Ofsted Inspectors have praised all aspects of Durham County Council’s Fostering Service and have taken the unusual step of making no recommendations for improvement, cabinet has heard. In awarding the service with the highest possible rating of outstanding, an Ofsted report highlighted that the service provides young people with...

The Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) picked up two impressive awards at the North-East Better Health at Work award ceremony. PCP were amongst businesses across County Durham and Darlington who were being recognised for their commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of their employees as well as contributing towards creating...

Fraudsters claiming to be able to cut household energy bills are targeting homes in County Durham. Durham County Council’s Fair Trading Team is warning people about a telephone scam by a business offering to supply a device which can save 40% on energy costs. A caller, claiming to be using a secure phone line, asks for credit card or...

Aycliffe Dance Academy are hosting a Family Fun Day at the Bethany centre in Woodham Village this Saturday (10am to 2pm). Entertainment includes a bouncy castle, a football speed cage, second-hand stall, hot dogs, tombola, kids' tattoos, face-painting and a name the bear competition, plus much more. Full details are in a PDF which can be...

Ross Turnbull may have spent the game laughing and joking with Fernando Torres on the bench but his Chelsea teammates ensured that Aycliffe Today readers would be the ones laughing, as long as they followed the Midweek Tipster's heads-up on the 4/1 Ladbrokes were offering on them overcoming the mighty Barcelona. The Tipster never thought,...

The search is on for County Durham’s most dedicated schoolchildren. Durham County Council wants to reward youngsters who have an outstanding school attendance record. The authority is tracking down all teenagers in their final year of secondary school and children in the last year of primary school who have never missed even half a day...

The Leader of Durham County Council is calling on the business community to show its support for a light festival which brought a £4.3m boost to the local economy last year. This morning the council’s Cabinet approved a report which detailed the very significant economic benefits of the four-day festival which took place last...

British interest in the Champions League remains with Newtonian Ross Turnbull's Chelsea and we're backing his Blues to conquer the bookies as they face the seemingly immovable object in Barcelona. Chelsea have been a revelation under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo and on Sunday booked their place in one final as they crushed rivals Spurs...

Aycliffe Today’s resident chef Debbie Elizabeth serves up a weekly mouthwatering suggestion specially for our readers… This week… Warm British asparagus with lentil salad and poached egg Serves: 2 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes You will need 1 bundle of British asparagus 3 tbsp olive oil 1 small...

Protestors against a huge wind farm near Newton Aycliffe have been given renewed hope they may be able to thwart it. As reported in today’s Northern Echo, Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson has written to Climate Change Minister Greg Barker asking him to clarify comments he made that suggested no more onshore wind farms would be allowed beyond...