A landscaping and grounds maintenance firm is pulling up trees after smashing its sales forecast five months early. Scott Ellwood sowed the seeds for his new landscaping venture more than a decade ago – now he’s reaping the rewards after seeing his fledgling firm flourish into a blossoming business. After starting out as a sole trader in...

Woodham Academy students took a trip to space and back – without leaving their school. The students experienced the 400km descent of Tim Peake’s Soyuz space capsule using the latest virtual reality technology. In June 2016, the UK astronaut returned to Earth in the capsule following six months on board the International Space Station...

Dog owners are being given advice on spotting the symptoms of Alabama Rot. In the past few years, a small number of dogs have died unexpectedly around the country. Test results and symptoms in the affected animals have been similar to those reported in dogs with Alabama Rot. More recently, there have been 10 further cases around the...

Newton Aycliffe-based tech firm Viper RF will share a pot of £30,000 Space Agency cash as part of a scale-up programme. Five North East entrepreneurs have won spots on a space incubation programme designed to help their businesses access the Uk’s growing space sector. Newton Aycliffe’s Viper, which relocated design centre relocated to...

Families looking for fun this half-term should visit their nearest swimming pool to try out the latest activities on offer. Leisure centres across the county will be running special holiday timetables from Monday February 12 to Sunday February 18. Activities on offer include Splashtots, a fun, pay as you go session for adults and children...

Aycliffe Sports Club 4, Bishop Auckland Bay Horse 1 By Paul Eales Newton Aycliffe Sports Club continued their good run of form in the league beating close rivals Bishop Auckland Bay Horse 4-1 on Sunday at Moore Lane Park. After last week’s 6-4 win against Spennymoor Volti in the Darlington Charity Cup, the Sports Club hosted this...

A County Durham plastics business is combating its battle with rising costs by investing in a more efficient machine. Plastic Mouldings Northern (PMN) has acquired the new industrial thermoforming machinery, which will enable the firm to manufacture products quicker and more cost-effectively. Bosses say the new Thermoformer will help PMN...

The amount of Council Tax the public pay for the police service, known as the police precept, will increase for 2018-19 by 7.09% in County Durham and Darlington. This equates to an increase of £8 a year, or 15p a week for a property in Council Tax Band A. The increase follows a period of engagement across County Durham and Darlington and...

Well-known manufacturing specialist and former Gestamp Tallent boss David Land has joined Aycliffe firm Ebac. Land has been appointed as managing director to drive further growth at the Aycliffe Business Park firm, which is the only British company to produce washing machines, dehumidifiers and water coolers. His remit is to work with the...

Newton Aycliffe 8, Whitley Bay Rockliffe 29 Newton Aycliffe’s first team slipped into the bottom two of the Durham and Northumberland second division after they were comfortably beaten at home to Whitley Bay Rockliffe. With relegation rivals Richmondshire winning at the weekend to leapfrog Aycliffe, they dropped into the drop zone after a...