Stories for 6 January 2007

The Northern Echo News

Plant worker remains critical

A SERIOUSLY-injured worker remains in a critical condition as an investigation into a major chemical leak gets under way.Two workers remain in hospital, one in a critical but stable condition, following the leak at the BASF plant at Seal Sands, near Billingham, Teesside.The affected part of the complex remains closed following Thursday's incident.Dozens of staff from the plant were treated for burns and breathing difficulties as a result of the leak of 4.5 tonnes of the toxic chemical hexamethylenediamine (HMD).Torben Berlin Jensen, the firm's managing director, said: "Two employees remain in hospital following the incident, one is continuing to be treated at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary and it is understood that he remains critical but stable."The second employee is being treated for his injuries at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital and we understand that he has improved overnight and is expected to be discharged by the hospital this morning."We are providing as much support as we can to the employees and their families. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them."Firefighters set up mobile decontamination units to treat victims on Thursday morning and work is continuing to make the Nylon Intermediates site safe before the investigation can be carried out.Alex Keddie, principal inspector of the Hazardous Installations Directorate of the HSE, said: "Two of our inspectors were despatched to the plant in order to start our investigations into the incident and HSE continues to work closely with the Environment Agency and Cleveland Police, as well as the management of BASF."We are looking at the management systems used in running the site and also at the plant itself and, as part of the investigations we will also be interviewing all the people involved in the incident."We have not, as yet, been able to gain access to the plant where the leak occurred as this is still being decontaminated by BASF, but we will be going in there as soon as this work is completed."We cannot say how long our investigations will take, but we can say they will be thorough to ensure we get to the bottom of this incident."It has also been reported that the BASF plant has had other incidents in the recent past, which the HSE has had to investigate, including one fatal accident. This is correct, but we approach each investigation on its own merits and with an open mind."  more...

'No crisis' despite probation failings

CLAIMS that a North-East probation service is failing have been dismissed by bosses.Some staff at Teesside Probation Service have become disillusioned after poor performance tables showed there had been a significant dip in achievement over the past 12 months.Elaine Lumley, chief officer of the National Probation Service Teesside, accepts a recent performance assessment did highlight problems, but said steps had been taken to address them.However, one member of staff who did not want to be named, told The Northern Echo she felt managers were still letting down staff and was mystified about the performance problems. She said: "We can't understand how we have slipped from being one of the top five best performing probation services in the country into the bottom five in such a short period of time."The management have not explained to us what has happened, all we have been told is to continue hitting our targets."Staff morale is at an all-time low. I understand one unit was so badly depleted over the Christmas period due to illness that there was not one person on duty."But Mrs Lumley defended the most recent performance. She said: "As with any organisation, there are variations in performance levels. The assessment covers a wide range of Government targets and figures issued three months ago showed we needed to take action in some areas of activity. This drop in performance was obviously disappointing for staff who had been working to deliver a high level of service."Nevertheless, the joint efforts of staff and management have in fact led to significant improvements, with the result that on the latest available set of figures to the end of December we have made significant progress. "For example, we met 100 per cent of our target for unpaid work and 97 per cent of our target for offender programmes."We work hard to ensure there is the widest possible communication within all sections of the organisations and, as a matter of policy, I share performance figures with staff on a regular basis."Levels of stress-related illness in the organisation are relatively low and there is no evidence that any areas of our operation have been unable to function because of staff shortages. Indeed, in the past two years, we have made a considerable investment in staff at an operational level."  more...

RAF man re-maps the skies over Iraq

A NORTH Yorkshire airman has won a military award for helping to make the skies over Iraq safer for his colleagues.Flight Lieutenant Simon Kinnersley, of RAF Leeming, was recognised for work which resulted in a complete overhaul of the way in which air space over Iraq is used.He was detached to Basra for four months last year, away from his usual role as a Hawk pilot and instructor with 100 Squadron at Leeming.As part of his role in Basra, 39-year-old Flt Lt Kinnersley was responsible for managing air space in the region and soon discovered that the existing system was too restrictive. Sometimes it forced aircraft to follow predictable tracks, which increased their vulnerability to attacks from the ground.Aircraft flying over Iraq include helicopters, fast jets and transport planes from international forces.Flt Lt Kinnersley said: "People were not using the orders properly, and some parts were out of date, which meant they were not relevant to the current situation. Some areas, such as ranges, were marked as complete no-fly areas when they were used only occasionally."He met his counterparts from the Italian, Japanese, US and Australian forces to devise a new system which would better meet all their needs and allow for greater flexibility.He said: "It was re-educating people about what we were trying to achieve and how we were going about doing that."Although he has now returned from Iraq, Flt Lt Kinnersley's system continues to be used there, giving aircraft more freedom to vary routes.He has been awarded the L G Groves Memorial Prize for Air Safety. The award is made annually in memory of Sergeant Louis Groves, killed in action during the Second World War while serving with the RAF Volunteer Reserve, for the most important contribution to the safety of aircraft and flying personnel.It is believed to be the first time that anyone at Leeming has received the award. Flt Lt Kinnersley has been based there for four years and lives near York with his wife, Penny, and two children. He has been in the RAF for 17 years.In 2006, two officers and two civilian engineers at neighbouring RAF Linton-on-Ouse jointly won the flight safety award for their pioneering work in adapting a US system, warning of potential airborne collisions, for use in the fleet of Tucano training aircraft.  more...

Anger as ex-pitmen face legal fight over knee injuries

MINING unions were last night on collision course with the Government as a court battle loomed over compensation for ex-pitmen who suffered crippling knee conditions.A legal fight begun by Nacods (the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers) South Wales, and joined by the likes of the County Durham National Union of Miners (NUM) and the Durham Mechanics Trust, moved a step forward with the granting of a Group Litigation Order (GLO).The order, approved by the top judge in England and Wales, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips of Matravers, will allow unions access to former National Coal Board records in a bid to prove their case.A register is also expected to be opened, allowing potential claimants to state a formal interest in pursuing damages for their injuries.Last night, Bleddyn Hancock, general secretary of Nacods South Wales, said he was delighted that its application for the order had been granted.But he was disappointed that the Government, in the shape of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), continued to deny any liability for knee injuries.He said: "It is the Government's position that they will not accept liability - they don't accept that miners' knee injuries were caused by working in the conditions they did."Unfortunately, we are heading yet again, as with chest cases, towards a major trial, probably in the High Court, at huge expense, to decide the issue."It is disgraceful that the Government is forcing us down this route when the old men who are affected in this way need help now."Mr Hancock added: "We are very pleased to be working with other unions who have joined together in this fight."Unions claim many ex-miners developed severe arthritis in their knees as a result of prolonged kneeling and crouching in cramped conditions underground.In May last year, David Guy, president of Durham NUM, told The Northern Echo that as many as 15,000 potential claimants could be drawn from his area.A DTI spokeswoman said: "A GLO has only recently been approved by the Lord Chief Justice. At present, no evidence has been produced to suggest that any liability attaches to the DTI for the knee injuries.  more...

Anguish as irreplaceable church antiques stolen

IRREPLACEABLE antiques have been stolen from a church.Church warden Patricia Cummings said the theft of 19th Century brass candlesticks and lectern finials from Stockton Parish Church was a crime against the town."It is not just the church that has been robbed, it is the town. Part of the town's history has been taken," said Mrs Cummings.The 3ft candlesticks and matching finials from the base of an eagle surmounted lectern, were specially commissioned and cast by grieving widower Edward Henderson, in memory of his wife, Mary, who died in 1893."It was a Stockton man mourning his Stockton wife - it's Stockton history What has been stolen is priceless, because they are unique."The church, built in 1712 and thought to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who built St Paul's Cathedral and 53 London churches, is the only Grade I-listed building in Stockton High Street.The thieves broke into the church through a side door, after apparently loosening a bolt on the door during an earlier visit.The candles are made of solid brass. Mrs Cummings said: "It would have taken a person to carry each one of the candlesticks; it won't have been easy."The items are thought to have been stolen on Thursday night.Detective Inspector Paul Beddow, who is investigating the theft, said: "These items are irreplaceable,but are virtually worthless if melted down for scrap. I would appeal to everyone in the town to help us recover them."He described the church break-in as a mean theft and appealed for anyone who has any information to contact Stockton Police on (01642) 302226 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.  more...

Groundbreaking Japanese firm to shed over 100 jobs

A JAPANESE manufacturing company is to cut 109 jobs from its North-East factory - more than a third of its workforce - after a dramatic downturn in orders. NSK Steering Systems, in Peterlee, County Durham, is to axe the posts from its 340-strong workforce as part of a major restructuring programme after a series of lucrative contracts were not renewed. It is thought the company has lost about 40 per cent of its workload in recent months. Workers at the plant, which makes steering columns, were told yesterday that 109 jobs would be cut in all areas of the business, while the company - the first Japanese firm to set up a manufacturing base in the region - recovered from its losses. Last night, some workers told The Northern Echo it was well-known within the factory that NSK had been losing business, but the extent of the job cuts was unexpected. One said: "It's come as a real blow. We kind of knew something would have to give - but 109 jobs is a hell of a lot. "We've been told the jobs are going to go, but we don't yet know who will be affected. It's very worrying not knowing if you'll still have a job in a few days' time." A 90-day consultation period between workers, the company and the Amicus union will start next week. Although voluntary redundancies are hoped for, it was said last night to be "probably a bit too hopeful" that there would be no compulsory cuts. The development comes only days after NSK, which has operated in the North-East for more than 30 years, denied that any cuts would be made at its neighbouring operation on the town's South West Industrial Estate, NSK Bearings, after speculation mounted that production could be transferred to its site in Poland. Although NSK Steering Systems also has a sister plant in Poland, it is not thought the jobs cuts are related. Jeff Morland, of the Amicus union, said it was a difficult situation. "We are very sad this has happened, but we have got to try and mitigate the damage to people," he said. "It has been known for some time that the business was in a bad situation and there were going to be consequences. "We understand the company has to build for the future, and NSK in my experience is not the sort of company to make rash judgments - this will have been a very tough decision made over a long period of time. "But we firmly believe that business will be coming back to this factory. It is far from a dead duck."No one at NSK could be contacted for comment last night.  more...

Kiss that says thanks for 70 wonderful years

A COUPLE who met 75 years ago on a camping trip are celebrating their platinum wedding anniversary today.Fred and Ellen Butterfield, of Cockerton, Darlington, fell in love near Chester-le-Street when Fred helped Ellen, then just 16, to put up her tent.Mr Butterfield said: "I didn't have a proper tent. It was just two tarpaulins and at night you could see the stars."But the girls were in a separate tent. There was no frivolity like you get now - you had to play by the board."And he added: "We've had a really happy marriage - it was a good association and it doesn't seem like 70 years."Mr and Mrs Butterfield tied the knot at St Mary's Church, in Purley, London, after a five-year courtship. "You had to court for that long to know what your mother-in-law was like," said Mr Butterfield, who is 93.After the war, the couple moved back to Darlington, where Mr Butterfield set up a barber's business in Cockerton."It wasn't just a barber's - it was an institution," said Mrs Butterfield, who celebrated her 91st birthday on Wednesday. "It was a very difficult time after the war, but everybody was very friendly. It was a Quaker town and if you wanted a lend of anything, people would always help."The couple have three children, Frank, Peter and Eileen, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  more...

Taxpayers face bill for landfill dumping

COUNCIL taxpayers face rising bills under looming Government plans to fine North-East authorities up to £20m a year for burying rubbish.Six of the region's councils will be badly hit by harsh penalties for failing to find greener alternatives to landfill, according to the Environment Agency (EA).The watchdog said Durham County Council was burying 28,000 tonnes of domestic waste above the limit that will be set when the fines are introduced in 2010 - now only three years away.With the Government planning to fine waste authorities £150 for every excess tonne, that would mean an annual fine of £4.2m.The other authorities facing big fines are Newcastle (£5.4m), Sunderland (£3.7m), South Tyneside (£2.9m), North Tyneside (£2.4m) and Darlington (£1.6m).In North Yorkshire, both the county council (£4.9m) and York City Council (£2.7m) face punishment under the scheme.The penalties would almost certainly have to be passed on to council taxpayers already facing inflation-busting year-on-year increases in their bills.In contrast, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton and Gateshead authorities are already within their 2010 landfill targets.Tricia Henton, the EA's director of environment protection, warned that struggling authorities would face even tougher landfill limits - and therefore bigger fines in 2013 and 2020.She added: "Those authorities will need to divert more waste in the coming years, as targets get tighter."The National Audit Office (NAO) warned last year that councils now had little time left to increase recycling, or build new waste treatment plants or incinerators.But the Government - facing a fine from Brussels of up to £180m a year from 2010 for failing to hit targets - is determined to pass that penalty on to local authorities.A trading scheme allows authorities above their landfill limits to "buy" allowances from successful councils, with 500,000 tonnes traded last year alone.But the NAO warned relying on the scheme was risky, because the cost of buying allowances could also soar as the ever-tougher limits begin to bite.The EU has told the Government to end its shameful landfill record by slashing the proportion of buried domestic waste from 75 per cent in 2003 to 25 per cent by 2020.Only Greece (92 per cent) buries more waste. The European countries with the best records are the Netherlands (three per cent), Denmark (five per cent), Belgium (13 per cent) and Sweden (14 per cent).Councils are already being punished by the "landfill tax escalator", which slaps a £21-per-tonne tax on all waste sent to landfill - a figure rising by £3 every year.  more...

No newcomer to the star- studded world of films

WHAT do Harry Potter, Billy Elliot, School for Seduction, Atonement, Get Carter, Robin Hood and Alien 3 have in common? They were all, at least partly, filmed in the North-East.Although London remains Hollywood's favourite UK location, film-makers have not been afraid to head for the North. For many years, locations across the North-East have featured as the backdrop for blockbusting movies. Not only that, but hundreds of people living in the region have had parts as extras in productions ranging from period films to contemporary movies.Durham Cathedral provided a backdrop for the first two Harry Potter movies, where it was used for interior and exterior shots representing Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. The famous Norman cathedral also featured in Elizabeth and Jude The Obscure.Most recently, the beach at Redcar, east Cleveland, was transformed to recreate the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk, in 1940, for the film Atonement, starring Keira Knightly.Scores of the town's residents rushed for the hundreds of roles as extras.The opening titles of the action-packed film Bladerunner, directed by North-East born Ridley Scott, centred on the slightly less glamorous, but no less dramatic setting of the chemical plants on Teesside.On neighbouring Tyneside, a raft of Catherine Cookson films have been shot, and the area has also featured in Stormy Monday, with former Newcastle lad Sting.For the pit village of Easington, the arrival of studio crews to film Billy Elliot saw great excitement as dozens of local people took part in the movie, which was set among the close-knit mining community.Cinema classic Get Carter, which was filmed in Durham City and Gateshead, included a sequence of overhead aerial buckets carrying coal waste down to east Durham's coastline.Along that same coastline, which was once so polluted with coal waste, a Seaham beach at Noses Point was judged the ideal location for the opening shots of Alien 3.Ironically, those same beaches - now extensively cleaned up - will prove one of the major attractions for the proposed studio, which will look directly over the coastline at Seaham.But whatever movies are planned to be shot at the film and media business park, there will be no shortage of suitable locations or a host of experienced extras to go with them.  more...

Tory leader resigns after losing no-confidence vote

A NORTH-East Conservative leader whose wife is standing as a Labour candidate has been forced to resign by members of his party.Councillor Tony Richmond, leader of Darlington's Conservatives since May 1988, resigned after losing a vote of no confidence.The vote was called by councillors angry that Coun Richmond's wife, Sue, will stand as a Labour candidate in the town's local elections in May, as revealed in The Northern Echo on Boxing Day.Only three of Darlington's 14 Conservative councillors supported Coun Richmond, and one did not vote, as he was not present at the meeting.There was also concern the Conservatives were not capitalising on controversial council policies, including the over-budget Pedestrian Heart project and Tesco's proposals to move into the town centre.The unhappy councillors had already held meetings to discuss a change of leadership.Coun Richmond said yesterday: "I am not leader of the group any more - but I am very proud of the service I have been able to give the people of Darlington."I intend to continue as a ward councillor in College ward. I will be a candidate in this May's elections, and I hope to be elected once more."Councillor Heather Scott - who was runner-up to Coun Richmond in 1988 - is favourite to be elected as new leader, at least temporarily, at a meeting today.She said: "Tony Richmond is one of Darlington's great Conservative figures. However, members are determined the time has come to signal a change in the direction and tempo of political debate. "For this reason we intend to present both new ideas and a new leader at the forthcoming elections in May."Other Conservative councillors were also keen to praise Coun Richmond."We have got great respect for Tony," said Councillor Doris Jones. "He has been a great Conservative. We are all fighting to make the most of our chances in May, including Tony."Councillor Bill Stenson, first elected in 1965, said: "He will be remembered as a good leader. I was sorry to see this happen - a lot of wives vote differently to their husbands."I think he knew something was coming. It has been a trying time for him."Councillor Peter Foster, who resigned from the Conservative group at Thursday's meeting after voting for Coun Richmond, said: "There is too much in-fighting. They are going to self-destruct."  more...

Man is victim of rottweiler attack

A FATHER-of-three was the latest victim of a dog attack when a 12 stone rottweiler set upon him.Unemployed joiner Sean Smith screamed as the dog pinned to him to the floor.He needed 78 stitches to his face and spent four days in hospital.The 41-year-old was living in a rented house in Benwell, Newcastle, when the dog, called Butch and belonging to his landlord, attacked and dragged him to the floor.He said: "I used to come in at night and feed the dog. I would come in with a pie or something like that and throw it in the air and Butch would jump and gulp it down in one go."But this night was different. I threw it and Butch missed it, so I went to pick it up to give it to him and when I did he grabbed my head with his teeth and pulled me down from where I was sitting."He put his paw on my neck so that I couldn't move and was growling at me."I just lay still and he eventually let go and went out the room."When I went upstairs, though, the blood was everywhere. You could see my skull."The attack took place on December 27 at teatime, and Mr Smith, who has one daughter, Molly, five, and two stepdaughters, Amy and Katy, both 13, was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, where he stayed for four days.Butch's owner, Davy Walker, said Mr Smith had been teasing the dog, which had never before been vicious.Mr Walker, who has another dog called Fagan, said: "It was kids who called him Butch when he was a little dog and it has stuck, but it has nothing to do with his temperament. He is a friendly pet dog and nothing more."Northumbria Police are investigating the attack.  more...

Story of castle's Zurbaran paintings to be told in song

THE remarkable history of one of the region's finest collections of paintings is being set to music.The story, spanning 250 years, of Auckland Castle's £20m Zurbaran paintings, which were saved from the saleroom last year, starts and ends with two Bishops of Durham.Next year, it will be told in music and song by Bishop Auckland Choral Society, which has been given a £19,000 grant to stage a specially-commissioned oratorio at the castle, in March.The larger than life-sized portraits showing Jacob and his Twelve Sons dressed in Spanish peasant costumes should offer plenty of dramatic material for writers Duncan Brown and Greg Pullen, both from Spennymoor, and David Napthine, from Binchester, in County Durham.Painted by Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbaran, they were sent to Mexico in the mid-17th Century to promote Catholicism among the native population at a time when it was widely believed that the Aztecs were one of the lost tribes of Israel.Instead, they were hijacked at sea by English pirates and ended up in London in the hands of merchant James Mendez, a Portuguese Jew.In 1756, he sold them for £125 to the high-living Bishop Richard Trevor, a vigorous campaigner for the recognition of Judaism's role in the Christian story.One of the set was missing - Mendez sold Benjamin's portrait to the Duke of Ancaster, who believed himself to be a descendant. It now hangs in Grimethorpe Castle, near Peterborough.Bishop Trevor had to be content with a copy - a fake by artist Arthur Proud, which was installed along with the rest in the castle's Long Dining Room.The Bishop had his dramatic political statement to display to his dinner guests, but Zurbaran had been left with nothing.Receiving no money for his stolen masterpieces, he died a ruined man in 1664.His legacy hung in the castle in relative obscurity until 2001 when, realising their worth, the Church Commissioners voted to sell them as a "non-income-producing asset" to recoup losses on the London property market.Campaigners, including Bishop Auckland Civic Society, pleaded for a change of heart, realising the prestige they brought not only to the town, but to the whole North-East region.The Northern Echo and its readers joined the call for the Zurbarans to stay, but it was four years before there was a reprieve.The present Bishop, the Right Reverend Tom Wright, stepped in, impressing the commissioners by showing them the collection in its original setting before making an impassioned plea at the meeting deciding their fate.The commissioners relented and allowed the Zurbarans to stay until a review in 2010.Bishop Wright celebrated their 250th anniversary by giving a televised viewing during an episode of Antiques Roadshow, when expert Philip Mould confirmed their £20m valuation.The oratorio will be premiered on the weekend of March 23 and 24 and performed in procession from the castle gates.Project manager Jill Cole said: "The Zurbarans are very special and it is fantastic to get the money to do this. We will involve as many members of the community as we can."Mr Napthine said: "We wanted to pick up on something relevant to this area, but also with a universal theme and a religious theme. These paintings became an obvious idea. It's nice to finally get our teeth into it."  more...

Community campaign wins town its first council

THE petticoat power of a group of women campaigners has earned a North-East community its first town council.Led by 75-year-old retired social worker Dorothy Davison, the women succeeded where previous attempts had failed and persuaded Government officials to sign an order creating a council for Bishop Auckland, County Durham.Disillusioned with party politics and convinced that the historic market town needed its own voice, the group went out knocking on doors to collect the thousand signatures they needed before they could formally apply.They had to demonstrate that ten per cent of the population wanted the council and were overwhelmed by the level of support - even though having a separate authority will put a few extra pounds on people's council tax bills.Only a handful of residents refused to sign and the group eventually came up with 1,299 names before they successfully asked for support from other local authorities in the area.Mrs Davison, who chaired a steering group, said she and her friends simply wanted to make Bishop Auckland a better place.And with reforms in local government in the offing, the new council could have a real influence at grass roots level, taking on significant responsibilities on top of typical 'parish pump' duties, such as maintaining parks, cemeteries, recreation grounds, village halls, allotments and footpaths.The 11 members of the council will be voted in on the same day as the Wear Valley District Council elections, May 3.They will be chosen from four wards following the district council boundaries of Bishop Auckland Town, Cockton Hill, Henknowle and Woodhouse Close.Mrs Davison is still debating whether to stand herself. All she hopes is that the new council is not taken over by politicians.She said: "I have always said it should be non-political. This is for the people of Bishop Auckland and not the political parties."We need people with a strong community spirit who want what is best for the town and to do some good."There are parts, particularly the Market Place, which need taking in hand and smartening up."It took us three years to collect the names and we waited another two years for the order, but we never thought of giving up."Nearby Willington has also been granted a town council under the same order from the Department for Communities and Local Government.  more...

Man falls from scaffolding

A MAN was taken to hospital with head injuries after he fell from scaffolding on Saturday morning.   more...

Shopping centre sold for £84.5m

THE multi-million pound sale of a North-East shopping centre has been finalised.Last night, a London-based real estate company announced it had bought the Cornmill Centre, in Darlington, for £84.5m.The Moorfield Real Estate Fund has said it plans to be a long-term investor in the 221,066sq ft shopping complex in the centre of the town.It has bought the centre from Investream which announced it planned to sell the Cornmill last October.Investream has owned the Cornmill since 2002 and said it was selling the property to concentrate on other areas of its business.The initial asking price was £84.25m.Although, both parties declined to comment, it is believed there was competition for the acquisition of the centre.Moorfield, which owns shopping centres in Wakefield and Cardiff, as well as hotels and student accommodation, in Loughborough and Winchester, said the centre was an appealing investment.It includes a number of high street stores including TK Maxx, Dorothy Perkins, WH Smith, HMV and Clarks.Marc Gilbard, the managing director of Moorfield Group, said: "The Cornmill Shopping Centre is located in a town that is undergoing major regeneration and revitalisation. "The pedestrianisation of the high street is due to be completed shortly and the proposed extension of the nearby Queen Street shopping centre will bring considerable benefits to the town centre."Plans for the proposed new Queen Street shopping centre, which will include about 30 shops, restaurants, a leisure complex, 150 parking spaces and residential accommodation are due to be discussed by Darlington Borough Council on Wednesday.The sales literature which was sent out to potential buyers of the Cornmill pointed to buildings which could be used to expand the centre.These included The Northern Echo building in Priestgate and the upper levels of the Post Office.Moorfield said it would not rule out any expansion, although no firm plans had been made.Mark Holmes, the assets manager for Moorfield, said: "We will be an active investor in the Cornmill."We will be looking at any opportunities to enhance the centre."  more...

Which team wears black and white but makes fans see red?

LONG-suffering fans of a North-East football club are among the most stressed in the country, according to a national survey.Perennial basement battlers Darlington have been named England's fourth worst team to follow, after years of sacked managers, early cup exits and boardroom instability.The chart, compiled by Littlewoods Pools, measures the ups and down of the 92 professional clubs during the past 20 years.The Quakers have had a turbulent two decades. After relegation to the Vauxhall Conference in 1989, the club enjoyed consecutive promotions in the next two seasons. Another relegation and defeat in a 1996 Wembley play-off final followed.With the club teetering on the brink in 1999, local millionaire businessman George Reynolds took over, promising to wipe out club debts and deliver Premiership football within five years.But in 2003, the club was in administration. Reynolds was later jailed for tax fraud.Quakers fan Gavin Ellis, who writes a column in Darlington's matchday programme, believes the club is jinxed."There's a curse on us, and I think I know why," he said."Our bad luck goes back to the 1970s, when we became one of the first clubs to play on a Sunday. That upset some traditionalists."We have the religious nickname - The Quakers - and we always have a terrible time at Christmas, with poor runs and postponements. "I've suggested that we should drop the nickname to try and improve things."It's not just bad luck - there's more to it than that."England's oldest club, Notts County, are at number one in the worst teams list, with Darlington's derby rivals Hartlepool United at 20. Sunderland are ranked 65th, with Middlesbrough at 73, and Newcastle United at 82.Stuart Drummond, Mayor of Hartlepool and former club mascot H'Angus the Monkey, said: "I wouldn't lose any sleep over this survey, although it's always nice to be better than Darlington."Martyn McFadden, editor of the Sunderland fanzine, A Love Supreme, said: "If the chart was based on how much the fans can drink and how much noise they can generate, I think we would probably be top."Lifelong Middlesbrough fan Ian McNeilly, 35, said: "It might not always be good news when you're a Boro fan, but at least it's exciting. If we're not having a good cup run, we're fighting it out at the bottom of the table." Newcastle fan David Punton, 30, from Gosforth, said: "It's not easy following the Toon and, at times, it can feel like a modern-day form of torture."But any Geordie will tell you they will stick with them just for that piece of silverware we truly deserve after so many years of hurt."A spokesman for Darlington FC said: "Quakers fans have been fiercely loyal and stick with their team through thick and thin. Hopefully, once manager Dave Penney has brought in the players he wants, we might be able to reward fans with some success."For the full list, visit www.footballpools.com  more...

Film studio plans mean jobs action

A £300M film studio, creating at least a thousand jobs in the North-East, is at an advanced stage of negotiations, The Northern Echo can reveal.An international consortium has been in talks with Easington District Council about siting the studio complex on the southern edge of the former County Durham mining community of Seaham.The Northern Echo understands a planning application for the venture - only the second purpose-built film studio to be created in Britain in the past 50 years - could be lodged as early as next month.After negotiations that stretch back almost three years, members of the Coolmore Consortium, headed by developer and film industry expert Philip Moross and North-East accountant Alastair Ross, met the east Durham authority to unveil details of its proposals.Yesterday, council chief executive Janet Johnson confirmed the authority had been in detailed talks with "investors, developers and experts from the film industry over the proposal to develop a business park, specifically related to film and media".She added: "Discussions are at an advanced stage and we are expecting a planning application in the spring."It is understood there are only two similar film and media projects in the world, and the proposals at the Seaham site, which skirts the link road at Dawdon, would be the first in the UK.It would create at least 1,000 jobs, and possibly as many as 1,800.The proposals also include two hotels, a press centre, museum, caf, pub, ornamental lake, parklands and some housing development.The inclusion of plans to establish a student residential campus on the site, linked to a North-East university and college, also holds out the promise of good training in all aspects of the industry for local young people.Mr Moross said this would "help prevent the leakage of high-quality local talent".Speaking to the Echo from Switzerland, he revealed it had been a stay at the Seaham Hall Hotel that had brought the area to his notice.The appeal of the 200-acre site, he said, lay in its cost-effectiveness, picturesque location and excellent commun- ication links.Mr Moross, who is involved in the film production and music industry both here and in the US, already has major players in the field lined up for the venture.With new Government tax credits recently put in place, producers, he said, were keen to come back from Hollywood and work in the UK.But he also stressed that, if approved, the venture brought with it the very real prospect of hundreds of home-grown jobs.He said: "The industry is a composite of many trades. Apart from those directly involved in film-making, it requires a host of employees, including bricklayers, decorators, electricians, hairdressers, wardrobe designers and seamstresses, hairdressers, make-up artists, and graphic designers, to name a few."   more...