It’s hoped a new specialist school will open in Newton Aycliffe within the next two years. As revealed on Aycliffe Today in June, the Durham Gateway Academy has been proposed for young people from across the county who are not flourishing in mainstream secondary education but would thrive in a setting offering practical, skills-based...

When staff at a Newton Aycliffe pet shop tried to track down a missing baby corn snake, they definitely should’ve gone to Specsavers. That’s because Sammy the snake – who mysteriously escaped out of her tank at Julie’s Pets and Reptiles – had sneaked into the nearby opticians. The whereabouts of the harmless reptile had been...

A new innovation support service is helping a County Durham company develop a pioneering approach to tyre safety. Innovate Durham, which is led by Teesside University, is helping Silent Sensors to grow skillsets in its business as it develops its innovative tyre management system. The company, which is based at Netpark in Sedgefield,...

A derelict park has been transformed into a £150,000 refurbished outdoor play area. The Cobblers Hall play area has been re-opened after a new multi-use games area (MUGA) was built on the site, with new seats and bins also added. Councillor Brian Hall, vice chairman of Great Aycliffe Town Council recreation committee, and the mayor of...

Newton Aycliffe are in FA Cup action this weekend after recovering from their opening day defeat. The Newtonians won 3-1 at Penrith on Wednesday night following their 2-0 reverse at home to Ryhope CW in the first game of the season last Saturday. Aycliffe had to come from a goal down after Penrith opened the scoring in the third...

Heroin users will be able to be given injections of the life-saving antidote, naloxone, in police custody suites in County Durham and Darlington from later this year, under plans announced this week. Naloxone is the emergency antidote for overdoses caused by heroin and other opiates such as methadone, morphine and fentanyl. Currently, people...

By Donna Campbell It was a relatively quiet week this week for the runners of ARC at least so far as racing went. On Saturday many members again took part in the local parkruns with the following achieving PB’s in the respective ones. Angela Barrett at Hartlepool in 22.51, at Durham, Carrieann Ingledew and Lisa Dowell came in together...

County Durham is leading the way after 12 of its parks and cemeteries received prestigious environmental awards – but there was nothing for Newton Aycliffe. The Durham County Council sites have been given Green Flag accreditation by the charity Keep Britain Tidy, in recognition of the excellent standards of maintenance, management and good...

Passengers are a step closer to experiencing new trains as work steps up on Azuma. LNER’s Azuma fleet for the East Coast main line is being built at Hitachi’s facility in Newton Aycliffe. The factory is home to 730 permanent employees and has recently seen 50 apprentices graduate. This milestone for Newton Aycliffe follows Azuma...

Helping children to maintain a healthy weight and ensuring overweight youngsters and their families have the support they need are the focus of a countywide consultation. Durham County Council is seeking the public’s views on the factors that influence a child’s weight ahead of a joint review being carried out with partners in the...