Stories for 21 February 2007

The Northern Echo News

Firearms theft: officers receive formal warnings

TWO police officers have received formal warnings after firearms were stolen from an armed response vehicle.   more...

Illegal immigrants told to find own way to screening centres

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Madness! Couple with baby lost on mountain

A 14-MONTH-OLD baby has became the youngest person to be rescued from England's highest mountain.A mother and father set out with their son and his five-year-old brother to conquer 3,210ft Scafell Pike in the Lake District at midday on Monday and reached the summit four hours later.But they got lost on the way down and found themselves in the treacherous Piers Gill, stranded in low cloud above sheer 200ft drops.A team of 42 mountain rescuers was scrambled at 7.30pm and discovered them just before midnight.The five-year-old boy was so cold and exhausted he had to be brought down on a stretcher. His young brother remained strapped into a waterproof papoose on his father's back and slept through much of the ordeal.The manager of a nearby hotel prepared a room for them, which they reached at 4am yesterday.The family's expedition horrified other climbers in the Lakes. Experienced climber George Wilson, 38, of Lancashire, was about to set out from the foot of the mountain early yesterday morning.He said: "It's insane to take small children up Scafell. It's incredibly irresponsible and put other people's lives at risk."Scafell is not to be taken lightly by anyone at this time of year, even the most experienced climber."But to take two little kids, including a baby, up there is just sheer madness. Thank God they were found safe."Wasdale Mountain Rescue team leader Julian Carradice had 19 members on the mountain. There were also 14 from Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team and nine from Keswick, along with two search dogs.Mr Carradice said: "The baby boy was the youngest person we have rescued."If people are going to take children up mountains like that they have to take responsibility for getting them down safely."They need a plan, a back-up plan, a means of finding shelter and to have made proper preparations before setting off."This family didn't leave themselves much time to get to the top and back before darkness fell."It is the highest mountain in England and they managed to get to the peak at about 4pm, which is pretty good for a five-year-old."But they hadn't left enough time to get back down before darkness fell and the conditions were poor anyway with low cloud."The couple found themselves lost in there in poor visibility with two very young children in the dark. It must have been very frightening."Thankfully they had spoken to some other climbers near the top and were due to be following them back down."When they did not, the other group raised the alarm, for which everyone can be very grateful."Mr Carradice added:"When we reached them they were cold and frightened."The baby was as wrapped up in about seven layers of clothing and was in the papoose, which was waterproof and had a hood over the top."His brother was causing a little more concern. He was on foot and little ones of that age don't have tremendous reserves of energy."He had been on the mountain over 12 hours and was cold and exhausted. "The best way to deal with him was to wrap him up warm, strap him to a stretcher and carry him off."They were embarrassed, very grateful and pleased to get to their beds safe and sound. It was a massive relief to everyone that we found them all safe."The family, who come from Cornwall, are staying in the Lake District during the half term break.  more...

Everything must go in deli sale

SALAMI and olives are to be auctioned off alongside chest freezers and plant pots as the contents of a Darlington deli go under the hammer today.The fixtures, fittings and merchandise of Wadesdeli will be sold this morning in an on-site public auction at the Coniscliffe Road premises.The deli's refrigerated van is also included in the sale.Lots range from luxury food - such as fois gras, tropical mushrooms and organic chocolate - to stainless steel preparation tables, a fax machine and an electric oven.The sale will even include the shop's Christmas decorations.The deli opened last August and closed suddenly about two weeks ago.Ray Wade opened the business eight weeks after he sold the popular Wade's Coffee House, also in Darlington, which he had owned for 16 years. Mr Wade could not be contacted for comment last night.The auction includes 326 lots and will take about three hours to complete.Auctioneer Philip Walker, of Lithgow Sons and Partners, said: "The fixtures on-site are in such good condition and they are what we call in situ, so they can be seen working, and they have been so well-maintained, I think they will be a good buy."The auction takes place from 11am.  more...

Battle begins to win GNER rail licence

THE competition to run future   more...

Book in to see a loom with a view

The opening of a suite of galleries at a County Durham Museum is looming ever closer.Objects are being chosen for display in the Streatlam Galleries, in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle.The galleries are due to open to the public on March 31 and one of the attractions installed this week is a carpet loom donated by Catherine Atkinson, former principal lecturer of woven textiles at Huddersfield University.Mrs Atkinson, now manager of Lindisfarne Castle, first loaned the Jacquard Sample Loom to The Bowes Museum in 1996 for its exhibition on Barnard Castle carpets. Joanna Hashagen, keeper of textiles at the museum, said: "We are extremely indebted to Catherine for this donation."It dates from about 1900 and is a rare survivor. The woven pattern is created by a Jacquard mechanism, and the cards have been punched to recreate an actual Barnard Castle design of the 1840s. "Although only narrow, it is exactly the same sort of loom that Barnard Castle carpets would have been woven on."For more details about the museum, call 01833-690606 or visit www.thebowesmuseum. org.uk  more...

Report could signal end of council house life tenancies

COUNCIL tenants should be forced to move out if their children leave home or they end up living alone, a Government-commissioned report suggested yesterday.Under recommendations to ministers, they could also be asked to pay more rent or buy a stake in the value of the property if their income rises.The proposals would end the automatic right to a council or housing association home for life by giving tenants means-tested reviews every one to five years.It would affect tens of thousands of people in the North-East and North Yorkshire, where there are more than 180,000 council homes, as well as nearly 140,000 properties run by social landlords.The report was commissioned by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly to explore ways of breaking up so-called sink estates, which have increasingly become concentrations of poverty.Ms Kelly, alarmed by evidence that working-age people in social housing are twice as likely to be unemployed, is determined to create a better social mix.But the key proposal was immediately condemned by the Liberal Democrats, who blamed the crisis in social housing on the Government's failure to build enough council homes.Dan Rogerson, the party's housing spokesman, said: "Forcing people out of their homes won't solve the crisis in social housing, but it will divide neighbourhoods. "Determining rent by means-testing will either deter people from working or push them off estates where they are happy and established. Meanwhile, the poorest and most deprived will be left behind." Adam Sampson, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: "Tenants will be extremely worried by plans to hold regular reviews."Nearly all the region's authorities have either a large number of council houses or properties that have been sold to registered social landlords, such as housing associations.The largest stock is in Newcastle (37,624), followed by Sunderland (35,070), Gates-head (26,867), South Tyneside (23,151), Middlesbrough (15,959) and Stockton (14,700).The report, by Professor John Hills, of the London School of Economics, accepted that the proposal for fixed-term tenancies could "sound outlandish" to many.However, the report argued the move would free homes for those most in need. It said: "The ability to move 'empty nest' couples or single people might be a way of reducing overcrowding."A spokesman for Ms Kelly's department immediately sought to calm fears of an end to secure council tenancies, saying: "We have got no plans to change existing tenancy rights."The report also suggested councils and housing associations should provide homes in areas with higher earners - and use spare land on council estates to build private homes. Selling properties to higher income groups, or letting them at market rents as they become vacant, would create more economically mixed areas.Prof Hill concluded there had been important progress in the standard of social housing after a multi-million- pound Government spending programme.But he said: "There is disappointing evidence on tenant satisfaction, space standards, and neighbourhood conditions."Last night, John McDonnell, who is bidding to replace Tony Blair as Labour leader, said: ''We are still missing the central point.''Homelessness has increased over the past ten years on a catastrophic scale and can only be tackled by a major council house building programme that deals with homelessness, overcrowding and depravation.''The Government must drop its ideological bias against council housing."  more...

Elbows, a bull ring and the odd pint as village has a ball

IT may be one of the region's roughest and toughest sporting traditions - but it didn't stop 81-year-old Betty Amlin getting stuck in.Betty was given the honour of getting yesterday's annual Shrove Tuesday ball game under way in the County Durham village of Sedgefield.The respected villager started the 1,000-year tradition by passing the small leather ball three times through the bull ring on the village green, at 1pm.After that, it disappeared into a writhing mass of hundreds of burly men, young lads and scores of children. You may think - given the reputation of the game, in which there are no teams, no colours and no rules - that Betty wouldn't get sight of the ball again.But Neil Hetherington, landlord at The Nags Head, later showed the spirit of the game by making a 100-yard dash to place it back at her feet."She told me she wanted a kick of the ball, so we set it up for her - that's how the game works. "The lads playing will try and let the kids and the older villagers have a go, like they would have when they used to play it," he said. Betty said: "It's an old tradition which goes back a long way and I like to keep traditions going."It's a rough game and you have got to watch yourself - but these days I just let the ball come to me, I don't run for it."The origins of the game are unknown, but one popular myth suggests it was played between warring tribes using an enemy's severed head for a ball.Veteran player and 1976 winner Charlie Iceton offers a different theory.He said: "In the old days, it was farmers verses tradesmen, but now it's a free-for-all. The history doesn't really matter, everybody just comes out and has a good time." One time-honoured custom is for the ball to be 'kidnapped' - conveniently allowing players enough time to sink a pint or two.The game ended at 4.50pm when Carl Tonner put the ball through the bull ring three-times to claim victory.Battered and bruised, the 18-year-old joiner, from The Meadows, Sedgefield, credited friend Bradley Saunders and dad Andrew Thompson for the win.He said: "I get to keep the ball for the year, but you don't really defend the title or anything. Once you've won it, you let somebody else have a go, but it doesn't stop you playing next year."  more...

Orchid enthusiasts to represent the best of British

FLORAL fans Jean and Chris Barker hope flower power will help them scoop an international award.The pair are heading to the Far East to represent the UK in a worldwide orchid show.For what began as a one-off gift ten years ago, the couple now have about 700 orchids on show in their home.Retired teacher Mr Barker, from Stockton, Teesside, will fly out to Taiwan today with his wife to set up their display at the Taiwan International Orchid Show.With a truly British theme, Mr Barker, 63, will be poised with posters of the Queen, James Bond and scenic shots from the English Tourist Board."Due to tight restrictions on transporting the orchids," said Mr Barker. "We won't be taking any of our own plants."So in their absence, we will be showing off the best of British. The posters will showcase top tourist spots, such as Stonehenge and York Minster."We are extremely proud to be representing the country in this huge show."The UK has never entered the show before, with problems of costs and travel expenses.But Mr and Mrs Barker, whose son lives and works in the Far East, have tied in the show with one of their visits.After buying his wife an orchid as a gift ten years ago, caring for the plant became a huge interest to the couple.While in Taiwan, they will miss out on the Darlington and Disrtict Orchid Society Show on March 11.But the Far East exhibition is expecting to pull in crowds of 200,000 with a top exhibitors prize of 100,000 Taiwanese dollars.  more...

Tech firm helps blind pilot

A BLIND pilot plans to fly 13,000 miles to Australia in a microlight aircraft with the help of computer software created by a developer in a former North-East pit village.Adventurer and motivational speaker Miles Hilton-Barber, 58, from Derbyshire, who lost his sight to a genetic condition, will start the 45-day journey from London to Sydney a week on Monday.It will entail 250 hours flying divided into two, four-hour periods a day and will take until April 30, following the route of the 1919 London-to-Sydney Air Race.Mr Hilton-Barber, who has crossed the English Channel in a microlight and, in 2004, set the British microlight altitude record when he reached 20,020ft over Northumberland in 2004, will be accompanied by former Army officer Storm Smith, from Newcastle.He will be able to fly thanks to Adrian Sach, co-founder of Software Express, based in a former bakery in Ushaw Moor, near Durham City.Mr Sach, 38, developed Guide to enable the blind and partially-sighted to use computers easily and without previous experience.He has adapted the system, which won a Royal National Institute for the Blind award, and the aircraft controls will speak to Mr Hilton-Barber with information such as altitude, air speed and compass direction. "Adrian has been the catalyst and fulcrum for me achieving my dream. Without him I wouldn't be flying now,'' said Mr Hilton-Barber."The way he has put the system together is very good. It is very intuitive. He is a brilliant person and Durham should be very proud it has a company that is making people's lives better.''Mr Hilton-Barber hopes to raise £1m for the Standard Chartered Bank's Seeing is Believing campaign to prevent blindness in the Developing World.Mr Sach founded the firm with partner Mary McMahon, 36, from Bearpark, three years ago after developing Guide to help a friend unable to use other systems for people with sight loss.The company has now sold thousands of copies of the software and plans to explore the US and Australian markets.Mr Sach said the adventurer contacted him after searching in vain for someone who could develop a system for flying.Ms McMahon said: "It is a great opportunity for us particularly as we are launching the product in Australia.'' For details about Guide visit www.softwareexpress.co.uk, or call 0845-225-5005. For details about the trip visit www.mileshilton-barber.com  more...

Village to lead the way in fight against pollution

A NORTH-EAST village may become the first in the country to get its power solely from renewable energy sources.The people of Middleton in Teesdale, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, will be using heat pumps and biomass boilers instead of coal and oil to power their homes - if a community energy organisation can persuade them to make the switch.Community Energy Solutions (CES) advises non-gas users on how to switch to gas or other sources. Because Middleton is so rural, laying pipes to connect the village to a gas supply would cost too much and, for that reason, CES wants to encourage people to use renewable energy.The group picked the village because of the high levels of carbon emissions in Teesdale, together with the fact that much of the village suffers from fuel poverty - meaning that more than ten per cent of household income is spent on energy.The group has distributed questionnaires to houses in Middleton and is going door-to-door to gauge the opinions of residents.Should the response be positive, homeowners will be able to buy cheap heat pumps for their homes.Heat pumps work like air-conditioning machines, although they collect warm air and use it to heat water for central heating systems.The village would also use water turbines, biomass boilers and solar panels, which would be paid for by private and public funds.The group has already highlighted two former mills in the village which could be turned into water turbines.Planting trees would also help achieve the project's goal of making Middleton-in-Teesdale carbon neutral.Richard Betton, Teesdale District Councillor for Middleton, said: "If the plans don't cost too people much, and make Middleton a more sustainable community, I could see that it could be quite exciting for the village." Chris Leek, chief executive of CES, said: "It's an incredibly exciting prospect to think that the residents, as a group, could be leading the way in developing energy systems that could become the norm in years to come."Residents and shop owners in the village are more sceptical about the plan.Terrance McKeon, a resident of Middleton, said: "A lot would depend on the cost. There are a lot of elderly people in Middleton, and to put it bluntly, at my age, I have to ask myself whether I'm going to get my money back."Linda Armitage, owner of Armitage's Store in the village, said: "If this plan was to save a vast amount of money, then we would think about it, but there are a lot of people in the village who wouldn't want to change."CES expect to be able to publish their findings into the project in April.   more...

Region's lifeboat crews are 'coping despite cutbacks'

LIFEBOAT crews in the region say they are coping with an increased number of rescues, despite the controversial closure of a station.Since Teesmouth lifeboat station closed in April last year, neighbouring stations have had to attend more call outs.But officials at the RNLI said that is just what they were expecting, with a larger area to cover.Figures for last year released today, show that Hartlepool's all-weather lifeboat performed 35 launches, compared to 12 call-outs in 2005 - the same as the Teesmouth all-weather lifeboat in that period.A spokeswoman for the RNLI said: "There obviously has been an increase, but that is what we were expecting because it is a larger area to cover."But the figures for call-outs and rescues are up right across the country."Teesmouth appeared among the figures, for the year's first quarter when crews rescued three people and launched on five occasions.Stations at Redcar and Hartlepool have taken over the former Teesmouth patch and officials said they stand by the decision to close the base and disband its team of volunteers.Throughout the North-East, the volunteer crews were extremely busy last year.Sunderland was the busiest station, with 92 launches and 124 people rescued.The resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was the quietest, with 26 call-outs and 31 rescues.Nationally, it was the busiest year ever, with 8,377 launches and 8,015 people rescued.Paul Nicholson, senior helmsman at Sunderland, said: "Compared to last year, we have witnessed a 30 per cent increase in the number of times our crews have been called out."Andrew Ashton, RNLI divisional inspector in the North, said: "Not only did the volunteers rescue more than 1,000 people, they also gave up huge amounts of their time to take part in vital training."Traditionally, the RNLI rescued mainly fishing boats and commercial vessels."But today, the diversity of sea-based leisure activities means our crews must devote an increasing amount of time to training for a wide variety of rescue scenarios to ensure they can always operate safely and effectively."  more...

Campaigner is charged with spying

A BRITISH woman working for an international human rights group is expected to appear in court in Angola this morning on national security charges.Dr Sarah Wykes, who works for international anti-corruption group Global Witness, was arrested in the state's oil-rich Cabinda province on Sunday, and is accused of spying.Global Witness said she was taken from her hotel to a police station, denied food or water for five hours and then charged and taken to the local jail.The group refute the charges and is demanding the authorities release her immediately.Dr Wykes was born in York but brought up in Brampton, Cumbria, and studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. Before working for Global Witness, she obtained her doctorate and taught Spanish at Royal Holloway College in London.A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are in touch with the Angolan government and are providing full consulate support. We have sent an officer to the area and are keeping in close contact."Dr Wykes' sister, Caroline Kennedy, said: "What she is doing is very important. For the family, it has been a stressful and fearful time, but I really believe in the work that Sarah is doing, despite the risks.  more...

Police backed in hunt for chief

A REPORT has backed a police authority - despite it having to scrap the hunt for a new chief constable.Durham Police Authority was forced to scrap interviews for the job last year and start again, after concerns were raised about the process.The authority was ready to choose from a shortlist of one for the post - current temporary chief constable Jon Stoddart - going against Home Office guidance.The only other candidate shortlisted for interview dropped out, unhappy at the way the process was being run.It is thought this was partly because the authority, which has a multi-million pound deficit, was reluctant to reveal details of its finances to the external candidate.After the collapse of the interviews, the authority's chief officers appointments committee commissioned a report, at a cost of just under £2,000, into the process.The report, by Sir Dan Crompton, a former chief inspector of constabulary and chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police, was requested by The Northern Echo in a Freedom of Information inquiry.After initially refusing the request, and taking legal advice, an edited version of the report has now been released by the police authority.The report states that, after reviewing the appointment process, Sir Dan believes it was fit for purpose and "open and transparent".But he suggests that in future any planned appointment should include adopting the practice of inviting shortlisted candidates to be directly briefed by chief officers about the job.In the report, Sir Dan says it was significant that no detailed questions were prepared for the interviews based on the financial plight of the police force, which could have given Mr Stoddart an advantage.The police authority has since re-advertised the chief constable's post with interviews planned for the end of next month.Councillor Anne Wright, chairwoman of Durham Police Authority, would not comment when contacted by The Northern Echo.However, a source close to the police authority said that despite the report's conclusion, the handling of the chief constable's appointment to date had been "amateurish".The source said: "They should have never gone ahead with interviews involving just one person for a job of that significance."Now they are trying to be seen to be fair, but what has gone on already sends a signal out to other applicants in that everyone knows the person who will get the job."I would be amazed if any applicants other than Jon Stoddart are there for anything other than interview practice."  more...

Samurai killer gets life

A KILLER who stabbed a 21-year-old woman with a samurai sword then drove over her as she lay dying in the street has been jailed for life this afternoon.   more...

Echo website wins top award

THE Northern Echo's website has won a prestigious industry award.   more...