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, Monday 2nd June, 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.

Growth plans for Teesside prototype company Paragon Rapid Technologies

Paragon Rapid Technologies, based near Durham Tees Valley Airport, has announced investment and growth plans

A prototype company on Teesside is growing its head count amid plans for a six-figure investment in new machines.

Paragon Rapid Technologies specialises in making rapid prototypes and components for sectors including automotive, motorsport including Formula One, oil and gas and medical.

The company, based near Durham Tees Valley Airport, has just completed its largest contract - a £600,000 order for Jaguar’s latest Land Rover programme.

Last year the company turned over £2.8m - its best year since it was formed in 2003.

Now bosses have a three-year plan to reach £3.5m.

A £750,000 spend is planned on equipment over the coming months to ramp up capacity, starting with the purchase of a £150,000 laser 3D printer.

The company has recruited four staff in the last month, taking its numbers to 46, and is planning a relocation to almost double available space after outgrowing its 13,000 sq ft premises.

It deals with many household names including Lotus, Mercedes, Morphy Richards, JCB and Unilever.

North-east customers include Billingham-based Tracerco, Eaglescliffe car parts manufacturer Nifco UK, Nissan and Black & Decker.

Paragon has also been servicing the medical devices industry since 2003, producing functional and demonstration models and prototypes.

Areas of particular skill include surgical devices, diagnostic equipment and delivery systems. The company also produced seven scale models of Tracerco’s world-first oil and gas pipeline scanner, Discovery, as the company grows its presence across the globe.

Operations director and co-founder, Peter Humphrey, said: “The Jaguar project is the biggest we’ve had to date, we have completed 5,500 parts.

“The cars will go all over the world, from Dubai for heat temperature testing to Iceland to be used in minus conditions.

“If everything goes to plan, there will be more work on the back of Jaguar Land Rover.

“We work with every market sector, from little widgets to major parts.

“Pushing to the next level is the challenge for us now.”

Managing director Phill Adamson added: “Last year’s turnover was our biggest yet, it’s certainly a catalyst for hiring more staff and puts us in a positive position for the future.

“We have gone from 3,000 sq ft to 13,000 and need new premises in the next 18 months, which will be somewhere along the A19 corridor.

“We are looking at a mixture of sectors, including medical, scientific and diagnostic, defence, oil and gas, subsea - it’s limitless.”

Teesside University is helping small businesses to grow

Small firms on Teesside are being helped to reach their potential thanks to Teesside University's Leading Growth programme

SMALL firms in the region are being helped to reach their potential with support from Teesside University.

The university is helping small to medium-sized enterprises as part of the first cohort of its Leading Growth programme.

The scheme has been developed after Teesside University leveraged £400,000 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to provide free leadership development for eligible businesses.

Applications are now being invited for the next intake of businesses to take part in the scheme, starting in September.

The programme, which lasts nine months, is designed to help SME owner-managers improve their leadership skills and take their businesses to the next level.

It includes a two-day residential event, a series of think tanks, as well as one-to-one business coaching.

Michelle Atkins, the Leading Growth project manager, said: “The prime aim is to improve the leadership skills of owner-managers which will have a direct effect on the bottom line of their business. Hopefully it will allow them to take a step back from the day-to-day aspect of their company and focus on the strategic direction of the business.”

Participants in the programme have said it is already having an impact on their work.

Sim Hall, from Darlington-based recruitment specialists Populus Select, said: “With the business growing, I wanted to ensure I had the necessary skills to keep it growing even further. I’m very excited about how the course is developing.”

Mike Baum, from Harrison Packaging in Stockton, added: “We’ve grown quite rapidly and this arms me with the skills to continue that growth and prevent the company from reaching an impasse. What I find very important is that there’s a really good mix of people from different backgrounds taking part which makes it even more effective.”

Rob Skene from animation company Yellow Snow Studio, which is based in one of Teesside University’s start-up units at the Victoria Building in Middlesbrough, said: “I’m part of a small team and I don’t know how to get over that hurdle of going from three people to 13 or 14 staff and how to get to that stage.

“This will help us to do that. It’s great to be around lots of people who have the same aim but from a very diverse range of companies.”

And Dave Chapman, from organic gourmet sandwich business Yummm Ltd in Stockton, added: “We’re a relatively new company which has experienced a very fast growth and we’ve got some strong plans for the future. We don’t want the business to grow without us having the skills to deal with that growth. This is an excellent opportunity to develop my skills further and become a better leader.”

Councillor Neil Foster, deputy chair of the North East ERDF Local Management Committee, said: “Investing ERDF in this latest Teesside University project is excellent news as it will increase the growth and competitiveness of existing SMEs who will be supported to develop their skills and expertise to drive growth and create jobs, benefiting the local economy.”

*Anybody interested in taking part in the Leading Growth programme can contact Michelle Atkins at leadinggrowth@tees.ac.uk

Hemlington Hall Academy staff praised for special care of young pupil with epilepsy

Training taken by staff at the school proved vital when five-year-old Jessica Nicholson suffered a very severe seizure

A mother has paid tribute to staff at a school after they went the extra mile to learn how to deal with her daughter’s epilepsy.

Mum Cihan Nicholson has thanked staff at Hemlington Hall Academy, Middlesbrough, for taking training which came into its own when Jessica Nicholson, five, suffered a severe seizure at school.

Jessica began having seizures last December with episodes varying in severity from severe to mild. On May 8, Jessica suffered a very severe seizure at school which meant she had to be taken to James Cook University Hospital.

But thanks to training that school staff had received just the day before, Jessica received the best possible care.

Cihan, 32, said: “A seizure is considered severe if it lasts for more than five minutes - the one Jessica had lasted 14 minutes and continued even after she had reached hospital.

“My special thank you would be to her teachers as only the day before they had all been trained what to do by an epilepsynurse. They were all fabulous and each played their part in taking care of Jessica while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

“Miss Edmundsen, her headteacher, even went in the ambulance with Jessica and stayed with her all the way through.”

For the staff at the academy, knowing how to look after pupils is all part of the job.

Reception teacher Joanne Norlund said: “When Jessica’s mum told us about the possibility of Jessica having a seizure, I spoke to the head so that we could get training as soon as possible.

“An epilepsy nurse came into school and trained the whole staff which included the lunchtime staff and everything.

“It was important that everyone did it - when it happened we had a care plan in place, everybody knew what to do and remained calm.

“It was all just so fresh in our minds.”

For Cihan, knowing that Jessica is in safe hands is a weight off her mind.

She said: “She needs to lead as normal a life as possible but as a parent my heart is always in my mouth.

“It’s such a comfort to know that the school are trained and she is in safe hands when I can’t be there.”

The school has also organised a talk from an epilepsy nurse to the children so they can understand and not be afraid of Jessica’s illness.

“Throughout the whole of this Jessica has been so brave and never lost her smile. I’m a very proud mummy,” said Cihan.

Her teachers obviously made quite an impression on Jessica. Giggling next to big sister Chloe, 10, she said: “I love school. It is a good school because it has good teachers - I want to be a teacher. I want to teach in this school.” When asked what kind of teacher she would want to be, Jessica frowned and said: “A normal one - like Miss Norlund.”

What to do if somebody has a seizure:

• Move them away from anything that could cause injury, such as a busy road or hot cooker;


• Cushion their head if they’re on the ground;


• Loosen any tight clothing around their neck, such as a collar or tie, to aid breathing;


• When their convulsions stop, turn them so that they’re lying on their side;


• Stay with them and talk to them calmly until they have recovered, and


• Note the time the seizure starts and finishes;

You don’t necessarily have to call an ambulance.People with epilepsy don’t need to go to hospital every time they have a seizure. However dial 999 for the emergency services if:

• It is the first time someone has had a seizure;


• The seizure lasts more than five minutes, and


• The person doesn’t regain full consciousness, or has a series of seizures without regaining consciousness.

Israel denies entry of Gaza ministers to Ramallah for inauguration of unity government

The Israeli government has officially informed the Palestinian Authority that it will not allow three ministers from the Gaza Strip to enter Ramallah on Monday to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of the national unity government.

The decision means that Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai has turned down the request by the PA to allow the Gazan ministers to cross into Ramallah.

A source in the Israeli government described the national unity government as “a very negative step”, stressing that no negotiation will be carried out with a unity government in which Hamas has taken part.

Israel will, from now on, hold Mahmoud Abbas responsible for any violence committed by Hamas, including firing of rockets from Gaza, the source told Voice of Israel

Sam Smith soars to top of UK album charts

Singer/songwriter's In The Lonely Hour is fastest selling debut album of 2014

New kid on the block Sam Smith’s impressive 12-months continued as he soared to the top of the album charts with the fastest selling debut album of the year, In The Lonely Hour.

The 22-year-old singer-songwriter, whose first number one came in the singles charts in May last year providing guest vocals on Naughty Boy’s La La La, knocked Coldplay’s Ghost Stories from the summit with his maiden long-player.

Smith, from London, scored his third number one last week with Stay With Me - but had to settle for the runner-up spot today after 27-year-old Anglo American house and techno producer SecondCity edged it the top spot with I Wanna Feel.

The Money on my Mind singer said: “It’s amazing. I was a bit scared a few days ago because I knew that Coldplay’s album had come out.

“I’m so happy.”

In The Lonely Hour sold 101,000 copies over the last seven days, making it the fastest selling debut album of 2014 so far. It is also the third fastest selling artist album overall this year behind Coldplay’s Ghost Stories (168,000 copies in its first week on sale, and second in today’s album chart) and Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love (109,000 copies), which trails Smith and Coldplay in today’s list.

Paloma Faith’s A Perfect Contradiction and Michael Jackson’s Xscape complete the Top 5.

There were new entries from Stateside songstress Mariah Carey whose 14th studio album Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse, entered at Number 14 today.

Canadian singer/songwriter Neil Young’s 35th album, A Letter Home, entered at Number 17, while Norwegian duo Royksopp and Swedish pop star Robyn are new in at 20 with their collaboration album, Do It Again.

In the singles chart, French deep house duo Klingande entered at three with Jubel, while Waves by Mr Probz slipped two places to four and Rita Ora’s I Will Never Let You Down dropped one to complete the top five.

I Wanna Feel sold more than 82,000 copies in the last seven days to take the top spot.

SecondCity said: “I can’t believe my single, I Wanna Feel, has gone to Number 1. Thanks to everyone for buying it and supporting it from the start. I’m amazed to see an underground record end up where it has.

“I never sat down and thought ’I’m going to write a single that could do well at radio’. I just wrote a record that I’d play in the clubs. I never anticipated it, which makes it even better.”

Albert Adomah Brazil bound after earning place in Ghana World Cup squad

Jerry Akaminko, Jeffrey Schlupp and David Accam were the three that failed to make the final cut for the Ghana World Cup squad

Albert Adomah is Brazil bound after earning a place in the Ghana World Cup squad.

The Boro winger has been sweating on his place in coach Kwesi Appiah’s final 23, but his seat on the plane to South America was confirmed today.

Jerry Akaminko, Jeffrey Schlupp and David Accam were the three that failed to make the final cut.

Appiah made his decision after watching Saturday’s friendly against Holland in Rotterdam.

Ghana lost 1-0 to an early Robin van Persie goal and Adomah played the entire 90 minutes.

The Black Stars travel to Miami, with one more friendly to come against fellow finalists South Korea on June 9.

Boro target Stephen Ward was also in action on Saturday. The Wolves full-back was in Martin O’Neill’s starting XI, helping Ireland hold Italy to a 0-0 draw.

Ben Gibson’s England adventure ended in defeat yesterday as Gareth Southgate’s team lost narrowly to Portugal in the Under-20 Toulon Tournament’s third place play-off match.

Gibson was in the starting XI for the game, which took place in Parc des Sports, Avignon, but Ricardo Horta scored the only goal of the game in the 56th minute.

However, he’s thoroughly enjoyed his time in France.

“I’ve loved every minute of it, to be honest, playing with the best players in my age group and against better quality opposition,” he said.

“I’ve learnt a lot working with the staff and it’s been something that I’ve really enjoyed doing and I want to strive to do more of.”

Comedian gatecrashes England squad as they leave for World Cup

Jason Bent, aka Simon Brodkin, posed with the team before they departed for Miami

England’s World Cup stars almost had an extra man on board their plane today.

Jason Bent, a creation of comic Simon Brodkin, mingled with the players after they got off the team bus before boarding their plane to Miami at Luton Airport.

“Bent” was clad in a matching smart suit and tie and his presence first baffled then amused the England players as they waited to go inside the terminal before heading off to two warm up games, then the World Cup in Brazil.

Security and police swiftly spotted that there was an interloper and he was led away “struggling” and clutching his passport.

Later “Bent” tweeted: “Gutted Roy wouldn’t let me on the plane to Brazil. I don’t know what to tell the Malaysian betting syndicate now...”

Last year Brodkin was given a conditional caution at North Liverpool Community Justice Centre after he duped security at a Premier League match and limbered up alongside star players.

In the stunt, before Manchester City’s game at Everton on March 16, 2013, Brodkin dressed as Bent, with blond highlights, shark-fin haircut and designer stubble, to blend in with the likes of England’s Joe Hart and Gareth Barry ahead of kick-off.

The qualified doctor, who has his own sketch show on BBC Three, was later charged with going on to the playing area, contrary to the Football Offences Act.

The charge was withdrawn and Brodkin was issued with a six-month conditional caution.

The Jason Bent character is Brodkin’s take on the bling lifestyle enjoyed by professional footballers.

He appears in BBC Three’s Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show, which Brodkin hosts and stars in.

Nelson, a South London tearaway, is another of his characters.

Egypt’s pig in a poke of an election: Yvonne Ridley

The British idiom “pig in a poke” could aptly be used to describe the state of the latest Egyptian election. It comes from the Middle Ages when dodgy butchers would try to palm-off low quality meat in a bag to an unsuspecting consumer who thought they were getting a real treat until they looked inside the poke, that is, the bag.

Weary Egyptians recognise the presidential election for what it was, a total sham. The 80 per cent plus who chose not to vote have, in effect, destroyed Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s moral legitimacy and claim to be a democratically elected leader.

I cringed and winced as the Egyptian regime bullied, bribed, cajoled and threatened the country’s voters to get out to the polling stations to cast their vote. There were even threats of fines being imposed for those who chose to stay at home. Once again Sisi and his goons tried to use force and called it democracy. When voting was extended to a third day Sisi began to look like a desperate man, and so he should with only a 12 per cent turnout.

I felt embarrassed for Hamdeen Sabbahi, who was the only other candidate in a presidential race no one else wanted to enter. It’s one thing being Sisi’s useful idiot but even Sabbahi did not want to become an international laughing stock and threatened to walk away when the polling stations remained open for a third day.

The European Union sent observers to monitor the election but they remain silent over the shockingly low turnout, which was estimated at below 12 per cent by the Arab Observatory for Rights and Freedoms.

So where were those tens of millions of Egyptians who, we were assured last year, wanted to see Mohamed Morsi kicked out of office? We know that more than 40,000 have been arrested since the military coup but even that does not account for the world’s worst election turnout.

According to the latest poll by the influential US-based research think tank Pew, nearly 40 per cent of Egyptians still value the Muslim Brotherhood even though it has laughingly being branded as a terrorist organisation by the ex-Field Marshall now sitting in the president’s palace.

The outcome of the elections was predictable on two levels. Sisi would seize power on a trickle of votes compared to the tsunami of silent protest from the absent electorate, and the Egyptian people will have been short-changed by getting a leader the majority don’t want; a pig in a poke, if you will, and it doesn’t matter how much lip gloss is painted on this particular pig, it will always be a pig.

The irony is that this farcical election will eventually pave the way for another revolution and another chance at democracy for the deserving Egyptians.

Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following serious assault in Stockton

45-year-old man suffered serious head and facial injuries in Blackett Avenue :: 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a serious assault in Stockton.

A 45-year-old man suffered serious head and facial injuries in Blackett Avenue, Stockton, at 10.50pm last night.

He was taken to Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is currently in police custody.

Officers are currently active in the area conducting house-to-house inquiries and a cordon has been put around the address.

Detectives are appealing for anyone with information on the incident to contact officers on the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

15-year-old Wendy Stuart found safe and well

Missing 15-year-old Wendy Stuart has been found safe and well after going missing in the Stockton area

Missing 15-year-old Wendy Stuart has been found safe and well.

She had been reported missing after last being seen at around 10:30am on Saturday morning in the Stockton area.

Cleveland Police have thanked the media and public for their assistance.

Munde graduated in 1976 from a college established in 1978 :Cong

New Delhi, May 31:

After targeting Union Minister Smriti Irani on her educational qualifications, Congress today questioned Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde on the same count, alleging that he “graduated in 1976 from a college established in 1978″.

“Social media is discussing the big achievement of BJP leader & RD Minister Mr Munde? He graduated in 1976 from a

college established in 1978,” Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad tweeted.

Munde’s affidavit for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls available on the Election Commission website mentions that he did his BJL degree from New Law College, Pune in 1976.

Pune’s New Law College, as per its own website was established in 1978.

Repeated attempts to reach Munde over telephone and text messages got no response from him.

Congress has launched a scathing attack against Irani soon after she assumed charge as HRD minister, alleging that she was “not even a graduate”.

Ahmad’s tweets comes after AICC general secretary and communication department chairman Ajay Maken ridiculed Prime Minister’s cabinet for having an HRD minister who was not even a graduate.

“What a Cabinet of Modi? HRD Minister (Looking after Education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate! Look at her

affidavit at ECI site pg 11!,” Maken had tweeted recently.

Five Delhi University staff were suspended yesterday for allegedly leaking purported documents relating to

undergraduate admission of Irani and her admit card.

Irani has since asked the University to “reinstate” them.

Congress today attacked the government over suspension of five non-teaching staff of Delhi University, saying the move smacked of “high-handedness” and was a precursor to the way the Centre wanted to conduct the affairs of the nation.

———————–PTI

Egyptian state-owned TV broadcasts evidence of electoral fraud

An Egyptian state-owned TV channel broadcast an interview with one official at a polling station who said that the number of voters exceeded the actual number of eligible voters registered in that station.

According to the official, the number of registered eligible voters is 4,400, while the number of those who cast their vote was approximately 4,650. The video has gone viral among Egyptian social media users who considered it as proof of fraud.

Police appeal for information to trace missing 15-year-old Wendy Stuart

Wendy Stuart was last seen at around 10:30am on Saturday at an address in Stockton

Police are appealing for information to trace missing 15-year-old Wendy Stuart who went missing yesterday.

She is described as black, with brown eyes, black hair, medium build and 5ft 4 inches tall.

Wendy was last seen at around 10:30am yesterday morning at an address in Stockton, wearing a black leather jacket, black leggings, an orange T-shirt and a black trilby with the words ‘aint no wifey’ across.

Officers are concerned for Wendy’s whereabouts due to her age and are keen for information to trace her.

Anyone with information on Wendy’s whereabouts is asked to call Cleveland Police on the non-emergency number 101.