County Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has funded the appointment of Robin Brierley, who will chair a new local panel to coordinate the response to modern slavery and human trafficking and increase support for victims. Robin Brierley is an independent consultant on modern slavery and human trafficking who has been...

Students from Greenfield Community College are about to tread the boards once more! Each year Greenfield’s Performing Arts Department put on their annual school production. In previous years, they have had successful shows including ‘School of Rock’ and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. The pandemic, however, brought a halt to the...

A flag symbolising unwavering support for forces personnel has been raised by the North East’s largest local authority ahead of Armed Forces Day. Durham County Council is flying the Armed Forces Day flag this week to mark Armed Forces Day on Saturday June 25 and Reserves Day, which takes place on Wednesday June 22. Representatives of the...

An award win for innovation to an axe-throwing venture was the result of 16 months of blood, sweat and tears, say its founders. Valhalla North is the UK's number one independent axe throwing venue, owned and run by husband-and-wife Carl and Kat, the IATF highest ranked male and female in Europe. The young venture won the Innovation category...

Lee Weldon's weekly round-up from the wicket... Saturday 18th June – NYSD Division 2 Newton Aycliffe 1st XI v Middlesbrough 2nd XI – weather was warm and sunny. Newton Aycliffe won the toss and chose to bat first. Newton Aycliffe 1st XI 255 all out after 49.5 overs Joe Teasdale 64, James Layfield-Carroll 41 and Sean Morgan...

A prolific offender suspected to be responsible for the majority of antisocial behaviour in Newton Aycliffe is now behind bars. The teenager – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was arrested in the early hours of June 16 and charged with two assaults, assault causing actual bodily harm and multiple breaches of his Community Behaviour...

Retail workers and business owners can take advantage of new training courses and workshops on offer. Durham County Council’s Employment and Skills Service is running the sessions as part of the authority’s Towns and Villages programme. It will focus on areas such as digital media for business, dementia awareness, customer service across...

Newton Aycliffe-based global craft business Crafter’s Companion has announced the appointment of David Stern as its new non-executive chair. David joins the County Durham based craft supply company with more than 30 years’ experience in retail and consumer brands in the UK and US. Originally from New York, David spent 11 years in...

Newton Aycliffe FC boss Brian Atkinson wants the town to get behind the team as he looks to build on the club’s highest ever Ebac Northern League finish. The former Sunderland and Darlington midfielder is currently working his way through his first summer in front-line management. He has quickly realised recruitment is the main focus,...

The first of Avanti West Coast’s new fleet of trains has entered static testing at Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe factory. In a major milestone for the £350m project, carriages from a Class 805 bi-mode train are being coupled together to mark the start of the extensive testing programme ahead of the planned entry into service in...