Children from across County Durham are being encouraged to sign up to this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. Four to 11 year olds are challenged to borrow and read any six library books during the summer holidays, a time when children’s literacy skills traditionally dip. This year’s theme is ‘Animal Agents’, based on a detective...

A near 30-year-old wealth management firm is aiming to develop into a younger market after rebranding its business with a modern new look – thanks to the help of an Aycliffe marketing agency. Three Counties are independent financial advisors who relocated from Newcastle City Centre to Lambton Park Estate in Bournmoor, County Durham, four...

A motorist was left with a broken ankle after his car was involved in a collision with a bus. The collision happened at 6pm last night (Monday, July 17) on the A167 at Newton Aycliffe, near the junction with Durham Road. A 36-year-old man was driving a Honda Civic on the southbound side of the road when it was in collision with an Arriva...

A landlady who put her heart and soul into relaunching a pub is devastated after thieves ransacked the property – leaving her to call time on the venture for good. Gemma Shepherd was preparing to relaunch the Locomotion Number One at Heighington Station, on Aycliffe Business Park, when burglars raided the pub and stole about £1,200 worth of...

The Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) are delivering summer holiday club activities in two local communities. A need for a four-week summer club has been identified in both Tudhoe and the West Ward area of Newton Aycliffe aimed at children aged between 7-11 years. The holiday clubs will start on Monday July 31 and be delivered Monday to...

People across County Durham are being encouraged to cut down on sugar and raise awareness about its impact on health as part of a new initiative. Organisations, businesses and individuals across the county are being asked to join the SUGAR SMART Durham campaign by taking actions to help make it easier for people to reduce their sugar...

Aycliffe’s first team continued their recent good form with their third win in a row at home to Shildon. Here’s a round-up of the weekend’s cricket action... Saturday 15th July – NYSD Division 2 Newton Aycliffe 1st XI v Shildon 1st XI – weather was overcast and warm. Shildon won the toss and chose to bowl first. Newton...

The country’s top performing police force is looking to recruit new officers – do you have what it takes? Durham Police is set to recruit 80 new police constables, with applications now open. The deadline for applications is Friday, July 28, or when 1,000 applications are received. Chief Constable Mike Barton said: “This is a...

Hitachi Rail Europe says it hasn’t struggled to recruit skilled people at its new train assembling factory – thanks to the support of local training providers. The Japanese manufacturer, which opened its new rail facility in September 2015, has already taken on more than 1,000 people at its £82m site on Aycliffe Business...

A Sunday morning football team united last week to aid the fundraising push of fellow Newtonian Paul McGeary, as they raised £650 for the leukaemia and lymphoma charity, Bloodwise. Newton Aycliffe Huntsman FC (formerly Locomotion FC) held a successful fancy dress footgolf tournament, followed by a raffle and prize-giving day as they returned...