Stories for 10 January 2007

The Northern Echo News

Man's death treated as suspicious

POLICE are treating the death of a 39-year-old man found at a North-East hotel as suspicious.   more...

Guide dogs baffled by new town centre road surfaces

GUIDE dogs are being confused by a multi-million pound scheme to pedestrianise a North-East town centre.The dogs are getting lost in the barriers and bollards of Darlington's £8.5m Pedestrian Heart scheme, leaving their owners at risk from the traffic that still uses the town centre.Lorna Jones, a guide dog owner from Harrowgate Hill who works in the town centre, said: "It's a nightmare, I've had two near misses in the past few days."On Thursday night, I came out of Barclays bank, on High Row, and went down the steps to cross the road. "Because the kerbs have been taken out, my dog didn't know that the pavement had ended, so just carried on."I didn't know that I was in the middle of the road until someone shouted at me that a bus was coming." Angry guide dog owners say that the Pedestrian Heart scheme has not been planned with the visually- impaired people in mind.Colin Light, from Auckland Oval, Darlington, a guide dog owner, said: "With the new system, there is no separation between the road and the footpath. "Usually, the guide dog uses textured paving to know where it is safe to cross. Without it they don't know when the pavement ends and the road begins."I have had to change the way I walk around town to avoid danger. "The works change so quickly from day to day that it's hard to always know just where I am."Builders on the project have been shown ways to make the site more accessible.Gordon Pybus, chairman of Darlington Association on Disability, said: "We met construction workers to help them understand how they can help visually-impaired people, for example by not leaving bollards around." A Darlington Borough Council spokeswoman said the Pedestrian Heart scheme had been designed with the needs of people with a variety of disabilities in mind. She said: "Groups representing disabled people were extensively consulted at the design stage. "Having a largely traffic-free town centre should be a huge advantage, especially to people with visual impairments. We have tried to take their needs into account in much of the design detail. "However, we understand that things can be difficult for guide dog owners during the construction period."Anyone experiencing difficulties getting around the town centre is asked to contact the council's liaison officer Geraint Williams, on 01325-388665.  more...

Quarry proposal near henges may go ahead

PLANNING officials are recommending that controversial proposals to extend a quarry near an ancient monument should be approved.English Heritage has withdrawn its objections to the plans for Nosterfield Quarry, between Bedale and Ripon, North Yorkshire.County council planners now say there are no archaeological reasons to refuse permission for the extension. The proposed site at Ladybridge Farm lies one kilometre to the north- east of three 5,000-year-old earthwork henges at Thornborough.The henges, described as the Stonehenge of the North, are said to have been an important ceremonial meeting place.Campaigners insist the landscape around the henges, including Ladybridge, should be protected against further quarrying.The first application submitted for the extension by Tarmac Limited was rejected by county councillors in February last year. It would have seen 2.2 million tonnes of sand and gravel extracted from a 46-hectare site.The revised application would see 1.1 million tonnes of sand and gravel extracted from a 31-hectare site over a four-year period. It has been classed as a small-scale extension to the quarry by the county council.The application excludes the south-western section of the Ladybridge site in an attempt to address concerns raised by English Heritage, which said the archaeological remains on that section were of national importance. English Heritage has made no objection to the revised application, saying the omission of the south- west corner addresses its concerns. Gordon Gresty, the county council's director of business and environmental services, said planning permission should be granted subject to a legal agreement requiring the development of a long-term management plan for the nationally important archaeological remains and the restoration of the site when quarrying has finished. George Chaplin, chairman of campaign group TimeWatch, said his objections remained."This isn't only about the archaeology and never has been," he said."The henges are 5,000-year-old statements of man's existence and the landscape around them is part of that statement."Just as we are destroying our planet, we are destroying our heritage."A spokesman for Tarmac said: "The revised application involves a substantially reduced proposed extraction area."The proposed landscaping plan has also been changed in line with the reduced extraction area and provides shallow marshy areas that are now being encouraged by naturalists to replace lost wetland habitats." The county council's planning committee will consider the application at Masham Town Hall from 10am on Tuesday  more...

Landlord quizzed over fire threats

A PUBLICAN was being questioned by police last night after threatening to set fire to his pub when bailiffs turned up to evict him.Robert Tidswell was arrested after a tense stand-off with police.Friends said he acted after he spent the past five years and a large amount of money trying to turn around the The Nags Head, in Lazenby, east of Middlesbrough.Owner Punch Taverns was granted a court order to remove Mr Tidswell from the premises in a dispute over rent arrears.The village, in the shadow of the huge chemical plant at ICI Wilton, near Middlesbrough, was sealed off as police, the fire brigade and ambulance service were put on standby to deal with the situation at 11am yesterday.Police tape prevented people going along the High Street for nearly two hours.A police negotiator arrived shortly before noon and attempted to persuade Mr Tidswell to end his stand-off.The front door of the pub had been securely barricaded from the inside, but 30 minutes later, the incident ended amicably and Mr Tidswell was taken away for questioning.He was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage and threatening to cause criminal damage.A close friend said he had taken action to make a point, not as a serious threat.He said: "Bob has spent the last five years trying to turn this pub around."He has sold nearly everything he owns to try and keep it open and Punch Taverns just keep pestering him for his rent payment."One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "This has come as a massive shock. We knew something was due to happen to the pub, but we certainly were not expecting to see the police and fire brigade pull up outside."Three police vans, three police cars and a fire engine were at the scene. Last night, police said a man was still being questioned in relation to the incident.A Punch Taverns spokesman said: "We were trying to take peaceable occupation of The Nags Head, having received approval from the courts. An incident involving the retailer has taken place and the matter is now in the hands of the police.  more...

Tributes to town centre manager

A FITNESS fanatic collapsed and died after following his local hunt for 15 miles.John Partridge, 55, had been walking and running following the Hurworth Hunt, based in Northallerton, on Saturday afternoon when he collapsed and died.Tributes were paid yesterday to Mr Partridge, who lived in Swainby, North Yorkshire, and worked as the town centre manager in Redcar, east Cleveland.The chairman of Hurworth Hunt, Peter Dennis, held a minute's silence at a meeting of the hunt yesterday.Members agreed to plant a tree and flowers at the place where he collapsed, known as Chapmans Gill, at Bullamoor, near Northallerton.Mr Partridge was involved with the Hurworth Hunt for 14 years, following them on foot during the winter and helping to exercise the hounds out of the hunting season.He worked for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, based in the Redcar Station Business Centre.Redcar Business Association chairman Pat Denney, who was on the panel which appointed Mr Partridge to the post in March 2002, last night said: "John was a very genuine person and a hard working and dedicated town centre manager. We worked together in partnership from day one and he will be very sadly missed."Mr Partridge was formerly a project officer in North Yorkshire Country Council's economic development unit.He was brought up in South Bank and Normanby and had family links in Eston.He worked with the support of a cross section of town centre stakeholders through the Town Centre Executive and one of his proudest achievements was his role in the restoration of Redcar Town Clock, unveiled in a High Street ceremony before Christmas.The council's cabinet member for economic development, Councillor Vera Moody, said: "Everyone has been extremely shocked by this sad news and our sympathies go to John's family and friends."I have known John for several years and feel the council has lost a very valuable member of staff as well as a good friend and colleague."Mr Partridge wound the clock at the Holy Cross Church, in Swainby, twice a week and would have celebrated his 20th anniversary in the role this month.He was an avid walker and cyclist and is thought to have walked or run 15 miles on Saturday before his sudden death.The funeral will be held at Holy Cross Church, next Wednesday, at 12.30pm, with cremation at Darlington.Donations instead of flowers should be sent to the British Heart Foundation  more...

Minute's silence as first funeral of crash victim held

A MINUTE'S silence was observed yesterday as the first funeral took place for victims of the Morecambe Bay helicopter tragedy.Silence was observed by employees at Centrica, which runs the Morecambe Bay gas fields, Aberdeen helicopter operator CHC Helicopter Corporation and contractor Costain Petrofac, after the tragedy in which seven men are believed to have died.The tribute was staged as the first funeral took place for the five rig workers and two pilots who died in the accident, on December 27.The funeral of John Shaw, 51, took place at Kirkcaldy, in Fife, Scotland, yesterday.It will be followed by a service for Leslie Ahmed, a 48-year-old father-of-two, from South Shields, South Tyneside, to be held at the town's crematorium today.The funeral for colleague Alf Neasham, 57, also a father-of-two, of Coxhoe, County Durham, will take place at Durham Crematorium, at noon on Friday.Mourners are invited afterwards to Mount Oswald Golf Club, Durham, with a request for family flowers only, although donations in lieu can be made to the RNLI.A third North-East rigger is believed to have died in the tragedy, but all searches of the area have so far failed to locate the body of Keith Smith, 57, from Stockton.The Eurocopter helicopter pitched into the sea as it picked up men from Centrica rigs.Although mechanical failure is suspected as the cause, police and helicopter operator CHC have so far declined to comment.The inquiry should be helped after the black box flight recorder was located, but bad weather has prevented it from being collected.  more...

Reid admits he knew nothing of criminal records blunders

HOME Secretary John Reid was last night forced to admit he knew nothing about a blunder that may have allowed sex offenders who committed crimes abroad to escape checks and get jobs working with children in the UK.The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) disclosed that information on more than 27,500 cases was left "sitting in desk files" in the Home Office rather than being properly examined.They include 25 Britons convicted of rape in other European countries, whose details were not entered into the Police National Computer.More than 500 serious offenders among the case files are now being checked by the Criminal Records Bureau - which vets people who want to work with children - to see if any have applied for jobs in Britain.A Home Office spokeswoman said Mr Reid and other ministers were unaware of the backlog until yesterday.She described it as a revelation.Permanent secretary Sir David Normington has ordered a full and immediate inquiry into the circumstances and Mr Reid had summoned senior police officers, she added.Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg pledged to raise the issue in Parliament, while Shadow Home Secretary David Davis described the oversight as disgraceful.Acpo spokesman and Hampshire Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan told MPs the Home Office's processing system had been "totally unacceptable".The Commons all-party Home Affairs Select Committee heard a new system was set up last May to rectify the situation.Mr Kernaghan said: "Until the Acpo criminal records office was created, someone could go to Germany, commit a sexual offence and serve a sentence - and this would not be known to any police officer when they came back to the UK."It would not be known to the courts in the UK if they reoffended."That is a totally unacceptable position professionally and in terms of public protection."A total of 27,529 documents were found to contain details of British nationals convicted abroad, including:* 25 rapists and three people convicted of attempted rape;* 29 paedophiles, plus another 17 other sex offenders;* Five murderers;* Nine convicted of attempted murder and 13 of manslaughter;* 29 robbers.Mr Clegg said: "This blunder not only exposes this Government's administrative incompetence, it puts the British public at greater risk from these offenders."Once again, Home Office ineptitude has left the police and the public in the lurch.  more...

Trainer denies horse-switch allegations in point-to-point

A CONTROVERSY worthy of a Dick Francis horse racing thriller has rocked the normally tranquil world of point-to-point.Trainer Robert Tierney is under investigation following claims one of his horses was replaced with a "ringer" in two point-to-point races last year.Mr Tierney has vehemently denied using a different horse to race in place of his official entry, Green Admiral, in two events.The Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) has investigated claims that Green Admiral - a horse that had not competed since March 2004 - was replaced by a lookalike, an eight-year-old called King's Crest.The talented King's Crest was the winner of seven races on the Flat in 2001 and 2002, but had not run since finishing fourth in a novice hurdle at Wetherby last January.The investigation centres on allegations that King's Crest stood in for Green Admiral in two events last year, one held at Witton Castle, near Bishop Auckland, on February 5, and a race at Brocklesby Park, Grimsby, six days later.In both cases the horse believed to be Green Admiral romped home well ahead of the field. After winning at Witton, Green Admiral was described as the best novice seen that season.In August, a horse entered as Green Admiral, ran at Market Rasen and finished eighth out of 14 runners, having started as favourite. The horse later collapsed and died.Mr Tierney, a farrier, from Malton, in North Yorkshire, faces further questions after another of his horses, Quintin, was pulled from a race because stewards felt its markings did not match its description.The HRA is to release its findings soon. If found guilty he could face the authority's maximum penalty of a ban lasting several years.A HRA spokesman said: "We were requested to investigate the matter and that process is now complete."The results have been passed to our disciplinary department to decide if there has been any breach of law."People who have intentionally broken the rules can be banned from the sport for an indefinite period."All thoroughbreds born after 1999 are microchipped and given a passport which is checked."But point-to-point is an amateur sport, so it does not always apply and the process is quite expensive."Mr Tierney has claimed the accusations merely stem from people's imaginations running wild.The racing world has seen several scandals involving horses running under identities which were not their own.Probably the most famous was Flockton Grey who was at the centre of one of the largest betting scandals to hit the sport.In 1982, Flockton Grey romped home at 10-1, 20 lengths ahead of the field, in the Knighton Auction Stakes for two-year-olds at Leicester. But it emerged that Flockton Grey had actually been replaced by a year older lookalike horse called Good Hand. And in 1984 at York Crown Court, businessman and gambler Kenneth Richardson, who owned both horses and stood to win £36,000 from the coup, was convicted along with two associates of conspiring to defraud bookies. The heavily-backed Good Hand, who was almost identical to Flockton Grey, disappeared after the race. He was eventually traced to a remote field at Glaisdale, near Whitby, eight months after the race  more...

Teenager was sucked into path of a train

A TEENAGER who wandered on to railway lines near her home was killed when she was sucked into the side of a 115mph train.An inquest into the death of 17-year-old Catherine Joanne Hodgson heard how the accident, in Darlington, in May last year, should serve as a warning to other youngsters.It is estimated she could have been up to 8ft away from the train when the accident occurred.Yesterday, an inquest jury at Chester-le-Street Magistrates' Court heard how Catherine, who lived in Ruskin Road, Darlington, had been drinking with her boyfriend, Robert Smith, on the day of the accident and the pair had a row.Mr Smith said they often argued but made up very quickly. However, after this argument he had gone to a friend's house.His mobile phone memory was full and so he was unaware the childcare and education student had been sending him text messages.One message from Catherine asked Mr Smith to see her.A later message accused him of not caring what happened to her.She also sent one to her sister, which said: "I love you Laura, my big sister. I love you all."It was only when Miss Hodgson went to find Mr Smith to tell him her sister was missing that he realised something was wrong.The pair found the teenager lying by the tracks near Parkside Road railway bridge.In an emotional statement, Miss Hodgson told how she found her sister's body."I was walking along and I saw something in the distance," she said."I thought it was just rubbish."I got closer and I could hear Rob shouting 'Catherine, get up, Catherine, get up'."Miss Hodgson said she did not believe Catherine had gone down to the tracks with the intention of taking her life.She said: "She was just an attention seeker. She constantly wanted attention."Pathologist Dr Tony Senadhira said her injuries were consistent with a glancing blow to the side of the head from a train.Her blood alcohol level was four times the drink-drive limit.Sergeant Nigel Ashworth, from the British Transport Police, said the 450-tonne electric GNER 225 train would have made little or no sound as it approached.He said: "I would say that Catherine was not standing between the railway tracks. She may have been six to eight feet from the railway tracks."A train at that speed has the effect of either pulling you towards it or pushing you away."After the jury returned a unanimous verdict of accidental death, Coroner Andrew Tweddle said: "I hope this case is used to remind people that railways are particularly dangerous places to be."We have heard from Sgt Ashworth that you can be six or eight feet away from a railway line and still die. Railways are very dangerous places."The day after the accident, The Northern Echo was able to access the track through an open gate near Catherine's house.Catherine's death came 14 months after two Darlington schoolboys were killed while playing on the tracks.Their deaths prompted The Northern Echo to launch its No Messin' campaign, highlighting the dangers of trespassing on the railways.A Network Rail spokesman said: "Catherine's death was a tragedy and our thoughts are with her family. The railway industry has dedicated teams who educate young people about the dangers of trespassing on the railways."Anyone who has concerns about access to the railway should contact British Transport Police on 0800-405040, or Network Rail's 24-hour hotline on 08457-114141.  more...

Fury over £575,000 payout to prisoners

FURY erupted yesterday when it emerged that young prisoners at one of the region's jails were paid £575,000 in compensation last year.The payouts for injuries and unfair treatment at Northallerton Young Offenders' Institution - which holds 252 inmates - were the second highest for any prison in the country.The figure - equivalent to employing 21 prison officers - is more remarkable because no compensation was paid the previous year at the North Yorkshire jail.The money was paid in out-of-court settlements, without the inmates having to prove a legal case.The Prison Service refused to give details of the payments, saying it could not comment on individual cases.Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "I think it's appalling that something so serious is going wrong that compensation like this has to be paid."Something must be very wrong. The public should not have to pay out like this."She added: "If the prison service is not contesting these claims, they are giving in because they can't be bothered to fight or because they think they are going to lose."The Prison Officers' Association was also outraged, claiming the service was giving in to complaints of theft and lost property, and accusations of assault without investigating them."It's too easy to compensate rather than investigate and challenge these complaints, and we are appalled by this," said assistant secretary Ben Travis."We are short of 1,000 prison officers across the country. This money could be far better spent."A huge rise in compensation payouts to prisoners across Britain - to £4,051,310 in the financial year 2005-06 - was condemned when it was revealed last year.But now the amount paid out at each prison has been released to MPs, showing Northallerton to have the second highest total after Liverpool prison, where the figure was £2.8m.The payouts at the region's other prisons were smaller, but all had increased significantly on the previous year.In the year to March 2005, Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution, at Barnard Castle, County Durham, paid £300, while all the other jails paid nothing at all in compensation.But last year, the totals were £8,130 at Acklington, in Northumberland, £6,603 at Durham, and £919 at Full Sutton, near York. Nothing was paid out at Low Newton prison, County Durham.The largest payouts were for general injuries and medical negligence, but compensation was also awarded for assaults by staff, lost and damaged property, and for false imprisonment - usually to prisoners who were not released on the correct date.Shadow Home Secretary David Davis accused the Home Office of being weak in the face of "spiralling claims masquerading as human rights".He said: "This disgraceful squandering of taxpayers' money is a direct result of compensation culture."  more...

Why Broon's leaving Toon

THE last bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale to be completely produced on Tyneside will roll off the production line next month.It follows an announcement by brewer Scottish and Newcastle (S and N) yesterday that although the iconic Tyneside beer would still be made in the North-East, bottling of the product will be done in Yorkshire.It brings to an end 80 years of tradition since Newcastle Brown Ale was first brewed in 1927.And it follows a public outcry in 2005, when production moved two miles down the road from its traditional home near St James' Park to Dunston, in Gateshead.Sixty-six jobs will be lost at the Federation Brewery, in Dunston, as a result of the latest move.It also emerged that 22 more jobs could be at risk after a review of the kegging operation, which will take six to eight weeks to complete.It follows trials of what the company says are environmentally-friendly non-returnable bottles, which are made at the S and N plant in Tadcaster, and will replace the traditional returnable glass bottles.The last bottle of traditional Newcastle Brown Ale to be made on Tyneside will be produced on February 16.Last night, the announcement was described as a sad day for the North-East.Brian Anderson, regional industrial organiser for the Transport and General Workers' Union, said: "We have always been proud to say that Newcastle Brown Ale has been made from start to finish in this region."The sad thing is that, although it's still got the name and will be still brewed up here, it is no longer a completely North-East product." Bottling out? - Page 11  more...

Olympics threat to lottery good causes

HUNDREDS of vital community projects across the region face the axe to fund the soaring costs of the London Olympics, a Lottery chief has warned.   more...

Rare collection from out of Africa to go under the hammer

A COLLECTION of rare and out of print books on Africa is expected to raise £10,000 when it goes under the hammer.   more...

Plans submitted 2,000 years on

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have submitted a planning application to build a Roman bridge -   more...