Durham Constabulary are advising potential callers to try their 101 live chat service before calling. The advice follows a significant spike in non-emergency calls since the Covid-19 lockdown began last month. Calls peaked last week when the force’s control room received 865 calls in 24 hours, 215 more than the previous month’s...

Tekmar Group has joined the fight against Covid-19 – producing up to 200 protective face shields a day at no cost to the NHS. Aycliffe-based Tekmar Energy and its sister company Subsea Innovation, based in Darlington, part of the Tekmar Group who specialise in bespoke offshore equipment and subsea protection systems for the global offshore...

The organisers of a cancelled County Durham festival have launched a virtual food festival for the 2020 traders who could not trade at this year’s event, aiming to support local businesses through Covid-19. Durham County Council’s annual Bishop Auckland Food Festival, originally scheduled to take place on 18 and 19 April, was cancelled in...

The digital revolution is the current trend of process automation and information exchange in businesses, making it easier to gather and analyse data, operate with more flexibility, introduce efficient business processes and collaborate with customers and suppliers alike. Ian Brown, managing director of Excelpoint, explains: “It is about...

New job opportunities are being created in County Durham’s adult social care sector as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. An online recruitment and training programme has been launched by the County Durham Care Academy in response to the pressures placed on the sector by COVID-19. There are three key roles, including care workers,...

Scientifically-driven businesses in County Durham are working overtime in the battle to beat Covid-19 – including two Aycliffe firms. While many companies have been compelled to close under lockdown orders or forced to slash services, it has been all hands to the pump for half-a-dozen companies in the county with the expertise to tackle the...

Staff at Durham County Council are being redeployed to help those in the community who are most vulnerable during the Coronavirus outbreak. Council employees have been preparing food boxes to assist their Community Hubs in making sure essential items are reaching vulnerable residents who cannot leave their homes due to risk of catching the...

Residents in County Durham are being reminded about the importance of staying at home during the coronavirus outbreak. With the Easter bank holiday fast approaching, Durham County Council is asking residents to continue to stay at home and only leave the house for essential reasons outlined by the government in order to save lives. These...

More than 6,000 households in County Durham have had a combined £1.7m taken off their council tax as part of a local authority’s efforts to help residents through the Coronavirus pandemic. Durham County Council is giving households in receipt of a partial council tax reduction a further cut of up to £300 from their council tax as it seeks...

Newcastle-based commercial law firm, Mincoffs Solicitors, has achieved government certification to protect client data from misuse and cyber attacks, working alongside cyber security specialists, Lucid Technology Solutions. The company now has the Cyber Essentials certificate which shows customers, potential customers and suppliers it has been...