Sunderland Echo (Pennywell, England) back issues from May 2008:
'I knew babysitter was innocent' - dad.
May 01, 2008 ... The father of tragic Wearside toddler Kyle Fisher today said he never thought babysitter Suzanne Holdsworth had killed his son. Holdsworth was released from prison today after the Court of Appeal declared her conviction for the murder of the two-year-old back in August 2004 was ...
Family so grateful to kind-hearted readers.
May 01, 2008 ... Generous Echo readers have touched the hearts of a family whose little boy needs medical treatment. Parents Sarah and Andrew Naylor revealed how they faced hefty medical bills after baby Thomas was diagnosed with flat head syndrome. Since the article last week, the ...
Keano's Pub boss hits out at police after raid.
May 01, 2008 ... A pub boss today told how he does not condone drug taking on his premises after police raided his Sunderland bar. John Kerr, owner of Keano's Bar, in Thomas Street North, said he has never had any trouble at the bar, formerly known as The Terminus. But police say they ...
Special events for over-50s.
May 01, 2008 ... Older people on Wearside are being urged to go along to forums across the city. The 50+ Forums, organised by Age Concern, will take place throughout Sunderland covering various topics of interest to older people. At 10.30am on May 6 there will be a forum at Gillwood ...
The eagle has landed up North.
May 01, 2008 ... Giant birds of prey are coming home to roost at Beamish Hall Country House Hotel. Planning permission has been granted for the country retreat to develop large specialist aviaries for eagles, hawks, falcons, and other endangered species of bird. Trees in the 25 acres ...
Last to showcase your talents.
May 01, 2008 ... TIME is running out for budding entrepreneurs to enter the Echo's If we can, you can challenge. The campaign, backed by some of the region's leading business people, is aimed at unlocking business talent in the North East. And to date, the challenge has been inundated ...
It's playtime!
May 01, 2008 ... Lucky pupils at a Sunderland school are celebrating a new [pounds sterling]45,000 outdoor play area. Hill View Infant School opened its new Foundation Stage Garden this week following the massive transformation. And the children there were anxious to get their hands ...
Jobs boost at Doxford business park.
May 01, 2008 ... Plans to build a new office block on Wearside's biggest business park will help create 200 new jobs. Developer Landid Ltd is proposing a new two-storey office block on a patch of scrubland at Doxford International Business Park. It is not yet known which company will ...
Take a stroll by the coast and raise charity funds.
May 01, 2008 ... Fresh air and a seaside stroll could help raise money for research into cancer. Macmillan's Walk Wonders event will take place for the first time on Saturday, May 17, with a walk from Souter Lighthouse to Frenchman's Bay and back. Jo-Ann Evans, fund-raising manager, ...
Attractions vie for top picnic spot crown.
May 01, 2008 ... TWO tourist attractions on Wearside are among those battling it out to be named the country's top picnic spot. Mowbray Park in Sunderland city centre and the Washington Wetland Centre have been named among the North East's top 10 places to have a picnic. Families ...
Opening soon, JJB's biggest shop and gym.
May 01, 2008 ... Keep-fit fans are to benefit from a multimillion-pound health and fitness centre. Washington's Peel Centre will house the largest JJB Retail and Health and Fitness Club in the country after Peel Holdings signed up the sports retail giant. The [pounds ...
Hundreds call for change to rules on Northern Rock payouts.
May 01, 2008 ... Hundreds of people have backed the campaign to win a fair deal for Northern Rock small shareholders. Sunderland-born Dennis Grainger is spearheading the UK Shareholders' Association (UKSA) campaign on behalf of small shareholders in the North East. Stalls in ...
Medals for the mercy crews.
May 01, 2008 ... Ambulance workers have been thanked for more than 3.1million hours of service with a special awards ceremony. Seventy-five North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) staff were honoured for their loyalty and commitment at the Long Service and Good Conduct Awards. They ...
[pounds sterling]250,000 drugs haul on A1.
May 01, 2008 ... Drugs with a street value of [pounds sterling]250,000 were discovered after police pulled over a car on the A1(M). Officers with Durham Constabulary's road policing unit stopped the white van as it headed north after receiving calls from motorists concerned with the way it was ...
Party knife attacker told he is facing jail.
May 01, 2008 ... A knifeman who slashed his victim's face when he brandished an eight-inch blade at a late-night party has been warned he is facing jail. Alan Dixon, 39, left a seven centimetre wound on Darren Wolfe's cheek when he went "berserk" in the kitchen at the party in Cossack Terrace, ...
Youngsters' life-changing mission to Africa.
May 01, 2008 ... Big-hearted Sunderland teenagers travelled to Africa to help refurbish an orphanage. A group of 15 and 16-year-olds from The Venerable Bede School went to Lesotho to decorate an orphanage and take supplies out to the children. The 12 teenagers raised [pounds ...
Man who stood up to gang, attacked.
May 01, 2008 ... A man was attacked when he stood up to a gang bothering his girlfriend on a night out. Adam Campbell needed 10 stitches to a wound to his forehead, had a black eye and bruising after telling the group to behave themselves. Newcastle Crown Court heard how trouble ...
Burglar jailed for break-ins.
May 01, 2008 ... A burglar who raided two houses in one night has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Gareth Maguire already had a string of previous convictions when he and others targeted homes in Nursery Road and St Christopher's Road, Sunderland, in the early hours of January 18. ...
Two held over church roof theft.
May 01, 2008 ... Two men have been arrested on suspicion of stripping [pounds sterling]20,000-worth of lead from a church roof. St John's in Seaham was targeted just days after work to renew its roof was completed, leaving parishioners who had spent a decade raising the [pounds sterling]102,000 ...
Academy ushers in a new era in education.
May 01, 2008 ... Sunderland's flagship school will be launched this year as Academy 360. The [pounds sterling]20million Academy 360. The [pounds sterling]20million Academy 360, to replace Pennywell and Quarry View Primary School, will be a new concept in teaching for ...
Victim: 'The Shuffler' got off lightly.
May 01, 2008 ... A man who was assaulted by a notorious neighbourhood nuisance has hit out at his attacker's sentence. Nigel Stewart was heading home from a charity night when Paul Blakelock lashed out at him. Although he first thought he had escaped injury, the 40-year-old ...
Award winner Alex is a cut above.
May 01, 2008 ... A fledgling hairdresser has scooped a top prize just months after starting at a Sunderland salon. Alex Simpson from the Ramsay and Johnson salon scooped first prize at the annual BL Hairdressing Training awards, which were held at Venue in Newcastle. The ...
Calls for better lighting after A1231 death.
May 01, 2008 ... A mum died instantly when she was hit by a taxi travelling at 70mph on an unlit stretch of dual carriageway, an inquest heard. Caroline Drummond was walking in the centre of the A1231 after rowing with her boyfriend on their way home from a night out in Concord at 1.50am on ...
Election day - voters have their say.
May 01, 2008 ... Tens of thousands of Wearsiders will go to the polls today. Voters will elect one new councillor for each of the 25 wards in Sunderland, with between two and seven candidates to chose from. There are 125 polling stations across the city, which opened at 7am and will ...
Brooch deemed treasure trove.
May 01, 2008 ... A Roman brooch that sat in an archaeologist's drawer for seven years has been declared treasure by a coroner's court. Metal detecting enthusiast David Scott, 64, found the trumpet brooch, dating back to AD200, in 2000 on one of his hunts on a friend's farm in Seaham. ...
Chef sacked while she was on holiday.
May 01, 2008 ... A chef left "broke and homeless" after being sacked from her job at a Sunderland pub has won her claim for unfair dismissal. Stephanie MacDonald told an employment tribunal that she returned from holiday to find she had been evicted and made unemployed by bosses at The Wavendon, ...
Murder case babysitter wins appeal.
May 01, 2008 ... A babysitter serving life for murdering a two-year-old Wearside boy today won her conviction challenge at London's Criminal Appeal Court. The court ordered a retrial for Suzanne Holdsworth, who was found guilty of repeatedly banging the Houghton boy's head against a wooden ...
Couple's knife robbery terror.
May 01, 2008 ... Masked robbers threatened a woman with a knife during a terrifying street robbery. The 34-year-old victim was being dropped off at St Bede's Terrace, Ashbrooke, when two men, both carrying knives, appeared from nearby bushes. While one held the woman at knifepoint, ...
Northern Rock confirms job cuts.
May 01, 2008 ... Northern Rock has confirmed fears it is to axe around a third of its workforce. Up to 2,000 jobs across all levels of staff are to be cut by the end of 2011 - though the bank says the majority will be lost this year. Now the company has opened negotiations in a bid to ...
Fare dodgers on Metro 'Loser List'.
May 02, 2008 ... More than 30 fare-dodgers have been up in court in just four weeks after being snared for travelling without a ticket. In total, [pounds sterling]64,000 in fines and costs has been collected by Metro bosses from 418 cheats who tried to get a free ride on the system. ...
Youngsters' Lords date.
May 02, 2008 ... Young voices from Sunderland will be heard in the House of Lords, as two teenagers take their places in the UK Youth Parliament. Rebecca Baker, 14, and Jordan Southern, 13, claimed their seats as Sunderland MYPs after a winning a share of a record number of votes in the city's ...
Pupils rushing to get reading.
May 02, 2008 ... Determined pupils are busy collecting their vouchers in a bid to scoop [pounds sterling]1,000 worth of books. Eleven primaries have already registered to take part in the Barclays Books for Schools competition. The Echo has teamed up with Barclays Bank for the ...
Playground plans for Roker Park.
May 02, 2008 ... A popular park could undergo a [pounds sterling]250,000 revamp if plans for a new play area are given the go-ahead. Climbing boulders, rope nets, and a tree house could be installed at Roker Park if the proposals are granted funding later this year. The plans also ...
Charity celebrates 20 years of giving.
May 02, 2008 ... A charity that has pumped millions of pounds into worthy Wearside community groups is celebrating 20 years of giving. Since its launch in 1988, the Community Foundation has helped thousands of groups across the region, raising [pounds sterling]43million. Last year ...
Police plea over alleged axe attack.
May 02, 2008 ... A man was allegedly hit over the head with an axe in a brawl outside a community centre. The disturbance happened in front of Shotton Colliery Community centre and involved a group of young men. A 21-year-old received injuries to his head and one of his arms, which ...
Best brains will boost business.
May 02, 2008 ... Enterprise agency SES is bringing together some of the region's biggest business brains to give Sunderland's entreprneeurs a helping hand. Business experts from across the city and region are coming together for the first time as part of a [pounds sterling]1.6million project to ...
Bullying stand scoops special awards.
May 02, 2008 ... Taking a stand against the bullies has helped a school pick up a record number of special awards. Thornhill School in Sunderland is celebrating 26 pupils being awarded the Diana Award for their successful anti-bullying project. Ann Greenfield, peer mentor co-ordinator ...
Thief's luck runs out.
May 02, 2008 ... A habitual thief who targeted bookies and food stores across Wearside was behind bars today. Gavin Sproat, 22, pleaded guilty to three charges of theft when he appeared before Sunderland magistrates. He also asked for six other offences to be considered. These ...
Musical feast from Far East.
May 02, 2008 ... Music workshops with a Chinese flavour put a smile on the face of schoolchildren. Chinese musician Jiang Li went to Bournmoor Primary School to work with the children as part of their studies on the Far East in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. Claire Robertson, a ...
Labour down five seats + VIDEO.
May 02, 2008 ... City Tories are claiming Labour is losing its grip on power in Wearside after the controlling group lost six seats to the opposition. Conservatives took four seats from Labour - including a surprise win in Ryhope - and picked up a fifth in Doxford. The independents ...
Tory leader: We can go on to win Sunderland.
May 02, 2008 ... Labour's control in the city was dented last night as the Tories gained five extra seats on the city council. The Tories, who took four seats from Labour, including St Chad's, the former stronghold of Ryhope and two in Washington, now say they can win control of Sunderland City ...
Labour leader defiant after dent at polls.
May 02, 2008 ... Sunderland City Council's Labour leader Bob Symonds remained upbeat despite seeing his party end up with five fewer seats in Sunderland. He said: "Obviously we're very disappointed with the results this evening. However, at the end of the day we've still got 48 Labour members ...
Funeral of RAF hero takes place.
May 02, 2008 ... Five grieving daughters and their mother held hands as they bid farewell to their RAF hero father and husband. Senior Aircraftman Gary Thompson, who was born in Hetton, was the oldest British serviceman to die in Afghanistan. The 51-year-old RAF reservist was one of ...
Success for Labour in historic Durham election.
May 02, 2008 ... Labour will be the party in control of County Durham's new single super council - but with a majority of just eight. Voters heading to the polls yesterday were making history, as there will be one unitary authority, which will replace Durham County Council and the seven district ...
Shock as council leader loses seat.
May 02, 2008 ... The Labour leader of South Tyneside Council lost his seat to an Independent candidate in the biggest result of the night. Paul Waggott was beaten by Geraldine White, a former Labour councillor, after a close fight in the Fellgate and Hedworth ward. "This is a big leap ...
Axe falls on Northern Rock workforce.
May 02, 2008 ... Northern Rock has confirmed fears it is to axe around a third of its workforce. Up to 2,000 jobs across all levels of staff are to be cut by the end of 2011 - though the bank says the majority will be lost this year. Now the company has opened negotiations in a bid to ...
Durham City, Easington and Chester-le-Street election results.
May 02, 2008 ... EASINGTON Blackhalls Alan Cox - Labour: 1,294 Rob Crute - Labour: 1,251 EASINGTON Blackhalls Alan Cox - Labour: 1,294 Rob Crute - Labour: 1,251 Dawdon Bob Arthur - Independent: 962 ...
Approval likely for [pounds sterling]300million film studio.
May 02, 2008 ... Exciting plans to create a multimillion-pound film complex near Seaham look likely to be approved. Easington District Council will hold an extraordinary meeting on Friday, May 9, about the proposals for the studios on farmland at Dawdon. Planning chiefs have ...
A19 reopens after smash.
May 02, 2008 ... A section of the A19 northbound has reopened after a smash involving two lorries. A lane between the ...
Man freed from crashed BMW.
May 02, 2008 ... A man had to be freed by firefighters after his car smashed into a wall near Hetton-le-Hole. The BMW hit a wall on North Road just before noon today. ...
Award-winning airshow aims to keep flying high.
May 03, 2008 ... Sunderland Airshow is set to defend its title as Britain's best day out. The annual event was last week named Best Tourism Experience in the country - and now the organising team have kicked off the first stage of this year's search for the UK's top tourist attractions. ...
Online library to help tackle child obesity.
May 03, 2008 ... Health experts today revealed plans to use the power of the Internet to prevent childhood obesity on Wearside. Government figures suggest that, without action being taken, two-thirds of children in Britain could be obese by the year 2050. The condition is linked to ...
Oap's life made a misery by yobs.
May 03, 2008 ... A PENSIONER today revealed her years of terror at the hands of vandals. The 63-year-old, from Boldon, had to endure a catalogue of abuse over a number of years which saw teenage thugs throw eggs at her house, alcohol poured through her windows, BB pellets fired at her home and ...
Check-ups spot urgent cases.
May 03, 2008 ... HUNDREDS of Wearsiders took advantage of free blood pressure checks at The Bridges in Sunderland. And nearly one in three of those who had a check-up were referred to a GP, and three people were classed as urgent cases. The free checks were organised by the Rotary ...
Don't have a Mayday holiday.
May 03, 2008 ... DON'T make this May bank holiday a "Mayday" for the lifeboat service - that was the call today from the RNLI. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is urging people to heed safety advice. The May Day bank holiday weekend is traditionally the start of the busy ...
Lollipop lady is dancing for joy.
May 03, 2008 ... A lollipoplady has been thrown into the limelight as part of an international dance festival. Christine Phalp has been ushering kids safely across the road in front of Bullion Lane Primary School for more than 15 years. Now her daily movements have propelled her into ...
Truant's mum in court for sixth time.
May 03, 2008 ... A mother dealt with five times at court for failing to send her son to school has been charged with the same offence again. Janice Scott, of Rainton View, West Rainton, is accused of failing to ensure her 12-year-old son Josh attended Belmont School and Community Arts College, ...
Drugs haul as police raid house.
May 03, 2008 ... Drugs with a street value of [pounds sterling]20,000 have been recovered from a house after a police raid uncovered a mini cannabis farm. Officers from Durham's neighbourhood policing team executed a search warrant at the semi-detached home in Broome Road, Carrville, on ...
Tough times will not halt Bridges.
May 03, 2008 ... Bridges bosses have vowed to press ahead with their plans to extend the city centre shopping centre - despite the High Street spending crisis. The downturn in spending has seen shopping centre expansion plans across the UK put on ice. But plans to expand the Bridges ...
Yob admits umprovoked attack on teen.
May 03, 2008 ... A teenager has admitted an unprovoked attack on another youth, just days after pleading guilty to a similar assault. Sunderland magistrates heard how a gang of teenagers, led by the boy, punched the victim before kicking him in the face. He was left with an injury to ...
Into battle - Roman-style.
May 03, 2008 ... Schoolchildren battled it out with swords and heavy armour to bring Roman history to life. The youngsters from Grindon Hall Christian School took part in the re-enactment as part of the lessons on ancient Rome. After taking part in workshops with a visiting Centurian ...
Leaflets show drink dangers.
May 03, 2008 ... UNDERAGE drinkers are being given a warning about the dangers of alcohol as part of a police clampdown. A compact leaflet, which can fit easily into a pocket or wallet, is being handed out when youths are caught carrying booze. It gives them information about the ...
Youngsters not-so-sweet treat for play-goers.
May 03, 2008 ... TALENTED youngsters from across Wearside are set to take to the stage in a new production of Hansel and Gretel. Members of the Junior Drama Group, based at Springwell Village Hall, have spent weeks preparing to bring the popular fairytale to life later this month. ...
'I'll cut you up' threat to takeaway staff.
May 03, 2008 ... A TEENAGER who brandished a meat cleaver at takeaway staff because he feared his food had been spat on has been spared jail. Brett Ingram hurled a boulder through the window at the premises in Roker, Sunderland, before warning "I'll cut you all up" while wielding the weapon. ...
Mercy plea turned down.
May 03, 2008 ... A burglar has been jailed for two years, despite a courtroom plea for mercy from his victim. Lee Richardson, 25, broke into his aunt Diane Robinson's home in Striding Edge, Blackfell, Washington. Despite this, Ms Robinson sent a letter to Newcastle Crown Court asking ...