Engineering and manufacturing expo EMCON has secured one of Europe’s biggest rail manufacturers as its first ever headline sponsor. Stadler Rail, which last year was a gold sponsor alongside long term supporter Business Durham, was so impressed with the event that it has agreed to take on the headline sponsor role. It enables the Swiss...

By Donna Campbell This race report covers two weekends due to holidays. Firstly in the weekend commencing 28th April 2018 Julie Nisbet travelled to Scotland for the stirling Marathon. She completed this in 4.16.36 which was a massive personal best for Julie. Also on April 29th Paul Dalton (although competing under his first club name)...

Businesses in County Durham have been urged to take advantage of a Teesside University-led project which helps them to innovate and grow. Craig Anderson, the managing director of manufacturing firm Nymas, has said the Innovate Durham project will help SMEs improve their business, making them efficient and competitive. Billingham-based Nymas,...

An appeal to overturn a decision refusing planning for a housing development at Woodham has been dismissed. Willmott Partnership Homes applied to build up to 430 dwellings at land adjoining Woodham Bridge. The application included a new access off the A167 into the site by introducing a new turning with traffic lights. In refusing the...

Newton Aycliffe 0, Sunderland RCA 2 Former Newton Aycliffe goalkeeper Scott Pocklington returned to star in a 2-0 win at his former club on the final day of Aycliffe’s disappointing season. Aycliffe rounded off the 2017-18 campaign empty-handed and 14th in the Northern League first division after a 2-0 reverse at home to Sunderland...

Newton Aycliffe manufacturer Roman has launched a new website, with its boss saying it “tells the Roman story”. The market leading shower designer and manufacturer, one of Aycliffe Business Park’s biggest manufacturers, has created a new user-friendly and mobile-responsive website. The firm’s site has a brand new layout, design and...

Pupils in County Durham are outperforming the national average in primary school and sixth form after years of steady improvement thanks to targeted support. Since 2014 the percentage of children achieving a “good level of development” in the Early Years has risen 15% to 72%, while Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils do better than their peers in...

Newton Aycliffe MP Phil Wilson is one of five North-East parliamentarians who have broken ranks with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, demanding a “people’s vote” on Brexit negotiations. Mr Wilson, the MP for Sedgefield which includes Aycliffe as the constituency’s biggest town, has joined four other Labour MPs in claiming a new vote is...

At least 100 jobs will be available to young people hoping to pursue a career in IT during a Digital Careers Fair in Durham this week. Tech firm RAW Digital Training has teamed up with DurhamWorks, a County Durham Youth Employment Initiative funded by the European Social Fund, to host the event in the Rivergreen Centre at Aykley Heads – home...

Efforts to raise awareness of free childcare for two-year-olds in County Durham are paying off, with the number of families taking up the offer now significantly above the national average. Most recent figures show that 87% of eligible families are accessing the provision compared to 70% nationally. The figure also represents an increase of...