Stories for 4 October 2007

The Northern Echo News

Motorcyclist killed on notorious road

A MOTORCYCLIST was killed on a notorious stretch of road on Thursday evening.   more...

Poll casts doubt over early election

LABOUR'S lead over the Conservatives has narrowed to just four points, according to a new poll which casts real doubt on the prospect of a November General Election.   more...

Barton in court over assault charge

NEWCASTLE United footballer Joey Barton today appeared in court accused of assaulting a former team-mate in a training ground bust-up.   more...

Teenagers have lucky escape after cliff fall

TWO teenagers had a lucky escape when they slipped down a grassy cliff face and onto a ledge, narrowly avoiding a 30ft drop onto rocks below.   more...

'Lessons must be learned by asbestos scandal inquiry'

COUNCILLORS who gave the go-ahead for an inquiry into why an asbestos report at a North-East leisure centre was ignored for five years, putting workers' health at risk, have been told lessons must be learned.At a meeting last night, members of Wear Valley District Council agreed to begin an investigation to establish what happened to the 2001 survey.Officers failed to remove the dangerous materials, or even warn staff members who worked at the Woodhouse Close Leisure Complex, in Bishop Auckland.After an £18,000 fine from the Government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a belated public apology from council bosses, and scathing criticism from the region's MPs and MEPs, a full public inquiry will now take place.At the behest of the council's chief executive, Michael Laing, a new panel has been set up, consisting of officers and councillors, to look into the events of 2001 and to come up with recommendations to make sure it will not happen again.At a meeting at Crook Civic Centre last night, Mr Laing said: "Committee will be aware of the health and safety issue at Woodhouse Close Leisure Centre. The council needs to learn lessons from this event."I propose the health and safety panel consider an inquiry that will be as open and transparent as possible."The council told magistrates in Darlington last month that all of the executive officers in charge at the time have now left the authority.HSE inspector Richard Bishop described the risk to the health of affected workers as 'significant' and said the incident was the worst he had investigated.It is thought members of the public were not put at risk, as the asbestos was in the centre's boiler room.At last night's meeting, committee members also approved a £50,000 budget to tackle health and safety issues, and agreed to set aside £10,000 to pay for an external consultant to carry out annual inspections. Councillor John Shuttleworth said: "The chain of responsibility will never be established without a properl inquiry. The previous administration failed in its statutory duty to employees and the community at large."I think, if there was no conviction and no publicity, we probably would have known nothing of the matter. It is vitally important that some credibility is restored."The exact make-up of the panel and the nature of the inquiry will be decided at a meeting on October 16.  more...

We're ready for victory in the North, says Cameron

DAVID CAMERON vowed the Tories were ready to win back the North yesterday as he told Gordon Brown: "Go ahead and call that election."In a passionate end to his conference speech, the Conservative leader directly challenged the Prime Minister to call a snap poll, only days before Mr Brown makes that very decision.To roars from delegates in Blackpool, Mr Cameron said: "Mr Brown, what's it going to be? You go ahead and call that election."Let the people pass judgement on ten years of broken promises, let people decide who's really making the arguments about the future of our country."Let people decide who can make the changes that we need in our country."Call that election. We will fight - Britain will win."Earlier, Mr Cameron said that Conservative success would extend to the North of England, pointing to by-election successes in Labour's heartlands.And he said: "We are back in the North of England, a force to be reckoned with in every part of the country."Mr Cameron threw away his notes to speak, entirely from memory, for 68 minutes - a stark contrast, his aides said, to the Prime Minister's over-scripted, stuffy delivery.At the start, he joked: "It might be a bit messy."In fact, the Tory leader did not stumble once, although - until the end - it was a speech that lacked passion.While Mr Brown last week avoided mentioning the Conservatives once, Mr Cameron accused the Prime Minister of "treating people like fools" by making promises he could not deliver.EU laws stood in the way of "British jobs for British workers", he said, and the Human Rights Act would block the Prime Minister's vow to deport gun and knife criminals.Mr Cameron said: "I have to say to the Prime Minister, if you treat people like fools, you don't deserve to run the country, let alone win an election."The Tory leader said his party now had the policies to rebuild public services by scrapping targets dragging down the NHS and by allowing the private and voluntary sectors to set up schools.In an unusually honest appraisal, Mr Cameron - behind in the polls - recognised that many voters were asking: "Are you really up for it? Have you got what it takes?".Insisting the answer was yes, he had a dig at Mr Brown's references to his modest background, saying: "I can't give you some hard luck story. I am a son of a magistrate and a stockbroker."In comments to his wife, Samantha, after his speech, picked up by the microphone, Mr Cameron said: "I love you babe. Ahh, I'm knackered."Ed Miliband, the Cabinet Office Minister, said: "This is the same old Tory Party making billions of pounds of tax and spending commitments they cannot pay for."  more...

Pair meet again after 21 years

PARAMEDIC Denise Harling has never forgotten delivering her first baby.Decades have come and gone, but the baby's family have never forgotten the former ambulance driver either.And now the former bouncing baby, Stacey Hope, delivered a surprise to Stockton ambulance station -an invitation to Ms Harling to her 21st birthday party.Ms Harling said: "It was so nice to meet up with Stacey and her family on Saturday. They are such a lovely family and I am still amazed that they remember who I am."You never forget the first baby you deliver, particularly because it is one of the few jobs that we are called to that ends as a happy occasion."I think by now I have probably delivered about 21 babies, but I will never forget Stacey and her family. I am just honoured that I was invited to celebrate the occasion."She delivered Stacey Louise Hope in the living room of mother Sharon's home in Ashbourne Road, Stockton, on September 29, 1986. Stacey's grandmother, Nora who was at the birth, said: "I thought it would be nice for Denise and Stacey to meet up to celebrate 21 years since her birth."The family are still very grateful to Denise for all her help, and she will never be forgotten."I remember the day Stacey was born as if it was yesterday. It was about six o'clock in the morning when Sharon phoned to tell me she had really bad back pain and thought that she might be in labour. "I immediately phoned an ambulance and it arrived within minutes. Denise was brilliant and delivered Stacey in the living room.''Ms Hope, a cleaner, celebrated her birthday at Newtown Club, Stockton. She said: "It was really good to meet Denise."  more...

Victim's warning after attack in town centre

A FATHER-of-three who says he was attacked by a gang has warned late-night drinkers in a North-East town to be on their guard.Eddie Harrop has been left with head injuries, two black eyes, bruising to his neck and ribs and needed stitches inside his mouth after the incident in the early hours of Sunday. He has undergone a brain scan and two x-rays of his jaw since the ordeal.The 26-year-old, from Darlington, said he had been out for a few late drinks with a friend at some of the town's bars and was waiting alone for a taxi when he was approached by two men.Mr Harrop, a former soldier, said: "They started asking me questions, as if they wanted a fight. I just kept saying, 'Look lads, I don't want any trouble, I just want to get a taxi and go home'."A fight broke out between Mr Harrop and the two men where punches were exchanged.Mr Harrop said: "I tried to move away from them, but they followed me. There were girls stood at the taxi rank, screaming at them to stop. But they wouldn't stop."Mr Harrop said he eventually ended up on the floor, with the assailants kicking his head, before five or six other men joined in the assault.The incident took place in Bondgate, Darlington, near the Tap and Spile pub, at 2am on Sunday."I just remember thinking that it was only two weeks ago that someone was killed with one punch, and I'd had maybe 15 or 20 punches and the same in kicks," said Mr Harrop."I really, honestly, thought I was going to die. They were kicking me and I was thinking that they would stop. It gets to the point where you're thinking they're not slowing down, it is getting harder."The altercation ended when an ambulance arrived and the men ran off, leaving Mr Harrop lying in the road.He said: "I just want to warn people to be on their guard if they're out. You never think it's going to happen to you. I thought it would never happen to me, but it did."* Police have confirmed an incident had taken place in Darlington at the weekend and one man had been arrested, but later released without charge. Investigations are continuing.  more...

'Vigilante acted after window smashed'

A VIGILANTE householder took to the streets to round up teenagers after his home was damaged on Mischief Night, a court heard yesterday.Mark Fenwick caught two schoolboys he suspected of being involved in the trouble and handed them over to the police, but was arrested for assault.Mr Fenwick, 34, is said to have gone with friend David Lawson, 38, to search their neighbourhood for boys who smashed his windows.He is alleged to have assaulted a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old after he found two groups of youths near the Parkway at Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough.A jury at Teesside Crown Court heard how Mr Fenwick grabbed the younger boy by his jacket and throat and left him struggling to breathe.Anthony Moore, prosecuting, said the teenager was also struck across the right leg with a stick before Mr Fenwick handed him over to Mr Lawson.Mr Fenwick is said to have then gone after another youth, knocked him to the ground and performed a citizens' arrest by putting his arm up his back.The court heard that the two youngsters were marched to a police van parked nearby and handed to officers, who took them to the station.But when they arrived at the cells, the 13-year-old complained about a sore thigh and the older boy said he had been punched and kicked.The next day, after doctors examined the youngsters and found one with a bruised leg and the other with a swollen nose, Mr Fenwick was arrested. Yesterday, the 13-year-old told the jury that neither he nor his friends were responsible for the damage to Mr Fenwick's home on October 30.He said that groups of youths gathered in Middlesbrough on Mischief Night to cause trouble, but said his friends were not among them.The court heard that Mr Fenwick became angry when a brick was thrown through the window of the home he shares with his partner and children.He told police he went looking for those responsible and said he performed a citizen's arrest on the suspects, but denied using a stick or striking the older boy.The 13-year-old told the jury, however, that he saw Mr Fenwick jumping on the 15-year-old with his knees and kicking him.Mr Fenwick, of Chervil, Coulby Newham, denies two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and the trial continues.  more...

Knives row

A judge announced it was time for courts to get tough on knife crime - then   more...

£4.5m agricultural centre go ahead

Plans to develop a new Regional Agricultural Centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate have been given the go-ahead. The application by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society for the £4.5m centre has been unanimously approved by Harrogate Borough Council and work is expected to begin in mid 2008.   more...

Death crash pub manager was 'a wonderful son'

THE family of a young pub manager who was killed in a car crash have paid tribute to their "wonderful, generous son".The distraught parents of Michael John Littler said he would be sorely missed as they tried to come to terms with his death yesterday.Police are eager to speak to anyone who saw Mr Littler's silver Ford Mondeo as he made his way back from Durham City in the early hours of Tuesday morning.The 26-year-old Stockton man left The Loft/Studio club in Durham City, where he was manager, at about 3am, but never made it home.It is believed he lost control of his car on a right-hand bend on the A177, between Sedgefield and Thorpe Larches, outside Stockton, before colliding with a tree, sustaining massive injuries.However, the crashed car was not spotted by a passing motorist and reported to police until about 6am. Mr Littler was pronounced dead at the scene soon afterwards.Police are now trying to piece together what happened to Mr Littler, and at what time the crash happened.Mr Littler lived with his parents in Gentian Way, Stockton, and is believed to have been heading back there when the crash happened.His mother Jacqui, father Malcolm, and elder sister Joanne, were all too upset to talk about his tragic death yesterday.However, they released a statement, which described Michael as a "wonderful, generous and thoughtful young man who and will be sadly missed by his parents, sister and the whole family".Mr Littler attended Grangefield Comprehensive School and Stockton Sixth Form College. He worked first at McDonalds as a manager, but then entered the licensing trade, where he worked for a number of years.He managed Vienna, Absolute and the Hairy Lemon bars in Middlesbrough, and was proud to win an award for best managed public house while there.He was a keen footballer who played Sunday League for The Stag public house in Stockton, and was also a life-long Middlesbrough fan.A Durham Police spokeswoman appealed for witnesses. She said: "Michael's family is devastated. He was thoughtful and popular and will be sadly missed. We are looking to speak to anyone who may have seen Michael's car between 3am and 6am."Anyone with information is asked to call 0191-375-2159.  more...

Strip search achieves its goal

A NON-LEAGUE football team today set off on an exciting mid-season tour - ten days in Sri Lanka.Richmond Mavericks, of the Teesside League, will play four Sri Lankan Premier League teams during the trip. One game, against Saunders SC, will take place in the 25,000-capacity national stadium.As part of the tour, the team will donate football shirts, goals, and equipment to Sri Lankan children and orphans.A shirt collection was organised by Chris Snowdon, 23, one of the tourists. Mr Snowdon, who lives in Richmond and works at the Student Loan Company, in Darlington, asked colleagues to donate shirts.More than 50 shirts were donated, including classic England, Liverpool and Manchester United tops.An appeal in The Northern Echo also resulted in donations from Hurworth School and other readers.The Mavericks will take more than 80 shirts.Mr Snowdon said: "The Sri Lankan children love English football, but genuine replica shirts are very expensive and hard to get hold of over there."Hopefully, this will be a good way of saying thanks for hosting our bunch of English footballers. It should be a great ten days and we're grateful to everyone who has donated."People in England take football shirts for granted, but it's not that easy over there." The tour was organised after Andrew Mollitt, one of the club's founders, moved to Sri Lanka last year,.The Student Loan Company, off Staindrop Road, moves to Lingfield Point in May. Recruitment for the expansion will begin at Christmas.  more...

Mallory first to conquer Everest, researcher says

AN expert said last night that George Mallory successfully conquered Everest during his ill-fated climb in 1924, in which he was joined part of the way by a North-East man.Former Barnard Castle School student and teacher Bentley Beetham was a member of George Mallory's party that set out to reach the summit in June 1924, three decades before Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing conquered the world's highest mountain.Beetham was forced to withdraw from the climb, having been plagued with dysentery and sciatica, leaving Mallory and Andrew Irvine to tackle the remainder of the mountain.It has been widely accepted that Mallory and Irvine only just failed to reach the summit -their bodies were found 75 years later a few hundred feet from the top.But yesterday, a mountaineering expert said Mallory and Irvine reached the summit and were, in fact, on their way down the mountain when they died.Graham Hoyland has spent years investigating a story that was told to him as a child, and last night presented his findings to the Royal Geographical Society, in London.His theory is that the pair took a different route to what was previously thought, and that witness accounts from the expedition were inaccurate.But mountaineer Alan Hinkes, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, who climbed Everest in 1996, said Mr Hoyland's argument was flawed.Mr Hinkes, who took the same route as the doomed pair, said: "There is every chance that Mallory and Irvine made it to the top, but they did not get down, so that is not a successful climb as far as I am concerned. It is a round trip. You need to get back."Graham can put a lot of evidence together, but until you have got a picture of them at the summit, we will never know."Bentley Beetham was at Barnard Castle School as a pupil until 1903. He returned to teach in 1914, staying until 1949. Although he never made his mark on the history of Mount Everest, he is credited with taking some valuable early pictures of the expeditions.Following Everest, Beetham continued to climb mountains around the world, but never regained his health after a serious fall while climbing in Britain. He died in 1963.Mr Hinkes said: "He did a lot of first ascents in the Lake District area and was still quite an influential rock climber in the Forties and Fifties."  more...

Will snub daughter offered new hope

DISINHERITED daughter Dr Christine Gill said last night she is heartened by the RSPCA's response to her public plea over her parents' £1.5m farm.She publicised her plight for the first time this week, a year after finding out her mother's will left the family farm - Potto Carr, at Potto, near Northallerton - to the animal charity.Dr Gill, who has a ten-year-old son, Christopher, with her husband, Andrew, did not receive a penny, despite spending years caring for her parents and helping out on the farm.On Tuesday a spokeswoman for the RSPCA said the charity could not comment on the details of the case, but hoped it could be resolved without the need for legal proceedings.Dr Gill has been trying to negotiate with the RSPCA since finding out about the will and has until October 15 to lodge court papers for a challenge under the 1975 UK Inheritance Act."I have seen no serious attempt to negotiate by the RSPCA in the 12 months we have been trying, so I am pleased to see that they are saying they hope it can be resolved without having to go to court," said Dr Gill."We just want to move forward."Since 1997, the land at Potto Carr has been worked by a contractor from Redcar as part of a share-farming agreement drawn up when her father, John Gill's health began to fail. He died in 1999, leaving everything to his wife, Joyce, who died in August last year. Their wills were made in 1993.The share-farming agreement has continued during the year since Mrs Gill's death, but the house has been uninhabited.Furniture and personal items from the house were sold in a house clearance auction last week.Dr Gill, a part-time lecturer in statistics at the University of Leeds, lives in White House Farm, which stands on the boundary of Potto Carr Farm. The property belongs to Dr Gill and her husband, so is not part of the will.She said: "I just want my farm back for my son. He is such a keen little farmer and it is heartbreaking for him."  more...

Uncertainty over future of call centre

UNIONS were last night hoping that a deal can be struck to secure the future of a rail firm's call centre and its 200 plus staff.The Northern Echo understands that Sea Containers, owner of East Coast Main Line operator GNER, has been attempting to dispose of Baron House, which handles train ticket sales.The call centre, based in Newcastle, does not form part of the East Coast franchise and, as such, will not automatically pass on to GNER's successor National Express when it takes over the contract on December 9.Should no deal be struck between Sea Containers and National Express to take over the centre, its future and that of its 220 staff would be uncertain.Sea Containers has been forced to rapidly slim down its operations as part of a financial restructuring since filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US last year.Brian Brock, a regional organiser with the TSSA union, which represents ticket office staff, said: "I have asked National Express what they are doing and, until they make that decision, we are a bit lost."The call centre is key to the franchise and the set-up there is great. "The options are either that National Express takes it over or Sea Containers sells it to a third party. Our preferred option is that they take it over."In the past 12 months, Baron House handled more than two million enquiries from customers and generated more than £65m worth of ticket sales.Last week it was recognised in a Europe-wide industry awards ceremony for its effort a better service to customers through a programme of continuous improvement.National Express was handed the reins to East Coast Main Lline services following a Department for Transport competition earlier this year. It will replace GNER which has operated trains on the route for the past 11 years.A National Express spokeswoman said: "We are discussing the future of the call centre with Sea Containers. We understand the good work that is done there and are trying to sort something out as speedily as possible."One sticking point in the negotiations is thought to be whether any takeover by National Express would involve a so-called "TUPE transfer" of staff. TUPE protects workers' terms and conditions should a business be transferred to another company, which then bears the associated cost  more...

Six arrested in drugs raids

SIX men have been arrested for drugs offences following a series of raids by police in Stockton.   more...

Convention calamity

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The great North-East health revolution

RADICAL proposals to transform the North-East from the sick-note capital of the country to the healthiest region in England within a generation are unveiled today.Inspired by the success of the recent workplace smoking ban - which has the highest level of support and compliance in the country in the North-East - health bosses are now thinking the unthinkable.The detailed draft proposals, contained in a 59-page consultation document called Better Health, Fairer Health, aim to create a sea-change in healthy living within 25 years.Fed up with piecemeal initiatives, experts plan to tackle binge drinking, smoking, cancer, obesity and physical inactivity head-on.People living unhealthy life-styles and who do not exercise, binge eaters and binge drinkers, will all be targeted. Initiatives will include free stomach stapling operations, exercise classes and personal trainers.Officials want the plan to extend beyond the NHS into the school playground and beyond.They hope construction companies will take up the challenge by designing buildings to encourage people to take the stairs and shun the lift.Some of the main ideas contained in the draft strategy document include:* A community-based obesity treatment and support service with full access to surgical and therapeutic options, including stomach-stapling;* Health trainers to help patients at "future risk of inactivity";l New NHS-funded fitness programmes for patients recovering from illness;l Patients "at risk" because of lack of activity should be referred to new NHS-funded fitness programmes;* Establishing the UK's first campaigning Centre for the Safe Consumption of Alcohol;* A major publicity drive drawing attention to the link between alcohol and violence, that will change attitudes towards drunkenness;* Improved support services to help people overcome alcohol problems;l A major publicity campaign to highlight the damage caused by smoking during pregnancy - one in four babies in the North-East are born to mothers who have smoked during pregnancy, leading to lower birth weights and increased infant mortality;* Doctors want to see a tough series of targets to reduce smoking from 28 per cent for men and 30 per cent for women to 23 per cent by the end of 2010 and ten per cent by 2032;* They also want a campaign to raise awareness of cancer, stroke and mental health problems so they can be caught earlier;* Cycle lanes should have double-yellow line status;* Physical activity should be designed into the environment to encourage people to do more walking and cycling;* Improvements to school playgrounds and the return of streets to communal use rather than thoroughfares;* Increase the educational attainment of pupils, as better educated people lead healthier lives.The plan, drawn up by the regional director of public health, Continued - Page 3  more...

Power scheme at reservoir approved

A HYDROELECTRIC scheme at a North-East reservoir, which would generate enough energy to power up to 750 homes, has been given the go-ahead.In a behind-closed-doors meeting this week, councillors approved plans for the £2m scheme, at Selset Reservoir, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, which would see a 750-kilowatt plant installed.The reservoir, one of five in Teesdale, is operated by Northumbrian Water, which let npower renewables explore the possibility of a hydro scheme after winning a tender.The two companies already run a successful larger hydroelectric scheme at Kielder Reservoir, in Northumberland.Sarah Cane, project manager, from npower renewables, said last night: "We are delighted by the decision and would thank Teesdale District Council for taking this positive step towards a greener Teesdale. "The project will power hundreds of local homes and will offset the release of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, making an important contribution towards tackling climate change."Two existing pipes would be used to harness the energy in the water at Selset. The water would flow through the pipes at high pressure, which in turn would rotate a turbine attached to a generator in the powerhouse. The electricity would then be fed into the grid.Councillor Phil Hughes, chairman of the district council's planning committee, said: "Recent press has shown that we have got a very high carbon footprint here in Teesdale."So that makes renewable energy particularly important, and we hope this scheme will be the first of many in Teesdale."It is using a resource which is in plentiful supply and we should take advantage. "The impact on Selset itself will be minimal, there will only be a small control cabin which will be visible."Cara Hall, from Northumbrian Water, said: "We are very pleased with the decision to grant planning permission."It's everybody's responsibility to face the challenge of climate change, from individuals up to big companies such as Northumbrian Water. This is one way in which we are adapting to climate change and helping reduce the carbon footprint in Teesdale." The council has also recently given permission for a much smaller 50kw water turbine at a house in Brignall, near the North Yorkshire border.   more...

Accused vicar makes history at tribunal

A VICAR yesterday made ecclesiastical history when he became the first member of the clergy to appear before a new Church of England disciplinary tribunal.The Reverend David King was accused a year ago of having an affair with a parishioner, which led to the destruction of her marriage. He denied the allegations.Mr King, whose Middle Esk Moor parish includes the North York Moors villages of Egton, Goathland, Glaisdale, Grosmont and Lealholm, near Whitby, is said to have started a three-year relationship with 44-year-old care home manager Tracy Byrne in 2003.It was alleged that he sent her a birthday card featuring a naked man, with the private parts blacked out, and a love message.Mr King, who was suspended from his ministry in February, flew from his home in Australia to attend yesterday's hearing of the Bishop's Disciplinary Tribunal.He was reported last October to the Archbishop of York by James Byrne, 52, of Sleights, near Whitby, who said the vicar's affair with his wife, from whom he was separated, ended any chance of their reconciliation. The couple, who have four sons, divorced in December last year.The tribunal is the first to be held in the country under the Clergy Discipline Measures 2003, which came into effect last year to consider cases where clergy are accused of misconduct.The hearing, which is expected to last three days, is taking place behind closed doors at Leeds Crown Court after an application from the press to attend was rejected. Lord Justice Mummery is presiding, with two lay members and two clergy.If the tribunal finds Mr King guilty of misconduct, he could face a penalty ranging from an official rebuke to a lifelong ban from the ministry.Last year, Mr King, 56, issued a statement that said: "Our relationship has been at all times professional. I deny that I have behaved in a way that is inappropriate and unprofessional."The findings of the hearing will be made public.  more...

Howay Wi-Fi!

NEWCASTLE has become one of 12 cities across the country where people can access a wireless internet service.   more...

Looking to a healthier future only a generation from now

UNLIKE most reports about the state of public health in the North-East, "Better Health, Fairer Health" does not start with the usual grim litany of why the region has the worst health in England.The report's author, North-East director of public health Dr Stephen Singleton, does not want to look backwards.His eyes are firmly fixed on a tantalising future -when the North-East is the best place to live in the country, and the place with the best health and wellbeing.He said: "This is about ambition for the future, rather than being mired in the legacy of the past."Instead of going on about the inevitable consequences of shipbuilding, mining etc, actually there is no reason why we cannot be the healthiest region in the country in a generation."Apart from being angered at the immense loss of life caused by so many North-Easterners pursuing unhealthy lifestyles, he is also looking at the balance sheet.He said: "There are billions of pounds worth of taxpayers' money at stake if we can reduce ill-health."There has already been a 17 per cent fall in heart attack admissions to Scottish hospitals since they brought in their smoking ban. If it has the same effect in the North-East, we are probably talking about up to £3m a year in savings to the NHS."Dr Singleton estimates that transforming the North-East's health from the worst to the best could save about £2bn in a generation that would have been spent on treatment.He said: "This, of course, frees up more money for things like expensive cancer drugs."The turning point for Dr Singleton, which makes him believe that the apparently impossible can be done, has been the success of Fresh, the campaign for a smoke-free North-East.The region was the only one in England to set up a pressure group to support the proposed workplace smoking ban.Dr Singleton is convinced that Fresh, funded by contributions from all of the region's primary care trusts and councils, helped achieve what has been a seismic shift in public attitudes to smoking in enclosed places.He also thinks Fresh could be the model for a similar campaign organisation, initially focusing on curbing the region's apparently insatiable lust for alcohol, but possibly used to achieve other aims of the wider healthier region drive, including tackling obesity, encouraging people to take more exercise and diagnosing cancers and mental health problems earlier.One plan would be to mount hard-hitting television and poster advertising campaigns to persuade people that being drunk is uncool as well as unhealthy.Statistics show that in 2003, support in the region for a workplace smoking ban, including pubs and clubs, was about 35 per cent.Today, that is nearer to 70 per cent, and the North-East has the highest rate of compliance in the country, and the most successful smoking cessation support programmes.Dr Singleton is also encouraged by the huge progress made in reducing premature deaths from heart disease and strokes.From an admittedly high starting point, they are dropping faster than anywhere else.Dr Singleton said: "We have been getting better very quickly. The key is not how we carry on getting better, but how do we go on to overtake the rest of England?"Undoubtedly, attitudes on smoking have changed in the region. The question is, how do we build on the momentum created by the smoke-free legislation and get people to change their attitudes to alcohol and other aspects of their lifestyle?"In a region that is infamous for its heavy drinking culture (Newcastle's party city image has not helped... not to mention Viz cartoon characters such as Biffa Bacon and The Fat Slags), Dr Singleton knows that there is a mountain to climb.But he believes that people have had enough of city and town centres turned into no-go areas by drunken yobs, not to mention the alarming rise in liver disease among older drinkers.He said: "Everybody knows we should be doing something about binge-drinking in young people and middle-aged people who drink heavily at home."We are seeing the results every day in the number of injured people coming into hospital emergency departments and the rise in cases of liver cirrhosis."Talk to the police; they are fed up at the mindless drinking and violence they encounter."Talk to the A&E doctors; they feel the same. We need a concerted regional effort to change attitudes to drinking."Dr Singleton knows that deep-seated cultural attitudes will have to change if the plan has a chance of success.But given widespread, co-ordinated regionwide support, Dr Singleton believes it is achievable.More than anything, the plans need to be supported by the people of the North-East.He said: "We are trying to stimulate debate. We need to hear what people think. What is the answer? Have we got it right?"A copy of the draft strategy can be viewed at http://www.go-ne.gov.uk/ gone/publichealth/improvinghealth strategy  more...

The harshest lesson

A NORMAL school trip, or so it seems, as a fleet of buses trundles through the small Polish town of Oswiecim.But there is an air of apprehension on the buses, a quiet contemplation and not the usual excited teenage banter.The students, 130 in all, from all over the region, are not visiting an outdoor education centre or a tokenistic French seaside town. They are visiting the site of one of humanity's darkest hours - a place where as many as three million people met their untimely death. The camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau have been preserved, largely as they were, to provide a reminder of the destruction caused by racial hatred.The exhibits are unabating in their frequency and unimaginable in their origin. A mountain of faded human hair, shorn from prisoners to be used in clothing; the tangle of a thousand spectacles, a sea of shoes; but perhaps the most striking thing about the camp is the silence. It would be peaceful if you closed your eyes. But to see the expanse, to imagine the number of people to whom this was "home", and to think of the noise that the thousands would generate, the mournful chatter, the barked commands, the trains, steaming in and out, the bullets. The silence hits home. An unnerving sense of order, regimentation, and clinical murder, Auschwitz was the embodiment of the Nazis' final solution, and presents a pronounced contrast with the raging chaos of the war. A war being fought to preserve this camp's very existence. At Auschwitz, instruments of death are everywhere you turn. A gallows pole stands in the shadow at the end of a barrack house corridor. In the courtyard outside, black wrist shackles dangle, swinging gently in the wind, casting shadows onto the killing wall, where executions were carried out, still pocked with bullet marks.Like many taking part, Kimberly Dodson, of the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, in Darlington, is left stunned by the scenes. "We cannot forget these people," she says. "And it's all very well saying that, but if we don't pass this message on, we are not doing their lives justice."Katie Hall, of Teesside High School, said: "It affected me most when I saw the small shoes and children's clothing."Natalie Lowes, also of Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, said: "I was shocked. It was so quiet. It's important for as many people to know about this so they can tell others."Towards the end of the day, the students gather between the rubble of two of the gas chambers, left as they were found when the Red Army liberated the camp in 1945. Leading a memorial service, Rabbi Barry Marcus, of the Holocaust Educational Trust, says the students must always remember what they are seeing, and communicate that message to others. "Who here would tell me they are not unique?" he said. "We are all unique, but so were they. They, like you and I, had families, had hopes and dreams. But they were snuffed out."And as the sun dipped beneath the treetops, bringing with it a sudden chill in the air, the group trudges back to the buses, placing candles along the railway lines. Within a few hours, each one would be in their home, fed and asleep. If only the millions, the deserted, the dead and debased could have had that same comfort.   more...

Tributes follow death of royal photographer John

TRIBUTES have been paid to a shop owner who became a friend of royalty, peers, cabinet ministers and millionaires after he took their photographs.John Winter, who has died aged 84, was on first-name terms with many rich and famous people who visited the grouse moors around his home in Middleton-in-Teesdale, near Barnard Castle.Prince Charles, Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Queen Mother and King Carlos of Spain were among those whose pictures he took, processed and handed over the same day.He was called in every shooting season by the late seed tycoon Sir Joseph Nickerson to photograph groups of all his guests each morning, and after they saw the results, they often called at his shop.The Earl of Strathmore, a cousin of the Queen, who has a mansion at Holwick, in Teesdale, said yesterday: "John was a very good friend of mine, and I know he was on close terms with many well-known people. He was a really nice man and excellent photographer. I will miss him."Mr Winter, who addressed the earl by his personal name of Mikey, often opened his shop in the centre of Middleton-in-Teesdale in the evening so Sir Joseph's guests could buy boots, wellingtons, waterproof jackets, walking sticks and other items for use on the moors.John Wearmouth, who was in the Teesdale Photographic Society, of which Mr Winter was chairman and then president, said: "When King Carlos was in the shop one evening, there were two armed guards keeping watch outside."John enjoyed meeting titled and famous people and, over the years, he got to know many of them really well. He looked on them as friends. They all seemed to enjoy going to his shop when he opened it specially for them in the evenings."Mr Winter was always discreet about the visitors he photographed.He once said he could have made a lot of money at times by telling newspapers about who was present, but he never divulged confidential information. He also took family groups, portraits and passport pictures as a sideline to his shop, which he ran for many years with his wife, Vera, who died some years ago.After he retired, he lived in Arkengarthdale, North Yorkshire.He leaves a son, daughter and two grandsons. His funeral will be held in Middleton-in-Teesdale Parish Church at 2pm on Saturday.  more...

Missing man returns to hospital

AN unstable man, who had gone missing from a North-East mental health hospital, has returned.   more...

Fatherhood inspires new album

A MUSICIAN has released an album inspired by his experiences as a father.Andrew Yeadon said the album, Look Into The Eyes Of The Innocent, takes its name from his memories of the birth of his two-year-old daughter, Isobel. Mr Yeadon, from Barnard Castle, funded the production of the album and enlisted the help of musicians nationwide to feature on the nine tracks.His brother, Ron, a drummer in Unkle Bob, currently touring with The Proclaimers, provided all of the percussion and helped to produce some of the songs.It is his second solo album, but his fifth in total, including work with his previous bands, Graham the Turtle and Acoustic Groove.Mr Yeadon, whose wife, Cloedie, is expecting their second child soon, said: "I was inspired to write a couple of songs when my daughter was just really little. It was just the intense emotions that having a new-born baby provokes. It made me think that everybody started off as this little, tiny thing."Mr Yeadon works as a music project co-ordinator for Teesdale Community Resources and said he hoped his album would inspire his students.He said: "A lot of my students have bought my album and, hopefully, it does inspire them to push themselves forward and see what can be done if they try."The album can be listened to for free at www.andrewyeadon. co.uk, where it can also be bought. Alternatively, call 01833-690150.  more...

Bin bags were packed with cannabis

SIX bin bags packed with thousands of pounds worth of cannabis have been found dumped off a motorway slip road.   more...

Smoking Shaun leaves officials fuming

SINGER Shaun Ryder has landed a venue in hot bother after smoking during a gig.   more...

Drugs man spared jail because prisons too full

A CLUBBER who sold ecstasy to pals during nights out has been spared jail because the prisons are too full.   more...