BBC Breakfast presenter Steph McGovern praised the work of South West Durham Training in preparing the young engineers of the future as she led celebrations for the centre’s 50th anniversary. Recalling her time at Black & Decker in Spennymoor under the Year in Industry scheme as a teenager, the Middlesbrough born business journalist...

Members of the public are being invited to apply to serve on Durham County Council’s Audit Committee. The council is seeking to appoint a new co-opted member to serve on the committee until 30 April 2019. The role of the committee is to approve the final accounts and advise both full council and the Cabinet on audit and governance...

Santa’s traditional Christmas Eve Tour around Newton Aycliffe. Please note, times are approximate... ROUTE 1 3.45 pm St Oswalds 4.00 pm Welbury 4.10pm -5.10pm Washington area Wycliffe Armstrong Wren Whitehead Hutchinson Hylton Matthew Wolsey Richardson Trevor Gardens St Aidans Felton 5.10pm -5.20pm Neile Defoe Trevor...

A controversial plan to create a new bypass route linking Newton Aycliffe to the A66 is included in an ambitious 30-year transport vision for the region. Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has worked with leaders from across the North to agree the 30-year plan to transform the region’s transport infrastructure. Transport for the North’s draft...

Newton Aycliffe’s Northern League side are hoping to get their season back up and running after their last two games fell foul of the weather. Aycliffe’s game at North Shields on Wednesday was postponed, as was their scheduled trip to Ashington last weekend. Now the Newtonians are hoping their home fixture with 11th-placed Seaham Red...

Police are urging owners of keyless entry cars to protect themselves from theft as a growing crime trend emerges. Durham Constabulary says that keyless entry car theft is gaining proliferation nationally as criminals exploit technology to steal high value vehicles. Criminals manipulate the vulnerabilities of the keyless system by capturing...

The new boss of one of the region’s oldest training providers says it is celebrating a recruitment growth as it approaches its 50th birthday. South West Durham Training (SWDT) will mark its fifth decade on Aycliffe Business Park with a special celebration event on Friday. And new general manager Jason Howe says the milestone comes at a...

The 12 local authorities representing the North East have written to the Secretary of State for Local Government, Sajid Javid, requesting a fairer deal on local government funding. The authorities have long argued that they have been disproportionately affected by the Government’s funding reductions since 2010 – a position supported by...

A fast-growing business which supports schools with a range of professional services has expanded to new premises on Aycliffe Business Park. Avec Partnership has relocated from Darlington to Aycliffe after acquiring one of the previously vacant units at Parson’s Court, off Welbury Way. Launched by directors Sarah Monk and Julie Sowerby...

Residents in County Durham are being reminded of changes to refuse and recycling collections over the Christmas period. Bins will be emptied as normal up to and including Friday, December 22. However, all collections during the week beginning Monday, December 25, will be a day later than normal. This means that anyone whose rubbish or...