Almost 15,000 illicit cigarettes have been seized as part of enforcement work to protect the residents of County Durham, councillors will hear. Durham County Council’s Cabinet will next week receive a report setting out enforcement activity undertaken by the authority’s trading standards officers in the financial year 2019/20 and of its...

A major development next door to Hitachi Rail which was close to being derailed is now back on track, with permission for a revised plan being submitted to councillors. Durham County Council agreed in October 2019 to rescue the Station Place development after agreeing to a 30-year head-lease on Merchant Anglo’s next phase of the Merchant Park...

By Bob Wood It's going to be a strange season. Less than a week into the new campaign, Newton Aycliffe have already had three games postponed. Two of them were for the very happy reason that Hebburn and Consett have made it through to the final of the 2019-20 FA Vase, with the final due to be played at Wembley on September 27, the day after...

A community group has stepped in to honour a donation that had been promised by the late “Honest” John Hilton. Newton Aycliffe’s Community Support Initiative (CSI Aycliffe) have kindly honoured a donation of £300 to Greenfield Arts, that had been initially suggested by renowned Aycliffe fundraiser John – affectionately known as Honest...

Durham County Council has employed 11 new neighbourhood wardens to help it keep enviro-crime and anti-social behaviour under control. The local authority has invested £500,000 in the recruitment of the wardens as part of its efforts to ensure previous reductions in activities like fly-tipping are built on. In February, the council agreed to...

By Gary Beacom Many of our teams were back in action last week. Here’s a round-up… U8’s blacks played another friendly game today against Middleton Rangers, the game started off a bit sluggish going down within the first 5 minutes, then they started to keep their formation passing nicely to see them being the better up to halftime....

The 46th issue of Aycliffe Business – the magazine for Aycliffe Business Park – features an interview with Excelpoint managing director Ian Brown, written by freelance writer and former Northern Echo editor Peter Barron. Freelance writers Colin Young and Joanne Barrett have also written features on local firms Greystone Legal and Business...

Lee Weldon’s weekly round-up from the wicket... Saturday 5th September – NYSD Division 2 Newton Aycliffe 1st XI v Bedale 1st XI – weather was overcast with a chilly wind. Newton Aycliffe won the toss and chose to bat first. Newton Aycliffe 1st XI 202 all out after 50 overs Adam Gittins 75, Adam Randall 40 and Chris Palmer...

Assaults on police officers and staff in County Durham and Darlington increased during the lockdown period, figures have revealed. Durham Constabulary recorded 228 assaults on officers and staff between March and July this year – an increase of 26% when compared with the same period last year, in which 168 assaults were recorded. A number...

September marks the fifth anniversary of Hitachi Rail officially opening its state-of-the-art train manufacturing factory in Newton Aycliffe. From the empty shell that was opened by then Prime Minister David Cameron, the team has built 192 trains over the last five years that are now in service. The trains produced include the UK’s new...