Sunderland Echo
Young Cats fans discover their great great grandad was an SAFC legend
Two generations of a Wearside family were fascinated to find out about an ancestor who was a true SAFC legend. Graham Low and his children Max, 14, and Jessica, 12, have spent the summer looking into the background of wing-half Harry...
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TEENAGERS ARRESTED AS PC IS INJURED
A police officer was injured yesterday after approaching a suspected stolen vehicle linked to an early-morning burglary in the Burdon area of Sunderland. Northumbria Police received the initial report at 6.45am, with the stolen car later travelling...
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MACKEM PROUD
Today marks the return of National Mackem Day. What started life as an event to toast the publication of the Mackem Dictionary has now become an annual celebration of all things Sunderland. Today’s front page of the Echo marks the occasion with a...
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ANIMAL ATTACK
A man has been jailed for 38 months after using his dog as a “weapon” during two shop thefts in Sunderland. On November 10, Brodie Logan, 20, stole stock from a vape shop and set his lurcher-type dog on a staff member, who was bitten on the hand and...
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‘THIS IS ABOUT POTENTIALLY SAVING A MAN’S LIFE’
Craig Dunn, a 35-year-old Sunderland-born dad, has been left “gobsmacked” after a complete stranger donated £11,500 of his pension savings to help fund potential life-saving treatment. Craig, who was diagnosed with medulloblastoma last year, has...
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DANGER ROAD NEEDS ACTION
Marc and Andrea Condra say they “always knew an accident was going to happen” after a car ploughed into their vehicle while they were on holiday in Turkey. Their car and a friend’s were badly damaged, with one ending up partly resting on another. The...
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Stagecoach is all aboard for SAFC charity’s family fun day
Stagecoach is supporting Sunderland AFC’s official charity the Foundation of Light with a Family Fun Day event. The six-week school holidays can be a challenge on people’s wallets as well as keeping the children entertained. Stagecoach said it is...
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Pride reviving community hub
Southwick Community Centre is being brought back to life thanks to an extraordinary show of community spirit, with local businesses and volunteers donating thousands of pounds’ worth of materials and free labour. The once-thriving hub had stood...
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‘GIFT OF LIFE’
More than 60 people in the North East died in 2025 while waiting for an organ transplant, as consent rates for donation have fallen from 69% to 57% in five years. NHS Blood and Transplant is urging people to be “One in a Million” by registering their...
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PADEL PROJECT TO SAVE FARM
A fifth-generation farmer at Offerton Grange Farm in Penshaw has submitted plans for a padel complex to secure the future of her family’s farm. With rising costs, reduced farmland and changes to Government support, Tania Coxon says that traditional...
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DEATH THREATS AND INTIMIDATION
Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson has defended her decision to switch off comments on her Facebook page, saying a torrent of online abuse, trolling and fake accounts left her with little choice. Her explanation comes amid renewed...
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‘THIS IS OUR HERITAGE THIS IS OUR CULTURE’
The battle to save Sunderland’s National Glass Centre has entered a crucial new phase as campaigners have vowed “the fight goes on” - despite the landmark closing its doors to the public. Supporters gathered outside the riverside attraction yesterday...
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‘These offensive comments do not reflect our city’
Sunderland’s political leaders have united in their criticism of Reform UK after councillor Glenn Gibbins was charged over an allegedly grossly offensive social media post. Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians have all questioned the...
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‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’
From plumbers and plasterers to sparkies and sweepers, a rallying call has been issued to help breathe new life into a community centre. Active Families North East are calling for help to turn Southwick Community Centre into a neutral space, ready for...
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FA Cup SAFC legend to join team on international football friendship trip
Sunderland AFC’s 1973 FA Cup winning captain is teaming up with the Fans Museum to launch the The Fans Inclusion Cup where disadvantaged adults in the city to take on a team in Essen, Germany, Sunderland’s twin city since 1949. And to help make it...
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Beatrix says organ donation is the ‘bestest’ kind of recycling
A five-year-old Wearside girl has written to wouldbe MP Count Binface to praise him for supporting the environment – because she has a ‘recycled’ heart. Courageous Beatrix Archbold told the Clacton by-election candidate, who will be taking on Reform...
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HIGH AND DRY
Sunderland’s Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to restore the Keel Square fountains, which have been dry for years despite being intended as a colourful landmark when the square opened in 2015. Opposition councillors have accused the city...
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FOOT TORTURE FINALLY OVER
Washington teenager Ralph Seed, 18, has become one of the first people in the UK – and globally – to receive a pioneering closed-loop spinal cord implant to treat his severe Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Ralph had lived with excruciating...
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JOBS JACKPOT
Plans to convert the former TK Maxx unit at The Bridges shopping centre into a Club 3000 bingo venue have progressed with a planning application submitted. The £5million proposal, part of Club 3000’s expansion, would be the 25th site and second in...
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Projects which improve lives given boost by £12k Pride in Place funding
Three organisations which improve lives in Washington are among those to benefit from the latest grant funding as part of the national Pride in Place programme. Projects that will benefit families, young people and people affected by cancer are the...
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RETAIL PARK EDGES CLOSER
Sunderland councillors have approved plans for a £15m retail park off Silksworth Lane featuring an M&S Foodhall, Aldi and a Starbucks drive-through, promising around 150 permanent jobs and more than 270 construction roles. The scheme, backed by...
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CROSS-PARTY PRESSURE
Political parties have united to try to stop the National Glass Centre’s demolition, urging Sunderland City Council to implement an Article 4 Direction that would force the University of Sunderland to seek full planning permission if it was to...
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‘DANIEL DESERVED BETTER’
A three-day inquest found that 50-year-old Daniel Ryan, from Hendon, died in Southwick Police Station after insufficient welfare checks were carried out while he was in custody. Mr Ryan, who told officers he had Covid but showed no obvious illness...
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OUT OF STEP
All three staircases at Sunderland’s University Metro station have been closed for more than a year, forcing passengers to rely solely on ramps for platform access. Wearside Liberal Democrats have criticised Nexus for the lack of progress, noting that...
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‘I DON’T WANT ANYONE TO END UP LIKE ME’
New Silksworth Academy headteacher Emma Robins has launched a campaign with her pupils and the local community to raise awareness of skin cancer. After being diagnosed with a stage 1 melanoma in 2021, Emma had a mole and some of the surrounding skin...
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ON YOUR MARKS...
Plans have been lodged to transform Sunderland’s long-vacant Debenhams into a multi-level leisure complex run by TeamSport. The three-storey unit, empty since 2021, would house gokart tracks, bowling, an arcade and restaurants, with around 40...
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Five of the best for city’s parks in Green Flag Awards
Five Sunderland parks have been recognised as among the best in the UK after earning prestigious Green Flag Awards for 2026-27. Barnes Park, Herrington Country Park, Hetton Lyons Country Park, Mowbray Park and Roker Park all received the honour, which...
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ROAR ON THE LIONS
England fans are set for a huge night in Sunderland as a fan zone is being created for supporters to gather and watch the game on a big screen. With England aiming to reach their first World Cup final in 60 years, supporters of all ages are invited to...
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‘IT COULD HAVE BEEN A CHILD’
A dog owner has said an unmuzzled, off-leash XL Bullytype dog could attack again after her pet was injured in a city park. Manuela Brown was walking her dogs in Backhouse Park at 7.30am when the attack happened. She said: “Three men came into the...
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From miner to a major star
Peter Lawson has led an incredible life – from a mechanical fitter in the mines to playing music with Elton John and Dave Stewart. His life is filled with astonishing highlights and challenges, including a battle with cancer. The father of three and...
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EDDIE’S EFFORT BEATS RECORD
Rain, hail and brutal winds couldn’t stop 83-year-old cycling legend Eddie McGourley, from Houghton-le-Spring, conquering the iconic Land’s End to John O’Groats route in just 11 days – beating the octogenarian record by three full days. He rode every...
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CARE WORKER BROKE TRUST
Kimberley Barker, 30, a senior support worker at Serlby Close care home in Washington, stole more than £5,100 from six vulnerable male residents by withdrawing money using their bank cards and PINs. She admitted six counts of theft and told the court...
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ROYAL TRAIN VANDALISED
A newly unveiled Royal Metro carriage at the North East Land Sea and Air Museum has been vandalised less than two days after going on display. Train 4020, which carried Queen Elizabeth II during the Metro’s 1981 opening and was later used by King...
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FLY THE FLAG
Sunderland’ CIty Council leader, Chris Eynon, says the authority is looking into holding a St George’s Day festival for April 23 next year. He argues England’s national day has “never been properly celebrated” and believes Sunderland is “missing a...
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‘I CAN’T THANK PEOPLE ENOUGH’
Sunderland-born Craig Dunn was first diagnosed with medulloblastoma – a rare and aggressive brain tumour – in May 2025 after experiencing severe headaches. After undergoing emergency surgery to remove the mass and rounds of chemotherapy and...
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HOMELESS HUB NEEDS A NEW HOME
Basis Sunderland, a drop-in service supporting almost all of the city’s rough sleepers, has been forced to leave its base at Park Road Church after a funding shortfall left it unable to keep the lease. The charity, part of Oasis Community Housing,...
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HOMES BID FOR INFIRMARY SITE
new £50million Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital. Lambert Smith Hampton has asked Sunderland City Council for a screening opinion on proposals for around 62 homes on the existing site, arguing an environmental impact assessment is unnecessary....
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Beth’s own experience helping others suffering from hair loss
A Sunderland woman living with alopecia after battling against cancer has set up her own wig business to help people suffering from hair loss. Beth Easterbrook Smith, 29, launched Pigment Hair earlier this month, using her own personal experience of...
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JACKPOT HIT
Dave Alexander is celebrating after winning £750,000 in Hits Radio’s Make Me A Winner competition. He initially thought the call was a prank, having entered every week for years. He was having a second-hand sofa delivered by his brother when he...
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LIVING IN FEAR
Two sisters were forced to miss their mother’s funeral following a series of threats from their sibling. Newcastle Crown Court heard Nicola Ratcliffe pinned one sister against a fence, made repeated threats to kill them, and sent alarming calls and...
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AIMING HIGH
Venerable Bede’s new headteacher, Jordan Bedford, has set out ambitious plans to make the school one of the best in the country for Progress 8 and to meet expected Ofsted standards within two years. The academy, previously judged inadequate in several...
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PADEL POWER
A planning application has been submitted for a new padel centre at Rainton Bridge Business Park on the outskirts of Sunderland. Malik Group Holdings hopes to build six courts - four covered by dome structures and two open-air - alongside changing...
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Fire crews faced extreme conditions as they tackled blaze in city centre
Dramatic photos captured a blaze which raged for hours in Sunderland on Wednesday. Large plumes of smoke could be seen over Sunniside while firefighters tackled the blaze, with surrounding roads also blocked off. Crews from Tyne and Wear Fire &...
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From the Most Affordable to the Best Available!
Use your PIP or DLA allowance to get a brand new scooter or power chair from only £19.97pw Finance available for up to 3 years Scooters & Power chairs in stock for immediate delivery Large selection of Rise & Recliner chairs and beds in stock from...
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‘GET CHECKED’
Sunderland AFC legend Gary Bennett MBE is urging men to talk openly about prostate cancer and to get checked if they have any concerns. Speaking ahead of the Fans Museum’s annual awareness walk, Bennett — who made more than 350 appearances for the...
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Richard puts aside health problems to pay tribute to grandad lost in war
A proud Sunderland man has told how emotions ran high as he paid a poignant tribute to his hero grandad. Richard Wilson travelled to France to pay homage to his grandfather, James Wilson, who was lost aboard HMT Lancastria on June 17, 1940. He laid a...
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‘FATALITY WAITING TO HAPPEN’
A community is pleading for new safety measures to be put in place to ease the “nightmare” of pulling out on to a busy road. Over the years, residents have faced numerous close calls as they leave the estate and have contacted local authorities...
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‘BRING BACK FREE PARKING’
Council bosses are being urged to restore free parking in all city centre car parks after 3pm in a bid to help traders. Sunderland’s Liberal Democrats group has tabled a motion for the first ordinary full council meeting of 2026-27 to look at a raft...
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Parents can swap kids’ tablets for the big screen
Of course, it’s to be for children. But you can be pretty sure that there will be plenty of adults – some accompanied by their offspring, others kidfree – when hits cinema screens this weekend. The toys are back in town, but in a week when the...
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ABOVE AND BEYOND
Staff at a Sunderland care home have been recognised for going above and beyond the call of duty after having to deal with the aftermath of the devastation caused when a car ploughed into their building. A gaping hole was left in the side of...
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‘A NEW LOW’
Sunderland MPs have labelled Reform UK’s decision to reinstate Glenn Gibbins to the party, allowing him to take up a place on Sunderland City Council, as “disgusting” and “a new low”. Glenn Gibbins was elected to serve Sunderland City Council’s Hylton...
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SENDING THE RIGHT SIGNAL
Education leaders across the city backed the Prime Minister’s announcement that are to Under-16s be banned from social media. One leading educationalist said they negative see its impact on a “daily basis”, and another labelling it as being...
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EVEREST EFFORT IN FUNDRAISER
Karen Joynson, from Washington, completed a gruelling 12-day trek to Everest base camp to raise money for two causes close to her heart. Following her dad’s sudden death, Karen was supported by the Chester-le-Street charity If U Care Share, which...
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‘IT’S FABULOUS’
Lynn Hope has received recognition in the King’s Birthday Honours for offering a welcoming and inclusive environment for children living with disabilities in the Washington area. The 70-year-old gymnastics coach founded Northern Hope Gymnastics Club...
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CARE HOME CASH CROOK
Kimberley Barker, 30, admitted stealing more than £5,100 from six residents at Serlby Close care home by pilfering funds from their accounts. The victims, adults with lifelong learning disabilities who could not manage finances, lost sums between...
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NEVER FORGET
Take That’s performance at the Stadium of Light has delivered a major economic lift for Sunderland. The event attracted thousands of visitors - to the benefit of local hospitality and helping to strengthen the city’s growing reputation as a premier...
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GREATEST DAY
Tens of thousands of Take That music fans are preparing for perhaps the Greatest Day of their lives as the band return to Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. Tonight’s concert marks the third visit to the ground by the group following triumphant shows in...
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HOUSING KEY TO SURVIVAL
Ashbrooke Sports Club has issued a last-ditch plea for Sunderland councillors to approve a 49-home development, warning the scheme is essential to clear £500,000 of debt and secure its long-term future. The plans, submitted by Homes By Esh, stalled...
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Bus driver parks up one last time after 30 years
A Washington bus driver is hanging up his ignition keys and retiring after 30 years of transporting the city’s residents. Stagecoach driver Kevin Moses, 66, joined the company in 1996, starting out as a bus driver before becoming an inspector. For...
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STAND DOWN
A 70-year-old Sunderland AFC supporter has praised the club for “listening to fans” after it revised plans to expand safe standing at the Stadium of Light. The club had intended to install rail seating across several blocks in the Roker End and South...
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A POLITICAL WAR OF WORDS HAS ERUPTED
Reform Sunderland council leader Chris Eynon has launched a fierce attack on Houghton and Sunderland South MP and education secretary Bridget Phillipson, just weeks after taking office. The clash follows Labour’s heavy losses in the May 7 local...
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POPPY HERO STEPS DOWN
Fundraiser Vince Harris was given just a three per cent chance of survival after being diagnosed with cancer in 2008 – yet he has spent the last 18 years transforming the city’s annual Poppy Appeal from two collection stalls. Now preparing to step...
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‘Esto es git mint’ – book to help fans speak the lingo with SAFC in Europe
A tongue-in-cheek language guide is on the way for Mackems who plan to follow Sunderland in Europe. Two Sunderland AFC Facebook fan pages have joined forces to produce a new European language magazine which will be launched in time for the club’s...
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RAISING CONCERNS
Sunderland City Hall will no longer fly the Pride flag following a policy change. The city council’s ruling Reform UK group has confirmed only national and civic flags will be displayed outside the building from now on, ending the practice of flying...
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PERFECT VISION
The city’s new eye hospital is complete and has officially been handed over to the NHS. The Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital, rising at Riverside for just over two years, is due to start welcoming patients later this summer. Delivered by Kier in...
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GREEN LIGHT FOR £20M REVAMP PLAN
A £20m regeneration programme for Washington has been approved by the government, clearing the way for a decade of community-led investment shaped by local residents. The long-term plan is part of the government’s Pride in Place Programme, and will...
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EURO MI££IONS
Sunderland AFC’s Europa League qualification has been hailed as a gamechanger for the city, with businesses forecasting a major economic and tourism boost. The club’s sensational return to European football for the first time in more than 50 years has...
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‘WE WANT ANSWERS’
Wayne Clark died a month after bariatric surgery at Sunderland Royal Hospital, following complications which led to him being admitted to its Integrated Critical Care Unit (ICCU). Described as a “gentle giant”, Wayne underwent numerous rounds of...
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PARENTS’ £25K TARGET TO SAVE DENVAH’S EYE
Ever-smiling Denvah Finlay is only of only 40 children to be diagnosed with Bilateral Retinoblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer. The 18-month-old is blind in her right eye, and there are fears she may have to have the eyeball...
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BINGO BONANZA
A £5million bingo and entertainment venue is set to bring around 50 new jobs to Sunderland after Club 3000 Bingo announced plans for a major development at The Bridges shopping centre. Expected to open early next year, the venue will be the company’s...
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WEMBLEY STAND HONOURS CALLUM
A stand at Wembley Stadium has been temporarily named after 22-year-old Sunderland fan Callum Lawson, who survived a cardiac arrest during last year’s Championship PlayOff Final. Callum collapsed shortly after Sunderland’s opening goal, and his life...
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MURDER CASE STILL UNSOLVED
Julie Perigo was discovered dead at her home in Kidderminster Road, Downhill, on May 23, 1986, after officers forced entry to the flat following concerns for her welfare. Reports at the time described a bloodbath scene inside the property, with Julie...
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SPEED TRAP
A former teacher is calling for clearer speed limit signs on Chester Road after being caught driving at 36mph in a 30mph zone on the A183 near Hastings Hill, where almost 20,000 motorists were recorded speeding in 21 months. Kenneth Hewitt says he saw...
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ADVERTISIN* FEATURE
It has been an exceptionally busy month here at Mobility Care Solutions Murphy and all of the team here are looking forward to the Bank Holiday Weekend and hope you have a fun-filled weekend too! The sun is shining and with so much going on in and...
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‘Great people, top food... what’s not to like?’
Presenter Greg James has been singing the praises of Sunderland as the city gets ready for the Radio 1 Big Weekend festival. Preparation is at an advanced stage at Herrington Country Park for one of its biggest events of the year getting under way on...
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BUS DRIVERS’ JOBS DISPUTE
Nine Sunderland bus drivers say they have been left without pay, work or clarity after being told their contracts would transfer from City Transport Group to Go North East under TUPE rules. When they reported for duty, Go North East said no transfer...
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