Sunderland Echo (Pennywell, England) back issues from July 2006:
Weapons handed in.
Jul 01, 2006 ... KNIVES, swords and machetes are just some of the hundreds of weapons handed in to Sunderland police during the past five weeks. The lethal blades have been surrendered at special bin disposal points as part of the national knife amnesty. Owners had up until midnight ...
Mistreated pony had to be destroyed.
Jul 01, 2006 ... A SHETLAND pony had to be destroyed after its owner left it with a horrific leg injury. Durham Magistrates' Court heard that the animal's hoof was "dangling by a piece of skin" when it was discovered by RSPCA inspector Graeme Foggin at allotments in Horden, County Durham. ...
Motorist drove at bus stop teenagers.
Jul 01, 2006 ... A ROAD rage driver drove at a crowded bus stop because he thought someone had thrown something at his car. Durham Crown Court heard how Glen Race pinned 15-year-old Carrie Ann Walton against a bin with his Rover 200. He then reversed a few yards and drove at Ms Walton ...
Arson suspected at former drinks factory.
Jul 01, 2006 ... THICK black smoke could be seen from miles around after arsonists targeted a former soft drinks factory. Firefighters were called to the derelict Sykes building on Ryhope Road, Sunderland, at 8.30pm last night after reports of flames shooting into the air. Sixteen ...
Red card to tree felling for pitches.
Jul 01, 2006 ... A HIGH Court Judge has ordered developers to stop felling trees - putting the brakes on hopes for a youth football arena. The Trees and Wildlife Action Group (Twag) are delighted at the decision made yesterday to save 7,000 trees in Newbottle Wood, near Houghton - part of the ...
POISON ALERT.
Jul 01, 2006 ... EIGHTEEN children were taken to hospital amid a poison scare, after eating leaves plucked from plants through their school fence. The youngsters, aged six and seven, were caught munching what was believed to be crown vetch seeds - one of the country's most toxic plants. ...
Pervert had 600 child porn images.
Jul 01, 2006 ... A PERVERT caught with more than 600 child pornography films and pictures has escaped jail. Graeme Rudd, 45, used his computer to download images of child abuse, some of which were considered by police to be most serious. The images were discovered at the former ...
Reading eye Whitehead.
Jul 03, 2006 ... READING are reported to be interested in Sunderland's Player of the Season Dean Whitehead. The Berkshire club, promoted to the top flight for the first time in its history this year, see the dynamic midfielder as a player who could help stabilise them in the top flight. ...
Quinn flies in to seal the deal.
Jul 03, 2006 ... NIALL Quinn was over in Sunderland today hoping to officially present his consortium's bid for the club to the Stock Exchange. The Irishman flew over last night to put the finishing touches to moves which will see the takeover offically announced to the money markets. ...
Dawn of a new era.
Jul 03, 2006 ... NIALL QUINN today invited all Sunderland fans to join him and the club on a journey he hopes will end with Sunderland established among the best in the land. The Irishman, who announced today he will be the club's new chairman, was speaking at a press conference at the Stadium ...
Reading linked with Whitehead.
Jul 03, 2006 ... READING are reported to be interested in Sunderland's Player of the Season Dean Whitehead. The Berkshire club, promoted to the top flight for the first time in its history this year, see the dynamic midfielder as a player who could help stabilise them in the top flight. ...
O'Neill still the fans' favourite.
Jul 04, 2006 ... PUNTERS seem convinced that Martin O'Neill will be the next manager of Sunderland. All of the major bookmakers list the ex-Celtic, Leicester and Wycomb boss as the favourite for the Stadium of Light hotseat. But money is also being thrown at Alan Curbishley and Alex ...
Cats will step up training at Bath.
Jul 04, 2006 ... SUNDERLAND'S players will up their pre-season preparations next week when go to an intensive pre-season training camp at Bath University. The university houses a training village for athletes and is recognised as one of the leading facilities in the fields of sports science and ...
HOME PRIDE.
Jul 04, 2006 ... NIALL QUINN says players under his chairmanship at the Stadium of Light will know what it means to have the honour of wearing the famous Sunderland strip. Few players have worn the red and white stripes with as much pride or distinction as Quinn himself. And one of ...
Writers hope TV job will be a huge laugh.
Jul 04, 2006 ... A COMEDY trio hopes to be laughing all the way to the bank after landing a plum job writing scripts for a TV sketch show. Tom Bennett, Keith Dickinson and Ian Todd, who make up Straitjacket, are working on a new programme for E4, backed by the production company behind the hit ...
Daniel gives others the gift of life.
Jul 04, 2006 ... THE mum of tragic teenager Daniel Purvis has told how his death has brought hope to others after his organs were donated to four transplant patients. Devastated Tracy Purvis and her family have been "overwhelmed" by the support from well-wishers since the 15-year-old's death. ...
Pull our troops out, pleads dad.
Jul 04, 2006 ... THE father of murdered redcap Simon Miller today called upon the Government to withdraw all its troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. John Miller was reacting to the news that 800 engineers who have been building Camp Bastion, a British base in Afghanistan, are likely to be replaced ...
Mum's fury as attacker spared jail.
Jul 04, 2006 ... A MUM who had her nose almost bitten off during her daughter's 18th birthday party has hit out after her attacker escaped jail. Angela Kelly was left with her nose hanging off and needed more than 25 stitches after the horrific assault by neighbour Joanne Barrass. ...
Tragedy of pals stuns Wayne's familly.
Jul 04, 2006 ... A SUNDERLAND firm which sent hazardous waste to a landfill site has been hit with a [pounds sterling]17,000 fine. EBR Limited, of West Quay Road, Sunderland Enterprise Park, admitted failing to inform the Environment Agency it would be moving the waste and sending it to an ...
Pet beaten with stick by burglars.
Jul 04, 2006 ... HEARTLESS burglars thrashed a family pet with a metal stick before smashing their way into a house and stealing treasured pieces of jewellery. Gloria Bell and daughter Megan were left devastated when they returned home to find their dog, Jake, had been attacked with a ...
Student's killer is set free.
Jul 04, 2006 ... THE killer of a Durham University student has been named on a list of 53 men and women released early from their life sentences. Labourer Christopher Woolley killed Patrick Brown in an unprovoked attack outside Durham City railway station in February, 2001. Now he has ...
Top grades for city primary.
Jul 04, 2006 ... A HIGH-PERFORMING primary school has become the city's first to win top grades in its Ofsted inspection. Havelock Community Primary School has been rated one of Britain's best after inspectors judged the Ford Estate school as "outstanding" in every way. Only a ...
BEATING THE BOOZE.
Jul 04, 2006 ... POLICE have arrested more than 2,000 people during the past year as part of an unprecedented crackdown on booze-fuelled violence. The figures were revealed as the Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, Mike Craik, revealed that Sunderland was one of the most successful places in ...
Fans expected to back Quinn deal.
Jul 04, 2006 ... SUNDERLAND Football Club is expecting a Stadium of Light season tickets sales boom after Niall Quinn launched his takeover bid for the club. Quinn now needs fans with shares to sell their stake if he is to reach his target of a 90 per cent holding in the club within 21 days. ...
Saying goodbye to the teaching brotherhood.
Jul 05, 2006 ... GENERATIONS of Wearside solicitors, doctors, writers and sportsmen owe their livelihoods to the tuition provided by the Christian Brothers. A thorough grounding in the three r's, enforced with rigid discipline and spiritual guidance, has produced an illustrious roll call of past ...
Share our dream.
Jul 05, 2006 ... NIALL Quinn today appealed through the Echo to Sunderland Football Club shareholders - support me by selling your shares to my team. The Irishman's consortium formally submitted an offer to buy the club on Monday, but wants to ensure it gains outright control of the club by ...
Counting the cost of 'taggers'.
Jul 05, 2006 ... A WAR has been declared on "tag" graffiti vandals after police, transport and council chiefs stepped up their battle to keep the streets clean. Scrubbing graffiti off buildings and walls across the city cost Sunderland Council an estimated [pounds sterling]18,650 last year, ...
Air-rifle horror as girl is shot in the eye.
Jul 05, 2006 ... FOUR people have been arrested after a teenage girl was shot in the eye with an air rifle during a camping trip. The 18-year-old Sunderland victim is today recovering in hospital after a weekend away with friends turned into a nightmare. Yesterday, four men, all under ...
School is rated as leading light.
Jul 05, 2006 ... A SCHOOL is celebrating after it was ranked alongside some of Britain's top public schools in a new guide. Staff and pupils at St Aidan's RC School and Sixth Form have been handed the accolade from the Good Schools Guide, which also rates Eton, as some of the best places to ...
College bosses to reassess all sites.
Jul 05, 2006 ... CITY of Sunderland College bosses are to review the long-term future of all its sites - including the landmark Bede centre - as they plot a 21st century overhaul. The college is preparing the ground for major changes with its Hylton Skills Campus - the former St Thomas Aquinas ...
Champ gives would-be running stars tips for success.
Jul 05, 2006 ... AN OLYMPIC runner was on hand to help a Wearside school run into the record books. Three-times Olympic finalist, John Mayock, went along to St Michael's Primary School in Houghton to give the youngsters some running tips for a UK event. The school was one of hundreds ...
Warm homes cash grants up for grabs.
Jul 05, 2006 ... VOLUNTEER energy conservationists could be in for a small windfall as new grants are up for grabs. The National Energy Action charity (NEA) is setting up a Silver Jubilee Fund in celebration of 25 years campaigning for warmer homes. By teaming up with Community ...
Doomed Dunlop plant finally shuts its doors.
Jul 05, 2006 ... WASHINGTON'S doomed Dunlop tyre factory finally closes its doors today. News that the plant was to close with the loss of 585 jobs came in April. Dunlop, owned by U.S. company Goodyear, blamed cut-price competition from manufacturers in Eastern Europe and the Far ...
Murder accused remanded.
Jul 05, 2006 ... A MAN has appeared in court charged with the murder of a dad-of-two who died after an altercation near his home. David Fletcher, 32, appeared before Sunderland Magistrates yesterday charged with the murder of Paul Green, 27. Mr Green, of Peebles Road, Plains Farm, ...
We must prove ourselves to Quinn - Lawrence.
Jul 05, 2006 ... LIAM Lawrence says Sunderland's players must prove themselves to Niall Quinn. Quinn's consortium has launched a [pounds sterling]10million takeover of the club, which should be complete before the start of the new Championship season. The Irishman has launched his ...
Quinn hit list.
Jul 05, 2006 ... NIALL QUINN has a hit-list of high-profile candidates for the job of Sunderland manager. Martin O'Neill is on the list, but is only one of the contenders and the former Celtic boss may be interested in the flexibility of a part-time role as coach of Australia. Quinn ...
Dean not for sale.
Jul 06, 2006 ... SUNDERLAND insist Dean Whitehead is not for sale. Reading want the Black Cats' midfielder and have failed with an initial [pounds sterling]1.2million offer. Reports from Berkshire suggest the Championship winners will be back with an improved [pounds sterling]2m bid. ...
Murray urges shareholders to sell.
Jul 06, 2006 ... FORMER Sunderland chairman Bob Murray will urge Black Cats shareholders to sell-up to Niall Quinn. In a letter that will be included in the offer document from Quinn and his consortium, Murray says it is time for someone to provide fresh impetus. Quinn has launched a ...
Cats to visit Rotherham.
Jul 06, 2006 ... SUNDERLAND will play a pre-season friendly at Rotherham United on Wednesday, July 19 (7.45pm). It's the third summer game to be confirmed by the Black Cats so far, with games at Forest Green Rovers (July 15, 3pm) and Carlisle United (July 29, 3pm) previously confirmed. ...
Agent is charged.
Jul 06, 2006 ... THE agent of Sunderland midfielder Grant Leadbitter has been charged with alleged breaches of Football Association rules. He is accused of acting for Leadbitter at a time when the player was under contract with another agent and breaking regulations which ban agents from trying ...
STI cases increase by 10%.
Jul 06, 2006 ... SEX disease cases have increased by 10 per cent in the North East - more than three times the national rise. More than 25,600 sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were diagnosed in the region in 2005, according to a new report from the Health Protection Agency. ...
Couple and son flee blaze.
Jul 06, 2006 ... AN elderly couple and their son were lucky to escape a severe blaze which tore through their house. The couple, both in their 70s, were in their home in Carlisle Crescent, Penshaw, when the blaze broke out shortly before 8pm last night. They had put a chip pan on and ...
Reclaiming the streets from yobs.
Jul 06, 2006 ... MINISTERS in the House of Commons have held Sunderland up as an example of how people can "reclaim the streets" from criminals. It comes after the city was declared the safest in the north of England during a recent debate, prompting praise from the highest levels. ...
Police blitz aimed at problem neighbours.
Jul 06, 2006 ... POLICE executed warrants on estates across the city as part of a blitz aimed at making neighbours feel safer in their homes. Teams of officers in the south of the city made six arrests, searched four homes and discovered a cannabis farm as part of the 24-hour operation. ...
Relief for crash-girl's family as driver admits guilt.
Jul 06, 2006 ... A FAMILY today spoke of their relief after a driver admitted causing the road smash that left their teenage daughter fighting for her life. Sarah Harrington is still unable to walk and is undergoing intense rehabilitation after the crash that almost claimed her life. ...
Heritage and tradition at Gala.
Jul 06, 2006 ... TENS of thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Durham City at the weekend for this year's Durham Miners' Gala. The 122nd Big Meeting takes place on Saturday and the event has seen a resurgence of interest in the last few years. If the weather is ...
Arc plan could stop city exodus, inspector told.
Jul 06, 2006 ... COUNCIL chiefs have pleaded with an inspector to breathe new life into the Vaux site to stop thousands of Wearsiders from leaving the city for a better life elsewhere. The plea came from Sunderland Council as the planning inquiry into Vaux's future enters a second week. ...
Chef Das proves that spice is nice.
Jul 06, 2006 ... THE chef who taught Jamie Oliver how to turn curries into pukka tukka is now aiming to turn Wearside's youngsters into spice girls and boys. Das Sreedharan was credited with helping inspire the Naked Chef with his "genius Indian food" and even cooked at his wedding. ...
Library marks new chapter in school history.
Jul 06, 2006 ... STORYTELLER Chris Bostock captivated his young fans by spinning yarns when he opened a school's new library. Chris was the guest of honour at Diamond Hall Junior School, in Millfield, when they officially opened the new facilities following a [pounds sterling]15,000 makeover. ...
Exclusions reduced in Wear schools.
Jul 06, 2006 ... FEWER children have been kicked out of Sunderland's schools than anywhere else in the North East. Over 10 years, Sunderland has slashed its permanent exclusion rate by 70 per cent to 15, falling even further this year to just three. Headteachers and council officials ...
DEATH PROBE AT CARE HOME.
Jul 06, 2006 ... AN investigation into the suspicious death of an elderly woman at a care home was launched today. Police have been carrying out inquiries at Ashlea Court residential home, in Farringdon. The pensioner, believed to be a resident at the home, has not been named, but ...
Family lose second twin after four years.
Jul 06, 2006 ... A FAMILY have been left devastated by the death of their daughter after an asthma attack at 32 - just four years after they lost her twin sister. Diane Neal suffered the tragic attack at home, just three weeks after marrying the love of her life. Despite efforts to ...
Fans split on share sale.
Jul 06, 2006 ... SUNDERLAND shareholder Derrick Dinsdale is backing Niall Quinn to bring the good times back to the Stadium of Light. Derrick, 49, has vowed to sell his stake in the club to the Big Man's consortium - most of it, anyway. Self-employed Derrick, of Polmuir Square, Plains ...
It's goodbye from Sir and...
Jul 07, 2006 ... WITH typical bluntness, Wearside's longest serving primary headteacher is signing off, "before the zip peters out". Alan Smith, 57, is leaving Mill Hill Primary in Doxford Park after 24 years and admits its time to go. "It's a wonderful thing to retire when you feel ...
Tesco attacks its Vaux rival.
Jul 07, 2006 ... TESCO has lashed out at its Vaux planning rival saying regeneration chiefs have "delivered nothing" for Sunderland. City development agency Sunderland arc has ambitious plans for the former city centre brewery site and these are being examined at a planning inquiry. ...
Victims remembered.
Jul 07, 2006 ... WEARSIDE fell silent today to remember the victims of the July 7 bombings a year ago. The nation came to a standstill as it marked the first anniversary of the London terror attacks with an emotional two-minute silence at noon. Events were being held across ...
Quinn spells out plans in offer document.
Jul 07, 2006 ... NIALL QUINN speaks passionately about his plans for Sunderland in a personal letter to shareholders, who are being asked to sell-up to his new consortium. The 60-page document setting out the details and terms of the consortium's [pounds sterling]10million - 117p per share - ...
Arca may still stay.
Jul 07, 2006 ... JULIO ARCA has not decided to leave Sunderland, despite comments he made about being "happy" to hear of Spanish side Espanyol's interest. The Argentinian has a year left on his Black Cats' deal and has spoken to a Spanish radio station about Espanyol's interest. The ...
New Monkey club to remain closed.
Jul 08, 2006 ... AN APPEAL against the closure of controversial rave club The New Monkey has been dramatically withdrawn. It means police have been successful at ensuring the drug riddled venue remains closed until September. While Sunderland Council today confirmed they are seeking ...
Top dog wins Echo Pedigree Chum competition.
Jul 08, 2006 ... DUKE the Rottweiller today lifted the Golden Paw after Echo readers voted him their favourite England Pedigree Chum. Giant Duke has only been in the game for 11 month - but his obvious defensive talent saw him firmly fixed in the back four of our World Cup starting line up. ...
Tearaways threaten multi-million pound development.
Jul 08, 2006 ... DRUNK teen tearaways terrorising Dawdon are forcing developers building a multi-million care home to consider pulling out of the area. The Echo reported last night that children as young as 12 were drinking on the streets - neighbours complained yobs were urinate against houses, ...
Tributes to car smash teenager.
Jul 08, 2006 ... A TOWN turned out to mourn a teenager who gave the gift of life to others after being involved in a horrific car crash. Daniel Purvis died after the Mitsubishi Shogun he was driving smashed into a telegraph pole and tree in Logan Terrace, South Hetton, on June 16. ...
Husband admits murdering his wife.
Jul 10, 2006 ... SUNDERLAND university student Jonathon Howarth today pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife. Andrea, 28, a teacher at Hetton School, was stabbed to death as she made her ...
TOM'S FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Jul 10, 2006 ... TWO-YEAR-OLD Tom Smith is facing life-saving surgery after he was born with just half a working heart. Mum Julia, 30, was just 20-weeks pregnant when she was given devastating news after a scan revealed her unborn child had a heart defect. Further investigations ...
Dream day for wedding couple.
Jul 10, 2006 ... SWEETHEARTS Harry Matthews and Lynn Shaw planned a fairytale wedding in Las Vegas - but days before take off their plans were grounded when the bridegroom suffered a heart attack. But just four weeks after being rushed into hospital, the couple have tied the knot at home in ...