time. While Taylor Swift is currently delighting the “Swifties” on mainland Europe before heading to the UK, Bruce Springsteen has been

Ben Stokes set to make first Chester-le-Street appearance in two years for Durham

BEN STOKES will make his first appearance at Chester-le-Street for two years when Durham begin their Vitality County Championship match against Somerset this morning. Stokes made his seasonal debut in last week’s defeat to Lancashire in Blackpool

Hitachi unveils trial of pioneering battery technology developed in Aycliffe plant

Testing of pioneering battery technology developed at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe plant has begun today (Friday, May 23), it has been revealed. The first-ever trial in the UK to replace a diesel engine with a battery on an intercity train is being