Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

The Evening Gazette's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Teesside and North Yorkshire traffic, travel, weather, crime and council news for today, Tuesday 20th May, 2014.

You can contribute to the live blog by posting your comment below, and you can also tweet us @EveningGazette to share breaking news stories, pictures and opinions.

Our Teesside breaking news live blog begins at 07:00am every weekday and is updated throughout the day and into the evening.

Murder accused: 'Things got out of hand' before neighbour, 72, was stabbed

Christian Darko was 'suffering from a mental disorder' at the time of Rose Doughty's death, psychiatrist tells Teesside Crown Court

A murder accused said “things got out of hand” before he killed his neighbour 72-year-old Rose Doughty.

Christian Darko, 41, told a psychiatrist he needed to buy electricity and asked Rose Doughty, who lived in the flat above his, for money.

She said she was unable to help him but offered him sugar and a flask of hot water on the night of November 22 last year.

He made further visits to her flat the following morning, Teesside Crown Court heard .

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Pablo Vandenabeele, giving evidence today, said: “He told me he had taken a knife with him as he had planned to scare her.

“He asked her once again for money.

“He told me she refused to give any money to him, and he said things got out of hand.

“He then took the knife out of his pocket in order to scare her.

“He said that Mrs Doughty started screaming and tried to grab him in order to get hold of the knife.

“He said ‘I overpowered her and she fell to the floor’.”

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Ian Cooper

Police at flats on Fosdyke Green, Middlesbrough

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Darko told the psychiatrist he stabbed or tried to stab Mrs Doughty and put his hands around her neck, then went back to his flat and cleaned the knife.

Dr Vandenabeele, who treats mentally disordered offenders, said: “It is my view that he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the alleged offence.

“My main concern was around the fact that in my opinion Mr Darko was suffering from mild learning disabilities.

“That’s more significant and more impaired that someone who is maybe not very bright.”

The court had heard how Darko’s IQ was assessed as 65, extremely low intelligence, in the bottom 1% of the population.

Dr Vandenabeele believed he had an “abnormality of mental functioning” which “substantially impaired his ability to exercise self-control” and to form rational judgments.

He referred to a history of aggressive and destructive behaviour, acting without understanding the impact or consequences.

The witness added: “It is my belief that he acts in such a way because he doesn’t have the skills to deal with it in any other way.

“He’s clearly not operating rationally."

Darko admits manslaughter but denies murder on the basis of diminished responsibility.

The Crown says he murdered Mrs Doughty in her flat on Fosdyke Green, Netherfields, Middlesbrough, after she refused to give him money on November 23 last year .

Dr Vandenabeele said there was evidence Darko was socially and emotionally immature, badgering his neighbours for money without realising he was annoying them.

He said twice-married Darko had poor budgeting skills, in arrears for his electricity while spending money on the lottery.

Dr Vandenabeele said: “He was buying all these lottery tickets, not because he was psychotic but because he genuinely believed that was a sensible investment.

“He believed that was a sensible way of getting him out of his misery, living where he didn’t like living.

“He thought playing the lottery was a sensible way forward to enable him to go back to London, buy a house and all would be well.”

He said Darko had a difficult birth in Ghana followed by convulsions and a delay in his speech development, and he was sent to the UK aged seven for a good education at a private school in London.

He had behavioural difficulties, attracted “bad friends”, struggled academically and moved to a “special school”.

After school, he had short-lived jobs and didn’t work for long periods, and lived in Middlesbrough since 2003.

He did not think Darko was suffering suicidal or self-harm ideas, delusional beliefs or hallucinations, though Darko told him he had once tried to set himself on fire.

He said Darko denied hearing voices in his head on the day of the killing, though he had about three weeks earlier.

Darko told him he was attacked in prison, put on a form of “suicide watch”, seen by the mental health team and prescribed Prozac.

He believed Darko left the dock during the trial because he was “overwhelmed with the levels of anxiety”.

Defence barrister Andrew Robertson QC said it would be for the jury to decide whether Darko’s mental “abnormality” explained what he did.

He told the court: “There is no doubt that he was responsible for the homicide of Mrs Doughty.

“The question if whether it was murder or manslaughter.”

The court heard Darko had no previous convictions, cautions or reprimands.

Proceeding

Popular Stockton and District Motor Club's Ironman kart racing series undergoes revamp

The series will this year run in four classes, three of them based on driver weight with the addition of an all-female category

Stockton and District Motor Club’s popular Ironman kart racing series returns for its ninth consecutive season next month.

The championship, which takes place at Teesside Autodrome in South Bank, gets underway on Sunday, June 15.

This year it is backed by Powerline Surveying who have generously donated a prize fund to go with the championship trophies.

To maintain a fresh outlook the series will this year run in four classes, three of them based on driver weight with the addition of an all-female category.

This, it is hoped, will give all competitors a chance of winning the overall title and overcome the obvious advantages of being super-light in weight.

A reduction from eight rounds to five also reduces the cost and makes the championship much easier on the pocket with the full season coming in at under £300 to enter.

For more details or a set of regulations and how to enter email stocktonmotorclub@Hotmail.co.uk

Full calendar: Round 1 Sunday, June 15; Round 2 Sunday, July 13, Round 3 Sunday, September 14, Round 4 Sunday, October 5, Round 5 Sunday November, 2.

All races are 11.30am sign on and noon race start.

Cannabis farms worth over £300,000 found in separate raids in Billingham and North Ormesby

Neighbours have told of their shock after the farms were found at Thornton Street in North Ormesby and Balmoral Avenue in Billingham

Cannabis farms worth more than £300,000 have been found in two separate raids.

Homes in Billingham and North Ormesby were targeted in operations by police.

A cannabis plantation worth around £144,450, in Thornton Street, North Ormesby, was discovered at around 4pm on Sunday.

In the second raid, at least 200 cannabis plants with a potential street value of £176,000 were discovered in Balmoral Avenue, Billingham, on Friday.

The two cases have not been linked by Cleveland Police.

A 24-year-old man arrested at the Billingham address was charged with production of cannabis and was remanded to appear at magistrates court.

Resident Michael Dunne, who has lived in the cul-de-sac with his wife and two young sons for three years, said he was shocked to see officers break down the door of the property at about 2pm on Friday.

“It’s all a bit surreal really,” said Michael, 39.

“I was surprised to see so many police vans in the street at that time of day. We’ve never had any trouble round here and its a nice, quiet street to live in.

“We’d heard rumours before that something was going on but I would say I’ve seen the person who lives in the house about a dozen times if that.

“You know it goes on, but you don’t expect it to happen right on your doorstep.”

Another neighbour, who didn’t want to be named, said he was “born and bred” in Billingham and had never heard of any trouble before in the street.

He said: “This is the sort of street where everyone looks out for each other, so it was a massive shock to hear about the raid.”

Meanwhile, a 24-year-old man was arrested after a cannabis farm was discovered in North Ormesby.

Mum-of-two Janine Mcloughlin, who has lived on the street for two years said: “This doesn’t really surprise me.

“It’s a regular thing round here, and it’s getting worse,” the 28-year-old said.

“We can’t let our kids play out and feel safe, it really is a horrible place to live.”

Another resident said: “We had our suspicions because we could always smell cannabis but could never point out where it was coming from.

“The police were in the street for hours, I can’t believe it has happened right in front of us. You don’t think of ever happening so close to home.”

A man found at the address was arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis and will be questioned by police.

Anyone with information on illegal drug cultivation, supply or use is asked to contact the CDET on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police still appealing for witnesses following death of Redcar biker in collision near Yarm

Officers would like to speak to anyone who saw the collision on the B1264 and to anyone who saw either of the vehicles involved

Police are still appealing for witnesses to a fatal road collision which claimed the life of a Redcar biker.

A man in his 30s was riding a motorbike near Yarm when it was involved in a collision with an HGV on the B1264 (Toll Bar Garage to Yarm Road) at around 3.35pm on Friday, on bends close to Soursike Farm near Hornby.

The silver Suzuki motorcycle travelling towards Yarm was in collision with a Volvo articulated goods vehicle towing a bulk-loader trailer, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

Police have still yet to release the victim’s identity.

Officers would like to speak to anyone who saw the collision and to anyone who was travelling along the B1264 in either direction and saw either of the vehicles before the crash occurred.

Witnesses are asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for the Major Collision Investigation Team at Thirsk, quoting incident number 12140078451.

Stokesley-based Express Engineering helps to close the skills gap

Express Engineering at Stokesley is expanding - and taking on 10-15 more staff in a move to help close the precision engineering skills gap

A Stokesley-based engineering company has announced plans to expand by a third as the global aerospace sector gears up for growth.

Express Engineering saved 80 jobs when it took over its Ellerbeck Way site last year, after previous owners Burdon Engineering went into receivership.

Now the company is “actively recruiting” 10 to 15 staff including several apprentices, in a move to help close the precision engineering skills gap, according to bosses.

The company has two large facilities manufacturing industrial products and aerospace components for customers from Rolls Royce to Caterpillar.

Bosses plan to fill a third 25,000 sq ft building as its customer base grows.

Managing director Iain Oates says the company wants to replicate a programme at its Team Valley oil and gas facility, which has seen more than 100 apprentices taken on.

He said: “Lack of skills is a barrier to growth.

“Yet precision engineering is a very interesting business to be in at the minute because of the UK opportunities, the onshoring and growth of aviation.

“Britain is the third biggest in terms of percentage GDP in the world for aerospace.

“We punch above our weight. Express is very keen to be part of that.

“We are working with Middlesbrough College, and actively recruiting people from there. Apprentices do two years, then we take them on here.

“We are also looking at traineeship programme on the Caterpillar side, and also continuing to recruit fully skilled staff.

“We have been successful in attracting people back to the area.

“They moved away for work, and we’ve managed to bring them back to the North-east because they see more opportunity here.”

The group has more than doubled profits in each of the last three financial years, recently moving up the Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table to eighth place.

It comes after a £10m investment over the last seven years in new facilities, recruitment, equipment and acquisitions including in its Sao Paolo, Brazil, facility.

A capital injection from mid-market private equity investor LDC will continue the growth.

Iain added: “We’ve money in the business for investment and will invest in the right areas to suit the best return for the business.

“We’ve already been buying machines in oil and gas. We intend to look for investment when other opportunities come along.

“We’ve put the investment in place, now we want to bring the people on board.”

But Iain, who sits on the regional board of Semta, the organisation which promotes future skills for the UK’s most advanced sectors, warns there’s a “real shortage of skilled people” across the North-east.

“For 20 years, everyone was encouraged to go down the further education route and apprenticeships declined,” he said. “There was a downturn in manufacturing, a belief you didn’t have to invest in the future.

“Everyone was under cost and price pressure and didn’t see training as a priority - now we are reaping what we sowed.

“We are working very closely with Government to encourage investment into apprentices.

“There isn’t the grant funding there was once upon a time.

“We are also working with schools, encouraging students to look at apprenticeship route and showing them the benefits of working in this industry are very good.”

See tomorrow’s Business supplement for an in-depth interview with Iain Oates.

Daniel Ayala vows to come back fighting fit for Boro after frustrating first six months

Boro defender Daniel Ayala believes the benefit of a full pre-season will help him show the fans that he is the real deal

Spanish stopper Daniel Ayala has told Boro fans: You ain’t seen nothing yet.

The centre-back has shown flashes of quality in a frustrating first six months at Boro.

But with the benefit of a full pre-season he vows to show fans he can be the real deal.

“For me this season never really got started because of injuries and suspensions,” said Ayala, who joined Boro in a £350,000 deal in January after initially arriving on loan.

“But when I come back from the summer I will be fully fit and then I can play at my best level every game.

“Then I can show the supporters that I can be a good player here for Middlesbrough.”

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Gallery: Daniel Ayala

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Ayala was a long-term target and almost joined from Norwich on deadline day last August when Tony Mowbray was in charge.

He eventually arrived on the final day of the loan window and made his bow in the 4-0 home win over Doncaster, the dug-out debut of caretaker Mark Venus.

And his deal was later made a permanent switch in January by new boss Aitor Karanka.

Despite being rusty after playing very little first team football in the previous year he got off to an eye-catching start as he scored three goals in his first six games.

But his form dipped with a string of knocks before he was side-lined for three months with an ankle injury that needed surgery.

Then, when he returned in the battling 1-0 win at Burnley he picked up two cheap yellow cards and was sent off and banned.

“It was frustrating for me,” he admitted.

“I was out quite a long time injured and came back and played quickly three days later because we had no defenders, so I was rushed back.

“We won but I got a suspension myself.

“So it has been very difficult for me to find my best level this season,” he added.

“When you start going on loan from one year to the next you cannot settle into a team.

“I’m not sure people understand but it’s difficult to settle in at any time to a new team.

“If you have injuries too and are in the team then out again it is hard to find your best level and to be consistent every week. That is my aim for next season.

“I am happy that I am permanent at Boro and have had a lot of time with the team now.

“I have been able to settle in and look forward next season to being part of a team that can get success.

“If we sign just a few good players I think we can do big things next season.”

The stupidest selfie ever? 'GCSE exam picture' goes viral

Teenager poses as classmates are about to sit their exams - gets banned from taking them

The selfie phenomenon looks to have reached a staggering new low.

This tweet is believed to show a teenager who has snapped a picture of himself in school just before he is about to take GCSE exams.

The caption reads: "just failed all my gcses and disqualified from taking public exams for the next 5 years but it's worth the RTs"

The tweet by user @kmrd10 has since been retweeted more than 27,000 times and trended worldwide.

However, the origins and authenticity of the tweet remain unclear.

The account whose tweet has gathered so much attention, @kmrd10, now claims it is not him in the photo.

He says it is someone else's selfie and he was simply making fun of it in the caption.

Either way, surely a lesson has been learned.

Teesside's top judge: Domestic violence will be prosecuted even if victims try to withdraw complaints

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC jailed David John Scott for an attack on his girlfriend after a trial despite the non-cooperation of the victim

Teesside's top judge has warned that domestic violence will be prosecuted even if victims try to withdraw their complaints.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC said: “Anyone who carries out such violence will naturally expect to be sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

“Because violence within the home is a curse.

“It’s perpetrated by people who have a quick temper and resort to their fists or anything coming into their hands to use as a weapon.”

The judge jailed David John Scott for an attack where he smashed a wine glass over his girlfriend’s head.

Scott, 28, was successfully prosecuted and convicted after a trial despite the non-cooperation of the victim.

The judge told him: “Those men, indeed those women, who carry out violence which is called domestic violence realise and should realise a number of things.

“Firstly that the courts will take it seriously.

“Secondly that even if for whatever reason the complainant, here your girlfriend, chooses to seek to withdraw her complaint, the court will and the prosecution will continue with the allegation if there is sufficient evidence to support it.

“That’s what happened here,” the judge told Teesside Crown Court.

“She sought to withdraw her allegation from day one.

“The jury found that you carried out violence towards her, violence within the home.”

Prosecutor Rachel Masters said it was a sustained domestic assault on a vulnerable victim using a weapon.

Scott was found guilty of unlawful wounding, and cleared of the more serious charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He denied both charges in the trial last month.

Jurors heard he was arrested after a concerned neighbour reported noise from his flat to police at about 5am on January 10.

A woman was heard screaming for help and crying at the home on Old Station Mews, Eaglescliffe.

Police received another call which was cut off. When they rang back Scott answered the phone with a woman crying in the background.

Scott, now of California Close, Stockton, claimed there had been a dispute with someone else and no one was hurt.

Officers went to the home and found his partner with blood-stained hair and smashed glass in the living room.

Ms Masters told how the injured woman was crying, irate, aggressive and refusing medical treatment.

The victim told an officer that Scott pinned her down on the sofa and punched her a number of times in a heated argument.

She said he smashed a wine glass over her head, causing a cut which later needed to be stapled at hospital.

Scott tried to persuade her to wash her hair and pretend nothing had happened when he realised the police were coming.

She also suffered a broken wrist in the struggle, the court was told.

Scott denied assaulting her and claimed her injuries were self-inflicted as she “went wild” and smashed the glass over her own head.

The victim did not want to come to court and neither she nor Scott gave evidence in the trial.

Scott had no previous convictions for violence.

He was in breach of a suspended six-month prison sentence imposed for perverting the course of justice.

Duncan McReddie, defending, said: “The defendant is still relatively young. He has no violence recorded against him. He’s facing a prison sentence for the first time.”

He said Scott had otherwise complied with his suspended sentence “to the letter” and completed unpaid work.

Judge Bourne-Arton jailed Scott for 21 months - 18 for the assault plus three from the breached suspended sentence.

Heartbreaking tribute left at scene of fatal collison near Yarm which claimed life of Redcar biker

Man in his 30s was riding a motorbike when it was involved in a collision with an HGV on the B1264 on bends close to Soursike Farm near Hornby

A heartbreaking roadside tribute has been left at the scene of a fatal road collison which claimed the life of a Redcar biker.

The man, in his 30s, was riding a motorbike near Yarm when it was involved in a collision with an HGV on the B1264 (Toll Bar Garage to Yarm Road) at around 3.35pm on Friday, on bends close to Soursike Farm near Hornby.

The silver Suzuki motorcycle travelling towards Yarm was in collision with a Volvo articulated goods vehicle towing a bulk-loader trailer, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

The motorcyclist was believed to be travelling as part of a group, but had been separated from the others at the time. The goods vehicle was also travelling in convoy with another similar, large goods vehicle.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the lorry was uninjured but shocked.

The road was closed until around 10pm on Friday to allow collision investigators to examine the scene and recover the vehicles.

A floral tribute and moving family poem could yesterday be seen next to where the collision took place.

Beginning “To you my son, we all thought you were”, it continues: “We all thought you would live your life through, Then you got your bike, your big silver machine. You became a biker, we could see you were so keen. You did it all right by going to riding school, we all thought “fantastic”, at this he’s not playing the fool.”

Poignantly, the poem goes on: “You knew it could kill you, you always said; you had it embedded up there in your head. Yet we stand here with a photo and rhyme; we feel it on our hearts, it hurts time after time.”

It concludes: “For those of you who read this, he’s the person on the right; he’s gone and left and turned our days to constant night. We love you Kenneth.”

The tribute ends with a picture of a broken heart.

Police, who had not released the victim’s identity yesterday, want to speak to anyone who saw the collision and to anyone who was travelling along the B1264 in either direction and saw either of the vehicles before the crash occurred.

Witnesses are asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for the Major Collision Investigation Team at Thirsk, quoting incident number 12140078451.

Morning news headlines for Monday - Pfizer increases takeover bid, Miliband vows to raise minimum wage

PFIZER INCREASES ITS TAKEOVER BID

Drugs giant Pfizer stepped up its pursuit of UK rival AstraZeneca by raising the value of its proposed takeover bid to more than £69 billion.

The US company said the offer worth £55 a share was 15% more than its previous proposal on May 2 and also represented its fourth and final approach.

Pfizer added that it will not make a hostile offer direct to AstraZeneca shareholders, instead urging them to press the company’s board to begin substantive engagement over a deal.

MILIBAND VOWS TO RAISE MINIMUM WAGE

Ed Miliband will today commit a Labour government to significantly raising the level of the national minimum wage over the course of the next parliament, closing the gap on average earnings.

The Labour leader will promise to establish a ”clear link” between the the minimum wage and the earnings of other workers to ensure those at the bottom of the pay scale do not get ”left behind” again.

Addressing party activists in the West Midlands, he will say that he wants to build on the achievement of the last Labour government which introduced the minimum wage in the wake of Tony Blair’s landslide general election victory in 1997.

MURDERER ON THE RUN FROM PRISON

A convicted murderer has gone on the run from prison for the third time. Arnold Pickering, 44, from Chadderton, Greater Manchester, failed to return to HMP Kennet in Maghull, Merseyside, after leaving the Category C jail on day release at about 9.30am on Saturday.

Another inmate, Thomas Moffett, 51, from Blackburn, Lancashire, who is serving an indeterminate sentence for a number of robberies carried out in his home town in 2006, also failed to return from day release on Saturday.

Last night Merseyside Police said that officers from Lancashire Constabulary had arrested a 51-year-old man for being unlawfully at large. The man was arrested in Blackburn, Lancashire, at around 9.15pm.

FAMILIES WANT YACHT SEARCH TO GO ON

Relatives and colleagues of four Britons who went missing when a yacht capsized in the mid-Atlantic Ocean have called for the American authorities to renew efforts to find them.

The crew of the Cheeki Rafiki, a 40ft Beneteau performance racer/cruiser yacht, ran into difficulties some 620 miles east of Cape Cod in Massachusetts on Thursday while returning to the UK from a regatta in Antigua.

Contact with the ship’s experienced captain Andrew Bridge, 21, and crew members James Male, 23, Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, was lost in the early hours of Friday while they diverted to the Azores.

CLEGG PLEDGE ON DEVOLUTION TALKS

The Liberal Democrats will ”act as the guarantors” of more powers for Scotland if it rejects independence, according to the Deputy Prime Minister.

But any final settlement would have to be negotiated with the other pro-UK parties, businesses, civic Scotland and the SNP if they are willing to embrace devolution, Nick Clegg will say in a speech in Edinburgh today.

Lib Dems want Holyrood to raise half of its own revenue and set its own rates of income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax.

BAFTA HAT-TRICK FOR BROADCHURCH

Actress Olivia Colman got her third TV Bafta in two years as hit crime drama Broadchurch scored a hat-trick at the annual awards.

Colman, who is set to star in the second series of the show, burst into tears on stage after being named leading actress, saying: ”Oh sorry, not cool” then hailed the show’s writer Chris Chibnall ”a f****** genius”.

Her co-star David Bradley was named best supporting actor for his role in the show, which also picked up the Bafta for best drama.

F1 CHAMPION JACK BRABHAM DIES AT 88

Three-time Formula One champion Sir Jack Brabham has died at his home in Australia at the age of 88, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation said.

The Australian driver - who was knighted in 1979 - won world titles in 1959 and 1960 and became the only F1 driver to win a world championship in a car of his own construction - the rear-engined BT19 - which he drove to the title in 1966.

The following year the Brabham team won its second successive world championship when New Zealander Denny Hulme drove the BT20 to victory.

LIBYAN GENERAL ATTACKS PARLIAMENT

Forces apparently loyal to a renegade Libyan general said they suspended parliament after earlier leading a military assault against MPs.

They were directly challenging the legitimacy of the country’s weak central government three years after the overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Libya’s leadership condemned the attack and vowed to carry on.

COOPER SEEKS REFORMS TO HINDER UKIP

Ukip’s ”hostility and extremism” needs to be challenged, Yvette Cooper said as she claimed it remains too easy for ”dodgy employers” to exploit immigration.

The shadow home secretary warned Nigel Farage’s eurosceptics will continue ”playing on people’s fears” if the Government fails to deal with the impact of immigration.

She called for reforms to stop agencies and employers using cheap overseas labour to halt UK wages and jobs being undercut.

CHARLES AND CAMILLA LAND IN CANADA

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were greeted by dignitaries and the waiting media as they arrived in Canada for the start of a whirlwind four-day tour.

Charles and Camilla flew into Halifax, Nova Scotia, on board a Canadian Forces Airbus as they prepare to carry out dozens of engagements across three provinces.

The royal couple will take part in events to mark a number of important historical anniversaries during the tour, including the First World War centenary and the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference which led to the Canadian Confederation.

Ben Gibson can seize his England Under-21 chance - Gareth Southgate

England Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate is backing Boro defender Ben Gibson to show his quality for the England Under-21s

Gareth Southgate says England rookie Ben Gibson can seize his chance at Under-21 level.

The Boro defender may make a debut as England play Wales in Swansea in a Euro qualifier tonight.

Then he jets to France for the Toulon tournament as part of a squad dotted with top-flight talent.

But Southgate, in charge of the U21s, said: “The fact he’s been selected shows the quality that he’s got.

“We’ve brought in some new players and lots of them have had 20 plus games in the Championship. They’re desperate to show what they can do.”

Gareth Southgate discusses England World Cup squad

Meanwhile midfielder Richie Smallwood will finish this term at Wembley.

He helped Rotherham into the League One play-off final with a 3-1 win over Preston. They now play Orient on May 25.

And Boro hot prospects Dael Fry and Callum Cooke can also look forward to a final after England’s U17 side beat Portugal 2-0 in the semi-final of Euro Championships.

Kei Kamara played as Sierra Leone drew 1-1 in Swaziland in the first leg of their African Cup of Nations pre-qualifier.

First ever train arrives at James Cook University Hospital station in Middlesbrough

Up to 17 Northern Rail trains will call at the new stop :: Middlesbrough Council says it fills a critical gap in the local service

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James Cook University Hospital train station

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A small but excited group of passengers gathered to greet the first ever train to arrive at the James Cook University Hospital station - catching a little bit of history for Middlesbrough.

And although it seemed more like the town’s ghost train as it shunted its way in at 8.49am yesterday, there are high hopes for it becoming a handy stop off for commuters and visitors to the hospital.

Up to 17 Northern Rail trains will call at the new stop, with four services travelling as far as Whitby.

It follows a successful funding bid from the Department for Transport by the local enterprise partnership, Tees Valley Unlimited.

Project manager John Thomas, was one of the spectators waiting on the platform as the first train approached.

He said: “We started off with a field, and we have turned it into a train station behind the hospital.

“It has been a great project and we are glad to say it has opened on time.

“We hope it benefits staff and visitors to James Cook, but also local residents in the area.”

One passenger had caught the train especially from Middlesbrough so that he could be the first person to use the service.

He said: “It’s great to be using the new station. And if it takes people of the roads and back onto the trains it can only be a good thing.”

Middlesbrough Council said it filled a critical gap in the local service and would benefit the surrounding area.

Jill Moulton, from South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Having the option of the train will benefit patients, visitors and staff by offering an extra choice of how they get to the hospital.

“We hope it will reduce congestion and make the site a better place for everyone.”

Train times are available from staffed Northern Rail stations or can be downloaded at northernrail.org