Sunderland Echo
‘An absolute force of nature’ – the beloved dad fighting MND
A beloved Sunderland dad diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) has been hailed as “an absolute force of nature” with his positive outlook on life. David Sampson and his family from Hylton Castle were devastated when he was given the news that he...
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DRIVERS FUME AT FUEL COST
Motorists have criticised fuel companies for “taking advantage” of drivers as diesel prices approached £2 per litre at Washington Service Station. The site was advertising diesel at £1.99.9 and unleaded at £1.84.9, prompting complaints. Moto...
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RAIL STATION TAKES A PUNT
A long-vacant retail unit at Sunderland’s revamped railway station could be brought back into use, with BoyleSports submitting plans to open a betting shop facing Market Square. The unit has stood empty since the southern concourse opened in December...
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‘DON’T LIVE YOUR LIFE IN FEAR’
Poppy Eagle was a vibrant 20-year-old when she died suddenly from an undiagnosed heart condition, CPVT. Nearly two years on, her family are honouring her memory through Poppy’s Light Foundation, which raises awareness of inherited cardiac conditions...
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‘I asked if I could have my hand removed’
A Sunderland woman says she has endured two decades of worsening pain and disability after multiple wrist operations performed by surgeon Leslie Irwin, now under investigation by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust. Following repeated surgeries,...
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‘Sure as you’re born, the loveliest of all was unicorn’
As the song goes: A long time ago when the Earth was green, and there were more kinds of animals than you’ve ever seen. They’d run around free while the Earth was being born, but the loveliest of them all was the Unicorn. The single-horned, horse like...
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CRACKING SUCCESS
The Sunderland Echo’s annual Easter Egg Appeal run by Hope 4 Kidz has once again been hailed a huge success following a remarkable surge of generosity from readers, businesses and community groups. Chocolate eggs were donated across a host of drop-off...
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CREATURE COMFORTS
A Washington-based charity that saves unwanted exotic animals, is appealing for support as it prepares to move into its first dedicated rescue centre. Richmond Exotics, run from the home of founders Becky and Chris Richmond, currently cares for around...
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SAY IT WITH A SMILE NOT A MOBILE
A Sunderland school has banned parents from using mobile phones on school grounds to boost safeguarding and improve parent–child interaction. Willow Wood Community Primary School headteacher Lindsay Robertson introduced the rule to prevent protected...
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UNDER THREAT
The University of Sunderland is exploring the possibility of consolidating all its faculties and facilities to an expanded City Campus site. The university currently operates across two centres, with business, law, arts, computing and media facilities...
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‘If I lose them I’ve nothing to live for’
Brian Lormor, 65, from Hettonle-Hole, faces eviction after landlord Gentoo ruled he must reduce his nine pet dogs to the permitted two under its tenancy policy. Magistrates have extended his eviction deadline from April 10 to May 31 to allow time to...
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WHEELS OF MISFORTUNE
Sunderland City Council has defended issuing more than 27,000 bus-lane fines between January 2023 and December 2025, generating £741,302 in revenue. Freedom of Information data shows 14,454 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were issued in 2024, raising...
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THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC
Geoff Docherty, the legendary Sunderland music promoter who brought global rock icons to the city in the 1960s and ’70s, has died aged 86. Friends David Waller and Karen Banwell have paid tribute to his modesty and huge cultural impact, recalling how...
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GAME ON
A major new venue is taking shape beside the Stadium of Light, with the former Audi garage being transformed into a 15,000 sq ft multi-use British Arena set to open this summer. Delivered by British Esports, the site will go far beyond gaming, hosting...
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‘WE’VE BEEN DECEIVED’
Sunderland’s Labour Group has accused the University of Sunderland of presenting repair and running costs for the National Glass Centre “in a way to deceive the council and its residents”, as councillors push for the planned closure and demolition to...
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CALL CENTRE FACES AXE
Hundreds of workers face an uncertain future after learning that their call centre may close. Around 460 staff at BT’s contact centre at Doxford International Business Park, in Sunderland, are affected by the announcement. One worker told the Echo...
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‘UNPRECEDENTED’
More than 100 former patients of Sunderland surgeon Dr Leslie Irwin have contacted law firm Slater and Gordon following concerns over procedures carried out at Spire Washington Hospital and Sunderland Royal Hospital. Both Spire and South Tyneside and...
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DERBY HEROES
Sunderland enjoyed a memorable afternoon at St James’ Park yesterday as they put Newcastle United in their place with a stirring secondhalf comeback to seal a league double over their bitter rivals. Regis Le Bris’s men extended their unbeaten streak...
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Development breathes new life into historic property with workspaces
From a curiosity shop selling gems of yesteryear Sunderland to a wellness brand, eight new business spaces have been created in an historic city building. This week saw the launch of 19 Norfolk Street, which has brought eight new workspaces to a...
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IT’S A FROM US!
Sunderland could soon be stepping into the spotlight as a future home of Strictly Come Dancing, with city leaders determined to turn ambition into a showstopping reality. Backed by a £38.5million funding package, plans for Crown Works studios are...
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CULTURE SHIFT
Sunderland’s flagship contemporary art gallery is set for a fresh start after plans were confirmed to relocate it to the new Culture House in Keel Square. The Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art will move from the National Glass Centre, which is due...
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PLAY SAFE!
Football supporters heading to Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby are being urged to plan ahead as authorities prepare for huge crowds and heightened security. With Metro and rail services running on limited Sunday timetables, supporters are warned to expect...
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NEW HOPE FOR FAMILIES
Work has started on a new respite care home for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. The Red Gables facility in East Rainton will provide short breaks for youngsters while offering vital support to...
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NO CHILD MISSES OUT
Hundreds of Sunderland schoolchildren have been signed up for free school meals after a council-led campaign to identify families missing out on support. Sunderland City Council and Together for Children added 657 pupils to the scheme last summer...
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‘MY PERFECT WEDDING GIFT’
A bride battling stage four cancer was given the wedding of her dreams thanks to the kindness of local businesses. Mum-of-two Laurin Ashcroft, 37, from Pennywell, married partner Jordan Hodgson after charity Amber’s Legacy rallied the city to...
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WALK OF LEGENDS
Sunderland have confirmed plans to transform the plaza outside the Roker End with a new supporter landmark called Legends’ Way. The redevelopment, due to be completed before the 2026–27 season, will celebrate the club’s greatest figures while...
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MENUS TO GET HEALTHY
Sunderland diners can now enjoy healthier options at a growing number of local restaurants thanks to Healthy Plates, a new initiative from Sunderland City Council and the city’s BIDs. The project aims to help venues adapt dishes in ways that boost...
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STARS COME OUT FOR GIG
Pop star Zara Larsson will headline the Saturday main stage when Radio 1’s Big Weekend arrives in Sunderland this May. The Swedish singer leads a packed line-up revealed by Greg James on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, with Ellie Goulding, Lola Young,...
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GO THE EGGS-TRA MILE!
Sunderland Echo readers are being urged to help brighten Easter for thousands of youngsters by supporting our annual Easter Egg Appeal. Run in partnership with charity Hope 4 Kidz, the campaign asks people to buy an extra chocolate egg and drop it off...
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FatBoy Slim is ‘Weapon of Choice’ to headline first night of Big Weekend
FatBoy Slim will headline the Friday night of Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland. Presenters Sam and Danni were joined in the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast studio by Danny Howard to make the announcement we’ve all been waiting for. Fisher, MK and Sonny...
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PETE HITS THE JACKPOT
A Sunderland pensioner’s quiet pint turned into the celebration of a lifetime when a phone call revealed he had won £500,000. Peter Johnson, 71, was enjoying his usual end-ofweek drink with friends when Greatest Hits Radio presenter Gemma Atkinson...
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‘WE’RE NOT A ZOO!’
An exotic animal rescue run by a Washington couple has stressed it is “not a zoo” after a council licensing row triggered by two rescued meerkats. Becky and Chris Richmond, who run Richmond Exotics from their home, have taken in more than 80 abandoned...
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CAFE PLAN IS GROUNDED
City councillors have poured cold water on plans for a café at Penshaw Monument by refusing the scheme over Green Belt and highway safety concerns. The proposed singlestorey unit at the foot of the landmark promised jobs, parking and a grass-roofed...
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BOX OFFICE BOOM TIME!
Tickets for one of the city’s biggest ever music events are about to go on sale as Radio 1’s Big Weekend heads to Herrington Country Park this May. Around 80,000 fans are expected across the threeday festival, with priority access given to Sunderland...
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‘LET’S TALK’
Hundreds of teachers and support staff across Sunderland are being trained to help children struggling with speech and language before problems take hold. More than 400 education workers will receive specialist Talk Boost training from Speech and...
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PREDATORS LOCKED UP
A married couple who preyed on two vulnerable children have been jailed following a Northumbria Police investigation. Kieron Lewis, 33, and Rebecca Bowey, 25, both of Moore Crescent South, Houghton, admitted a catalogue of sexual offences spanning...
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Councils hit by a huge increase in
The number of fly-tipping offences councils had to deal with last year jumped by nearly 10% to 1.26m, official figures show. Local authorities in England recorded a 9% rise in flytipping – the highest figures since before the pandemic. The figures...
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SHAKING THINGS UP!
Senior councillors have backed key changes to Sunderland’s five area committees to reflect new ward boundaries coming into force at May’s all-out local elections. The shake-up will see revisions to three committee boundaries - East, West and Coalfield...
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‘VILE AND ABHORRENT’
Northumbria Police has launched an investigation after racist messages were sent to Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle following Sunday’s 3–1 Premier League defeat to Fulham. The club condemned the “vile” online abuse and pledged full support to the...
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IT’S OUR HISTORY
Amateur archaeologists have uncovered a significant Roman industrial site on the banks of the Wear – and now they are fighting to keep the treasure in Sunderland. More than 1,000 artefacts, including hundreds of Roman whetstones, coins and tools, have...
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‘BLOWN AWAY BY KINDNESS’
A grieving daughter has paid an emotional tribute to her “strongest woman” mum – and thanked the community for its incredible support after her death. Diane Jones, 59, from Thorney Close, was killed on Valentine’s Day after being struck on the A690 as...
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GLASS BLOW!
More than 200 glassmakers and ceramics specialists have written an open letter backing plans to move Sunderland’s glassmaking activity from the National Glass Centre to a new base in Sunniside. With the University of Sunderland confirming the centre...
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ARREST IN MURDER PROBE
A murder probe is under way after a man in his 50s died following a suspected assault in Sunderland. Emergency services were called to Hastings Street in Hendon shortly before 7.15am yesterday after a report from the ambulance service. Despite...
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ZONE ADVANTAGE
Sunderland AFC and the council have reached agreement over revised plans for a 450-home development at Sheepfolds, erasing fears it could restrict future expansion of the Stadium of Light. Club owner Kyril LouisDreyfus had warned the original scheme...
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MISSING THE MARK
A-level results in Sunderland have dipped compared to last year, new Department for Education figures reveal. The average point score fell from 29.5 to 28.1 in 2024-25, with the average grade slipping from C to C-. While 77.3% of students achieved at...
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‘I JUST WANT ANSWERS’
A woman left in constant pain after five wrist operations says she ‘just wants answers’ after learning the surgeon who treated her is now subject to a patient recall. Georgia Sprago, 28, was operated on as a teenager by consultant orthopaedic surgeon...
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SMARTER INVESTMENT
Sunderland is set for a £55million boost under fresh investment plans unveiled by the city council. The proposed capital programme backs schools, highways, regeneration and vital equipment upgrades, alongside continued development at Riverside...
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‘IT’S A TOTAL MESS’
Sunderland’s only Reform UK councillor has quit the party just 76 days after his by-election victory. Cllr Ian McKinley, who represents Hetton ward, said he would now sit as an independent until May, citing internal pressures and a desire to focus on...
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Woman paralysed in skiing accident backs better bowel care campaign
“Paralysed bowel care should not be 'a nice to have' in the NHS – it is an essential care requirement.” The words of a leading nurse Carol Adcock from the charity Spinal Injuries Association. Val Milnes from Houghton-le-Spring, who was left paralysed...
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‘A HUGE BETRAYAL’
A trusted employee at the Pennywell Youth Project charity has been jailed after stealing £285,000 – a betrayal that forced the organisation to close. Newcastle Crown Court heard Jodie Robson siphoned £285,000 from charity funds over two and a half...
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‘I’M SO VERY GRATEFUL’
READ THE EXCLUSIVE STORY ON PAGE 5 A University of Sunderland student has undergone an 11-hour life-saving operation abroad and is now facing a desperate fight to cover the costs. Melanie Hartshorn, 36, who is training to be a primary school...
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PAW BLIMEY!
A North East animal rescue charity wants to build a new wildlife hospital on Wearside, described as a future “hub of excellence” for veterinary medicine. Plans submitted to Sunderland City Council by Pawz for Thought propose a specialist wild animal...
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‘WE’RE BIKING FOR BENNY’
Health and fitness club members raised nearly £60,000 to support a fouryear-old boy battling a rare cancer with a charity cycle event. Members of Washington-based Glacier Health and Fitness Club joined owner Paul Davidson in a major fundraising drive...
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KNIFE ATTACK HORROR
A man on bail for rape tried to murder a sevenyear-old boy in pyjamas during a horrific triple stabbing at a family home, a court was told. Byron Stubbs, 25, attacked the child and two women with a kitchen knife, leaving the boy with life-threatening...
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‘RED ‘N’ WHITE TO THE CORE’
Sunderland AFC has paid tribute to lifelong supporter George Forster, who has died aged 99 after more than nine decades following the Black Cats. George attended his first match in 1934 and witnessed the club’s last First Division title triumph in...
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From Fulwell to the Falklands, city adds steel to island task
Sunderland-sourced steel is helping a regional business with a new project 7,000 miles from the North East. Adderstone Group, a North East-based property and regeneration business, has expanded its footprint with a new business in the Falkland...
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PROBE MOVES TO THE CITY
Chiefs at Sunderland Royal Hospital have confirmed they are reviewing operations carried out by surgeon Leslie Irwin and identifying patients who may need to be contacted. The hospital’s governing trust said it is working with Spire Healthcare to...
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‘SO SAD TO SEE IT GO’
The architect behind the original concept design of the National Glass Centre has said he is “saddened” by plans to demolish the landmark attraction and questioned the scale of repair costs being quoted. Andy Gollifer joined campaigners opposing the...
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ROUTE RAGE
Hundreds of elderly and disabled residents in Pallion and the Ford Estate say changes to local bus routes have left them struggling to access everyday services. The removal of bus stops on Midmoor Road from Stagecoach services 10 and 11 has sparked...
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BIG BRANDS, MORE JOBS!
Plans for a major new retail development in Sunderland promise hundreds of jobs and more shopping choice for Wearsiders. The £15million scheme, submitted to Sunderland City Council, includes an M&S Foodhall, Aldi supermarket and Starbucks drive-thru...
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‘A BETRAYAL OF TRUST’
A former Wearside headteacher who shared child abuse images and said schoolgirls turned him on has avoided jail. Dean Juric, 54, previously head of Washington’s St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, was found with 380 illegal...
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DYING IN POVERTY
Hundreds of people in Sunderland spent their final months living in poverty, according to new research by end-of-life charity Marie Curie. The charity estimates 530 people who died in the city in 2024 – around 18% of all deaths – were living in...
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LEFT BEHIND’
Children with special educational needs in Sunderland are still being left behind by a key primary school test, new figures reveal. Data from the Department for Education shows pupils receiving SEND support scored well below their classmates in Year 4...
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Stylish new Wine Bar is bringing a luxury offering to historic city site
Named simply The Wine Bar, a new addition has joined the fold at Sheepfolds Stables, transforming a unit next door to The Taproom bar. It is a stylish affair inside with a 1940s-inspired appearance by Black Box Design that harks back to an era of...
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BIN THERE, DONE THAT!
Running binman Deano Franciosy has finally completed every major fun run in the North East, raising almost £300,000 for charity along the way. The 56-year-old sealed the feat on New Year’s Day at the HogmanHoway run in Newcastle, once again racing...
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WE’RE GOING FOR GOLD
Olympian Rebecca Adlington challenged city youngsters to go for gold at the opening of a new school pool. The two-time Olympic gold medallist was at Farringdon Community Academy to officially open its £6million swimming facility, which will be used by...
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‘DISABLED BEAR THE BRUNT’
Charity chiefs have hit out after figures showed only half of disabled people in Sunderland are in work. New data reveals just 50% of working-age disabled residents have a job, compared with 82% of non-disabled people, leaving a stark 32% employment...
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‘DEATH LEAVES A HUGE HOLE IN OUR HEARTS’
The family of a man found dead on a petrol forecourt have paid tribute to ‘a muchloved son’ as five people have been charged with his murder. Daniel Ambler, 23, was fatally injured after being hit by a car on a Seaham petrol station forecourt last...
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WARNING OVER BOOZE DEATHS
New figures show nearly 170 people in Sunderland died from alcohol-related conditions in 2024. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities recorded 73 alcohol-specific deaths in the city – 25 per 100,000 people – and 167 alcohol-related deaths...
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ARRESTS IN MURDER PROBE
A murder investigation was launched after a man died following a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian. The incident took place at the Esso service station on Stockton Road in Seaham. Police cordoned off the garage forecourt, Stockton Road,...
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BY GEORGE, WE CAN WIN!
Washington has been urged to bid for the UK Town of Culture 2028, with its MP backing a move that could secure £3million in prize money. Sharon Hodgson said the competition was a chance for often overlooked towns to gain national recognition, pointing...
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TAKING A HIKE?
Concerns have been raised over the future of jobs at the city headquarters of Berghaus after parent firm Pentland Brands confirmed plans to relocate roles to London. The development affecting staff at the outdoor clothing and equipment manufacturer...
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