Stories for 26 October 2007

The Northern Echo News

Security guard badly beaten

A SECURITY MAN is in hospital after being beaten up while trying to stop shoplifters pinching a crate of lager.   more...

Jurors consider verdict on murder charge teens

JURORS in a murder trial have been warned to put emotion aside when they consider verdicts on three teenagers accused of killing Kevin Johnson.   more...

Accused teacher says students had gang mentality

A TEENAGER who accused his teacher of assaulting him came from a year group with a gang mentality, a court heard.David Colin Rucker, 40, is alleged to have shaken the boy and pushed him under the water at Richmond Swimming Pool, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, outside school hours.However, a tape of a police interview with Mr Rucker was played in court in which the sports teacher said the teen was from a year group with a gang mentality.He said he had been the fourth teacher in his school to have been accused of wrongdoing by members of that year group - all dismissed after investigations.The teenager, then aged 15, was with three friends at the pool - aged 13, 14 and 15 - when the alleged assault happened on May 31, last year. The teenagers cannot be identified because of their age. Three of the boys gave evidence on Wednesday and yesterday the fourth became angry when Deborah Sherwin, defending, cross-examined him.He stopped proceedings by holding up a red card, which vulnerable witnesses can use if they need a five-minute break.The boy again became angry when Ms Sherwin described how he had once hit Mr Rucker on the back.She said the school had also expressed concerned at the boy's racist attitudes and said he had been involved in a burglary.Ms Sherwin also described the way the investigation was carried out by police as unfair. She said that Mr Rucker was interviewed by PC Martin Gales, despite having made a complaint over his handling of the case.Mr Rucker made a second complaint about the interview by PC Gales and PC Des Mooney. This was investigated by Detective Sergeant Steve Smith, who made several criticisms, including that the officers were dismissive, she said.Ms Sherwin said: "What Mr Mooney was doing was just reading out notes of the boys and then haranguing the defendant. "He was not saying anything. He was not given the chance. It was 11 minutes into the interview before he had the chance to open his mouth."Mr Rucker, of Low Green, Catterick, denies common assault and threatening behaviour.The case continues.  more...

Man who urinated on dying woman will learn his fate

A MAN who urinated on a dying woman and covered her in shaving foam is due to be sentenced today.Anthony Anderson, 27, has already pleaded guilty to outraging public decency and will appear before a judge at Teesside Crown Court.Last month, Hartlepool magistrates heard that as well as urinating on Christine Lakinski he threw water on her as she lay in the street.The court heard how he was filmed on a camera phone laughing as he carried out the attack, on July 26.Anderson's case was sent to crown court after magistrates decided their powers of a maximum of six months prison were insufficient. During the hearing, magistrates heard that Christine Lakinski, 50, had collapsed in the doorway of a house in Jobson Street, Hartlepool, where she lived.Anderson, who lived in the street, tried to rouse her by kicking the sole of her foot.Miss Lakinski was still lying in the same position an hour later, as the group left to go out for a drinking session, the court heard.They called the emergency services and went into Hartlepool town centre, where Anderson was later arrested in a night- club. Miss Lakinski, who was described as vulnerable and had a number of medical problems, died at the scene, having suffered pancreatic failure. Anderson, now of Raby Road, Hartlepool, admitted throwing water over her, urinating on her chest and abdomen and putting shaving foam on her body.John Relton, in mitigation, said his client wanted to apologise for the distress caused to Miss Lakinski and her family.  more...

Helping out small businesses

A SOCIAL enterprise recruitment service which matches up small businesses with people looking for work expanded into a North-East town yesterday.People Acumen, which has a base in Seaham, County Durham, opened an office in Bishop Auckland and will soon have another in Stanley.Formed the Acumen Development Trust charity, it is funded by development agency One NorthEast to find workers for small businesses who cannot afford to use more expensive services.Branch manager Pat Anderson said: "We offer a friendly and professional service that is tailored to their specific recruitment needs, hassle free and excellent value for money."One NorthEast's economic inclusion manager, Robin Beveridge, said: "The region's aim is to have about another 80,000 people in our workforce employed by 2016."The branch is at 46 Fore Bondgate, Bishop Auckland. For information, phone 0845-362-0212.  more...

Family hoping to clean up after dog invention

A FAMILY have come up with a innovative solution to one of the least pleasurable aspects of owning a dog -cleaning up its mess.The Poopod, an all-in-one kit to save dog owners from spoiling a good walk by having to carry a bag of dog dirt, has been designed and patented by the Bell family, from Darlington.The invention is a team effort by father Neil 47, mother Sue, 43, and children Nicole, 15, and Joe, 11, and was inspired by Nicole, who hated holding the used bags after walking the family's Yorkshire terrier, Rosie.The hand-held device has a scented compartment for used bags, so owners pick up the mess, put it in the pod, then bin it later.It also incorporates a bag roll dispenser and detachable lead, making it an all-in-one dog walking device.The prototype was created in the garage by Nicole and her father because the family could not find any suitable products on the market.They have spent three years patenting and refining the design.The Poopod comes in two sizes to meet the requirements of different dogs -the Poopod for medium and large dogs and the Poopod Petite for smaller breeds.The gadget has won the backing of the British Inventors Society, which awarded the Bell family double golds for innovation and invention.Mrs Bell, a housewife, said the family is hoping the product will encourage owners to clean up after their pets.She said she will run the Poopod business full time, while her husband continues working for Northumbrian Water.She said: "I think if it is easy to clear up, and is not horrible to carry, people will be much more inclined to clear up after their dogs."You put it in the compartment and it is hidden away from sight and smell."Everybody at the British Invention Show thought it was a fantastic idea. We have already got a waiting list and we will be sending out the first Poopods off the production line on November 20."We cannot wait. To turn something from an idea into a reality is just brilliant."The Poopod will be avail- able on the high street by the end of next year, and will cost £12.99.However, it can be bought online in time for Christmas from www.poopod.com  more...

Barnardo's boss condemns N-E child poverty

A FORMER head of the prison service has condemned rising child poverty in the North-East.Middlesbrough-born Martin Narey, chief executive of children's charity Barnardo's, was speaking on Teesside last night.The former director general of the prisons service told an audience of welfare workers in Middlesbrough: "We have disgraceful levels of child poverty in the UK, and particularly high levels on Teesside."Child poverty isn't relative, but very real, demoralising and harder than it used to be to escape from. We can afford to reduce it, but the Government seems to have abandoned the 1999 commitment to halve child poverty."He also said: "We will pay for this - as is now acknowledged in the US - with much greater costs for health and criminal justice. There is not just a moral case for alleviating child poverty, but an economic and crime reduction case for doing so."Mr Narey made his claim as he delivered the inaugural Community Safety Lecture, at the University of Teesside, in Middlesbrough.The lectures have been devised by Safe in Tees Valley, an organisation set up in 1996 to encourage, public, private and voluntary sector involvement in crime prevention in the Tees Valley.The idea is to attract speakers with a national reputation to deliver thought-provoking lectures.Mr Narey, who talked about the links between disadvantage and crime and child poverty in the UK, is spearheading Barnardo's national anti-poverty campaign, which was launched in May. He is also the chairman of the End Child Poverty Campaign.John Bentley, programme director of Safe in Tees Valley, said: "We are delighted to have a speaker of Martin's calibre. "The community safety lecture is a new initiative for us, and we are looking forward to some provocative and interesting sessions. We want people to question our way of doing business and to give us new and challenging ideas to think about in relation to a safer Tees Valley."  more...

Ministers under fire for ruling out smacking ban

The Children's Commissioner last night condemned ministers for ruling out a complete ban on smacking as charities stepped up their campaign to outlaw corporal punishment.A review of the law found widespread opposition from parents to a total ban on smacking, according to Children's Minister Kevin Brennan.He said the law in England and Wales would remain as it is, allowing parents to punish children with a smack that does no more than cause "a temporary reddening of the skin".But campaigners lined up to condemn the decision, while children told the Government's own review that they wanted smacking banned.Children's Commissioner for England Sir Al Aynsley-Green said: "I am disappointed at the Government's decision not to ban smacking and see this as a missed opportunity to protect children from violence in the home."Children and young people should have the same right to protection under the law on common assault as that afforded to adults."There is no good reason why children are the only people in the UK who can still be lawfully hit."The Government's announcement followed a review of the law, which changed with the 2004 Children's Act.Section 58 of the Act removed the defence of reasonable punishment from parents and adults acting "in loco parentis" who are charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, wounding or grievous bodily harm, or cruelty to a child.If a parent is charged with nothing more than common assault, the defence of reasonable punishment is still available.The review included a detailed survey of 1,800 parents and in-depth research into the views of 64 children.It found 67 per cent of parents felt there should be no complete ban on smacking, but most children thought corporal punishment had no place in modern childhood.The Tories backed Mr Brennan's announcement as "a victory for common sense".Shadow Children's Minister Tim Loughton said: "Clearly, if any adult is responsible for abuse and violence towards a child they need to face the full rigour of the law."But there is a world of difference between that and criminalising loving parents that use chastisement as they see fit in the interest of their child."However, campaign groups and children's charities condemned the Government's decision.Shaun Kelly from children's charity NCH said it was "a disgrace" that children did not have the same protection from violence given to adults, while Dame Mary Marsh, chief executive of the NSPCC, said there was "no place for physical punishment of children."  more...

Still on track - whatever the weather

TRAVELLERS on a seaside railway will be sheltered from the worst of the North Sea weather when two new coaches arrive today.The first all-weather coaches are being delivered to Scarborough's historic North Bay Railway, allowing passenger services to run through the winter.The narrow coaches have been rebuilt and repainted in the original British Rail "blood and custard" livery by Rail Restorations at their works at Wearhead, County Durham.The original chassis and running gear came from coaches built by Leeds engineers Hudswell, Clarke for the Golden Acre park railway, in Leeds, in the Thirties.Rail Restoration North East, owned by coachbuilder Dave Foxton and enthusiast Dr Michael Wood, spent six months adding and rebuilding an Eighties body frame, installing end and side panels and windows, padded seats and roof linings.The company was established after Mr Foxton was made redundant from the Weardale Railway and employs three workers, including 20-year-old apprentice Adrian Glendenning, from Crook, to restore coaches, horse drawn carts, buses and other vehicles.Mr Foxton said: "It is starting to grow to the point where we need bigger premises, where we could take on more people. There seems to be demand for what we do."David Humphreys, North Bay's managing director, said: "Scarborough is an all-year resort now and people are keen to ride on the railway through the year."He said the £20,000 cost of the restoration had been money well spent: "We are delighted with the high quality of the workmanship."Rail Restoration has an enviable reputation for restoring standard gauge mainline coaches, but they've shown they can turn their hand to miniature railway coaches just as well." The North Bay Railway is open every weekend throughout the year.  more...

Royal accolade for victim's mother

A CAMPAIGNING mother and an award-winning comedy writer from the region have collected their Queen's Birthday honours.Ann Ming, who campaigned tirelessly to change the 800-year-old double jeopardy law to bring her daughter's killer to justice, was given an MBE by the Prince of Wales.Last year, in a case that made legal history, William Dunlop was jailed for murdering Mrs Ming's daughter, Julie Hogg, in 1989.Speaking after the ceremony, she said: "I did not expect to get any award. I just had to make common sense prevail. The double jeopardy law had to be changed. It has been a long battle, but it's worth it."Mrs Ming, who was joined by her husband, Charlie, described the visit to Buckingham Palace as an emotional experience. She said: "It's not a happy thing for me. I would rather have my daughter with me."Dunlop had stood trial twice before, but each time a jury failed to reach a verdict. He was formally cleared, but he later admitted he had lied in court.Until the law change, defendants who had been acquitted could not be tried again for the same offence, even if new evidence came to light.In April 2005, the double jeopardy rule was altered.Dunlop, who was jailed for life after he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey in September last year, became the first killer to be convicted under the new legislation.Mrs Ming, 61, of Norton, Stockton, said: "The prince said 'You have done a splendid job and that it had been a long battle'. I said it was worth it. I did it for our case, but it has opened it up for other families. I feel it is like a legacy to Julie."Comedy pair Ian La Frenais and writing partner Dick Clement received their OBEs at the same time.The pair are the writers of classics such as The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.Newcastle-born Mr Le Frenais said of the ceremony: "I was more interested than nervous at seeing the whole procedure."  more...

Brown praised over U-turn on FoI cost limits

GORDON Brown has won praise after a surprise climbdown down on controversial curbs to the landmark Freedom of Information Act.   more...

Air payouts 'obscene'

AIRLINE accounts are expected show that two directors at Newcastle International Airport shared bonuses totalling more than £8.5m.One is the former chief executive John Parkin, who resigned in controversial circumstances, and the other was ex-finance director Lars Friis, who has since died.Not all the money has been handed over, and the accounts for last year, now due, are expected to show the airport is trying to retrieve the money through legal action.The bonuses follow a re-financing deal, which led to a dividend payout of £160m to the airport's shareholders. The biggest bonus is believed to have been payable to Mr Parkin, now in charge of Leeds Bradford Airport.Legal action is being taken by Newcastle Airport against him in connection with "personal contractual issues".Newcastle's airport is jointly owned by the region's local authorities and Copenhagen Airports. The councils of Newcastle, Sunderland, Gates-head, North Tyneside and South Tyneside, along with Northumberland and Durham county councils, have a 51 per cent stake.They received a special dividend of £83m last year after a major re-financing of the airport. The remaining 49 per cent of shares are owned by Copenhagen Airports, which received an undisclosed sum.Both Mr Parkin and Mr Friis were closely involved in negotiating the deal. Mr Parkin resigned in May and started his new job last month. He was suspended as chief executive of Newcastle Airport in March, after an investigation was launched.Legal moves are under way and the airport has lodged papers, subject to a confidentiality agreement, with the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court.A spokeswoman for Leeds Bradford said: "Mr Parkin has spoken to Bridgepoint (which owns the airport) and as it is a private legal case, neither Mr Parkin, Bridgepoint or Leeds Bradford International Airport wish to comment."Councillors at all seven local authorities and local MPs were also advised not to comment, but one senior councillor criticised bonuses of that size.Councillor Nick Forbes, leader of the opposition Labour group on Newcastle council, said: "I think that's a grossly obscene amount of money to be paid to anyone as a bonus."In a letter to Newcastle councillors, their chief executive, Ian Stratford, says: "The airport is pursuing legal action against the former chief executive."The company accounts include details of very large bonus payments and a statement to the effect that the executive directors' emoluments remain the subject of legal challenge."A spokeswoman said Mr Parkin expected "in due course, to resolve the personal contractual issues which arose."  more...

Green energy blueprint for dales villages

DALES villages could become self sufficient in home-produced green energy under a new blueprint for the North's first eco-village announced earlier today.   more...

Teenager in road crash loses fight for life

A TEENAGER seriously injured in a road smash on Teesside has died.   more...

Opportunity to take in the smells of wartime Britain

70CARBOLIC soap, medicated toilet paper and old-fashioned shaving sticks will revive wartime memories for visitors to a museum.The smells of ordinary household items from the past have been collected together to help people recollect the days of make do and mend or of National Service.Visitors to the Green Howards Regimental Museum, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, are invited to sniff at baskets containing a range of items which give off distinctive everyday aromas of the Forties.As the memories come rushing back, people are encouraged to reminisce about what the smells conjure up in their minds.As well as the sniff test, there are bygone objects, including darning mushrooms from the days when a holey sock was not immediately relegated to the bin. Also featured are metal mess tins, which are still used by the Army.David Tetlow, curator of the museum, said: "Some museums have smells created artificially to set the scene - here we have the real thing and they have proved very popular, especially with our older visitors."Younger people, too, have been fascinated by just what their parents' and grandparents' generations accepted as normal. They say that the carbolic soap in particular is something they wouldn't put up with."Some of the youngsters were appalled to hear that the same, harsh soap was used for everything from bathing to laundry and that only the better-off homes could afford the Co-op's White Windsor variety - most used green or pink carbolic at bath time and red for scrubbing clothes.The soap also reminded visitors of school washrooms and hospitals, as carbolic was considered to have antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties.Young visitors whose fathers use electric razors have also been intrigued by the solid shaving soap.One woman who visited the museum yesterday said households were considered "posh" in the Forties if they had toilet paper, as most used news- paper.The museum, in the Market Place, is open from Mondays to Saturdays, 10am to 4.30pm, and admission is £3.50 for adults, £3 for concessions and Richmond residents and free for accompanied children.  more...

ADHD is 'excuse' for uncontrollable behaviour, survey finds

MORE than half the North-Eastern public believe Attention Deficity Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is just a term for excusing uncontrollable behaviour.   more...

Bazaar celebrating 175 years of unbroken entertainment

THE cream teas at a church bazaar will taste all the sweeter this weekend as it celebrates its 175th anniversary.The annual bazaar at the United Reformed Church in Barnard Castle has been held every year since it was set up in 1832, five years before Queen Victoria took to the throne.Organisers said that despite changing location a few times, the event, which each year raises hundreds of pounds for the church, has thrived, even continuing during the war years.Margaret White, whose husband, Ernest, was Reverend at the church for 15 years in the Seventies and Eighties, helps to arrange the bazaar.She said: "It takes a lot to organise and it is hard work, but it is worth it in the end."It is a great social event which regularly attracts quite a lot of people."We are hoping to raise about £800 from it this year, which will all go to the church. It is our main fundraising event of the year and it always has been."It has moved around a bit since it was set up, we think. It was held at somebody's house for a time and also at the Witham Hall, in Barnard Castle."Initially the bazaar was a three-day-long event, then it was reduced to one day, being held on a Thursday afternoon. About ten years ago, organisers decided to move it to a Saturday morning.The old bazaars would feature concerts and have an opening speaker. The young members of the Sunday school would also make buttonholes for the visitors.Many of the highlights of the bazaar have not changed since the first one.Tomorrow's event will feature a cake stall, a white elephant and a home made jams and preserves stall. Coffee and tea will be served all morning and there will also be a tombola and raffle.To mark the celebration, organisers will decorate this year's bazaar with balloons.The bazaar will be held in the United Reformed Church hall, in Queen Street, from 9.30am until noon.  more...

Fudge maker wins deal with top store

FUDGE maker Lisa Hodgson is now enjoying even more of the sweet smell of success after receiving large orders from an upmarket London department store.Tasters for the world-famous Fortnum and Mason store were so impressed by the Loopy Lisa brand that they ordered it for their shelves.Ms Hodgson made fudge at home in her spare time until just over a year ago, when she moved into a factory unit at Evenwood near Barnard Castle, County Durham.She was helped at first by two relatives, but sales of her Loopy Lisa brand have risen so sharply she now has four full- time staff, and will probably have to take on more soon.Her first order from the store came about by luck after she was asked to give a one-day demonstration for Marks and Spencer buyers, in London, to help them understand the way small producers work. One of the buyers at the session was Darren Williams - and when he transferred to Fortnum and Mason he recommended to his new bosses that they should try her fudge.She sent off some samples, which beat 19 other brands in a taste test. She was quickly given an order for 66 kilos of her fudge, followed soon afterwards for another order for 72 kilos.She has been told to expect an even bigger order next month, when Fortnum and Mason will be arranging a sales drive in its confectionery department.Ms Hodgson said yesterday: "I'm thrilled to have got into such an important London store, and just hope the sales there keep on growing. It was sheer luck that got me there, but it has worked out brilliantly."She now produces fudge in 11 flavours and it has been accepted for sale in more than 50 shops. "I'm working seven days a week at the moment, but it is worthwhile as sales everywhere are going so well," she said.She began making the fudge at her home in Loop Lane, Butterknowle, but demand for it grew so much that she had to move to premises with a commercial kitchen.  more...

Allotment group in £1.4m windfall

A GROUP of allotment owners have hit the jackpot after they sold their rundown smallholdings for £1.4m.The 49 retired miners and shipyard workers bought the Castletown allotments from the coal board for £5,000 when Hylton Colliery, in Sunderland, closed in 1979.But in recent years the area had become derelict, hit by arsonists and vandals on an almost daily basis.As part of massive regeneration plans for the area, city leaders offered the allotment owners £50,000 to take the land, which they said was contaminated, off their hands.But with the help of a city estate agent, the group managed to secure £1.4m for it.John Curry, 54, a retired miner and chairman of the Castletown Allotment Owners' Association, said: "It is like winning the lottery. We are all thrilled."I have put some money away for the grandchildren. I think most people are spending it on their families."Mr Curry said it was only by chance that they found out from chartered surveyor Paul Airey how much the land was worth.Mr Airey had been visiting to price houses in Castle Street, where Mr Curry lives.Mr Curry said: "While he was here I mentioned the allotments. I told him about the £50,000 and he said 'What, how much'?"He said they were worth hundreds of thousands, not tens of thousands. And that was that."Mr Airey, who owns Paul Airey Chartered Surveyors, and the business's commercial director, Sean Heaney, spent months wrangling with council bosses and talking to developers to get the allotment owners the best deal.He said: "I am a Sunderland lad and I wanted to see the group get a decent amount for the land."Several developers were interested in the Castletown allotments, but in the end, the allotment owners decided to sell the land to housing group Gentoo, which will include the land in its regeneration work in the area.Mr Curry said: "We are just so very thankful to Paul and Sean. We have had a lot of help from our councillors as well -Tom Foster and Dennis Wilson have given us a lot of support."The allotments were cleared of rubble within 24 hours of the deal being signed, and the land is now waiting to be built on.Sunderland City Council director of development and regeneration Phil Barrett said the allotment holders were offered almost £1m for the site by the council.He said: "After independent valuation of the site, the council offer was in the region of £950,000. This offer was turned down by agents acting on behalf of the trustees."  more...

Rats on the rise, farmers report

LANDOWNERS are reported increased sightings of rats following the widespread floods in the summer.   more...

Districts put unitary challenge on hold

SEVEN district councils have put their challenge to plans for a County Durham super council on hold to back a parallel effort.   more...

Fire brigade called out three times to problem building

A FIRE brigade is expected to call for action after being called out three times to arson attacks in a derelict high rise office block.   more...

New suitor enters race for Northern Rock

JC Flowers today unveiled its management line-up for the Northern Rock as talks over a possible offer continue.   more...

Sir Elton's photograph is "not indecent"

SIR Elton John's picture of a young girl dancing naked, which was to have been part of a public exhibition, is not indecent, prosecutors have decided.   more...

Road rage trucker attacked hospital worker, court told

A LORRY driver who punched a motorist during a rush hour road rage attack has been spared jail.   more...

Lorry driver in road rage attack

A LORRY driver who punched a motorist during a rush hour road rage attack has been spared jail.   more...

Police found £16k worth of cocaine in shed, court told

A REFORMING drug addict was given a six-month ultimatum to prove he is genuinely kicking his habit, or risk a prison sentence if he fails.   more...

Businessman cleared of raping party guest

A BUSINESSMAN accused of raping a party guest at his home walked free from court today after a jury cleared him of the allegation.   more...

Spurs boss Jol quits

TOTTENHAM Hotspur boss Martin Jol tonight quit the club - together with first team coach Chris Hughton.   more...

Anger flares over ghost ships ruling

A FOUR-YEAR fight over the fate of the controversial "ghost ships" appeared to be over last night after planners gave permission for the world's biggest dry dock to be built.Able UK - the firm behind the scheme - claimed the dock would create thousands of jobs and attract millions of pounds of investment to the North-East.The decision was taken after a chaotic five-hour planning meeting in Hartlepool, during which police were called and members of the public ejected.Despite the apparent victory, Able UK still has one final hurdle to clear when it seeks a licence from the Environment Agency to dismantle the rusting hulks that were once auxiliary ships for the US navy.Opponents of the scheme remained defiant last night and said they would seek legal advice over the possibility of mounting a judicial review.The four applications to create the Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre (TERRC) at Able UK's Graythorp site, near Seaton Carew, were granted conditional approval by Hartlepool Borough Council's planning committee.They were originally rejected by the council, which later agreed to re-examine them.One of the applications remains the subject of an ongoing planning inquiry, after Able UK appealed against the refusal last October.Peter Stephenson, chief executive of Able UK, welcomed the decision, saying it would open up huge opportunities to attract international contracts, together with hundreds of jobs and millions of pounds of investment.He said: "Now we can at last start to establish the Tees Valley as world-class centre for the marine and renewable energy industries of the 21st Century."It means that at last we can move ahead with our plans to exploit the enormous potential of TERRC for a huge range of marine-related and renewable energy activities."We aim to begin work as soon as possible on the works needed to clinch major construction contracts, which can bring around 1,500 jobs to the area over the next two years."However, our task now is to move on as quickly as possible to begin the major investment in upgrading the facilities at the yard, and exploit the enormous potential of the largest dry dock in the world."It is a yard with a proud history and we are confident it can now have a great future."Mike Young, spokesman for the Friends of Hartlepool, said that despite the decision the battle was not over.He said: "The council have made an informed decision based on the information they have received, but we think it has been fundamentally flawed."We are considering our position now and will be seeking legal advice, and perhaps going for a judicial review."Peter Tweddle, of Friends of the Earth, said: "We just think it is a sad day for Hartlepool overall. I don't think it will make Hartlepool a better place - in fact I think it will go against them."The council meeting had to be adjourned at one point while the police were called to deal with constant interruptions from some members of the public.Councillors said they were keen to make a decision on the applications, despite the on-going planning inquiry - which was adjourned until Wednesday.After three members declared interests and left the meeting, Continued - Page 3  more...

'£200m cost of Northern Rock wipe-out'

THE breakdown of Northern Rock could see the region's economy hit by £200m, the head of the troubled lender's biggest shareholding group warned last night. Philip Richards, chief executive of RAB Capital, said that wiping out the bank would lead to mass unemployment, lost tax contributions and a dip in money being injected into the North-East economy.The warning came as Chancellor Alistair Darling launched his fiercest attack yet on the Rock, blaming its "aggressive lending" for the crisis that forced a run on the bank.Mr Richards, whose company bought a 6.66 per cent stake in Northern Rock in the aftermath of it borrowing over £13bn emergency funding from the Bank of England, warned that the bank must guard against seeking salvation from "vulture funds who would like to buy it for nothing". The lender is currently being linked with bids from a consortium led by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group - which has formally declared its interest - and investment funds JC Flowers and Cerberus. Mr Richards said he believed that Northern Rock could recover from its troubles, and that the best solution would be "a non-newsworthy one", where the bank is given support to rebuild from within. In a letter, Mr Richards said the direct cost to the region would run into millions if the bank was wiped out. "In the North-East, up to 5,000 people would lose their jobs, people who pay around £50m in tax and National Insurance, which will be lost to the Treasury," he said. "The ripple effect of these people spending less, plus suppliers losing contracts etc, could easily double this to £100m. "Clearing up the mess with extra social security spending, family allowances and regional regeneration could double this again to £200m, not to mention the misery inflicted on thousands of families."Mr Richards also hit out at the companies and hedge funds circling Northern Rock, and said it would lead to "profits running to billions taken abroad to shareholders while the UK is left with a train wreck". Meanwhile, in evidence to MPs, the Chancellor said the Newcastle-based bank had become "hopelessly exposed" to the global credit crunch, because it had "no fall-back position" to find emergency funding.And he poured scorn on Northern Rock's claim that the crisis could have been averted with earlier, emergency funding to a potential buyer, insisting other banks "didn't want to know".Mr Darling even blamed managers for the queues of panicking savers that made headlines around the world, saying "Northern Rock could have managed the queues better."The hard-hitting comments, made to a treasury committee inquiry, were in contrast to the Chancellor's previous restrained criticisms of Northern Rock.Under questioning by the same committee just nine days earlier, the bank had repeatedly denied triggering the crisis by lending aggressively.However, Mr Darling was forced to deny that he - because of four weeks of "indecision and dithering" - was to blame for Northern Rock's plight.Mr Darling denied that Northern Rock had warned, as early as mid-August, that it was running out of money, insisting the authorities had merely been "concerned about it".And he said he accepted that, as Chancellor, he took ultimate responsibility, adding: "I have been very clear about that."Earlier, Mr Darling said Northern Rock had been hit the hardest because it had "aggressively expanded its market share earlier this year"  more...

Region's most expensive MP revealed after claims released

ALAN MILBURN was revealed as the region's most expensive MP last night after he claimed £160,888 in allowances last year -nearly 20 per cent higher than the Commons average.The Darlington MP and former Cabinet minister ran up the 17th highest Parliamentary bill of Britain's 645 MPs in the 12 months to March.Mr Milburn's train travel -at £15,785, the highest of any MP - propelled him up the expenses' league table. The average rail cost was £3,258.Mr Milburn also spent considerably more than the average on running his office (£27,968, against £20,037) and significantly more on staff travel (£2,749, against an average £532).Last night, Mr Milburn declined to comment.The second costliest MP in the region was Dari Taylor (Stockton South), who claimed £159,178, putting her in 24th place in the Westminster league table. Right behind was Lib Dem Phil Willis (Harrogate and Knaresborough, £159,147, 25th), ahead of Ian Wright (Hartlepool, £156,975, 37th) and Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, £155,572, 44th).Ms Taylor's rail bill was also high (£12,210), while Mr Wright had one of the highest postage costs (£19,494).Dr Kumar had the distinction of being the most costly of the region's MPs for each of the previous three years, but his bill fell by nearly £5,500 in the last financial year.In contrast to the high-spenders, the least expensive local MP was former prime minister, Tony Blair (Sedegefield, £97,084, 635th), followed by Chris Mullin (Sunderland South, £115,356, 583rd).The allowances, which are on top of a basic salary of £59,686, cover items including office and staff costs, computer equipment, travel expenses, a home in London and postage bills.In total, MPs totted up a bill of £87.6m in 2006-7, a "like for like" rise of about five per cent on the previous year, according to the House of Commons authorities. Labour minister Shahid Malik (Dewsbury) claimed the most at £185,421, while Conservative MP Philip Hollobone (Kettering) claimed the least -£44,551. MP Nick Harvey, who is on the members' estimate committee, said taxpayers received "excellent value for money", and said all payments were subject to "careful control and scrutiny".  more...

Motor-whey madness

EMERGENCY crews were put on full alert early yesterday after what appeared to be a major chemical spillage on a busy main road.The mysterious creamy substance stretched for 50 metres on either side of a roundabout - and caught motorists in North Yorkshire by surprise.Their cars were slipping and sliding in the sticky pale liquid and there were even a few minor shunts as they tried to get through.Police were quickly on the scene and they, in turn, called out firefighters to help them deal with what could have been a major environmental problem.But the alert was soon downgraded when it became clear the emergency was really more a matter of taste - and the substance was gallons of liquid cheese.The mess was thickly spattered along the busy A59 on either side of the Goldsborough roundabout, near Knaresborough.When police arrived on the scene shortly after 8am, they found that cars travelling both east and west were sliding on the substance as they tried to get past.The west-bound carriageway had to be closed and firefighters were given the task of hosing the road down to try and keep traffic moving.And with cheesed-off motorists still skidding on the slippery surface, a crew from North Yorkshire County Council's highways department had to be summoned to scatter sand on the road and make it safe for vehicles to get through."The first report we received was that it was some sort of creamy chemical substance," said a spokesman for the fire service later. But thankfully, in the end that turned out to be not the case and the stuff was actually liquid cheese."A police spokesman said the substance turned out to be the sort of liquid cheese used to make pizza toppings.The source of the spillage is not known, but the cheese is believed to have come from a tanker lorry passing through the area to make deliveries.The road was re-opened at 10.45am.  more...

Man who urinated on dying woman jailed for three years

A FORMER soldier who was filmed urinating on a disabled woman who was dying in the street was today jailed for three years.   more...

Duke a guest at rededication of monument to soldiers

THE Duke of Edinburgh was the guest of honour yesterday at the rededication ceremony of one of Newcastle's monuments following its restoration.The Grade II-listed monument depicts soldiers bidding farewell to loved ones and marching off to war in 1914.It was inaugurated in 1923 by The Prince of Wales to commemorate the raising of the B Company 9th Battalion and the 16th, 18th and 19th Service Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers.Prince Philip listened to speeches before he met veterans.  more...