Stories for 13 November 2007

The Northern Echo News

Firefighters called to allotment blaze

FIREFIGHTERS had to deal with gas cylinders when they attended a blaze at allotments on Chester Road, Hartlepool last night.   more...

Thieves torch house before making off with haul

THIEVES who set fire to a house causing thousands of pounds worth of damage in the process before making their escape have been condemned by police.   more...

Hard-hitting anti-smoking campaign starts

AN advertising campaign to persuade smokers to quit was launched in the region last night.The hard-hitting commercial highlights the damaging effect on the heart of inhaling cigarette smoke.Most smokers are aware of the increased risks of diseases such as lung cancer, but many do not realise that smoking is one of the causes of heart disease.The ITV Tyne Tees advertisement, which will be backed up by adverts in the press, shows a couple watching a sitcom with a teenager and other family and friends.The man on the sofa has a cigarette, which he flicks into an ashtray.The smoke from the cigarette flows around one of the family, wrapping around her neck to illustrate that tobacco smoke restricts bloodflow to the heart, causing it to fail.The smoke then drifts over the teenager's face and a voiceover says smoke increases a non-smoker's chance of getting heart disease by 25 per cent.Finally, viewers see all the people in the room with the smoke drifting behind them, forming a face that looms above the group.Urging smokers to beat their addiction for good, the campaign aims to inform smokers that they are risking damage to their hearts and the hearts of others through exposure to second-hand smoke.Dr Ian Purcell, a consultant cardiologist at the Freeman Hospital's cardiothoracic centre, in Newcastle, said: "Continual exposure to second-hand smoke has been shown to nearly double the chance of a heart attack, with thousands of people dying each year, including lifelong non-smokers."Exposure to second-hand smoke is known to reduce the blood flow to the heart, increase the risk of thrombosis and can increase the risk of heart disease in non-smokers by 25 per cent."For advice on stopping, call the NHS helpline on 0800-169-0169 or visit www. gosmokefree.nhs.uk Lung campaign - Page 13  more...

Email gaffe as critical memo

IT describes him as having a negative attitude, being antagonistic and accuses him of double standards.So, rather a few red faces, then, at Go North East, when criticisms of North Durham MP Kevan Jones were accidentally emailed... to North Durham MP Kevan Jones.The two-page memo, which said the critical MP has damaged public transport and threatened its profits, was drawn up by the bus company's managing director, Peter Huntley.The memo was sent to Mr Jones at the same time as Mr Huntley was proposing to meet the MP to discuss his repeated criticisms.Mr Jones said yesterday: "I wrote back pointing out that if I was seen as the problem, there was not much point in meeting."The memo accused him of a negative attitude -in contrast to ten other named local MPs and one Euro MP.In criticising his "antagonistic" style, the note wrongly states that the Durham North MP helped pass the legislation that opened up bus services to private companies, including Go North East.And it concluded: "We have now reached a point where we believe that the overwhelmingly negative media coverage that results from his comments is damaging the cause of public transport in Durham County and threatening the future livelihood of our staff."Mr Jones spoke out when scores of bus services were scaled back across County Durham last year, warning that, for many local people, a bus was "not a luxury, but a necessity".Under bus deregulation, councils must pay expensive subsidies on less-used services or risk losing them.Meanwhile, as The Northern Echo revealed in June, bus companies in the region received more than £40m-worth of subsidies over the past five years -despite making huge profits.The memo said: "Kevan Jones MP regularly criticises us for making a profit but does not, to the best of our knowledge, criticise any of the other businesses in his constituency for making (generally greater) levels of profit."It also accuses the MP of failing to acknowledge the "single biggest investment in new buses ever seen in his constituency".Mr Jones said: "I was sent a briefing note I was clearly not supposed to see. It claimed that my continued criticisms, and my standing up for my constituents, were severely damaging the business."Since deregulation, bus companies have been able to cut routes willy-nilly. Go North East has continually taken routes away and left communities high and dry."The Northern Echo attempted to contact Go North East to discuss the memo, but its telephone calls were not returned.  more...

Two sites are saved, but fight continues

DISABLED workers at two closure-threatened factories were yesterday celebrating news that their jobs have been saved.But the fight goes on for staff at four other Remploy factories in the region still facing closure in a proposed shake-up of the company.Remploy yesterday revealed fresh plans for modernisation of the company, which provides work and employment services for disabled people.The Government-backed company had planned to close 32 of its plants, with the loss of up to 2,500 jobs, and instead focus on creating more work in "mainstream" employment.Following lengthy consultation with workers, trade unions and MPs, the company removed 15 sites from the threatened list, including Spennymoor, in County Durham, and Ashington, in Northumberland.But plants at Hartlepool, Stockton, York and Jarrow, on South Tyneside, may close, in a final proposal sent to Peter Hain, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for consideration. He will have the final say on plans, but no date has yet been set for an announcement.Kenneth Stubbs, the GMB secretary for Remploy North-East, is based at Spennymoor, and had mixed feelings about yesterday's announcement.He said: "The workers at Spennymoor are more than relieved -we could not keep the smiles off our faces. "It shows what can be done when you stick together."But it does not end here. Our thoughts turn to those factories still facing closure, and we will keep supporting each other to try to save them."Bosses said the long-term future of saved factories would depend on local agreements, including new working practices, transfer of work between factories and increases in public and private sector work.Remploy chief executive Bob Warner said: "The plans we have submitted meet the goals set by the Government for us to support many more disabled people into jobs in mainstream employment, avoid compulsory redundancy of disabled employees, and remain within a £555m spending limit over five years."At Spennymoor, which undertakes contract assembly, manufacturing and packing contracts, the company hopes to get extra business from local authorities and Government agencies.Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman led a cross-party backbench inquiry into the planned closures, which called for retention of factories such as Remploy Spennymoor to provide fulfilling employment to a skilled and hard-working workforce.Last night, she said she was delighted to hear it had been saved.Though staff in the saved factories are relieved, union leaders reacted with anger to the announcement, saying it was an "absolute disgrace" that Remploy still wanted to close 17 factories across the UK.Mr Stubbs last night travelled to London to join other union leaders for a vigil outside the Houses of Parliament to protest against Remploy's plans.Hartlepool MP Iain Wright said: "This is not good news for Remploy Hartlepool, but I am still continuing to fight. It is not over until it is over."I do not want to give false hope -you cannot keep a factory open if it is losing £2m."But there are still a couple of irons in the fire I have been working on and I want to work with management of Remploy locally to try to build a customer base."Remploy Hartlepool has a good, committed, hard-working and skilled workforce, so I will keep working for them." Comment - Page 14  more...

Overweight mum feared she would die

A young mother who was once convinced her spiralling weight would kill her was today named slimmer of the year.   more...

Gunman wanted to be shot by police

A SUICIDAL gunman who terrorised a pregnant woman in labour has been spared jail.Marc Thorpe, who adopted a firing stance in the road with a gas-fired air pistol, had hoped to be shot by armed police.The 28-year-old -dressed only in boxer shorts and a woollen hat - went into the street after a row with his girlfriend.Martin Butterworth, prosecuting, said Army clerk Candice Church and partner Asa Doherty, an armourer at Claro Barracks, in Ripon, were near Harrogate District Hospital when they saw Thorpe in the road.Ms Church, who had been in labour for six hours, was terrified when she saw him point the pistol at their car.Mr Doherty called 999 and police found 28-year-old Thorpe, who initially denied he had a gun. He later told officers: "I wanted the police to shoot me."Mr Butterworth said Thorpe, now of West Grove Road, Harrogate, threw the weapon away.Thorpe previously admitted affray. Andrew Tinning, in mitigation, said the gun was not loaded. He said Thorpe suffered from anxiety and panic attacks, which led to excessive drinking.Thorpe was given an 18-month community order with probation supervision and measures to deal with his drink and mental health issues. He was told to pay Ms Church £250 in compensation.The gun will be destroyed.  more...

Parents’ pride as training room opens in tribute to Aaron

PRIDE and loss were etched into   more...

Decorator died from scaffolding fall

A SELF-EMPLOYED painter and   more...

Official gets £750 a day from council

A FORMER Labour Party official is   more...

Joy as mum and girl spared deportation

A UGANDAN family who made   more...

"Ghost ships" company fined for breaching environmental regulations

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Government and unions clash over schools budget plan

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Pudsey drops in for a tea party with nursery school youngsters

A WELL-KNOWN bear began a hectic   more...

Sign and sing choir recognised at awards night

A CHOIR with a difference have   more...

Calls for resignation of council chairman

THE chairman of a troubled   more...

"The law is an ass," say traders

A ROW has broken out over proposals for a weekly market because it is within a donkey ride of existing stalls.   more...

130 and going strong

THE country's oldest working   more...

Patient rights campaigners set up new office

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Man who stole charity bags condemned by judge

A JUDGE has condemned a man who was convicted of stealing charity bags which householders had left out for the North East Air Ambulance.   more...

Rapist policeman still a threat, court told

A RAPIST policeman poses a greater risk to the public than when he carried out a series of sex attacks on young women a decade ago, a court has heard.   more...

Boy suffers broken leg in collision with car

A SEVEN-year-old boy suffered a broken leg after he was in collision with a car.   more...