It’s a start and Finnish job for Redcar Bears marshal Barry Simpson

Take a close look at the startline during tonight’s first ever Finnish Grand Prix and you’ll spot a familiar face

Take a close look at the startline during tonight’s first ever Finnish Grand Prix and you’ll spot a familiar face.

That’s because Redcar Bears start marshal Barry Simpson has been called up to do the job at this evening’s World Championship round in Tampere.

It’s not the first time Barry, a former speedway and grass track rider himself, has been on Grand Prix duty, having twice officiated at the British Grand Prix at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

But it’s the first time he’s been handed the job at an overseas meeting because no Grand Prix has ever enlisted the services of a foreign start marshal before.

And the Carlton-born 54-year-old, who now lives in Stockton, is rightly proud at what he says is a big honour.

“I’ve always fancied doing a foreign or European GP,” said Barry, whose company Simpson Racing UK is a former sponsor of the Bears and has also backed numerous riders.

“To be the first overseas start marshal at a Grand Prix is a great honour so I’m very happy.

“Jarno Kosonen and Kai Laukkanen, the organisers, are two good guys so I’m delighted they asked me.”

The crowd at the 16,800-seat Ratina Stadium will be far greater than Barry is accustomed to at Redcar.

The meeting will be beamed live into millions of homes too as the world’s top riders do battle. But Barry says he won’t be fazed by the experience.

“The biggest difference is the crowd and the expectation of people as well as what you put upon yourself,” he said.

“The referees are very critical and we have a briefing talk with the referee prior to the GP when he will indicate how he wants things doing.

“Last time at Cardiff in 2012 was not so much a problem because the referee was Krister Gardell who I’ve got to know quite well and is the ref tonight.

“He’s a really nice guy and a very good referee and the feedback he gave me was brilliant.

“When you get that feedback it must say you’re doing something right.

“You’re aware of the crowd but you settle into it. Even the cameras don’t become obtrusive - you tend to forget they are there.

“You’re so focussed on what you’re doing that it goes relatively quickly.

“I take it all in. I look around, look at the crowd and have that feeling that you’re lucky to be there. It’s just another meeting in a way - you’re just doing the job at a higher level.”

Another first in Finland is that Heather McNeilly, who will share startline duties with Barry, will be the first female to do the job in a Grand Prix.

Heather has helped Barry at South Tees Motorsports Park this season and stood in for him for the Premier League match against Glasgow.

“I’ll be there to give her some advice and guidance with my experience from doing Cardiff twice,” he said.

Kryzysztof Kasprzak - ruled out tonight by injury - leads the standings with 35 points from Nicki Pedersen (24pts) and Chris Holder (22pts). Britain’s reigning champ Tai Woffinden is 13th with 12 points.

Live coverage starts at 4.45pm on British Eurosport.

Keep cool Redcar Bears boss tells rising star Rafal Konopka

Rising Polish star Rafal Konopka has been urged to stay focused as he looks to make his mark in the Premier League

Rising Polish star Rafal Konopka has been urged to stay focused as he looks to make his mark in the Premier League.

Konopka was initially signed by Redcar Bears as a short term replacement for the suspended Richard Hall but was kept on after some impressive displays.

But he has had several falls since then while dicing for positions, possibly the result of simply trying too hard.

He went down twice while in points-scoring positions in the Ecco Finishing Bears’ 49-40 Tees Tweed Trophy win over Berwick on Thursday.

The first of those was while on course for a 5-1 with team-mate Carl Wilkinson.

“I think he needs to calm down a little bit,” said team manager Jitendra Duffill.

“He’s trying a little bit too hard - there’s no fault with a rider trying and wanting to pass people ahead of him but he hasn’t quite got the experience yet.

“He is costing us points at the moment and a third place is better than a fall.

“Sometimes I think he needs to just reel it in a little bit, use his head a bit more and make sure he finishes the race because if he lands on his backside it’s not going to do his confidence or his bikes any good.”

The Bears’ win over Berwick was not enough to claw back a 20-point gap from the first leg and the trophy went north.

Carl Wilkinson (12) and Jan Graversen (11+1) led the scorers, the latter winning three races and again demonstrating what an excellent signing he was.

And Duffill was encouraged, saying: “We were six points down early on so it wasn’t looking good then.

“But on the night we won by nine which, had it been a league meeting, would have given us all three points.

“It was always going to be a mountain to climb to pull back that sort of deficit but it was still a good performance.

“The top four and Jan Graversen did a good job.”

80 pupils confirmed to start in first year at Ingleby Manor Free School

Directors at a free school opening this year are confident of welcoming a full intake of children – with 80 already confirmed to start

Directors at a free school opening this year are confident of welcoming a full intake of children – with 80 already confirmed to start.

Ingleby Manor Free School, which will open in a temporary building in September, can accommodate up to 120 Year 7 students when it opens.

Louise Stephens, a director of Ingleby Manor Free School Trust, said: “We have 80 children ready to start this year, and we expect that to increase.

“More parents have listed schools like All Saints and Egglescliffe as a first preference than there are places available.

“I can understand why so many parents would want to send their children to established schools like those two, and others in the area, and we are not trying to directly compete with them.

“Our school day is very different, for example, it runs from 8.30am until 4.30pm.

“When we open, more people will have the free school as their first choice, especially as we move into our permanent building in 2015. We now have senior leadership and staff in place.”

Parents list their three choices of school in order of preference.

In the Stockton borough, only 88.68% of 2,040 applicants received a place at their first choice secondary school for 2014 – with 97.3% granted one of their top three preferences.

Ann McCoy, Stockton Council’s cabinet member for children and young people, last November questioned the money being spent to convert an industrial unit on Teesside Industrial Estate, Thornaby, into a temporary facility for “so few” – after just 40 parents listed the school as their first choice.

Plans for the free school in Ingleby Barwick were approved in September after planning permission had been rejected by Labour-run Stockton Council.

Free schools can be set up by members of the community but are funded by taxpayers, free to attend and not controlled by a local authority.

The development is for a new secondary school, sixth form and 350 homes to be built on a site at Low Lane, High Leven.

Court hears cannabis stored in Stockton man's house to pay off cocaine debt

A man was caught storing cannabis with a street value of more than £35,000 in his house to pay off a £2,000 cocaine debt, a court heard

A man was caught storing cannabis with a street value of more than £35,000 in his house to pay off a £2,000 cocaine debt, a court heard.

Police had searched the house of Andrew Bennett, 23, last year and found more than three and a half kilograms of the Class B drug and around £7,367 in cash.

Bennett, of Benson Street, Stockton, had pleaded guilty to possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply and driving while disqualified at Teesside Crown Court.

Prosecuting, Rachel Masters told the court that in May last year, Bennett had been disqualified from driving.

In June, Bennett rented a BMW car using an Irish driving licence and was stopped by police on Normanby Road, in South Bank, in August.

Police found a knuckle duster in the car and arrested Bennett, who gave his name and a false date of birth. When police discovered this, they cautioned him further and searched his property.

Ms Masters said: “Police could immediately smell cannabis and they saw some green leaves on top of a double bed.

“They found a large quantity of freezer bags, one large plastic bag containing smaller bags of cannabis, £7,180 in £20 notes, two large bags with cannabis inside a suitcase and a hand written letter with details of cannabis cultivation.

“Cannabis was found in different quantities, one of 3.1kg, which had a street value of £30,110, could be sold on to other dealers further down the supply chain.”

The court heard that Bennett had been paid £400 a week towards paying off a £2,000 cocaine debt to a dealer. He had also, on request, delivered quantities of cannabis.

Mitigating, Jonathan Walker said: “His actions resulted from a considerable debt and he was then essentially put upon to run a store house, and errands.

“The defendant has been in custody for close to 10 months and very recently became a father. He is a bright and intelligent young man and worked for Barclays Bank. He has employment lined up when he leaves custody.”

Judge Peter Armstrong gave Bennett a nine month sentence for possessing Class B drugs with the intent to supply, and four months for driving whilst disqualified, to run concurrently.

Because of time already spent in custody, Bennett was released.

Middlesbrough man aged 62 hospitalised after assault in his own home

Police were called to Weastell Street in Linthorpe at 6.30pm yesterday after reports a man was assaulted in his Middlesbrough home

A 62-year-old man was taken to hospital with head and jaw injuries after he was assaulted in his Middlesbrough home.

Police were called to Weastell Street, off Linthorpe Road in Linthorpe, at 6.30pm yesterday.

The victim was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where he is receiving treatment.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested and is being interviewed by police.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Acklam mum backing new film tackling hate crimes against disabled people

Acklam mum backs the campaign, after helping her daughter Katy, who has Down's Syndrome, through bullying

A mum whose disabled daughter was the victim of bullying has backed a new film launched to encourage people to report hate crimes.

Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger launched the 15-minute film as a training tool to show the true impact of crimes against disabled people, which aims to address the levels of under-reporting across Teesside.

Kay Demoily, of Acklam, Middlesbrough, helped her daughter Katy, who has Down’s syndrome, through her difficulties with bullying at school and college and welcomes the efforts of police.

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Bullying victim Katy Demoily

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“It is very important that people are made aware of the amount of bullying that goes on. Young people especially are vulnerable and might not be able to stand up for themselves, so it is vital that others look out for bullying, which is so much more common than people think.”

Last year there were only 23 reports of disability hate crime incidents - but police and support charities believe victims are not coming forward, due to fear or because they are unaware that bullying is classed as a hate crime.

Kay says that Katy, now 32, who enjoys photography as a hobby, has managed to move on since the bullying with support from family, friends and the local community.

She said: “Everyone who lives close by is very helpful, and would keep an eye out while Katy is around here but you can’t always know what goes on.

“Katy became very introverted and upset. I thought that I would have seen the signs but I didn’t. The film that the police have produced is hard hitting, and I think it should be shown in schools so that young people understand the issues.”

Mr Coppinger said: “Cleveland is not unique in the fact that disability hate crime is under-reported but as a force we are dealing with it head-on by raising awareness of ways in which to report the crime and enhance our training to officers and staff. Incidents can take the form of name calling in the street, serious assaults, and deliberate deception of vulnerable people with disabilities. These are completely unacceptable and it’s important that officers can identify where a crime has a disability hate element and how to raise awareness of reporting with victims, carers and families.”

The short film has taken months of planning and features real life stories brought to life by IMPACT Drama Group, part of Middlesbrough Community Inclusion Service, who directed the film and featured in the case studies.

Danny King eyes crown - but are Redcar Bears' rivals stronger now?

Newcastle Diamonds will give Redcar Bears a tough derby day test tomorrow, but their team changes may not necessarily make them stronger

Revamped Newcastle Diamonds will give Redcar Bears a tough derby day test tomorrow, but their team changes may not necessarily make them stronger.

That’s the view of Ecco Finishing Bears team manager Jitendra Duffill ahead of the first Premier League clash of the year between the two local rivals at Newcastle Stadium (6.30pm).

The Bears were brushed aside 60-29 at Newcastle in the League Cup in March, although that was only their second meeting of the season and they have looked considerably livelier since.

In fact they dealt out a 55-35 drubbing to the Diamonds in the return leg, but Newcastle have their sights firmly set on success and announced a shock reshuffle this month with Great Britain international Danny King coming in at No 1.

The revamp also saw Dan Greenwood arrive on Tyneside - the pair make their home debuts tomorrow - with Christian Henry and Anton Rosen heading through the exit door.

“It’s been a bit of a bogey track for us in the past,” admitted Duffill, “but they have made a couple of changes and I think it’s a bit of a risk they’ve taken.

“I think they look a little bit weaker and they’ll be a bit suspect down at reserve so we have really got to capitalise on that.

“They’ve certianly got a good No 1 in Danny King and you’d imagine he’ll take some beating in this league. But when the Elite League boys come down they’re expected to maintain an 11-point average and it just doesn’t happen.

“We have got to go there in a positive frame of mind and believe we can get something out of the fixture.”

DIAMONDS: Dan Greenwood, Lewis Kerr, Danny King, Ludvig Lindgren, Lewis Rose, Stuart Robson, Chris Schramm.

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

See http://ift.tt/1md60Qe for a report and scorers from the Bears’ Premier League match at Somerset last night.

Boro boss Aitor Karanka coming to terms with dug-out culture clash

Boro boss Aitor Karanka has reflected on his six months on Teesside - admitting some aspects of his role have been a surprise

Aitor Karanka is coming to terms with his dug-out culture clash.

The Boro head coach is jetting back home to Spain for a family holiday after tying up some loose ends.

But before he left, he reflected on his first six months on English football - and admitted he had been surprised by some aspects of his role.

“There are a lot of things that have been different to what I expected,” he told the Gazette.

“I have had to spend a lot of my time speaking to agents and then the next day you might have something that has to be sorted out with a player and you have to spend a lot of time on that.

“In Spain, the coach is responsible for the training but that is often the end of where his responsibilities lie.

“Here, your responsibilities are much bigger, and you have to manage your time to reflect that.”

And a more hands on role with recruitment has taken some getting used to as well.

“In January, I spent a lot of time watching players, to try to strengthen the squad,” he said.

“We spent a lot of time working on a number of different things, but that wasn’t always the best use of time.

“Now, I spend much less time watching players. I have four or five months of experience now and feel I have a better idea of how everything works.

“Now, I tend to spend my time watching only the players who I really think have the potential to come here and improve things.

“In the summer there will be a lot to do, but first I will head back to Spain for a holiday with my family.

“I have been here for five months alone and I need to be with them but I will still be watching players. I will have my phone on waiting and expecting a lot of things.”

On-loan Lukas Jutkiewicz keen to stay at Bolton reveals David Wheater

Lukas Jutkiewicz wants to stay with Bolton, according to team-mate and former Boro defender David Wheater

Lukas Jutkiewicz wants to stay with Bolton, according to team-mate and former Boro defender David Wheater.

The 25-year-old striker impressed during a four-month loan spell at Wanderers and manager Dougie Freedman is keen to make the move permanent.

Jutkiewicz is also hoping to renew the relationship ahead of next season.

“He’s told me he wants to stay,” said Wheater. “But when he’s scored all the goals he has, maybe Middlesbrough will want to put him in (the team).

“It’d be good to have someone to swap Boro stories with,” added the Redcar Rock, who made the journey from Teesside to the Reebok in January 2011.

Assuming Boro want to sell, the greatest obstacle to Jutkiewicz joining Bolton is the club’s lack of cash.

It was revealed in December that Wanderers had posted annual losses of £50.7m, taking their total debt to almost £164m.

That’s severely limiting Bolton’s ability to compete in the transfer market and may mean they miss out on Jutkiewicz, who still has two years remaining on his current deal.

If they decide to sell, Boro will want to realise the biggest possible fee for the bustling forward and his productive spell with Wanderers - which yielded seven goals in 20 appearances - will no doubt mean other clubs will enquire about his availability.

Boro boss Aitor Karanka last week admitted he wasn’t sure if Jutkiewicz would be at the Riverside next season and said he wanted to talk to the player before making a decision.

With Danny Graham returning to parent club Sunderland, the head coach doesn’t have too many options in attack.

Curtis Main made 22 appearances under Karanka but failed to deliver the goods in front of goal, netting just once.

He has a year left on his current contract but the Spaniard may look to move the 21-year-old on this summer.

Bolton have also been linked with Birmingham City winger Chris Burke, a player Boro are believed to be monitoring.

The 30-year-old Scot, whose current contract lapses this summer, will be a free agent at the end of next month and is sure to attract the attention of several Championship clubs.

Career burglar Stephen Swinnerton jailed again after breaking into pensioner's home

Stephen Swinnerton - who had totted up 20 years in prison sentences since 2000 - jailed for two and half years for a burglary in Middlesbrough

A three-strike burglar who had totted up 20 years of prison sentences since 2000 is behind bars again.

Stephen Swinnerton, 38, was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Teesside Crown Court yesterday after admitting breaking in to a pensioner’s home in Middlesbrough.

The court heard Swinnerton had 18 previous convictions for 59 offences, and had been released from his last five year prison term in November 2013.

Prosecuting, Rachel Masters told the court that on February 2, a pensioner living on Coris Close in Marton discovered the front bay window of his ground floor flat had been smashed.

Two pictures had been disturbed, a bird cage moved and broken glass was strewn inside the room.

Reading from a victim impact statement, Ms Masters said: “It took five weeks for the landlord to fix the window. The victim has suffered sleepless nights and has been very nervous since the incident took place.”

Swinnerton, of Woodville Avenue, Middlesbrough, had pleaded guilty to the offence, and said he had been riding past the property on his bike while under the influence of drink and drugs.

He said the bike fell over and smashed the window, and he had stuck his hand inside to see if there was anything to steal.

Nothing was taken, but Swinnerton’s blood had been left on the window. When police matched the blood, Swinnerton was arrested.

Mitigating, Sean Grainger told the court that Swinnerton had been trying to keep out of trouble since he came out of prison.

He said: “He had been living with his father and his sister, and was on benefits. Unfortunately, having been in prison he was unaware of the much tougher benefit sanctions that exist now.

“He had been without money for six weeks, and this led to him feeling depressed. He managed to scrape some money together and buy some pills, and he has very little recollection of what happened.

“It begs the question what are you supposed to do if you have no money whatsoever.”

Sentencing Swinnerton to two and a half years in prison, Judge Peter Armstrong said: “You are 38 years of age and you appear from your record to be a career burglar.”

Stockton's PoundPub allowed to sell alcohol from 9am after police withdraw objection

A controversial Stockton pub has been given the green light to start selling alcohol from 9am after police withdrew an objection

A controversial Stockton pub has been given the green light to start selling alcohol from 9am after police withdrew an objection.

The PoundPub’s original application to Stockton Council to start selling alcohol at 8am met with the objection from Cleveland Police over concerns about anti-social behaviour.

But this was withdrawn when the pub changed its application to start selling alcohol at 9am, in line with other premises.

A licensing committee to discuss the application was subsequently cancelled and council officers were allowed to wave through the application.

As reported, a half pint costs £1 and a pint costs £1.50 at the Dovecot Street drinking spot - the region’s first PoundPub.

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Gallery: Pound Pub

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Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton Council’s Cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: “We have expressed our concerns about this pub’s branding and entire concept from the outset, but the sad fact is we don’t have the powers to do a great deal about it. We have absolutely no control over the price they choose to sell their product at, in the same way we can’t control any other businesses’ pricing.

“The Licensing Act states that a licence will be granted unless any representations are received and as, in this case, the representations were withdrawn before the hearing.”

Cleveland Police’s original objection had said: “The premises is situated in an area which has been declared a ‘hot spot’ for anti-social behaviour. The reason for this is partly due to alcohol-related crime and disorder. It is of concern to Cleveland Police that patrons will potentially be allowed to drink for 16 hours a day.”

However, following the withdrawal, a Cleveland Police spokeswoman said the change to start selling alcohol from 9am instead of 8am had changed the police’s position.

The pub chain was not available for comment.