By Martin Walker The over-subscribed Hitachi construction open day on Thursday was a huge success. Staged brilliantly by the Xcel Centre’s superb conference team and delivered in sophisticated businesslike fashion, the 400-plus guests went away under no illusions that the much-awaited Hitachi factory is within touching distance. Key...

Aycliffe Today Sports Editor and Newton Aycliffe FC reporter Glen Robertson continues his daily Euro 2012 blog… Spain 0-0 Portugal – Spain win 4-2 on penalties See how much more fun penalties are, when they involve two other nations? Spain are on the verge of history after seeing off neighbours Portugal via spot-kicks. They can...

By Martin Walker Phil Wilson told more than 400 business delegates he expects the eagerly-awaited Hitachi factory to be the “new Nissan for the North-East”. Mr Wilson, the Labour MP for Sedgefield who played a major part in helping to bring Hitachi to the town, opened the proceedings at Thursday’s construction open day at the Xcel...

By Martin Walker Newton Aycliffe have been boosted with the re-signing of eight players. Chairman and assistant manager Gary Farley took the Aycliffe squad for their first pre-season training session on Wednesday evening. Eight of the players who finished last season with the Newtonians have signed up for the 2012-13 campaign, despite...

The Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) are looking for volunteers to help with two projects aimed at improving the health, wellbeing and quality of life for local people. Befrienders for Volunteer Health Buddy Scheme - to provide support for clients who will be isolated, lonely or vulnerable to regain their independence and confidence and...

By Martin Walker A chemical firm responsible for an illegal gas release in Newton Aycliffe has been fined £10,000. It happened at Ineos, near School Aycliffe, as 56 tonnes of gas, particles and steam were shot into the Aycliffe sky, leaving homes at the nearby Chestnuts housing estate coated in white powder. As reported in today’s...

By Martin Walker Phil Wilson has moved to reassure Newtonians that the long-awaited Hitachi deal is still on track. Reports over the weekend had claimed that the number of carriages to be produced at Hitachi’s planned train-building factory in Newton Aycliffe is being cut – threatening the whole project. But the Department for...

By Martin Walker Police are hunting thieves who’ve stolen 75 litres of hazardous chemicals from a Newton Aycliffe factory. Offenders have scaled an eight-foot fence at Almit Metal Finishing on Aycliffe Business Park before stealing three containers of chemicals used in nickel and zinc cleaning. The liquids, which were all in blue...

Newton Aycliffe Rugby Club are hoping to repeat their flying start to a season later this summer – but maintain it throughout the campaign. It was the sort of start that only the most optimistic of Aycliffe fans would have hoped for. But Aycliffe manager Cymon Lee (pictured) says the side must look at the bigger picture. The...

By Martin Walker Health officials have confirmed that concerns about inadequate smear tests at a Newton Aycliffe GP practice go back at least five years. As reported on Aycliffe Today last week, about 1,000 women in the Aycliffe area were being invited to have new smear tests because of fears that previous tests had been done...