By Martin Walker Training Institution South West Durham has clocked up its 45th year with a special celebration in the town. The specialist training centre, on Aycliffe Business Park, celebrated 45 years of nurturing engineering talent with a reunion event on Wednesday. Comedian Vic Reeves and Stewart Wingate, chief executive of...

A Shildon woman has been fined for stealing a handbag in a shop. Annette Jasper admitted taking the handbag from a shop in Shildon when she appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court today (31st October). As reported by The Northern Echo, prosecutor Claire Brinton said the bag’s owner had left it in the Freezer Shop and Jasper,...

Community spirited residents keen to help keep the county clean and tidy are being sought to champion the cause in their local area. Durham County Council is behind the Street Champions scheme which encourages residents to keep their local neighbourhoods clean and green. The project is an extension of the Neighbourhood Watch initiative...

Year 7 students at Woodham Academy took part in an internet safety workshop led by PC Scott Hodgson from the Newton Aycliffe Community Police Team. The event is part of an annual project which has a focus on personal safety, with the aim to highlight e-safety issues linked to social networking. “Students often don’t think about the...

Fire jugglers, grim reapers and creepy crawlies will be the stars of a spooktacular Halloween event tomorrow night. The monster mash takes place between 6pm and 8.30pm on Wednesday (31st October) at Hardwick Park, near Sedgefield. Scary walks, arts and crafts, face painting and a number of games and activities will keep visitors of all...

The Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) has added a variety of community learning courses to the long list of activities delivered in the Pioneering Care Centre in Newton Aycliffe. The courses are an ideal way to learn a new skill, discover a new hobby or improve confidence and self-esteem. Plus it’s a great start in longer-term learning...

Aycliffe residents are being reminded that the last collections of garden waste will take place during November. Durham County Council is thanking householders for taking part in its garden waste recycling service and helping to compost rather than sending unwanted garden materials to landfill. Garden waste is collected from around...

A Newton Aycliffe warehousing and distribution firm has landed a significant contract with Bidvest Logistics, part of the global Bidvest group in a deal which will initially create 10 new jobs, with more to follow. Stiller, based on Aycliffe Business Park, will enable Bidvest Logistics to open the first satellite depot for its...

A sold out Sports Club was dazzled as Newton Aycliffe FC’s first-ever hypnotist night was a roaring success. Comedy hypnotist Adam Night put on a memorable 90-minute show that had the 120-audience in stitches as he made a dozen volunteers do a variety of embarrassing acts. Newton Aycliffe goalkeepers Scott Pocklington and Ryan Farley...

Police and their partners across County Durham have launched a campaign to ensure people are switched on to home security over the winter months. With the clocks having gone back at the weekend, they are urging people in communities across the county to adopt simple tips to keep burglars at bay during the dark nights. As part of the...