News

ANNOUNCEMENT
Lilian Rutherford Funeral will be held at St Thomas Church Heatherycleugh, followed by burial at Burtreeford Cemetery, on 17th February at 11 am. Everyone welcome.

Date set for Murton by-election
Residents in Murton are being reminded to register to vote in an upcoming by-election. Polling cards will be delivered to residents from Monday 9 February ahead of the Durham County Council by-election being held on Thursday 5 March. Anyone listed

ON-GOING COURT CASE ALLEGES UNLAWFUL SUBSIDIES PROMISED IN BISHOP AUCKLAND
AN on-going case in the Competition Appeal Tribunal has been brought by businessman, Graham Thomas from Solihull and four companies of which he is a Director. Mr Thomas, alongside the companies, namely BEK Developments Ltd, Alleyhaus Ltd, Dales and Moors

PCC Joy Allen speaks out about Police Reform
“Police Reform must be built on evidence and consent – not change for change’s sake,” she said. “The Government’s policing White Paper sets out an ambitious agenda for reform. “Those ambitions should be welcomed. Policing does need to evolve, and

New home for historic Durham Cathedral painting
A painting which has hung in Durham’s County Hall for decades has found a new home. The Building of Durham Cathedral has been carefully removed by Durham County Council’s collections team and transferred to Ushaw Historic House, Chapel & Gardens,

Last chance to help Stanhope church
Work has at last begun to prepare the floor at St Thomas church, Stanhope for laying the flagstones. The Friends of St Thomas group, which is behind the project, will keep the appeal open till late Spring so this is

GOOD NEWS FROM WEARDALE OPEN AIR SWIMMING POOL
We are delighted to announce that we have agreed a new 30-year lease with our landlords. Weardale Open Air Swimming Pool first opened in 1974, with a life expectancy of 30 years. The hard work of our wonderful volunteers kept

How safe is your home? Firefighters on the simple acts that can protect your loved ones from fire
Firefighters have warned that every second is crucial if a fire breaks out in your home as they urge residents to check how safe their property is in a free online assessment. County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service

Gardening column – February 2026
LOVE YOUR GARDEN By Sara Milne If your garden is in a mild location in the UK then snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils will be showing their heads in February, but beware – the weather is changeable and can still be

County Durham theatre to stage a tale as old as pantomime
Tickets are now on sale for a must-see pantomime following last year’s record-breaking production. Sleeping Beauty at Empire Consett proved to be the panto that dreams are made of after breaking Box Office records to become the Durham County Council

A Long-Overdue Road Safety Strategy – But We Must Be Braver to Save Lives
Earlier this month, the Government published the first national Road Safety Strategy in more than a decade. This really matters because for too long, deaths and serious injuries on our roads have been treated as inevitable accidents. They are not

Darlington Mart
Thursday 22nd January – Darlington Auction Mart had forward: 69 Bulls sold to 436ppk & £3619 23 Steers sold to 459ppk & £3341 123 Heifers sold to 474ppk & £3256 801 Hoggs sold to 444ppk & £200 136 Cast Sheep

CLA comments on ‘Warm Homes Plan’
The CLA (Country Land and Business Association) has commented on the Government’s ‘Warm Homes Plan’ – which adopted some of the CLA’s proposals – to upgrade the nation’s homes, help families cut their energy bills, and tackle fuel poverty. The


Auckland Palace archaeology goes on public view in Bishop Auckland ‘open lab’
Archaeologists uncovering the hidden history of Auckland Palace are inviting the public behind the scenes as historic finds from eight years of excavations are analysed in a new ‘open laboratory’ in Bishop Auckland town centre. The open lab launched on

Firefighters issue kitchen warning as new data on accidental house fires released
“Distraction in the kitchen can lead to devastation.” That’s the message from firefighters at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) as new figures show more than half of the accidental house fires they attended last year started

Tow Law Town Council
AGENDA for the meeting on 20th January 2026 Planning Applications. THAT PURSUANT TO SECTION 100A OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 THAT THE PUBLIC BE EXCLUDED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MEETING DURING CONSIDERATION OF THE ITEMS LISTED BELOW ON

Builder jailed over rogue trading spree
A rogue builder is facing time behind bars after carrying out a string of fraud offences against his customers, leaving them thousands of pounds out of pocket. John McGrath, of The Oval, Barnard Castle, was sentenced today at Teesside Crown