The Northern Echo

Soldier Delivers War Protest to Pm

A SOLDIER from North Yorkshire, facing a court martial for refusing to return to Afghanistan, yesterday delivered a letter of protest about the war to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, 27, is believed to be the first serving soldier to speak out against Government policy.

Ashes Test Will Be at Riverside in 2013

THE oldest contest in international cricket is to be staged in the North-East for the first time. Durham County Cricket Club's Riverside ground, in Chester-le- Street, will host an Ashes Test Match in 2013, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced yesterday.

We're Off to Italy (After a Short Detour)

They may have to collect their shorts en route, but West Auckland are on their way to play Juventus. Helen Smithson reports NOT even a last minute hitch with the team's new shorts could stop the players smiling yesterday.

[Pounds]11,500 Missing From Club Accounts, Members Are Told

HORRIFIED members of a cash-strapped club have been told that more than [pounds]11,000 is missing from its accounts. The Comrades Club, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, was on the brink of financial ruin two years ago, but was saved by members, who worked without pay to keep it open.

Young Golfers Get Into the Swing of It

YOUNG golfers hoping to become the next Tiger Woods got into the swing of competition yesterday. Children as young as five took to the green at Stressholme Golf Club, in Darlington, on the third leg of a five-part countywide competition organised by the English Golf Union.

Pair Found Not Guilty of Taking Worker Hostage

THE case against a father and daughter accused of holding a blinds fitter hostage during a price row collapsed in court yesterday. Alan and Mary Spensley were charged with falsely imprisoning Edward Harrison at their home in Bishop Auckland on November 17, last year.

River Artwork Beginning to Take Shape

THE first pieces of a huge public artwork have arrived on site. Temenos, a sculpture of steel cables stretched between two huge rings over the River Tees, is the first of five planned "Tees Valley Giants".

Dressed Up and Ready to Run

A MAN is to run the London Marathon dressed as a woman in memory of his grandmother. Iain Braithwaite, 22, from Darlington, hopes his choice of costume will raise extra cash for the British Lung Foundation.

Plans Bring Jobs - but Also 'Traffic Problems'

A VILLAGE could be swamped by traffic from a proposed business park unless more is done to surrounding roads, a councillor has warned. Planning permission has been given for a 46 hectare site at Morton Park, outside Darlington, which will consist of warehouses, offices, a hotel and a pub.

Conditions Show Way Forward for Pitch

RESIDENTS have welcomed conditions placed on a controversial sports field, after it was claimed badmanagement resulted in footballers urinating in public. Retrospective planning permission was granted for Hummersknott School's floodlit artificial pitch, which is open to the community out-of-hours, despite residents' concerns that noise and anti- social behaviour were due to a lack of proper management.

Man Assaults Ex-Girlfriend On Night Out

A MAN assaulted his ex-girlfriend when he saw her on a night out, a court heard. Paul Stephen Lupton and Samantha Charlton split up numerous times during their three-year relationship.

Pupils Showcase Talents for School Competition

STUDENTS at a comprehensive school have been showing their skills in a talent contest. The competition, at Hurworth SchoolMaths and Computing College, saw 22 acts with various talents compete for prizes of gift vouchers, and included dancing, singing, juggling and bands.

Darlington News Round-Up in Brief

Find out who is the top dog SKERNEDALE Dog Training Club's annual companion dog show, will be held on Sunday, August 9, in aid The Cinnamon Trust, a dog charity which cares for elderly people's pets. Classes include: pedigree, judged by Denise Smith; novelty, judged by Carole and David Wharton- Smith; and obedience. The show, held under Kennel Club Rules, is at Hurworth Grange, Hurworth, near Darlington, where entries will be taken from noon. Cost is [pounds]1 per class. The event includes a ...

More Fun Promised at Forest Play Day

A RANGE of activities will be on offer at a summer play day which regularly attracts hundreds of visitors. This year's theme for the Play Day at Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, is Make Time!

Students Visit the 2012 Park

TWO North-East students were among the first people to be given a tour of the new 2012 Olympic Park in London. Jamie Plews, 15, and Lauren Frame, 14, both pupils at Parkside Sports College, in Willington, were shown around the site by MP Hilary Armstrong, who then took them to No 10 Downing Street to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown, athlete Daley Thompson and tennis star Boris Becker.

Unwanted Paint Can Make a Splash

A COMMUNITY trust is asking businesses and individuals to donate unwanted paint to a decorating project. The Community RePaint project will see such buildings as churches and sports halls spruced up at a fraction of market cost.

Man Found On Floor After Nightclub Attack

A MAN suffered serious facial injuries after being attacked in a Bishop Auckland pub last weekend. Police are appealing for witnesses to the assault, which occurred in Monaco's bar, in the Market Place, between 1.30am and 1.50am, on Sunday morning.

Young Shoots Look for More Support

GREEN-FINGERED youngsters are on the look out for more people to join their healthy eating club and help with the work on their allotment. The Carrot Club, in Bishop Middleham, started as a pre-school lunch club to encourage healthy eating, but has expanded to include the allotment.

South Durham News Round-Up in Brief

Thwarted thief damaged car POLICEare appealing for information after a man caused [pounds]2,000 of damage to a car he tried to steal. The man is thought to have been in The Cube nightclub, in Spennymoor, in the early hours of Sunday, April 19, before targeting a Vauxhall Insignia car parked in Dundas Street. He is white, 20 to 25-years- old, 6ft, with short cropped hair. Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800555-111.

Ex-Matron May Dies Aged 83

A POPULAR retired nurse has died aged 83. May Anderton served 18 years as matron at Mowbray Grange Hospital, in Bedale.