Former Boro player Marlon King jailed for 18 months for dangerous driving

Marlon King - who played 13 times on loan at Middlesbrough in 2009 - caused accident after driving while holding an ice cream at the wheel

Former Boro footballer Marlon King has been jailed for 18 months for dangerous driving after a crash which left a motorist with a broken arm.

The striker, currently without a club after being released by Sheffield United last year, had pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving at Nottingham Crown Court in March.

Sentencing King, who played 13 times on loan at Middlesbrough in 2009, at the same court yesterday, Recorder Paul Mann QC said: “I do not regard your case as merely impulsive or silly behaviour.

“It was aggressive. It was arrogant.”

The court heard King had been eating an ice cream at the wheel when he caused a three-car pile up on the A46 in Nottinghamshire last April.

The judge also handed King a three-year driving ban.

Former Boro player jailed for 18 months for dangerous driving

Marlon King caused accident after driving while holding an ice cream at the wheel

Former Boro footballer Marlon King has been jailed for 18 months for dangerous driving after a crash which left a motorist with a broken arm.

The striker, currently without a club after being released by Sheffield United last year, had pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving at Nottingham Crown Court in March.

Sentencing King, who played 13 times on loan at Middlesbrough in 2009, at the same court yesterday, Recorder Paul Mann QC said: “I do not regard your case as merely impulsive or silly behaviour.

“It was aggressive. It was arrogant.”

The court heard King had been eating an ice cream at the wheel when he caused a three-car pile up on the A46 in Nottinghamshire last April.

The judge also handed King a three-year driving ban.

Three Middlesbrough war veterans honoured by Mayor for Poppy Appeal fundraising efforts

George Nolan, Ron Shaw and Harry Harrington recognised for work as Middlesbrough poppy sellers in special ceremony

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George Nolan, Ron Shaw and Harry Harrington honoured

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Three war veterans have been honoured by Middlesbrough's mayor for their devotion to the Poppy Appeal, raising nearly £11,000 last year alone.

George Nolan, Ron Shaw and Harry Harrington received recognition of their work as poppy sellers in Middlesbrough by Mayor Ray Mallon at a special ceremony held at the town hall.

Korea veterans Ron, 80, and Harry, 81, are both recipients of the United Nations Korean Medal and the British Korean Medal. Ron served in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment while Harry served in the Royal Ordnance Survey Regiment.

George, 76, is a Malaysian veteran and was awarded the General Services Medal for his services following independence. George served in the Royal Engineers in the 11th Independent Field Squadron.

Both Ron and Harry have been poppy sellers for around 20 years while George has for six years.

The trio’s fundraising efforts contributed £10,884 to Middlesbrough’s total of more than £41,400 last year.

Great-grandad George, from Longlands, missed his weekly charity tea dance he organises with his wife Pat at Linthorpe Community Centre to attend. He said: “I contacted the British Legion and Mr Mallon about the others as they hadn’t had any recognition for all they have done.”

Dad-of-two Ron, from Ormesby, said he was keen to support the Poppy Appeal, especially after going back to Korea four years ago to visit the graves of his friends.

Great-grandad Harry, from Linthorpe, said: “It’s a marvellous thing - but I don’t think I’ve done 20 years, I think it’s about 16 or 17. Malcolm Snowdon helps us too sometimes.”

Mr Mallon said: “The Royal British Legion plays a vital role in supporting serving members of the armed forces, veterans and families. Local fundraising is the bedrock of that work and George Nolan, Ron Shaw and Harry Harrington are great examples of the sort of dedication and commitment that makes a real difference.” He said he was “very grateful” for the hard work of these “really good citizens”.

The men received a framed letter and a Parker pen with Ron and Harry also given special pin badges.

The Poppy Appeal organiser for Middlesbrough has stepped down and the British Legion is looking for a volunteer to take up the role. Anyone interested should ring Stewart Lythe on 0808 8028080 and ask for their details to be passed on.

Local Teesside football round-up: Cup success for Lingdale and Hollybush

UPVC SUPPLIERS ESKVALE AND CLEVELAND LEAGUE

LINGDALE United and Hollybush have been celebrating silverware success.

Lingdale beat Stokesley 3-2 after extra-time in the UPVC Suppliers Knockout Cup.

And Hollybush left it late before beating Hinderwell 2-0 in the final of the Whitby Benevolent Trophy.

In the Knockout Cup, Stokesley started well and went ahead as Josh Bowmaker headed in from a corner.

Both sides traded good chances in an end-to-end spell with Stokesley going closest as a Bowmaker shot was blocked by a sliding tackle.

Early in the second half Stokesley went close when Dane Breckon had a shot cleared off the line.

Lingdale hit back and had a good spell and levelled when Anthony Jones fired past the keeper.

They finished strongly and Johnson saw a header cleared off the line, but the game went into extra time.

Lingdale then went ahead as Jones latched onto a loose ball and fired past the keeper.

Just before the break Lingdale won a corner and Jones headed in to extend their lead.

Stokesley grabbed a lifeline six minutes from time as they won a penalty and Stuart Wise fired home, but it was too late.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Hollybush beat Hinderwell at Whitby’s Turnbull Ground.

There was a lively start with chances at both ends but the first half was goalless.

Hollybush took control after the break and had a couple of good chances saved.

They started to build up the pressure and with extra-time looming they finally made the breakthrough as a cross was only half-cleared and Ryan Middleton drilled home from 25 yards.

Then in the final minute they wrapped it up as Thompson teed up Weed to slot in a second.

MB DISTRIBUTION REDCAR LEAGUE

LIVERY just squeezed out Black Swan to win 3-2 in the final of the Chuck Hepple Trophy.

With the top two teams in the second division battling it out, it was always going to be a close fought match at Mackinlay Park.

Livery started the better and had an early goal ruled out for a push on the keeper then soon after won a penalty for a tug in the box at a corner but Nico Weatherald had his spot kick saved.

Swan went close as a Dave Onions’ shot was well saved then Livery had another goal disallowed, this time Poulter ruled offside as he stabbed in after a free-kick.

Lively Livery then threatened as Ferguson fired across the face of the goal and then Poulter who had a shot pushed away for a corner.

And Livery finally broke through as the half-cleared flag-kick was played back in and Jamie Lee got above the keeper to head home on 34 minutes.

Black Swan levelled two minutes before half time as they won a free kick just outside the box that Onions fired home.

But within two minutes of the restart Livery were back in front as a Poulter shot was deflected in by a defender for an own goal.

Then Weatherald hit the post and headed just wide as Livery took control.

And they made it three as Poulter rounded the keeper and slotted home.

Swan pulled a goal back with 12 minutes left as they won a penalty and Onions rammed it home.

And they almost levelled as Onions clipped the post then Rob Bennett shot hit the bar.

In first division action Eston Ship Inn beat Ennis Square 3-2 then ransacked double figures against Lakes Social Club in a final flourish.

This week sees the Final of the Nick Cornick League Challenge Cup between Clarendon Hotel and Ennis Square.

There are also still four leagues games to fit in.

STOCKTON SUNDAY LEAGUE

Having secured the first division title last week, The Royal completed a double as they beat runners-up Thornaby Jolly Farmers 2-1 to lift the John Jackson Memorial Trophy.

The match, at Stockton Town, opened with a close fought and goalless first half.

Then after a slow start to the second half, the Jolly Farmers opened the scoring through Gareth Poole to spark the game into life.

Royal were forced to chase an equaliser and it eventually came as a mistake by the Farmers’ keeper allowed Paul Cleary a simple tap in.

In a lively ending both sides went close to a winner before Cleary sealed it for the Royal with his second.

League chairman Peter Mack presented the medals.

It capped a fine season for the Royal who won the first division and promotion plus the trophy.

They failed to make it a treble though and got some idea of the gulf in class when they step up as last weekend they were soundly beaten 7-1 by Premier League champions Hardwick Social in the final of the Ian Gorman Memorial Trophy.

Kallum Hannah struck twice and Jamie Owens got a hat-trick then James Ward and Steven Roberts scored for double-winning Hardwick and Cleary got a consolation.

The last league game was finally completed when Layfield Arms beat Stockton West End 6-2 to leapfrog them into third.

Man of the match Arron Brookbanks got two and brothers Stephen (2) and Calum also netted along with Richard Robinson. Jonathon Higgins scored both goals for Stockton West End.

This Sunday sees the completion of the season when treble chasing Hardwick Social and Billingham Cons meet in the final of the Stephen Wells Memorial Trophy at Stockton Town F.C (KO 10.30am). Admission is £2 for adults and £1 concessions.

MIDDLESBROUGH OVER 35s LEAGUE

George and Dragon eased to an 8-3 win over Stokesley in the table-topping clash in division two.

Dragon drew first blood through Simon Robson then Stokesley scored through David Sayers and Martin Pugh to take control before Jamie Clark levelled on the stroke of half-time.

That spurred on the Dragon and after the break they quickly went 4-2 up as twice Kraig Wilkinson punished woeful defending.

Stokesley collapsed at the back and conceded four more as both Steve Morgan and Wilkinson got two each before Stokesley pulled one back late on through Paul Large.

West End Bowling Club edged to a narrow 1-0 win over a strong Yarm with James Middleton getting the decisive goal.

Billingham Vets came crashing down to earth after the previous week’s first ever victory as they suffered a bruising 7-0 thrashing to high-flying Nunthorpe.

Richard O’Conner got a hat-trick with Gary Hamilton, Colin Holmes and Paul McGlynn (2) also on target.

Thornaby FC Vets also romped to a 7-0 win over Cleveland Seniors.

Darin Miller got three, Marc Tenkewith two and Micheal Caddick and Alex Claxton one each.

In the top flight’s big clash Thornaby edged out last term’s champions Coronation 3-1.

Thornaby took advantage of a reshuffled back four to score twice then Corra missed some good chances to claw back into it.

In the second half some heavy Corra pressure won a penalty which new signing Jamie Clarke cracked home but they then missed a chance to level before Thornaby broke away to seal it as Carl Chillingsworth headed in their third.

In the only other division one Acklam Steelworks got their first win of the season beating an understrength Grangetown BC 3-1.

Simon Vallily: 'It feels like I'm making my professional debut, again'

Simon Vallily faces his former opponent Moses Matovu at the First Direct Arena in his first contest over six rounds

Simon Vallily is excited to be returning to the professional boxing ring as a free agent with a new trainer ahead of his fourth bout in Leeds on May 21.

Middlesbrough’s Vallily compiled three cruiserweight wins last year under Frank Warren, but decided to split from the Hetfordshire promoter after growing frustrated at a lack of further activity.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games heavyweight gold medallist is now an unaffiliated fighter and is working with Rothwell-based trainer Michael Marsden following spells with Mark Tibbs in London and Peter Cope in Hartlepool.

The 28-year-old will be going over old ground when he faces his former opponent Moses Matovu at the First Direct Arena in his first contest over six rounds, but is so happy with the career choices he has made that he feels he can now start going places.

“I can’t wait for next week, it feels like I’m making my professional debut, again” Vallily said.

“I’ve made these decisions because I think they are best for my career.

“I can get out regularly now, because I’m not tied down to one promotional banner.

“I left Frank Warren on good terms, so I could still end up fighting on one of his shows in future.

“It’s time to get some momentum going now.”

Vallily has opted to link up with Marsden’s Leeds stable - which includes IBF bantamweight champion Stuart Hall - after a recommendation from former Commonwealth featherweight champion Paul Truscott.

“I was going to go back down to London to train with Don Charles, because I’ve been part of Dereck Chisora’s last four camps and he has been flying lately,” he said.

“But as soon as I worked with Mick, some of the padwork and things he told me embedded in me straight away.

“I got a bit of excitement because I know he can make me into a top fighter.

“I’m driving backwards and forwards to Leeds but it’s not a chore. Every time I drive home I feel like I’ve learned something, so it’s a journey worth making.

“I think Mick is the perfect trainer for me up here, and he has got loads of contacts for sparring and everything.”

Vallily wants to repay his supporters and sponsors with an impressive performance next week for the faith they continued to show him during a stop-start career opening.

“My supporters and sponsors, Chris Andrews at Acklam Car Centre and webuyanyhouse.com, have stuck by me even when things weren’t going to plan,” he said.

“It’s much appreciated and I want to pay them back with a good performance against Matovu.

“He is strong and is always there, but we’ve been working on some new things and I’m looking forward to showing them.”

Vallily’s return could be televised as Sky Sports are showing live coverage of the 10-bout show next Wednesday, which features Josh Warrington defending the Commonwealth featherweight title against Martin Lindsay in the main event.

STEVE Wraith’s small hall show at Gateshead Leisure Centre on Saturday night consists of nine fights and is headlined by the British Masters bronze title fight between ‘Birtley Bullet’ Robert Dixon against namesake Tony Dixon.

Gifted West Rainton prospect Tommy Ward is among the other North-east boxers who will be throwing down. Tickets are £30 standard and £50 ringside.

MIDDLESBROUGH ABC flyweight Joe Maphosa has been invited to attend a GB Development Squad selection camp in Sheffield from June 6-8, following his second successive run to the ABA semi-finals.

RESULTS from the Tyne, Tees and Wear Junior ABA Finals at Rainton Meadows Arena: Class A, 48kg: Peter Smith (Phil Thomas SOB) beat Ben Marksby (Darlington) split pts; 75kg: Ben Jarvis (Redcar) beat Reece Amir (Sunderland) split pts.

Semi-Final Result, Class B 57kg: Joe Ferguson (Wellington) lost Dominic Ross (South Durham) split pts.

Tearful evidence of Rolf Harris accuser who says 'dirty old man' assaulted her 'out of nowhere'

An alleged victim of Rolf Harris has broken down in tears as she told a jury the entertainer assaulted her “out of nowhere”.

The woman, giving evidence from behind a screen at Southwark Crown Court, claims Harris molested her when she went to get his autograph at a community centre near Portsmouth at one point between 1968 and 1970.

She told the jury that when she got to the front of the queue, Harris crouched down, signed her piece of paper and then touched her bottom and vagina.

“He was looking at me, smiling, and I was smiling, looking excited, and suddenly out of nowhere I felt his hand go down the back and up between my legs,” the woman told the court.

She said she thought the first time might have been an accident, but claimed he did it a second time “aggressively”.

“It was very quick,” the woman said. “In fact so quick that I thought, ’what’s happened?’. The first time I thought, no, not deliberate. I thought, ’what’s going on?’, because there were a lot of people around and I didn’t process what had happened.

“He seemed such a nice man, I thought probably it was just an accident.”

But then Harris allegedly touched her again, “aggressively and forcefully”.

“It didn’t matter if it was going to hurt me or not. It felt very agressive and I knew that it wasn’t an accident,” she said.

The woman, who is 52, said she thought, “whoa, I just need to get away”. Breaking down, she told the court she “wasn’t the same child” after the alleged abuse.

When asked how long she had memories of it, she said: “Forever. I can hear a song or something from that era and go straight back. I can shut my eyes and go straight back.”

Harris, in a light grey checked suit, with a white shirt and yellow tie, listened impassively from the glass-walled dock as the woman gave evidence.

His wife Alwen did not attend court today, but other family members watched from the public gallery.

The woman said she remembered the alleged incident taking place around the time of the moon landing, and that Harris had performed Two Little Boys at the event.

She had not seen an autograph book before, but a friend gave her a piece of paper so she could queue up with other fans.

She said: “He leaned into me and wrote on it, and I took the piece of paper and the next I know I felt his hand.

“He was very, very close, he was leaning into me. I thought he was being accommodating to a small child.”

The woman said she could not call out about what had happened. “I understood that it was wrong. I wanted to scream out, ’what are you doing?’, but it didn’t come out.

“I didn’t know how to put it into words. He scared me because he was looking at me all the time. His eyes were fixed and I kind of backed away, and I sat on a chair trying to process what was going on and looking at him carrying on as if nothing had happened.”

She recalled Harris having “big hairy hands”.

The court heard that the woman told her family, husband and friends about the claimed abuse.

She said: “Whenever Rolf Harris was on the telly I couldn’t watch it, so people in the room had to know why and I would tell them why. My children grew up knowing why and my husband knew and my friends knew why.”

The woman said when she told her husband, “I said Rolf Harris was a dirty old man because he had put his hand on my bottom and between my legs when I was a little girl.”

When Harris was named as having been arrested under sex crimes inquiry Operation Yewtree in the Sun in April last year, she sent her husband a text message to say, “I told you so”, the court heard.

In a statement read to the court, the woman’s husband recalled the first time she told him about the alleged abuse, saying: “I was shocked when she told me this, I had always liked Rolf Harris and I was taken aback when she told me.”

Another statement was read from a counsellor who also said the woman told her about the claims. Defending, Sonia Woodley QC put it to the woman that Rolf Harris had never been to the community centre in question, but the woman denied this.

In re-examination, prosecutor Sasha Wass QC asked her what she had to gain by lying. She said: “Nothing to gain whatsoever except for closure on the incident that happened to me.”

Harris is accused of a total of 12 counts of indecent assault on four alleged victims between 1968 and 1986, all of which he denies.

The earliest count relates to the woman who gave evidence this morning, and said she felt she had gone out of her body after the claimed abuse.

“I think I went into some sort of moment where you are just out of your body and you’re just thinking ’whoa I need to get away’,” she told the court.

Ms Woodley said if the alleged victim was indecently touched, that it was not Harris who did it.

She told the woman: “If it happened, I am suggesting to you it was not Rolf Harris who did it.”

The witness replied: “It was Rolf Harris.”

The court heard from a man called David Thomas James, who says he visited the community centre to get autographs for his children, who were aged 10 and 12, when Harris came there after opening a shop in around 1967.

Ms Woodley put it to him that Harris had only been there to open a shop in Portsmouth in 1978, and later visited in 1983, but the witness denied this.

A second man also said he remembered Harris visiting the area in the late 1960s, as well as various other high profile figures including actor Sid James, television presenter and musician Roy Castle and politician Margaret Thatcher.

Web tv: Anxiety clinic – how to spot the signs and how to treat it

Log on to our live and interactive web TV show where anxiety expert Dave Woodward gives up-to-date medical information on the causes, symptoms and latest cures, while anxiety sufferer Zoey Funnel tells her story

An estimated one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime, but while most people associate mental illness with depression, many of us are unaware that anxiety is one of the most common forms of mental illness.

While all of us at some point will experience worries and anxieties over things happening in our lives, living in a constant state of anxiety is an altogether more serious and debilitating state of mind, and long term and sustained anxiety can lead to a whole host of medical problems, both physical and mental.

New research by benenden health shows that as a nation we think women are more likely than men to suffer from anxiety disorders, in reality this is absolutely true and in particular, women over 60 are more likely than any other age group to be hospitalised from the condition.

But how do you know whether your anxiety is a normal part of life or whether it has become a serious problem?

Log on to our live and interactive web TV show where Dave Woodward, Insight Healthcare anxiety expert outlines the symptoms and signs of anxiety, the health implications of the condition, giving advice on how to cure anxiety as well as answering all your questions.

Zoey Funnel, an anxiety sufferer also talks about her experiences of living with the condition and also the methods she used to treat her illness.

We'll give it our best, promises Redcar Bears chief Jitendra Duffill

Redcar Bears will give everything they've got to make up a 20-point deficit against Berwick Bandits at South Tees Motorsports Park

Team boss Jitendra Duffill admits his Redcar Bears team will have a monumental battle to make up a 20-point deficit in tonight’s Tees Tweed Trophy decider.

But he says they’ll give everything they have got to turn it around when they take on Berwick Bandits at South Tees Motorsports Park this evening (7.30pm start).

And in any case, he says the meeting represents the perfect opportunity to build confidence ahead of the resumption of their Premier League campaign at Somerset on Friday.

Rookie racers Rafal Konopka and Luke Crang are the pair who will especially benefit, says Duffill.

The Ecco Finishing Bears were beaten 57-37 in the Borders in thr first leg on their opening night of the season and stage their home leg tonight after it was originally rained off in March.

“Twenty points is a big ask,” admitted Duffill, “we don’t win too many matches by that many, but we’ll give it our best shot as we always do.

“We’ll be aiming for a win because it’s important we keep our good home record going because it will ensure our confidence stays high.

“It’s a big chance for the lads to get some points under their belts without the pressure of it being a league match.

“It will be good experience for Rafal and Luke because getting a few points on the board will increase their confidence - every meeting they ride will help them improve and better themselves.”

The Bears enjoyed a 20-point home victory over Newcastle earlier in the season so the prospect of getting their hands on the trophy is not completely out of the question.

“It is possible,” agreed Duffill, whose side beat Plymouth last time but bowed out of the KO Cup on aggregate “although it’s going to need everyone riding at their absolute top form.

“Berwick have a stong squad although their No 1 (Kevin Doolan) is not as strong as our No 1 (Richard Lawson) so we have to take advantage of that.

“It’s got going to be easy, so we have to get stuck into them straight away - we can’t take our time getting into the meeting as we have done on occasions at home this season.”

Duffill’s point about the respective No 1s was underlined in last month’s home League Cup defeat to Sheffield when Doolan guested for the unavilable Lawson and scored seven points from four rides - less than the Bears’ spearhead has recorded in any of his matches for the club this year.

But Doolan is a former Bears rider and knows his way around the STMP track - as does another former Redcar favourite, Matej Kus.

The former Czech champion joined Berwick this season after beingt left out of the Bears’ plans for 2014 and is enjoying a decent campaign so far.

“We know what Matej is capable of,” said Duffill. “The only thing that has held him back is confidence, which is a huge thing for a speedway rider.

“It’s quite easy to lose confidence, especially when you’ve had a couple of knocks, but Matej’s confidence has been quite high this season and I’m sure

he’ll want to prove a point to Redcar.”

The main event is followed by first leg of the Northern Junior League KO Cup final between Castleford and Berwick.

BEARS: Aaron Summers, Carl Wilkinson, Hugh Skidmore, Jan Graversen, Luke Crang, Rafal Konopka, Richard Lawson.

Bandits: David Bellego, Liam Carr, Kevin Doolan, Steen Jensen, Matej Kus, Claus Vissing, Matt Wethers.

Dream Home: Space and charm at £635,000 five-bedroom executive style Wynyard home

Beautiful Cawthorne Place in Wynyard was the former show home at the Kensington Mansions setting

Beautiful interiors, relaxing views, spacious, contemporary rooms and a location on one of the North-east’s most exclusive estates - is there anything else you could ask of a dream home?

Not for the owners of this week’s property for all of the above, and more, were what made them want to make Cawthorne Place, Wynyard the place they wanted to live.

They fell in love with their five-bedroom executive style home from the get go and have loved living in what was the former show home at the Kensington Mansions setting.

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Dream Home: Cawthorne Place, Wynyard

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“It was a brand new house when we moved in,” explains the owner.

“The development consisted of a very few houses.

“One of our favourite rooms is the orangery because it is open plan and it looks onto the country park.

“It is south facing and is always sunny and tranquil.”

Its charm goes much further than that, though. The former show home came with a stunning high spec interior with perfect, ready to move in to rooms that included underfloor heating on the ground floor, solid oak doors and sumptuous bathroom suites as well as a high grade kitchen.

The relaxed, open plan living space at the back, adds the owner, and the more formal rooms at the front give the house plenty of versatile living space.

The entrance hall has porcelain tiles and sets the scene for the rest of the house with a light and airy feel.

The 22ft formal lounge has a focal point in the shape of a stylish fireplace, double doors from here lead through to the dining room which is another spacious room at 14ft by 14ft.

The kitchen comes next - in here you’ll find a range of fitted units with granite work surfaces, a built in wine cooler, double range style oven with a chimney hood and a built in microwave and dishwasher.

There’s a breakfast bar too.a

One of the owner’s favourite things about the house is the downstairs space - in particular the kitchen, family room and garden room which prove to be ‘hub of the home’ type spaces perfect for relaxing and taking in the views out over the garden and parkland.

The second lounge/family room has double doors overlooking the garden and the garden room/orangery is south facing to let the light flood in.

Upstairs, the galleried landing leads to five bedrooms and family bathroom.

The master suite has a dressing area and en suite fitted with a luxurious bathroom suite, bedroom two also has an en suite.

The family bathroom is fitted with a contemporary suite featuring a double shower cubicle and wall mounted wash hand basin with mixer taps.

Outside, there’s a large driveway leading to the triple detached garage. The sunny, south facing rear garden has a patio area and looks out over parkland.

“It is such a warm house,” adds the owner.

“Wynyard is a lovely place to live. It is very close to transport links, the village has enough amenities and it is also close to Darlington, Middlesbrough and Teesside Park if needed.

“Wynyard Hall is absolutely beautiful too.”

Relocating for work has meant the owners have put their property on the market. If they could take their home with them, they add, they would.

The Cawthorne Place home is on the market for £635,000. For more information, contact the Billingham office of estate agent Manners and Harrison on 01642 555888.

More Dream Homes

£895,000 Guisborough home full of charm and acre of own gardens

Delightful spaces inside and out at £825,000 five bedroom Stokesley house

Stylish £595,000 Folly with feel for family living in Hutton Rudby

Charm in abundance at quirky barn conversion in village of Potto

Games room, gym and sauna at five-bedroom £649,995 Wynyard house

All about the views at £649,950 five-bedroom Kirklevington house

£600k five-bed Nunthorpe property was once a school

Watch: Child is saved by his cat after attacked by a dog

Warning: Graphic content: The young boy was left with deep wounds in his legs in the attack

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

This shocking video shows a child being rescued by a cat when he was attacked by a dog.

Four-year-old Jeremy is filmed on CCTV playing innocently on his bicycle when a camera from another angle spots the dog heading towards him.

The dog - which belongs to a neighbour - looks under the car at the boy then wanders round, launching its attack in Southwest Bakersfield, California.

It grabs the boy's leg, pulling him to the ground, and shaking him vigorously before the cat leaps into action.

The cat, named Tara, jumps at the dog, startling it, his mother Erica Triantafilo, who was watering trees nearby, pulls him to safety.

The boy's father, Roger, posted the footage online. He said: "My cat defends my son during a vicious dog attack and runs the dog off before he can do additional damage. Thankfully, my son is fine!"

Jeremy had to have stitches following the attack, but otherwise he is doing well according to ABC23.

Jeremy said: "Tara is my hero."

Bakersfield police said the attacking dog, identified as an 8-month-old Labrador-Chow mix, had been surrendered by its owner's family after the Tuesday afternoon attack and was in quarantine and would ultimately be put down.

Police spokesman Sergeant Joseph Grubbs said the dog's owners, who live in the same neighbourhood as the boy, said the dog did not like children or bicycles.

He did not identify the owner by name.

Polio breaks out after the US breaks trust

Only two diseases have ever been completely eradicated worldwide: smallpox and rinderpest. But hopes for eradicating a third have dimmed with the World Health Organization’s announcement that the spread of polio has become a global health emergency.

After over 25 years of eradication campaigns, polio had been beaten back into only a handful of countries, and, by 2012, polio was eliminated or in sharp decline in all but three countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. But, as the virus has come roaring back, the WHO has set travel restrictions on new hotspots. Residents of Pakistan, Syria, and Cameroon are advised not to leave their countries unless they have been vaccinated against the disease and cannot carry it beyond their borders.

Pakistan is the cradle of the resurgent polio. Of the 74 cases of wild polio reported this year to date, 59 occurred in Pakistan. The increasing prevalence isn’t due to a new mutation or drug resistance; the resistance is coming from the Pakistani people, not the microorganisms that live inside them.

The vaccinators lost moral credibility when, in order to confirm the identity of Osama bin Laden prior to his assassination, the United States ran a fake hepatitis vaccination campaign in Abbottabad. Although doctors claimed they were going door to door to give inoculations, the blood draws they conducted were used for DNA tests to discover whether any relatives of bin Laden were living in town.

After Seal Team Six carried out their mission, some Taliban leaders banned vaccinations in the regions under their control and over a dozen vaccinators were murdered, forcing Pakistan to put its eradication campaign on hold. The doctor who conducted the operation was arrested by Pakistan’s own intelligence agency and held on charges of treason.

The doctor was accused of betraying his country to serve another government, but the United States itself came under fire for betraying the medical community and putting public health at risk. Scientific American excoriated the United States for disrupting and profaning a historically neutral and altruistic profession. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) said that the CIA operation was a “grave manipulation of the medical act” and endangered the lifesaving work doctors conducted around the globe.

If doctors could be spies in disguise, how could nations welcome them in? if they could be doubling as spies, assassins, or gun runners?

Ease of modern travel helps disease spread more rapidly; one sick patient in an airport or a subway hub is enough to send ripples of illness around the world. In order to check these diseases, public health officials need to be entering any country to set up quarantines and dispense inoculations. The United States has shattered the trust placed in medical workers, and polio may not be the last of the threats we face as a result.

This month, the first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a deadly respiratory infection, was identified in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been working to retrace the American Patient Zero’s steps, so they can treat and quarantine the people he exposed, before the disease can root itself in America. However, unless the illness is also checked abroad, the CDC may need to repeat these actions ad nauseam.

Along the border of Thailand and Myanmar, epidemiologists are working desperately to contain a strain of drug-resistant malaria. This strain must be eradicated, if we want to be able to continue using the current generation of antimalarials, but one of the scientists on the project expects that the strain will nevertheless cross over to India, and, from there, the rest of the world within four years. Waiting until the disease has spread far enough to threaten us directly will mean waiting until it is too late to contain.

Combating these diseases requires more than a team of elite commandos. Turning back a pandemic, whether of natural or human origins, requires international coordination and trust. America’s covert operations have broken that trust and put us all in danger.

GJH/ISH

Driver claims he didn't know 'laser jammer' on Aston Martin was designed to thwart police speed detectors

Stockton man Eric Craggs told a jury he thought the device was only designed to alert him to the presence of speed cameras

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Gallery: Eric Craggs

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A driver claims he had no knowledge a “laser jammer” fitted to the front of his Aston Martin car was designed to thwart police speed detectors.

Eric Craggs, of Junction Road, Stockton, took to the witness stand yesterday at Teesside Crown Court and told a jury he thought the device was only designed to alert him to the presence of speed cameras.

He denies perverting the course of justice.

Mr Craggs said that during a service at Stratstone Aston Martin garage in Houghton-le-Spring in 2009, he had asked for a device to be fitted “which would talk to me when a speed camera was close by” - but when he collected the car, two devices had been fitted and invoiced.

One, the “laser jammer” which scrambles police speed check guns, had a green LED light operated by a switch, and made a screeching noise whenever the car was close to a wall. It was fitted underneath the registration plate at the front of the car.

Mr Craggs said: “It broke very quickly, and I was glad because it was annoying.

“I had no idea it was a ‘laser jammer’. I had no idea what they were.

“I had assumed the garage had fitted two devices to do the job.”

Prosecuting, Andrew Walker asked why, if the device was unwanted and not working, did he not ask the garage for a refund - and continue to have the car serviced there until 2012.

Mr Craggs said he was a busy man and it was “water under the bridge” to him.

The court had heard that in August 2013 PC Lorraine Williams was in Central Avenue, Billingham, and could not record the speed of Mr Craggs’ Aston Martin with a speed gun.

PC Williams had remembered a similar instance with the same car in April 2011 along the same stretch of road, which is a speeding hotspot.

Proceeding

Tata Steel in £360m fightback as bosses target profits

Global steel producer recorded group profits of £360m for 2013-14 ending March 31, on the back of major losses the previous year

Tata Steel has announced a “marked improvement in profitability”.

The global steel producer, which employs around 1,500 at sites in Redcar, Hartlepool and Skinningrove, recorded group profits of £360m for 2013-14 ending March 31, on the back of major losses the previous year.

Indian-based Tata’s European operations suffered a loss of EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) £16m - a significant improvement compared with previous year losses of £283m.

European steel demand is set to increase; but Tata Steel’s Europe boss Dr Karl-Ulrich Köhler has said efforts must be intensified to achieve sustainable financial performance”.

He said: “Europe appears to be entering a phase of solid economic growth, which is supporting a recovery in steel demand.

“But EU steel use will remain at low levels historically against a background of continuing global overcapacity.

“Faced with these challenges, we will intensify our efforts to achieve sustainable financial performance by continuing to improve the support and services we offer our customers and maintaining our focus on costs and operational efficiency.”

Tata Europe’s “market differentiation strategy”, to attract better returns by manufacturing high value, in-demand products that few rivals are making, has proved a success and the division has also achieved £200m in cost savings.

Dr Köhler added: “The key to last year was our relentless focus on operational reliability, which restored our asset base and enabled our production to return to more usual levels. Our financial performance improved as a result. At the same time we advanced our high-quality portfolio programme, launching 30 new products as promised and increasing sales of new products by more than 75%.”

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Koushik Chatterjee, group executive director, said: “If you look at some of the results from our peer group across the world, this overall group performance has been perhaps one of the best in the industry in this quarter.

“There are key factors that led to this improved performance. In Europe, the asset base has produced 15% higher liquid steel than previously, reflecting work done last year.

“There is improved underlying performance in European operations, despite lower margins.

“European demand has grown the last two quarters and forecast to grow 3.9% this quarter.

“These are welcome signs of recovery, but it should be remembered that it’s moving from a very low base.

“The company can’t rely on the market as it pursues sustainable financial performance, hence the market differentiation strategy, and achieving further operational improvements in other key areas.”

Last year the company suffered losses amounting to more than double this year’s profits, after being battered by a major impairment charge, falling steel prices and demand, and competition from cheap imports.

Despite the predicted increase in European steel demand, levels are still expected to be around 27% lower than the 2007 peak.

But steel union Community has slammed the figures, and is calling for action on spiralling energy costs that put Tata and other UK manufacturers at a disadvantage compared to foreign rivals.

Roy Rickhuss, general secretary for steel union Community said: “These results suggest the economic recovery the government keeps talking about isn’t reaching the UK’s steel sector.

“Steelworkers are continuing to hit the production targets that Tata Steel has made a goal for its European operations and our members are continuing to deliver in a difficult market.

“What is clear is that government action on industrial energy costs is required now and that further delays will continue to put the UK at a competitive disadvantage.”

Ingleby Barwick heart op girl Evie Clasper faces long road to recovery after life-saving transplant

Evoe Clasper's mum Dawn says says the signs are encouraging but the journey will be a long one for her daughter

Little Evie Clasper is doing well but faces a long road to recovery after her lifesaving heart transplant.

The brave three-year-old underwent the heart op she desperately needed at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital last month.

Evie, who will be four next month and is due to start school this year, was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition where the left side of the vital organ does not develop properly.

Mum Dawn, 42, a community nurse who lives in Ingleby Barwick, says the signs are encouraging but the journey will be a long one for Evie.

Dawn said: “They have put the tracheostomy back in. They think the new heart is a little bit sluggish. The heart is having to work extra to get the whole body working properly.”

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Gallery: Evie Clasper

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This is perhaps not surprising given everything that Evie’s body has had to endure.

Dawn said: “To be honest she was dying. She was so ill. I just think her body is going to take a long time to recover from that.”

Dawn said there were signs of improvement. “She is smiling a bit more, she is not as tired. She is tolerating it better and better every day. You can see small bits of improvement with her, which is lovely to see.”

Although her family hasn’t been given a definite timeframe, Evie is likely to stay in hospital for some months yet - including her fourth birthday on June 30. Dawn said she was initially “very upset” by Evie having to spend her birthday in hospital. “Then I took a step back and thought, ‘My little girl is here, I am lucky’.

“Obviously as a family we are forever indebted to the staff at the Freeman Hospital.

“We are thinking about the other children who are still waiting for that precious heart. Our journey is halfway through, some people are just starting.”

Dawn, who has three other children, Daniel, 14, Megan, 12, and Daisy, five, said Evie has a place at Barleyfields School in Ingleby Barwick.

She said: “She is supposed to start school in September but I don’t know whether it is going to have to be delayed. She might start later.

“I am very optimistic and I am looking forward to the future. It is just a long road to travel to get there.”

Meanwhile Yvonne Hall, a friend of Dawn’s, is holding a fundraising disco at Crazy Corner, Teesside Industrial Estate, on June 20 to support Evie and her family.

Yvonne, of Ingleby Barwick, said she felt she needed to do something after going to see Evie in hospital. “Obviously I knew she wasn’t well but when I saw her I got a massive shock. To be honest I couldn’t sleep for nights afterwards.”

Childminder Yvonne decided to do a skydive. She explained: “I am petrified of heights, so this is a massively difficult thing for me to do. I feel that I had to do something that would be extremely difficult so that I was actually worth sponsoring.”

Yvonne, who will be 33 on Saturday, will be doing the skydive on June 28 in aid of the Children’s Heart Unit Fund .

See http://ift.tt/1ji2gyo and the Facebook page CHUF - Sky Dive for Evie.

Number of people out of work on Teesside falls by more than 1,000

Drop of 1,063 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, but across the North-east region unemployment increased by 5,000

The number of people out of work on Teesside has fallen by more than 1,000.

Last month 21,224 people were claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance compared with 22,287 in March - a drop of 1,063 - according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

But across the North-east region unemployment increased by 5,000 in the quarter to March.

According to the ONS a total of 135,000 people were unemployed in the region between January and March. The region’s unemployment rate was 10.1% - the highest in the country - and saw a rise of 3.8% during the period.

Local unemployment figures for Teesside are: Middlesbrough 5,500 (6.2%), Stockton 5,457 (4.4%), Redcar and Cleveland 4,104 (4.9%), Hartlepool 3,422 (5.9%) and Darlington 2,741 (4.2%).

Nationwide, the number of people in work has reached a record high after further falls in unemployment.

More than 30.4 million people are now in work - the highest since records began in 1971 - while self-employment has also reached a record high of 4.5 million.

The number of people working for themselves jumped by 183,000 in the quarter, compared with a rise of 375,000 over the past year.

Unemployment has fallen by 133,000 to 2.2 million, the lowest for five years, giving a jobless rate of 6.8%.

The Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants fell by 25,100 in April to 1.12 million.

Jonathan Woodgate: 'Burnley are a fantastic example of what Boro need to do'

Jonathan Woodgate has hailed the example of Burnley as what it takes to get promoted from the Championsip

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Jonathan Woodgate

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Jonathan Woodgate believes battling Burnley should be the template as Boro prepare a promotion bid for next term.

The skipper says the Clarets, who went up in second, are a great model for ambitious Boro.

Ironically Aitor Karanka’s side beat Burnley home and away - but their industry and organisation in every department took a team built on the cheap to success, and that’s what Woodgate admires.

“Burnley are a fantastic example of what you need to get out of the Championship,” he said. “You need consistency and the team to work together in every single game.

“Individuals don’t win the league, that’s proven. It’s the best teams that go up every time. It’s a team game, it’s a team ethic and Burnley have proved that.”

And Woodgate believes Boro are taking the first steps towards that model.

“I think we’ve made a lot of progress under the new manager,” he said. “But next year will be important because he will have everything in place, he’ll have his own squad together.

“I think he’s done a good job up to now and we’ve made great strides but next year will be better. We’ve done some things well but you can always improve as a team.

“And I’m sure we’ll strengthen the squad as we do every summer. The chairman always backs his managers.”

Thursday's morning news headlines - Hospitals 'failing' dying patients, Cameron pushes case for no vote

HOSPITALS ’FAILING’ DYING PATIENTS

Hospitals are ”falling short” on providing proper care to dying people in their final days and hours, a new review has found.

There are ”significant” variations in care provided by hospitals across England, according to the National Care of the Dying Audit for Hospitals.

Around half of all deaths in England occur in hospital.

CAMERON PUSHES CASE FOR NO VOTE

David Cameron has invoked the memory of former Labour leader John Smith as he campaigns to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom.

The Tory Prime Minister hailed Mr Smith - who died 20 years ago - as a ”proud Scot” who wanted what was best for his country.

Crucially, he said the former Labour leader understood that ”wanting to be part of something bigger does not make you any less Scottish”.

GOVE AND LAWS DENY RIFT ON MEALS

Education Secretary Michael Gove and Lib Dem schools minister David Laws have presented a united front in relation to free school meals.

The introduction in September of free school meals for all infant-age children is a policy that has ”true cross-party support”, they said in a joint article in The Times.

The show of unity comes following reports of serious official concerns about the scheme within Whitehall.

SCHOOLS PRODUCING ’AMORAL CHILDREN’

Schools are turning out ”amoral” children because they are failing to teach them right from wrong, according to a leading headmaster.

Too much time in many state schools is spent on academic studies, leaving youngsters missing out on a rounded education, Richard Walden, chair of the Independent Schools Association (ISA) argued.

Speaking at the ISA’s annual conference in Warwickshire, Mr Walden is expected to warn that teachers working in state schools are being ”overwhelmed” by the pressure to get good results and this is distracting them from teaching pupils good values.

MILIBAND VOW ON ’CLOCK-WATCH CARE’

Ed Miliband pledged to ”call time on clock-watch care” by taking action to end the practice of visits lasting just 15 minutes or less.

He said Labour would work with cash-strapped councils to ensure longer slots were guaranteed and improve conditions for ”exploited” carers.

It is one of the recommendations of a study carried out for him by Labour peer Baroness Kingsmill into the impact of poor industry standards on users.

STEPHEN’S CHARITY TOTAL HITS £3.5M

Inspirational cancer charity fundraiser Stephen Sutton who died yesterday has now raised more than £3.5 million.

The death of the 19-year-old prompted countless tributes from political leaders, sports stars and celebrities who backed his campaign to help the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Stephen, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, died early yesterday, three days after being re-admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties caused by a regrowth of his tumours.

NIGERIA KIDNAP EXCHANGE ’RULED OUT’

The Nigerian government is ruling out an exchange of more than 200 abducted schoolgirls for detained Islamic militants, according to a British Foreign Office minister.

Mark Simmonds said Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has ”made it very clear that there will be no negotiation with Boko Haram that involves a swap of abducted schoolgirls for prisoners”.

But Mr Simmonds, who is visiting Nigeria for talks, said after a meeting with President Jonathan that Nigeria’s government will talk to the militants on reconciliation.

HAGUE TO DISCUSS MINE TRAGEDY HELP

Britain will discuss what help it can provide to Turkey in dealing with the mining disaster which has killed more than 270 workers.

Foreign Secretary William Hague will hold talks with his Turkish counterpart in London today, where he is attending international talks on Syria.

The death toll has swelled to 274, and 150 workers are still trapped underground in what is the country’s worst such disaster.

’LEVEL PLAYING FIELD’ FOR IVF CALL

The health watchdog has called for an end to the postcode lottery of fertility treatments in England.

Last year the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) set out a list of treatments that should be available to those seeking help with conception on the NHS.

But it has emerged that many organisations are not providing all of these treatments - for instance it is recommended that infertile couples are offered three full cycles of IVF treatment, but figures have shown that many local health bodies are providing just one, or none at all.

WEEKEND SUNSHINE BONANZA FORECAST

This weekend could see Britons basking in the sun on the hottest day of the year so far.

Uninterrupted sunshine meant the mercury soared to 22C (71.6F) in Aviemore, Scotland, on April 28 marking a 2014 high - but it is expected to get hotter this weekend, according to a Met Office meteorologist.

Mark Wilson said: ”We are going to see a day by day increase in the temperatures. Through the course of today I think we could quite easily see 21C, possibly 22C, in the South East.

Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

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