Stories for 29 October 2007

The Northern Echo News

Chime for a lesson in the art of bell ringing

A RARE glimpse of some of the North-East's most famous bells was given at the weekend.Durham Cathedral's ring of ten bells was on view as the bell tower and belfry was opened to the public.Members of Durham Cathedral Guild of Bellringers took visitors up 325 steps to the ringing room in the main cathedral tower.People were shown the ringing chamber and the belfry, and given a demonstration of bell ringing.The weight of the bells varies from the 6-cwt (hundred weight) treble bell, to the 28-cwt tenth bell, also known as the Bell of St Cuthbert, formerly the Galilee Bell, which dates from 1693.The cathedral did not have a bell tower in the 1090s, but the central tower and two western towers were built between 1104AD and 1130AD.The belfry was added to the central tower, with three bells hung between 1210 and 1300. It was rebuilt after fires in the 15th Century.Many of the bells were cast in the 17th Century by London bellfounder Thomas Bartlet.The ring of eight bells was removed by the Whitechapel Bellfoundry, in London, and two new ones were cast, to complete the ring of ten, in 1980.It provided an opportunity for the 1766 wooden frame to be replaced with steel.The guild's most experienced ringers ring the bells before Sunday services, from 9.15am to 10am and between 2.30pm and 3.30pm.Newcomers are welcome to practice. Phone 0191-386-4266.  more...

Training academy still on high after 50 years

FOR decades its graduates have patrolled the skies, putting themselves in the front line at many of the world's hotspots.But today it is the turn of the world's oldest military pilot training academy to be in the spotlight, celebrating 50 years of service in North Yorkshire.Number 1 Flying Training School (1FTS) was formed in 1919 at Netheravon, Wiltshire, to train what were then known as "airmen pilots".But it finally settled at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, where it began instructional flying on October 29, 1957, and has remained ever since.The school's present role is to train fast jet pilots and navigators for the RAF and Royal Navy using the Tucano - and to mark the milestone anniversary one of its aircraft has been painted with the logo "50 years at Linton" on the tailplane.Over the past half-century more than 5,000 pilots have been trained at the base, but with the passage of the years that training has changed enormously.The first courses were taught on biplanes such as Bristol fighters and took a year to complete, but today the complexities of a modern jet means that pilots must spend up to three years before being deemed combat ready. The Linton course lasts ten months, at the end of which students are awarded their wings. Another ten months of advanced training is completed in Wales before operational conversion units deliver specialist training for individual aircraft types. Ground school instructor Alf Akers said: "Today's pilots will go solo after just nine hours, flying an aircraft that has a higher performance than a Spitfire. It's a very demanding course."Pilot Officer Tom Balicki, a member of the 100th Tucano course, said: "Being here is the realisation of a lifelong ambition. It is the chance to do something I have always wanted to do and although its not by any means an easy course the training here is as good as it gets."In 1940, the school was the first unit to incorporate the "winged crown" into its badge and in 1990 the RAF's first female pilots graduated from Linton.Station commander Group Captain Mark Hopkins said the anniversary was a time to remember the dedication of the instructors, support staff and students. He added: "Their output has meant we have had front-line fighting force that continues to be the envy of air forces around the world."  more...

Silence for 'legend in making'

FOOTBALL players and fans held a minute's silence for a player who was killed in a car crash.Hartlepool United midfielder Michael Maidens, 20, from Skelton, east Cleveland, died when the car he was travelling in, on the A174, near Lazenby, collided with metal posts earlier this month. A match against Swansea, scheduled for the weekend he died, was postponed as a mark of respect.Hartlepool United's Victoria Park ground fell silent as players and fans observed a minute's silence before this weekend's game against Brighton and Hove Albion.Floral tributes to the player, who won the goal of the season award in 2005, have been placed at the stadium.Fans described Maidens as "a legend in the making''.  more...

The Lifeblood Appeal

AS part of The Northern Echo lifeblood campaign, which aims to encourage people to give blood, here are details of forthcoming donor sessions in the region:TodayVane Tempest Social Club, New Drive, Seaham, 2.45pm-7pmCommunity Centre, Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, 2pm-6.15pmParish Hall, Newgate, Barnard Castle, 2.15pm-7pmUnited Reformed Church, Alma Street, Stockton, 2.30pm-7pmTomorrowDormans Club, Oxford Road, Middlesbrough, 2.30pm-7pmChurch/Masonic Hall, 12 Church Lane, Wolsingham, 3.15pm-7pmWednesdayMethodist Church, Lydia Street, Willington, Crook, 2.45pm-7pmFriarage Hospital (Nurses Recreation Hall), Northallerton, 2pm-7pmThursdayLoftus West Road Social Club, West Road, Loftus, Saltburn-By-The-Sea, 2.30pm-7pmTown Hall (Main Hall), 44 High Street, Spennymoor, 3pm-7pmBarley Mow Village Hall, Vigo Lane, Birtley, Chester-le-Street, 2.30pm-7pmFridaySt Mary's Centre (Main Hall), Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, 10am-12.30pm/2pm-4pmSt Hilda's Church Hall, Mersey Road, Redcar, 3pm-7pmMethodist Church Hall, Neville Parade, Newton Aycliffe, 3pm-7pm  more...

They must be mad... or determined to help fight breast cancer

A WOMAN who survived breast cancer joined a plucky posse for a dip in the North Sea - to make a splash for Cancer Research UK.Mother-of-two Sharyn Clarkson, a retired psychiatric nurse, recruited about 70 volunteers to dress up in pink and wade into the sea at the weekend.The sponsored dip was to raise money for Cancer Research UK's All Join Together campaign during October, which is breast cancer awareness month. Each year, nearly 2,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the North-East - and 44,000 in the UK. Eight out of ten cases are diagnosed in women over 50. It is also the most common cancer in Britain.Mrs Clarkson said she was delighted so many people got involved in the Pink Dip. She has been treated for breast cancer twice and was first diagnosed in 1994, when she was 41. In July 2003, her fear that the cancer had returned was confirmed and she opted for a double mastectomy. Julia Haran, of Cancer Research UK, which spent £22m on breast cancer research last year, said: "The Pink Dip is a great way to have fun and raise money for vital research."  more...

Call for extra bank holiday

The Government is today urged to introduce an extra bank holiday to celebrate the work of the UK's 20 million volunteers.The TUC and voluntary sector groups said a new day off would encourage people to take part in community activities such as volunteering in a local hospital and helping voluntary groups publicise their work.The campaign for a Community Day is being stepped up today, exactly halfway through the longest period between bank holidays."The UK has fewer bank holidays than nearly every other country in Europe, so there is a huge demand for an extra day off work," said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber."Politicians are always waxing lyrical about the contribution that voluntary groups make to society. So why not properly recognise their work and give the voluntary sector a fantastic recruitment drive by backing the campaign for a Community Day bank holiday."Britain has eight bank holidays, compared with an EU average of almost 11.  more...

British Legion pinning hopes on stick-on poppy

BLAME culture could spell the end of the traditional pin-on poppy.Royal British Legion bosses are so worried about being sued by people who have pricked themselves that they are trialling a stick-on alternative. If it proves a hit, the traditional model could disappear. Only a few thousand stick-on poppies will be available, with the North-East being the testing ground.Danny Cassidy, poppy appeal co-ordinator for Durham and Cleveland, said: We'll be asking the public to tell us which they prefer."I've had one on and my wife's had one on and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. They're excellent.Last year, charity volunteers were told to stop pinning poppies onto people's clothes for fear they may cause injury.  more...

'Buy our boys a beer -they're all heroes'

Senoir officers say the conflict in Afghanistan is giving British troops one of their biggest tests since the Second World War. Joe Willis met soldiers from the region on their return.BUY our boys a pint, because they deserve it. This is the message from the commander of The Light Dragoons, who claims the efforts of North-East soldiers are going unrecognised.The regiment is home after spending the past year fighting what Lieutenant Colonel Angus Watson describes as a "tenacious and determined" enemy.The regiment - which is nicknamed the Northern Cavalry - recruits across the North-East and Yorkshire but is based in Swanton Morley, Norfolk.Families joined their loved ones at the base on Thursday as the troops were presented with campaign medals.Lt Col Watson said the 300 members of the regiment had done an exceptional job in difficult circumstances."Without exception, the soldiers have performed to the very highest standards," he said."They have shown amazing courage and coolness under fire and excellent military skills."Many of them are only 18 or 19 years old and have experienced military operations that their predecessors in the regiment have not seen since 1945."The regiment's commanding officer believes his soldiers are not getting the recognition they deserve and are feeling undervalued.He said: "My message (to the region) would be that people should be proud of the soldiers who come from your part of the world."They've done a very difficult job on your behalf and they've done exceptionally well."So when they come home and you meet them in a pub, or wherever it may be, just buy them a pint or give them a pat on the back to say thank you for doing that difficult job jolly well."During the tour, the regiment was based at Camp Bastion, in Helmand Province.Soldiers conducted patrols for up to three weeks at a time, on the lookout for the Taliban.Squadron B, the most recent unit to serve in Afghanistan, was involved in 40 battles with the enemy - the longest lasting for seven hours.Every weapon at the Taliban's disposal, including rocket-propelled grenades, roadside bombs, land mines and small arms, were used against the force.Although no member of the regiment died or was seriously injured, six soldiers from units serving alongside the Dragoons were killed.The troops have faced temperatures of 50C in midsummer - 70C inside Scimitar armoured vehicles used by the regiment.Scimitar driver Trooper Lee Hunter, from Brandon, County Durham, said: "There was just nothing - it was such an arid country."The main threat was land mines, incendiary devices and small arms."On one occasion, we were ambushed from just 20m away. On another, we were rocketed from 12km away."At first you feel fear. Then when the rounds start returning, you quite enjoy it."For Trooper Garry Evans, from Shotton Colliery, the tour was his first experience of coming under fire and living under canvas in a war zone.He said: "When we were in the camp it was all right. We had a tent with air conditioning and showers. But out in the desert it was horrible. You just cover yourself over with a sheet and dig a hole."The date of the medal parade had extra significance as the 153th anniversary of the Battle of Balaklava and the regiment's involvement in the Charge of the Light Brigade.  more...

Man in court over partner's murder

A MAN sobbed when he appeared in court today charged with the murder of his partner.   more...

Boy arrested after brick thrown through train window, striking passenger

A 12-YEAR-OLD boy has been arrested after a brick was thrown through a train window striking a passenger on the back of the neck.   more...

Young mother found dead on beach had allegedly been raped days earlier

A young mother struggling to cope with the trauma of an alleged rape has been found dead on a beach.   more...

Streaker in hot pursuit of cop

THIS is the bizarre moment a naked jogger turned the tables on a policeman chasing him through a city park.   more...

Fifteen-year-old girl denies young mum's murder

A TEENAGE girl today denied murdering a young mother who died after she was stabbed during an argument in the street.   more...

Man charged with murder over mum-of-two's death

POLICE have charged a man with murder after the body of a woman was found in her home in Cumbria on Saturday.   more...

Police seize 30,000 fake DVDs and computer games

POLICE have recovered a haul of thousands of suspected pirate DVDs and computer games when they stopped a car.   more...

Collection boosts church's hopes of dream move

A CHURCH'S dream move into a new building has moved a huge step closer, after a single Sunday collection raised £120,000.   more...

Exhibition pays tribute to The Tube

AN EXHIBITION marking the 25th anniversary of one of television's most influential programmes will be launched later this week.   more...

Taxi drivers call for market move

TAXI drivers have called for a North Yorkshire farmers' market to be moved over fears about pedestrians crossing a busy town centre road.   more...

Mixed news on the crime front

VIOLENT crime and car theft have been cut in the past year but youth convictions and crimes overall are on the rise in Darlington, according to two reports.   more...

Car stopped with massive cocaine haul

Police found cocaine with a potential street value of over £11m when they stopped a car in the region.   more...

Fears for lives after prison 'bomb plot'

CLAIMS that a terror bomb plot was thwarted at a high security North-East prison were last night played down by senior officials.However, union representatives for prison officers are demanding tighter controls after the discovery of a cache of bomb-making "ingredients" at Frankland Prison, near Durham.Batteries, liquid air freshener,and flour used in the making of chapatti bread - all understood to have been bought from the prison shop - were uncovered in a search at the jail.Atta flour - used to make chapatti bread - was one of the ingredients used in a failed terrorist bomb attack on the London transport network in 2005.A similar discovery was also made at another high security institution, Belmarsh, in London. Both prisons house terrorists among their category A-listed inmates.Asked about the Frankland 'find' yesterday, a Prison Service official described it as "a load of old nonsense".However, a Prison Service spokeswoman said: "Prisons hold sufficient quantity of dried goods to allow relevant prisoners to cook for themselves."We're working with other agencies to manage any risks around this." Frankland has seen several "in-house" incidents involving category A inmatesIn July, al Qaida terrorist Dhiren Barot, 35, who plotted to murder thousands with radioactive dirty bombs, was admitted to hospital after boiling oil was thrown over him.There is no suggestion, however, that Barot was involved in the cache find.But it has led to calls by the Prison Officers' Association (POA) for a restriction on what can be sold to inmates.Brian Caton, the POA general secretary, said: "A bomb set-off in a prison could lead to a massive loss of life."We've been saying that the Prison Service needs to recognise the problem and address it for the past two years."It's not the first time we've experienced bombs in prisons."We had the IRA in the Seventies and the Eighties."But some prisoners, such as Islamic terrorists, are prepared to take their own lives."The Government seems to think everything is okay because they're in jail. But it's not okay for those who have to live and work alongside them."* Gary Moody, 22, of Sunderland, will appear via a video link before North Durham magistrates at Peterlee tomorrow, accused of carrying out the attack on Barot.  more...

Electrolux closure 'is threat to 2,000 jobs'

THE closure of Electrolux's North-East factory could put at least 1,500 indirect jobs under threat, unions warned last night.The figure comes on top of the 500 Electrolux staff who face redundancy if the electrical goods company shuts its site in Spennymoor, County Durham.A union leader has warned that if the multi-national turns its back on the region, following a review of operations at the factory, the knock-on effect will be felt throughout the region.Jeff Morland, of the Amicus section of Unite, said the jobs of suppliers and those working in transportation and warehousing would almost certainly come under threat.It emerged earlier this month that Electrolux was reviewing the future of the Spennymoor site - which makes cookers - after being hit by global competition and falling prices.Mr Morland said: "For every job there is at Electrolux, there are at least three more that depend on it. There is an infrastructure of warehousing, transport and suppliers who make glass panels and the metals that go into the manufacture of the cookers. There are a lot of people who would be affected."Electrolux is looking into the future viability of its Spennymoor site with a view to moving production elsewhere in Europe - such as Poland, where manufacturing costs are cheaper.John Smith, who has worked at Electrolux in Spennymoor since 1967, said: "These are British cookers built by British workers for British homes."It seems ludicrous to take the cooker manufacture to Poland and then ship them back to Britain."Mr Morland added: "Moving production would see a short-term gain for a few years - but Poland isn't going to sit back and allow itself to be paid less than the rest of Europe."We expect that in ten years they will be somewhere up to the standards that we are - wage rates are going up every day."In the campaign to save Electrolux, Mr Smith and another colleague have travelled to Westminster and gained the support of North-East Minister Nick Brown and MPs Roberta Blackman-Woods (Durham), Phil Wilson (Sedgefield) and Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland).Mr Smith said: "Every avenue is being sought to keep cooker manufacture at Spennymoor."We need job protection from the Government and we need it now, or our 40 years and experience of cooker manufacture will be lost for ever."Mr Morland believes Electrolux has a strong future in the North-East and can benefit from plans by the Government to build tens of thousands of affordable houses over the next decade."Billions of pounds are being spent on affordable housing, and every house will have a kitchen that will need an in-built cooker."Electrolux should be tapping into that to make sure they get their products in there."Councillor Agnes Armstrong, Labour leader of Sedgefield Borough Council, said: "The problem is not just the factory, it is all the suppliers who will feel the knock-on effect if manufacturing stops."  more...

Lottery rapist's victim takes cash battle to Lords

A VICTIM of Lotto rapist Iorworth Hoare is hoping to make legal history by taking her fight for damages to the House of Lords.The woman, known only as Mrs A, was attacked by Hoare in 1988 and is pursuing a claim for civil damages for assault and battery and mental injury. Her claim has been rejected by a series of judges, who ruled that her case fell outside the six-year limit for launching such claims.This week, Mrs A will have her case heard in the House of Lords, the highest court in England and Wales.If she is successful, her case would establish a legal precedent, because it would extend the deadline within which victims can sue for compensation. Mrs A told The Observer newspaper: "I decided to take this claim forward in order to fight for justice for myself, but far more important for others who will also face similar injustice in the face of an unfair and out-of-date legal statute."The claim is not about money but about trying to achieve a just result by either persuading the judiciary to change the law or, at the very least, drawing attention to the existing legal anomaly that results in such unfair results."Hoare, from Leeds, attacked the woman in the city's Roundhay Park, in 1988, and was jailed for life in 1989 for attempted rape. While on day release from prison, in August 2004, he bought a £7m winning Lottery ticket in Middlesbrough.Hoare, who has a record of sexual assaults and attempted rapes on four other women, moved to Sunderland following his release from prison, before buying a six-bedroom house on an exclusive estate which is home to a string of Premiership football stars - including Alan Shearer - in Northumberland.Mrs A's lawyer, Damian Crosse, told The Observer: "We want to see a change in the law to ensure Mrs A is fairly compensated for the damage and suffering she has had to endure as a result of being attacked by Mr Hoare. If the claim now being pursued by my client had been issued within six years of the date of the attack there is no doubt that she would have been successful in her civil claim against Hoare."  more...

Attacker jailed for punching girlfriend

AN attacker who split his girlfriend's lip in half with a single punch after being spared jail for a similar assault is behind bars.   more...

Finding missing link to answers of the galaxies

EXPERTS from the North-East have helped an international team of astronomers to reveal hundreds of hidden black holes in galaxies billions of light years away. Discovered using the Nasa's Spitzer and Chandra telescopes, they are thought to make up a large number of a "missing population" of black holes.Black holes are areas of space where gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape.The discovery suggests there are hundreds of millions of other black holes growing in the universe, more than doubling the known total.French astronomer Emanuele Daddi led the research, with the findings set to appear in the Astrophysical Journal.Co-author David Alexander, of Durham University's physics department, said: "It's effectively trying to understand how galaxies and black holes within galaxies get to be how they are."The findings are the first direct evidence that most, if not all, massive galaxies in the distant universe spend their youths building monstrous black holes at their cores."For decades, large populations of active black holes were believed to be missing. Dr Alexander said these "super-massive" black holes produce highly energetic structures, called quasars, made up of clouds of gas and dust which surround and feed the budding black holes.As the gas and dust is devoured, it heats up and shoots out X-rays.These X-rays can be detected as a glow in space, but the quasars can not often be seen directly, because dust and gas blocks them from view.Prof Daddi's team knew there must be more quasars in the universe. However, it was not known how they could be pinpointed."We found most of the population of hidden quasars in the early universe," he said."Previously, only the rarest and most energetic of these hidden black holes had been seen at this early epoch."Dr Alexander said the newly found quasars are helping to answer fundamental questions about how massive galaxies evolve.He said the observations suggest that collisions between galaxies might not play as large a role in galaxy evolution as believed. The results can be seen in the November 10 issue of the Astrophysical Journal.  more...

Black Cats' shirts to sport derby day poppies

SUNDERLAND players will sport an extra feature on their shirts in the forthcoming Wear-Tyne derby.The fixture, at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, is on Saturday, November 10, the day before most Remembrance Day ceremonies on the 89th anniversary of Armistice Day, which ended hostilities in the First World War.The Black Cats are supporting the commemorations, with a Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal prior to their Premier League match with Fulham, at the stadium.For the next home game, the Newcastle derby, Sunderland players will sport one-off match shirts screen-printed with the traditional poppy emblem.Local printing company Washington Badge has donated its services free to add the poppy symbol.The exclusive shirts will subsequently be auctioned on Sunderland's website - safc.com - with proceeds to be split between the Royal British Legion Fund and SAFC Foundation, the club's registered charity.On derby day, 206 Signal Squadron, members of the Army's 3(UK) Div HQ and Signals Regiment, will form a guard of honour as the teams emerge from the tunnel.The squadron, whose members fly for a tour of duty in Iraq, in January, will participate in other regional Remembrance Day commemorations during the rest of the weekend.Following the derby, Sunderland's 16-man squad will autograph their match shirts prior to the auction.It will take place live on the club's website, from 10am on Monday, November 12, with bidding open for ten days.  more...

Mother's internet fight for justice

A HEARTBROKEN mother is using the internet to campaign for justice for her daughter, Kelly, who was killed by a drunken driver.Jan Woodward, from Billingham, has already succeeded in fighting for the 30-month prison sentence imposed on car driver Andrew Burrell to be increased to four-and-a-half years and his driving ban extended to five years.Aware that Burrell could be driving again within six months of leaving prison, she has launched a "Full Justice for Kelly" online petition, calling for a driving ban imposed on drink-drivers who are jailed to start when they leave prison - not when they are inside.Kelly, 19, was a passenger in a car driven by Burrell and was killed when he crashed into a tree in Marsh House Avenue, Billingham, in July last year.Burrell, of Dorset Street, Hartlepool, was twice over the legal drink-drive limit and had been driving for only two months.At his trial, he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and drink-driving, and was sentenced to 30 months in custody in a young offenders' institution, but three appeal judges found the sentence unduly lenient and increased it to four-and-a-half years.Launched earlier this month, the online petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown has attracted 2,562 signatures.A written petition circulated around local pubs, clubs and shops is quickly collecting signatures.Mrs Woodward said: "It's common sense that people cannot drive while in jail."We want to see the law changed so a ban starts when they get out of jail."Everyone I've spoken to agrees that this is bonkers - so we have to change the law if this nonsense is to be stopped."Next we plan to e-mail every MP in the country and get them to back us and bring the necessary pressure on the Government to make the change."The site, set up by Norton-based TVC Sites free of charge, can be viewed at www.kellycampaign.comThe owner of the web design company, Alex Cunningham, is Mrs Woodward's ward councillor.He said: "It's a total nonsense that someone can start a driving ban when in jail unable to have access to a vehicle."  more...

Tories unveil plans for English Grand Committee

TORY Party leader David Cameron was yesterday accused of threatening the break-up of the United Kingdom after the Tories unveiled proposals to strip Scottish MPs of the right to vote on English matters at Westminster.Ministers accused them of "playing fast and loose" with the constitution amid growing tensions between London and Edinburgh.Under the plans, an English Grand Committee - open only to English MPs - would be established to deal with legislation relating solely to England.MPs from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would continue to sit together in the Commons to vote on UK matters such as taxation, foreign policy and defence.The plan is the brainchild of former Scottish Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, who drew up the scheme to address the perceived growing constitutional imbalance.Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman warned that Sir Malcolm's proposals threatened the unity of the United Kingdom. Mr Cameron will today call for the development of a coherent strategy to cope with the pressures of Britain's rapidly growing population.He will issue a warning that high levels of immigration and the growth in the number of households as more people choose to live alone will threaten the ability of a future Tory government to deliver its goals.His intervention follows the latest projections from the Office for National Statistics which forecast that Britain's population - just over 60 million - will hit 71 million by 2031.  more...

Lamb from Asda could contain vet medicine

SUPERMARKETS and their customers in the region were urged to check fridges and freezers for contaminated lamb meat and offal which could cause sickness. Durham County Council's trading standards food team asked people to check for batches of Welsh Country Foods lamb and offal, mainly sold by Asda and Makro. The supermarkets have taken the meat off shelves and the chances of anyone eating the meat is said to be low.Peter Fleming, county council assistant head of trading standards, said: "The Food Standards Agency has advised us that the meat may contain traces of veterinary medicine residues, including Doramectin, which can cause sickness in animals. "The recalled batches may contain meat from sheep sold for breeding purposes, which were not intended to enter the food chain at this time. "Some of the sheep had been treated with veterinary drugs to combat sheep scab and the drugs did not have enough time to pass through the animals' systems." Councillor Alan Cox, the county council's cabinet member for trading standards, said: "Anyone who has bought these products should return them to the seller."* Batches affected at Asda are: (Item number, product name, pack dates): 4814583, FW half lamb leg , October 12, 13 14; 4815332, FW half lamb shoulder, October 12, 13 16; 4815815, halal lamb mince, October 15; 481 2917, half lamb leg c/w October 13, 15;4816039, FW chops x6, October 12, 13; 4814422, lamb pack, October 12, 14; 4812847 , lamb chops x2, October 12, 13; 4816718, lamb neck fillets, October 12; 4814985 halal chops, October 12* Batches affected at Makro:(Item number, product name, use-by date): 270577, lamb's liver sliced (500g) leg, October 20; 298772, Lambs' hearts vac pack, October 26; 270646, lamb's kidney (500g), October 20; 270559 lamb's heart, October 21, 23.  more...

Youngsters' chance to feed the birds

CHILDREN flocked to a park over the weekend to feed wild birds as part of a conservation group's national campaign.The RSPB held a Feed the Birds Day at South Park, Darlington, to show people how they can help wildlife in their gardens.The event, similar to ones held across the UK, gave people the chance to feed birds in the park.It was combined with the launch of Homes for Wildlife, an RSPB project to help people make their gardens better for birds and other wildlife.Advice included putting up garden feeders, window boxes, bird tables and growing climbing plants.Matthew Capper, of RSPB's Northern England regional team, said: "You really don't need to be an expert to take part in Homes for Wildlife."Just providing a little food, water and shelter can really help birds and turn your garden into a wildlife haven for you to enjoy."For more information about Homes for Wildlife or to receive an information pack, see www.rspb.org.uk/hf  more...