An inspirational care worker and a team who help people with mental health difficulties have made it onto the shortlist for a prestigious set of awards. Brian Foster, a manager for learning disability day services at Durham County Council, has been nominated for the Dignity in Care honour at the Great North East Care Awards. The...

People in County Durham are being offered advice on staying safe, warm and well in winter. As temperatures start to drop, Durham County Council is issuing the following tips for residents on preparing for bad weather. Stay Warm ● If you at home all day keep the heating on low to maintain a constant temperature. ● Check if you are...

Aycliffe goalkeeper Scott Pocklington was up to his usual tricks during the club’s latest fundraising event last week. But instead of sending other people to sleep with his rip-roaring conversations, the calamitous keeper went one better by sending himself to sleep with his patter! Pocklington attended Aycliffe’s first-ever comedy...

Our panel of three football writers give their predictions on Newton Aycliffe’s game this weekend… Three points are awarded if our ‘experts’ pick the exact score, 1 point awarded if they get the result correct. All three experts went for a draw last week, thus not troubling the scorers. Glen Robertson – 9 Paul McGeary –...

A man charged with fraudulently obtaining more than £160,000 from several people by claiming he was a millionaire with a terminal illness has appeared in court. As reported by The Northern Echo, Jonathan Price, from Killerby, near Darlington, faced six counts of fraud when he appeared via video link at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court...

By Glen Robertson Newton Aycliffe's Durham Challenge Cup run ended at the first hurdle as holders Spennymoor ran out 3-0 winners. On this kind of form, it will take a special side to stop Moors lifting the trophy for a second successive year after a double from Steven Richardson and Andrew Stephenson's terrific strike secured...

Woodham Academy welcomed government researchers into the school to advise how to get children eating well at school. For many years, Woodham has employed its own chef and catering team – all food is fresh, sourced locally and cooked from scratch. There is nothing frozen or pre-prepared. Every day, there are at least five different...

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...