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 8th July, 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.

Growing optimism across North-east business according to new survey

Growing optimism across North-east business is creating new jobs across all sectors, according to the region’s largest quarterly business survey.

The QES, produced by the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC), has recorded rises in investment plans and significant gains in both current workforce and future recruitment.

The NECC says the results are the highest overall scores recorded by any QES since the survey began in 1995.

Optimism across the region continues to rise as firms delivered another boost for the regional economy following strong results in the last two quarters.

Businesses reported an upsurge in trade with domestic and foreign markets, a trend established in Q1 of 2014 has continued into Q2.

The QES is a trends survey that shows the health and direction of the North-east economy.

Measured across 11 separate indicators, any score above zero indicates trading conditions are improving.

The report shows that confidence remains strong in the manufacturing sector with most measures positive. In particular sales, investment plans and current and future workforce projections all looking positive.

Across all indicators, year-on-year scores are positive, with the only exceptions being cashflow and export orders.

NECC policy and research manager, Mark Stephenson, said: “We are starting to see a real trend developing across both manufacturing and service sectors. The slow but steady growth throughout 2013 has provided the momentum for an excellent first half of 2014, which is seeing rising optimism across the region reflected in future plans for recruitment and business investment.

“In particular, this quarter has seen respondents send an incredibly positive message on future recruitment.

“Over 60% of firms had attempted to recruit full-time staff, which is comfortably higher than last quarter (53.8%) and considerably above last year’s figure (45.7%) which is a clear statement of confidence and highly encouraging.”

NECC president, David Laws, added: “The strong positivity that fed through from the manufacturing sector in the first quarter of this year was very noticeable and has continued this quarter, albeit it has been more than matched by feedback from the service sector which is hugely welcome.

“The North-east labour market continues to grow, albeit with our unemployment rate remaining the highest in the UK. However, the rate of increase in the North-east employment figure is the highest in the UK in sectors as varied as biologics, pharmaceuticals, automotive, oil and gas – to name but a few.”

Gujarat governor who took on Modi govt shunted out

In another signal to politicians appointed governors by the previous UPA government, Gujarat governor Kamla Beniwal was transferred to Mizoram for the remainder of her term.

Beniwal had been involved in a long tussle with the Gujarat government then led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the appointment of Lokayukta in the state and the matter had gone to court. The 89-year-old Beniwal, whose tenure ends in November, also sat over legislations passed by the state Assembly, one of which provided for 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies.

Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva will discharge the functions of the governor of Gujarat alongside her duties for now. Alva’s term ends in a month.

Vakkom Purushothaman, the current governor of Mizoram, has been transferred to Nagaland. He will continue to hold additional charge as governor of Tripura.

The Modi government at the Centre had earlier sent feelers to all governors appointed by the UPA regime that they should step down to make way for new appointments. While former bureaucrats like M K Narayanan (West Bengal), Ashwani Kumar (Nagaland), B L Joshi (Uttar Pradesh), Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh) and B V Wanchoo (Goa) have already stepped down, H R Bhardwaj (Karnataka) and Devanand Konwar (Tripura) were allowed to stay in the post till their tenure ended last month.

The political appointees to the post though have dug in their heels. Those who have refused to toe the Centre’s line include K Sankaranarayanan (Maharashtra), Sheila Dikshit (Kerala), Jaganath Pahadia (Haryana) and Shivraj Patil (Punjab)

Spending and Morality

During last year’s budget negotiation meetings, President Barack Obama told House Speaker John Boehner, “We don’t have a spending problem.” When Boehner responded with “But, Mr. President, we have a very serious spending problem,” Obama replied, “I’m getting tired of hearing you say that.” In one sense, the president is right. What’s being called a spending problem is really a symptom of an unappreciated deep-seated national moral rot. Let’s examine it with a few questions.

Is it moral for Congress to forcibly use one person to serve the purposes of another? I believe that most Americans would pretend that to do so is offensive. Think about it this way. Suppose I saw a homeless, hungry elderly woman huddled on a heating grate in the dead of winter. To help the woman, I ask somebody for a $200 donation to help her out. If the person refuses, I then use intimidation, threats and coercion to take the person’s money. I then purchase food and shelter for the needy woman. My question to you: Have I committed a crime? I hope that most people would answer yes. It’s theft to take the property of one person to give to another.

Now comes the hard part. Would it be theft if I managed to get three people to agree that I should take the person’s money to help the woman? What if I got 100, 1 million or 300 million people to agree to take the person’s $200? Would it be theft then? What if instead of personally taking the person’s $200, I got together with other Americans and asked Congress to use Internal Revenue Service agents to take the person’s $200? The bottom-line question is: Does an act that’s clearly immoral when done privately become moral when it is done collectively and under the color of law? Put another way, does legality establish morality?

For most of our history, Congress did a far better job of limiting its activities to what was both moral and constitutional. As a result, federal spending was only 3 to 5 percent of the gross domestic product from our founding until the 1920s, in contrast with today’s 25 percent.

Close to three-quarters of today’s federal spending can be described as Congress taking the earnings of one American to give to another through thousands of handout programs, such as farm subsidies, business bailouts and welfare.

During earlier times, such spending was deemed unconstitutional and immoral. James Madison, the acknowledged father of our Constitution, said, “Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government.” In 1794, when Congress appropriated $15,000 to assist some French refugees, Madison stood on the floor of the House of Representatives to object, saying, “I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” Today’s Americans would crucify a politician expressing similar statements.

There may be nitwits out there who’d assert, “That James Madison guy forgot about the Constitution’s general welfare clause.” Madison had that covered, explaining in a letter, “If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the general welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one.” Thomas Jefferson agreed, writing: Members of Congress “are not to do anything they please to provide for the general welfare. … It would reduce the (Constitution) to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and, as they would be the sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please.”

The bottom line is that spending is not our basic problem. We’ve become an immoral people demanding that Congress forcibly use one American to serve the purposes of another. Deficits and runaway national debt are merely symptoms of that larger problem.

Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here .

Subscribe to Frontpage’s TV show, The Glazov Gang, and LIKE it on Facebook.

What an Islamic Caliphate Would Mean for the West

Shillman Fellow Raymond Ibrahim was recently interviewed by CBN News’ George Thomas on the rise of the Islamic State, its aspirations for caliphate, and what all that means for free peoples around the world:

Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here .

Subscribe to Frontpage’s TV show, The Glazov Gang, and LIKE it on Facebook.

UK report: Anti-Muslim hate crime rising

London, UK - The number of reported instances of anti-Muslim hate crime in the UK has risen sharply since the murder of a British soldier in London last year, with women wearing traditional Islamic dress most likely to be the victims of abuse and street attacks, according to a new study.

But researchers believe that a widespread lack of trust in the police in Muslim communities and endemic under-reporting of hate crime masks the true scale of the problem, with most Islamophobic incidents, ranging from online trolling to verbal abuse and extreme violence, going unlogged and unpunished.

The publication of the report also comes amid concerns expressed by some Muslims about their safety on British streets following the murder of a female Saudi Arabian student in Colchester last month. Police say the attack may have been religiously motivated because the victim was wearing an abaya.

The study, conducted by researchers at Teesside University, is based on analysis of 734 incidents reported to and verified by case workers at Tell MAMA, an organisation monitoring anti-Muslim attacks, over 10 months from May 2013 to the end of February.

They included 23 cases of assault, 13 cases involving extreme violence, 56 attacks on mosques and hundreds of instances of online abuse, with an average of more than two confirmed cases a day.

Matthew Feldman, the co-author of the report, told Al Jazeera that while official figures showed a decline in hate crime generally, anti-Muslim abuse appeared to be bucking that trend.

The majority of abusers were men under the age of 30, although children as young as 10 were among those identified as perpetrators. And while on-the-street hate crime was typically targeted at men, Feldman said 54 percent of cases recorded by Tell MAMA had been reported by women, including many who felt they had been abused because they were wearing headscarves, face veils or other clothing which visibly identified them as Muslim.

“This figure might indicate a greater willingness [among women] to report anti-Muslim attacks. Or, on the other hand, Muslim women could be seen as more visible targets because of the traditional clothing they wear such as the hijab or abaya,” he said.

After effects of Rigby murder

The study also highlighted a 400 percent increase in incidents a week after two Muslim converts murdered British soldier Lee Rigby in May 2013.

The attack was strenuously condemned by Muslim organisations but a spike in attacks followed, with one man subsequently convicted of murdering an 82-year-old man, Mohammed Saleem, as he walked home from a mosque in Birmingham, and plotting to bomb three other mosques.

The secretary of one mosque in Essex, attacked at the time by a man armed with a smoke grenade and knives, told Al Jazeera that Muslims were afraid they would become “sitting targets”.

“At this time, many people in Britain felt frightened and victimised,” the report concludes.

Fiyaz Mughal, the director of Tell MAMA, said the baseline of incidents remained higher than it had been prior to Rigby’s killing, but added that the data only offered a partial picture of the potential levels of abuse routinely encountered by British Muslims.

The UK’s official crime survey estimates there are about 278,000 hate crime offences committed annually, including about 185,000 racially or religiously motivated incidents. But it estimates that only 40 percent get brought to the attention of police.

“What we are picking up is a snapshot of what is reported to us over a specific period of time. But under-reporting is a real problem, so the wider picture is something that is of real concern to us,” Mughal told Al Jazeera.

Feldman said Tell MAMA’s figures highlighted a worrying lack of trust in the police in Muslim communities. He said that just 17 percent of people who had contacted the organisation had also gone to the police, including just four of 135 victims of street attacks.

“That is very concerning and in a sense that is a wider issue about trust in the police or the belief that hate crime will be taken seriously,” he said.

Imran Awan, a criminologist at Birmingham City University and the author of another new report examining anti-Muslim abuse on Twitter, said Feldman’s concerns chimed with his own research among Birmingham’s Muslim communities.

“People are concerned. There is a level of anxiety and fear. Some people say it’s just one of those things that we have to get used to. But others say: ‘Perhaps I should move to another country,’ and that is quite shocking to me,” Awan told Al Jazeera. “You have people wondering if they will be targeted because of their beard or their headscarf or because they have a Muslim name.”

Systemic patterns

For More:

http://ift.tt/1qBeuDZ

Dalai Lama urges Buddhists to halt anti-Muslim violence

July 06:

The Dalai Lama Sunday reiterated his plea to Buddhists in Myanmar and Sri Lanka to halt violence against Muslims, in a speech to tens of thousands of devotees to mark his 79th birthday.

In front of the massive crowd that included Hollywood film star Richard Gere in northern India, the Dalai Lama said the violence in both Buddhist-majority countries targeting religious minority Muslims was unacceptable. “I urge the Buddhists in these countries to imagine an image of Buddha before they commit such a crime,” Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader said on the outskirts of Leh, high in the Himalayas.

“Buddha preaches love and compassion. If the Buddha is there, he will protect the Muslims whom the Buddhists are attacking,” the leader, who fled Tibet for India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, said.

The Dalai Lama also expressed shock at a wave of deadly violence by Sunni militants against fellow Muslims, although he did not refer specifically to Iraq, where such militants have overrun swathes of five provinces north and west of Baghdad.

Gere greeted the Dalai Lama on stage, shaking his hand and praising the leader on behalf of several thousand foreign devotees who had gathered for the speech.

Inter-communal violence in Myanmar has overshadowed widely-praised political reforms since erupting in 2012. It has largely targeted Muslims, leaving at least 250 people dead.

Last month in Sri Lanka, four people were killed and hundreds of shops and homes damaged in the island’s worst religious violence in recent decades.

The Dalai Lama celebrated his birthday at his residence on the outskirts of Leh in Ladakh, a mainly Buddhist region.

He was in Ladakh to confer Kalachakra, a Buddhist process that empowers tens of thousands of his disciples to attain enlightenment.

Two years ago, the Nobel Peace Prize winner announced that he was retiring from political duties and upgraded the role of prime minister of the Tibetan exile community.

He devolved power in an attempt to lessen his own totemic status and secure the movement’s future after his death

View: Wheatlands Primary School in Redcar celebrates 21st birthday

View gallery

Ian McIntyre

Pictures: Wheatlands Primary School 21st Birthday celebrations

View gallery

Craft sessions, a sun-blessed picnic and even making birthday cake hats were on the curriculum when Redcar's Wheatlands Primary School celebrated its 21st birthday.

The Hundale Crescent school, with 374 pupils on roll and a 39-place nursery, was opened by former Redcar MP and Ulster Secretary, the late Mo Mowlam, in 1993, since when it has established itself as a high achieving and popular school.

And on Friday, Redar and Cleveland Mayor, Councillor Carole Simms, was among the guests at a special 21st birthday party.

In the morning, parents joined craft sessions with the children before everyone moved outside in the afternoon for some fun in the sun.

Julie Green, headteacher for eight and a half years, said: “This is a friendly, forward-thinking school with lovely children and supportive parents and governors. We are all very proud of our school.”

Murders of the 60s: Unsolved murder of Redcar doctor's receptionist Linda Cook

Over the decades Teesside has sadly seen dozens of grim and tragic murders. This week crime reporter Sophie Barley revisits the 1960s, starting today with the unsolved Redcar murder of Linda Cook.

Detectives have always remained puzzled as to how Linda Cook came to her violent death.

Her body was found dumped in Green Lane, Redcar, early one September morning in 1963 and her killer has never been found.

Mrs Cook, 23, was described as “attractive and fun-loving”.

She was a doctor’s receptionist and she and her husband Clark leased a flat from her employer.

Six weeks before she died the Cook marriage hit a trouble patch and Mr Cook had moved to another flat.

Mrs Cook had decided to move to Leeds to live with her father.

On Saturday, September 21, they moved their belongings from the flat above the doctor’s surgery before having a coffee together.

Mr Cook then walked his wife along High Street and she went into a shop - it was the last time Mr Cook saw his wife.

Her body was found at 7am the next day dumped in Green Lane - a rendezvous for lovers. She had been throttled.

Mrs Cook was found by a milk lorry driver. He saw the body on the grass verge. She was wearing a pink woollen two-piece suit with a tight-fitting skirt and black heels.

The grass was undisturbed and her clothing was neatly arranged.

Scotland Yard were called in to help with the probe. In three months detectives questioned nearly 4,000 people.

A man who had met Linda six weeks earlier helped police fill in some of the gaps of the last day of her life.

He lived in a flat at Redcar and said Linda had stayed there overnight on the Friday night and was planning to stay there until Monday when she was leaving for Leeds.

The witness said he last saw Mrs Cook in the flat at about 8pm on the Saturday. He said she had left the flat to go to the doctor to “finish her business with him”.

She failed to return to the flat.

When he was asked why he was not worried or surprised that she hadn’t returned, the witness said he thought Mrs Cook might have gone to her husband’s or mother’s or alternatively that her father may have come to Redcar to attempt a reconciliation between her and Mr Cook.

To this day police have never been able to complete the timetable of what Linda was doing in the last 14 hours of her life.

Widespread appeals were made by police in the hope that witnesses would come forward.

Police worked around the clock - some taking to the streets showing people photographs of Mrs Cook.

Detectives became frustrated and feared that people were withholding vital information.

Detective Superintendant William Tennant said at the time: “It has come to my notice that persons have been heard boasting they know something but don’t want to become involved.”

And despite 4,000 people being quizzed, no one was ever able to put any light on the mystery of who killed Linda Cook.

Boro may be keen on Jelle Vossen - but he's not top of the club's list

Read all of the summer's Boro transfer news HERE

Boro may revive their interest in Belgian striker Jelle Vossen - but he is not top of their list.

The highly-rated frontman has told his club Genk he wants to leave and that Teesside is his first choice destination.

However that does not mean that any mooted move is close.

The Gazette understands the Belgium international IS on the club’s radar - but that he is not a priority target.

The club have not made a formal inquiry about the player but they are monitoring developments closely.

They may firm up their interest in lively Vossen later - but only if they fail to land their first choice striking targets.

The club are taking a similar stance with Sunderland’s Danny Graham, keeping any interest on the back-burner.

Meanwhile, the Gazette understands Boro bosses are working hard on two deals for strikers and hope for a breakthrough on them this week.

Then they will reassess their squad strength and their finances and may need to move players out before they can further strengthen their firepower.

Only then will they turn their attention to players lower down their wish-list, like Vossen.

And the Belgian would be keen to move to Middlesbrough if that opportunity arises.

Belgian media have reported that Vossen is unhappy at Genk and has demanded a move.

He scored 17 goals in 32 league games last term but troubled Genk struggled.

They limped into the top six then finished bottom of the play-off mini-league and Vossen failed to make the cut for the Belgian World Cup squad.

Vossen, 25, was unhappy that club chiefs fumbled his move to Boro last August then turned down bids in January from Rubin Kazan and also knocked back interest from West Ham.

Now he wants to bring things to a head and leave before the new season starts.

And Vossen has told Genk chiefs if possible he would be keen to resurrect the deal he almost struck with Boro - then under Tony Mowbray - on deadline day last August.

The striker was a target then and Boro came very close to sealing a £4m move.

The player was Teesside-bound but, while he was mid-air, the clubs failed to agree the fine-details and structure of the deal and the jet did a u-turn.

Read all of the summer's Boro transfer news HERE

Al-Rahili: 60 years of providing iftar meals in Ramadan

Seventy-year-old Muhammad Salim Allah Al-Rahili is known as one of the oldest volunteers who help in providing iftar meals to Muslims in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. For more than sixty years, Al-Rahili has been a regular helper in the mosque particularly in the Rawdah and Al-Mukabariya area.

Arab News met Al-Rahili as he was overseeing the preparations for the iftar as his usual habit every year. More than one thousand visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque eat iftar together every day through more than six tables scattered in different areas around the mosque including the squares adjacent to the mosque.

Describing the meals in Ramadan, he explained that each meal includes yogurt, milk, bread, coffee, dates and Duqa, which is a mixture of home-made spices.

He refused to reveal the cost of each meals saying that charity work are done for the sake of God and doing good and he doesn’t seek fame or stardom.

In a related project, Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah inaugurated a project to provide break-fasting meals to 1.5 million people in the Makkah province.

The Jeddah Charity Warehouse will implement the project that will be named after Prince Mishaal as a part of its Ramadan programs. The prince made a considerable donation to the project and opened the project’s electronic website. The website (jedcs.net) will receive volunteers wishing to join this project.

Sheikh Abdullah Al-Othaim, chairman of the board of the warehouse, told Arab News that Iftar meals will be distributed as a part of a geographical

map that covers the Makkah region.

Al-Othaim welcomed more than three thousand volunteers to the programs. Each volunteer will spend two hours of their time between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. to distribute meals to people in public squares, at traffic light, and streets.

Al-Othaim expressed gratitude to the governmental bodies, the private sectors and philanthropists for their participation in the program inviting other to support the warehouse projects that targets poor and needy

people.

Is the sunny spell over? Met Office issues severe weather warning for Teesside

View gallery

Pictures by Ian Cooper

Treacherous driving conditions

View gallery

A severe weather warning has been issued for Teesside tomorrow.

The heavy downpours predicted are a far cry from the warm weather that Teessiders have been enjoying.

The Met Office issued the warning - saying that slow moving heavy showers with possible thunder are likely to develop from tomorrow morning.

It says: "The public should be aware of possible surface water flooding, although, as is often the case in such situations, many places will escape the heaviest downpours."

Severe weather warnings are issued when there is the potential to cause danger to life or widespread disruption.

Temperatures are forecast to hit a maximum of 18 degrees celsius.

View: World's largest Christopher Dresser exhibition unveiled at the Dorman Museum

The world's largest exhibition of the work of Christopher Dresser has been unveiled at the Dorman Museum.

Hundreds of exhibits detailing the designer’s life and work have gone on display at the Middlesbrough museum.

The permanent exhibition is the focal point of a wider campaign which aims to bring the 19th Century designer into popular Middlesbrough culture.

Dorman Museum Curator Gill Moore said: “We are delighted to be able to now show off these truly amazing pieces to the public.”

She added: “Christopher Dresser is without doubt one of the most important figures in the history of design and he remains a massive influence for modern designers – and so much of his work was done here in Middlesbrough.”

Growing role of Islamic economics in spotlight

A number of key economic topics from the Islamic point of view are being analyzed at the two-day 35th Albaraka Symposium for Islamic Economics, taking place at the Jeddah Hilton.

The symposium, which opened on Saturday, encompasses the role of the state in business activities based on Islamic economic principles and the role of endowment in the development and fight against poverty and unemployment.

Saleh Kamel, chairman of the board of trustees, iqraa Waqf for Employment and Business Expansion, said: “This forum is not only for Islamic banking but also covers the entire gamut of Islamic economy.

“We have been talking about Islamic banking and finance for about 20 years. This year, we went back to its inception 35 years ago when we discussed everything within the framework of Islamic economics, including zakat and riba (interest), “ Kamel said.

According to him, Islamic banking rules are many. Muslims understand them better and they can give the humanity a good life, especially in the present tough days.

“For that, we need to start to talk about everything concerning them. Let us start the first meeting with masrafia alijabia (positive banking). This is one of the Islamic banking tools suggested. But, what we should also focus on is the responsibility of the state in Islam in the economic welfare for all, “ he said.

On Sunday, Kamel added, the symposium will focus on alwaqf.

“What has happened now is that alwaqf has disappeared in Muslim countries, while in the West most of the universities and research centers as well as human rights organizations are being run on the basis of alwaqf. But here (Muslim countries), it (alwaqf) has disappeared. Alwaqf is, in fact, the major part of Islamic economics.

“If we try to understand this, then the Islamic economy will develop for the benefit of all humans, not only Muslims,” Kamel added.

Riyadh Yousif Al-Rabiah highlighted the importance of positive banking where banks get their revenue out of the depositors _ money and not from people who borrow money. The people who borrow pay only the cost of the loan without any interest. This will keep them away from riba.

Abdulmohsen Al-Fares, CEO of Alinma Bank, said Islamic banks can play a positive role in economic development and employment creation.

Abdulaziz Al-Fozan, professor of comparative jurisprudence at the Higher Judicial Institute and board member of the Human Rights Commission, said a series of Islamic transactions are gaining acceptance in the Western countries, especially after the global financial crisis witnessed in 2008.

Al-Fozan stressed the need for enlightening individuals and Islamic financial institutions on the importance of social responsibility and social solidarity, and their position in the Shariah, and how to convince them to keep committed to these elements voluntarily without the need for the introduction of a binding law to this end.

Al-Fozan also called for drawing up clear-cut criteria for the assessment of the efficiency of financial institutions and their effective role in social responsibility and social solidarity.

Adnan Ahmed Yousif, board member and president & chief executive of Albaraka group, said that the group’s assets increased from $4.1 billion in 2003 to more than $21 billion currently. “Investment increased to around $160 billion whereas deposits reached $18 billion,” he said.

Thornaby primary school teaching assistant was part of child pornography network

A primary school teaching assistant was part of a paedophile network exchanging child pornography, a court was told today.

Joseph Duffy, 19, from Thornaby, was working as a volunteer teaching assistant on a one-to-one basis with nine to 10-year-olds helping them to read.

He was arrested after US authorities tipped-off CEOP, the British police’s Child Exploitation On-line Protection unit, that he was using an internet site which allows child porn watchers to contact others.

Prosecutor Christopher Rose told Teesside Crown Court that Duffy later admitted to Cleveland Police officers that he had been using the site and also Skype for two years to share and exchange videos.

The school was not named in court but it was referred to as “a local primary school”.

Mr Rose told the judge: “He knew that he had a sexual attraction to children, and he accepted that he posed a risk to children.”

Duffy said that the only way to get new images was to exchange them.

He said that there were periods of intense distribution of indecent images of children once a week up to the serious category of Level 4 and beyond.

Police executed search warrants at the homes of his parents who lived separately on September 13 last year.

They arrested him and seized a laptop, iPhone and memory sticks.

They had to obtain a court order from a judge to get him to disclose the passwords for the iPhone.

The laptop had files which were indicative of child porn,and he had been regularly cleaning images on the hardware. There was also evidence from the Skype account of file sharing of child porn.

Police technical experts recovered images of young boys from six memory sticks, and there was further evidence on the iPhone.

He admitted that he had also used his father’s laptop for his activities.

Duffy said that he began with pornography when he was 13, and as he got older he realised that he was sexually attracted to boys aged 11 to 19.

Mr Rose added: “He had clearly built up a network of people with whom he was sharing these videos over a lengthy period.”

Duffy, who had no previous convictions and was a first-year undergraduate studying Maths at Greenwich University, avoided jail after his barrister said he could be helped by the Internet Sex Offenders treatment programme.

Andrew White said that an immediate prison sentence would be disastrous for Duffy who would be locked up with other sex offenders.

Mr White said that Duffy once had ambitions to become a teacher, adding: “He clearly needs help.

“He recognises that there is a problem and he is 100% committed to receiving help”.

Judge Peter Bowers told Duffy: “I accept that you have shown as much remorse as you possibly can and have expressed as much insight as one can expect at this stage.”

Duffy, of Kimble Drive, Thornaby, was given an 18 months jail sentence suspended for two years with supervision and the Sex Offender’s treatment programme, ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years, and also given a Sexual Offence’s Prevention Order limiting his use of the Internet.

He pleaded guilty to distributing indecent images of children on July 23 last year, and two charges of possession for show on September 13 last year.

Sabic at Wilton begin investigation after gas leak

A chemical plant has begun an investigation after a gas leak.

Sabic at Wilton said at about 6am on Thursday, a leak on a heat exchanger resulted in a release of hydrocarbon gas.

Three fire crews attended as a “precautionary measure” and did not need to take any action.

A spokeswoman for the company said: “The site alarm was activated and Sembcorp emergency response team attended in accordance with standard procedure. The leak was quickly stopped. The release of hydrocarbon gas was small and caused no off-site effects.

“Sabic has started an investigation to determine the root cause and the incident has been notified to the appropriate regulatory authorities.

“SABIC would like to apologise for any disturbance this has caused to our offsite neighbours.”

Targeted by protests, SodaStream suffers setbacks in UK

SodaStream has “suffered serious setbacks” in Britain, with major chain John Lewis taking the Israeli company’s products off the shelves.

The nationwide department store said in a statement that it would “no longer stock the range”, a decision taken “in light of declining sales” following a “regular commercial review”.

John Lewis’ store on Oxford Street has been a regular target of SodaStream-focused protests by Palestine solidarity campaigners opposed to the location of SodaStream’s main production plant in an illegal West Bank settlement.

Meanwhile, SodaStream’s Brighton store EcoStream has closed following what a company spokesperson referred to as a “two-year test period”. The store has faced weekly protests since it opened, with pro-Palestine demonstrators often facing off against pro-Israel activists.

SodaStream’s UK woes come six months after it received worldwide attention for its involvement with Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, as brand ambassador Scarlett Johansson was dropped by Oxfam over her ties with the company.

John Lewis’ decision was announced as a number of European governments publish warnings against trade with settlements, similar to that issued by the UK government back in December

Teenager who stabbed stepdad in central Middlesbrough home regains freedom

A teenager who stabbed his stepdad in the back during a row has regained his freedom and returned home.

Connor Swinnerton’s stepfather didn’t want to see the 18-year-old prosecuted for knifing him, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The stepdad said he “physically challenged” the teenager over his drinking, leading to the knife assault.

Swinnerton picked up a 10-inch kitchen knife when an argument turned into a scuffle, said prosecutor Jenny Haigh.

He lunged at his stepfather and, when he turned his back, stabbed him to the left side of the back.

He ran into the street to get help and was overheard confessing to stabbing his stepfather, who had collapsed at the house on Palm Street, central Middlesbrough.

Swinnerton admitted unlawful wounding from May 20.

He had 13 previous offences including an assault, but had never been to custody before.

The court heard how his stepfather did not support the prosecution.

Graham Brown, defending, said: “The victim has steadfastly sought to support the defendant.

“He has never looked for there to be a prosecution.

“He maintains this incident would never have happened had he not challenged physically Mr Swinnerton with regard to drink.

“He remains supportive and wants his stepson back home. If he had his way, Mr Swinnerton would not be here now.

“We have an explosive response to something which shouldn’t have occurred in the first place.”

Mr Brown said Swinnerton picked up a knife as he was assaulted in the home and used “excessive” force to ward off or defend himself.

He added Swinnerton was vulnerable, had health issues and would be vulnerable if he stayed in custody.

He argued a suspended sentence would be more positive in changing Swinnerton and helping him understand the stresses and pressures that led to an “over-the-top reaction”.

“He has a lot of growing up to do. He has now had a taste of custody which has not been enjoyed,” said Mr Brown.

The judge, Recorder David Dobbin, said: “In the context of this type of case it’s not the worst sort of injury but using a knife has huge dangers and of course could have led to something much more serious.”

He said work needed to be done with the 18-year-old’s over-reactions and the potential harm he could cause others.

He gave Swinnerton a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years with supervision.

Tickets for Boro pre-season friendly against Villarreal at the Riverside to go on sale next week

Tickets for Boro's only pre-season friendly at the Riverside ahead of the coming campaign will go on sale next week.

Boro's clash against former UEFA Cup opponents Villarreal will be held on Saturday, August 2 (3pm kick off) .

The club has announced this morning that tickets, priced at £10 for adults, £7 for pensioners and £5 for juniors, will go on sale next Wednesday, July 16.

The West Stand will be the only area open for the game, which will be the first time Boro have come up against their Spanish opponents since Steve McClaren's side were beaten 2-0 at the El Mardigal Stadium in the UEFA Cup group stages in 2004 .

The home game is Boro's third confirmed friendly this summer , following a trip to Rochdale on Saturday, July 26 and a visit to Hartlepool United four days later on Wednesday, July 30.

Boro are also expected to play up to three friendlies during a warm-weather training trip to Marbella this month.

View the full list of Boro's 2014/15 Championship fixtures here

Eight Chelsea players Aitor Karanka could bend Jose Mourinho's ear over

Boro head coach will be keen to make the most of close relationship with Chelsea manager

We know Aitor Karanka has been on the blower to Jose Mourinho.

He has said as much. In fact, he’s probably got him on speed-dial.

And Aitor could be eating into his mobile minutes this week as he tries to shape a squad fit for a promotion challenge.

Boro will be looking to use their fledgling relationship with Chelsea to bring in some serious talent before the big kick-off next month.

Clubs can take up to four players on loan from another club and while Boro may not go to the max it is nice to think we could get a chance to rifle through their reserves.

So let’s look at some of the best Chelsea talent we could be after.

PATRICK BAMFORD

Two seasons of first team football have toughened up Bamford as he adapted with ease with life in first League One then the Championship.

With excellent close control and a burst of pace to beat defenders he was deadly at MK Dons where he banged in 21 goals in 44 games.

Then in January he opted for Steve McClaren and Derby ahead of Boro and a host of other clubs and scored another eight in 21 appearances after slotting straight in.

He signed for Chelsea for £1.5m in January 2012 after just two first team outings for Forest but a blistering run through the FA Youth Cup.

He scored five and set up three in a 9-1 win over Wigan and then got four in a 5-1 spanking of Southampton, both in front of an army of scouts.

He is a clever lad too. He got A-levels in French, history, biology and general studies and is currently learning Spanish... could be useful.

NATHAN AKE

Boro fans were gushing the first time they saw Nathan Ake.

He took total control of the midfield in Chelsea’s 2-0 FA Cup win at the Riverside in February 2013.

He was quick, tough-tackling and showed a superb range of passing and looked to be pointing and bossing Chelsea’s superstars around.

It was his first start for the senior team. And he was out of position.

The dreadlocked central defender looked totally assured in a holding role and was the best player on the pitch.

Later that season he had a few cameos in the league and then played in the quarter and semi finals of the Europa League too. He’s not bad.

Ake, 19, was signed from Feyenoord in 2011 and last year signed a new five year deal.

He has played for Holland at every youth level.

CHRISTIAN ATSU

An international team-mate of Albert Adomah with Ghana, Atsu has done his stint in Holland and may now be available for a Championship side.

He joined Chelsea from Porto in September 2013 and signed a five-year deal then was loaned out to nursery club Vitesse Arnhem for the rest of last season playing 26 games and scoring five times.

Atsu is a left-sided midfielder who can play in the centre, on the wing, as part of a front three or as a second striker. He joined Porto from the superbly named FC Cheetah.

After a loan stint at second division Rio Ave he broke into Porto’s first team last season and made 17 appearances as the club won the title and played eight games in the Champions League too.

Atsu made his debut for Ghana in June 2012 and was a regular by the time of last January’s Africa Cup of Nations and put in some impressive displays in the World Cup in the group games.

View gallery

Gallery: Young Chelsea players

View gallery

LUCAS PIAZON

Chelsea fought off Barcelona and Juventus to sign Brazilian youth international striker Piazon in January 2011.

He spent a season at Stamford Bridge and helped win the FA Youth Cup before being loaned out to Malaga in Spain and then last year made the switch to Vitesse.

He played and scored on last summer’s Chelsea tour of the United States then in Holland he won rave reviews as he scored 11 and got eight assists in 33 games playing as a second striker.

PATRICK VAN AANHOLT

Even Chelsea fans will have forgotten van Aanholt. He hasn’t played for them since 2011 and has spent the last two years on loan at Vitesse. But the highly-rated left-back, now 23, is a full Dutch international with 100-plus top flight games under his belt.

He had short loan spells at Coventry, Newcastle, Fulham and Wigan before being farmed out to Vitesse where he has now played 67 games.

ULISES DAVILA

The Mexican attacking midfielder, now 23, joined Chelsea from Chivas in August 2011 and signed a five- year deal.

He had the mandatory year-long loan at Vitesse Arnhem and has since spent two years in the second division in Spain, first at Sabadell then last year at Cordoba.

He was a first team fixture at Cordoba and ended the campaign against Barcelona B in a play-off where he scored a last-minute goal that took the club into the top flight for the first time in over 40 years.

KURT ZOUMA

Kurt Zouma signed for Chelsea from St Etienne in January 2013 and was loaned straight back to the French club for the rest of the season.

The central defender, 19, has already played 52 times and scored four times for ‘Les Verts’ where he is a first team fixture despite his age.

He is a physically imposing 6ft 2in French Under-21 international who plays in the middle but who is also comfortable at right-back.

CRISTIAN CUEVAS

Chileans are hip. Left-back come left winger Cristian Cuevas joined Chelsea from Chilean club O’Higgins last summer.

Still just 18, he played for the Chile Under-20 side that reached the World Cup quarter-finals last summer and has trained with the senior international side.

He was in action against Ben Gibson in the Under-21 Toulon tournament in May.

He started last season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem before a January switch to Dutch second division club FC Eindhoven.

For more on Boro's potential links with Chelsea visit Anthony Vickers' UntypicalBoro blog.

Akhilesh accuses BJP of stoking fire in UP to divert attention from price-rise

NEW DELHI: Accusing BJP of stoking fire in Moradabad after an amicable compromise over the use of loudspeaker in a temple had been reached, UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said the saffron outfit is raising emotive issues to divert focus from all-round price rise and anger among people against the Centre.

“There are such important issues confronting the country. I don’t know why is BJP raising such emotive controversies,” Yadav told TOI, adding, “They want to vitiate the atmosphere.”

The chief minister said the loudspeaker was installed at the behest of “some BJP leaders” after Lok Sabha elections because they had promised it to the people. “But a compromise was signed by the two groups in the village and the issue was resolved. Later, the BJP’s traders cell said it did not agree with the compromise,” he added.

“What has happened to the BJP suddenly? When Samajwadi Party held a dharna to protest against inflation (against the Centre) recently in Lucknow, BJP workers beat up our cadres with sticks and rods. Then they have raised the Moradabad temple issue. Why?” he wondered.

“India has an emotional democracy. BJP wants to misuse it for political benefits,” he said.

Yadav said the SP has decided to not speak about the performance of Modi government for first six months but it is a fact that prices of everything, from petrol to rail to vegetables to onions, have shot beyond the tolerance level of a majority of people. “We will raise it in the budget session of Parliament,” he said.

Four sacked from Marske nursery after 'inappropriate conversation' about children

Four people were sacked from a Marske nursery after an investigation found that staff members had an “inappropriate conversation” about children.

The Cheeky Monkees nursery, on Redcar Road in Marske, was hit with an “inadequate” rating from Ofsted after an inspection in April - after previously being “good”.

Angela Mehegan - owner of the nursery which also has branches in Stockton, Eaglescliffe and Thornaby - said four people had been sacked after Ofsted inspectors found safeguarding procedures to protect children’s well-being had “not been followed correctly”.

But Ms Mehegan vowed the nursery would bounce back and is confident of achieving a “good” rating in the next inspection.

A complaint in March led to Ofsted inspectors visiting and branding the nursery inadequate, despite highlighting a number of other strengths.

And a subsequent report reads: "Children's overall well-being and safety are compromised.

"This is due to some staff's inappropriate behaviour and comments about children.

"This does not fully promote their well-being or provide a positive environment in which they can thrive, particularly in the 'tweenie room.'

"However, children are observed to be happy and settled."

But Ms Mehegan told the Gazette: “It was a one-off incident that we knew nothing about until Ofsted turned up.

“We think it was a complaint to Ofsted by a member of staff about other staff.

"Following Ofsted, we did our own investigation and we found that two nursery nurses and a room leader were involved in an inappropriate conversation about the children.

“The deputy manager did not do their job by not reporting it. All four members of staff have been dismissed.

“We do have the right procedures in place, but they were not followed.

"Had it not been for that, the inspection report would have been good.”

Ofsted says it received information on March 20 this year that raised concerns “about the providers’ ability to safeguard children” and that members of staff “have not reported the inappropriate comments or behaviour of other staff, in a timely and appropriate way”.

The regulatory body said that requirements for the compulsory and voluntary parts of its Childcare Register were not met - and will now complete a new, full investigation within six months.

Ms Mehegan continued: “We have been open for 10 years and it was absolutely awful to find out, but we were given actions by Ofsted and it was sorted within two or three weeks.

“I would like to thank all the parents of our children who understand the nursery’s strengths and have been very supportive.

"They all know that it was a one off, and we’re looking forward to our next inspection because we’re confident we’ll be good again.”

The report also lists a number of the nursery’s strengths, saying that staff have developed "positive relationships" with parents and external agencies to ensure all children are fully included and that their individual needs are met.

Inspectors say children enjoy their time at nursery and are keen to join in with activities.

Staff also provide opportunities for children to develop their independence by helping to serve part of their lunch and pour their own drinks, preparing them well for their transition to school.

Five Middlesbrough councillors take voluntary 5% cut in allowances

Five Middlesbrough councillors have taken a 5% cut in their allowances.

Members of the newly-formed Association of Independent Middlesbrough Councillors (AIM) have taken the voluntary reduction after the idea was vetoed by other councillors.

North Ormesby and Brambles Farm ward councillor Len Junier raised the issue at a full council meeting in May but the proposal failed to win support of members.

Now Cllr Junier and colleagues Cllr John McPartland (Middlehaven), Cllr Pervaz Khan (Middlehaven), Cllr Michael Hudson (Coulby Newham) and Cllr Derek Loughborough (North Ormesby and Brambles Farm) will receive about £300 a year less.

View gallery

Association of Independent Middlesbrough Councillors

View gallery

All councillors receive a basic allowance of £6,130 per year while those with special responsibilities are paid more.

Cllr Junier said: “We are living in very difficult times. We are under no illusion that 5% will make a big difference but if it saves one job that one person will be forever grateful.”

At the time Cllr Junier proposed the reduction, Mayor Ray Mallon said the suggestion was "narrow-minded" and insisted the cut would not "be a pin prick" in relation to the savings required.

AIM was formed after Cllrs Junier, McPartland, Sajaad Khan, Pervaz Khan and Loughborough were deselected by the Labour party.

The five appealed against the decisions but only Cllr Loughborough was successful.

He then joined Cllrs Junier, McPartland and P Khan in setting up AIM after all resigned from the Labour party.

Cllr Hudson, who was previously an independent, joined the association shortly afterwards.

AIM is the second largest political group in Middlesbrough after Labour.

Were aliens the source of UFOs spotted above Norway in the 1950s? No, says the CIA: ‘That was us’

In the 1950s Norwegians were left stunned by a series of seemingly inexplicable UFO sightings.

Throughout the decade numerous lights in the sky were reported by members of the public and pilots alike, with some suggesting they were of extraterrestrial origin.

But now the mystery has apparently been solved, as the CIA has revealed it wasn’t ET at all – rather, it was the agency flying their secretive U-2 aircraft high in the atmosphere.

In a tweet the CIA said: ‘Remember reports of unusual activity in the skies in the ‘50s? That was us.’

The revelation originally came about through something known as Operation Blue Book in 1969

This was a systematic study of various UFO reports that sought to discover if the sightings were a threat to national security

‘High-altitude testing of the U-2 soon led to an unexpected side effect – a tremendous increase in reports of unidentified flying objects (UFO’s),’ the CIA says in their book ‘The CIA and the U-2 Program’.

‘In the mid-1950s, most commercial airliners flew at altitudes between 10,000 and 20,000 feet [3,000 and 6,000 metres] and military aircraft like the B-47s and B-57s operated at altitudes below 40,000 feet.

‘Consequently once U-2s started flying at altitudes above 60,000 feet [18,000 metres], air-traffic controllers began receiving increasing numbers of UFO reports.’

The CIA reports how these sightings in turn led to Operation Blue Book, which ultimately found that one-half of all UFO reports in the late 1950s and most of the 1960s were caused by UFOs.

But, at the time, they could not reveal this to the public.

Start collecting your Wish Sport tokens today to help your favourite club

It's time to start collecting your Wish Sport tokens - and helping gather vital funds for your favourite sports club.

The Gazette has teamed up with Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, which is providing £30,000 to share between groups across Teesside.

Tokens will be printed in The Gazette every day from today. The more tokens collected, the greater the group’s share of the prize pot.

This year the tokens collected will be worth a share of £25,000, with the remaining £5,000 up for grabs during two special online bonus days.

All groups will be in with a chance during the bonus days to win a share of the additional money pot – the four that receive the most votes on gazettelive.co.uk will get the cash.

Among the groups registered this year are Kader FC under-10s.

The team, part of Kader Football Club, has been playing together for almost three years.

Last year, the group netted around £236 with the campaign, which they were able to spend on training equipment. This year, they hope supporters will help them again.

Emma Williams, speaking for the team said: “We are part of Kader Football Club who provide excellent opportunities for a wide age range of children allowing them to play football in a friendly and enjoyable environment.

“We as a team have been playing together for three years and win, lose or draw, enjoy playing football together. We are not just a great team but great friends too.

“The Wish Sport money will enable us to enter tournaments and develop our football team further.”

Philanthropic Foundation patron Bill Scott said: “I’m a huge believer in helping the Teesside community whenever possible. That is why I became a patron of the Philanthropic Foundation, who continue to do so much good in our area. Together we are making a real difference with initiatives like Wish Sport, showing the rest of the country that we care about the area we live in making it a unique place.”

The first tokens are printed today, and will be in The Gazette every day until September 6.

To help Kader under-10s. send your tokens to: 4 Shandon Park, Marton, Middlesbrough, TS8 9XS.

Man suspected of posting racist tweets before EDL march is released without charge

A man who was arrested on suspicion of posting racist tweets ahead of an EDL march last year has been released without charge.

The 39-year-old from Stockton was one of three held before marches by the English Defence League and Newcastle Unites in Newcastle city centre in May last year.

Northumbria Police bailed the man pending further inquiries but have now confirmed that they later released him and took no further action.

Two other men from Gateshead were also arrested for posting offensive messages on social networking site Twitter.

The arrests came as thousands of protesters took to the streets of Newcastle for the marches amid racial tensions following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby, in Woolwich, London, last year.

Up to 2,000 far-right EDL supporters travelled from across the UK for the march, throwing firecrackers and glass bottles and chanting anti-Islamic slurs as they met outside Newcastle’s Central Station.

An estimated 1,000 police officers were out in force to keep the protests as peaceful as possible, as 400 demonstrators for anti-fascist group Newcastle Unites also took part.

Newcastle Area Commander Chief Superintendent Gary Calvert said they constantly monitored the situation, and that the day had passed without major incident and only 24 arrests were made for alcohol-related and public order offences.

“The vast majority of those taking part were well behaved,” he said.

In a separate matter, two men are due to appear in court after they were arrested following EDL protests in Middlesbrough.

About 350 people took part in a demonstration organised by the EDL last Saturday, while a further 150 people took part in a counter demonstration.

More than 300 police officers were involved in the operation which had been planned for a number of months.

A 26-year-old man has been charged with possession of a bladed article and being drunk and disorderly and a 37-year-old man was charged with being drunk and disorderly.

Cleveland Police couldn’t confirm which protest group the men were part of - or even if they were part of either.

Both will appear at Teesside Magistrates’ Court this month.

The counter demonstration took place at noon from Ayresome Gardens along Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough.

The EDL march started at 2pm from Corporation Road.

The march was temporarily halted due to a firework exploding.

Police rescue 18-month-old baby accidentally locked inside car in Stockton

Police rescued a baby who was locked inside a car in Stockton.

The 18-month-old baby was accidentally locked inside a BMW car in the car park of The Range, in Portrack Lane, Stockton.

Officers broke the driver’s rear quarter light window to free the baby who was safe and well.

The incident happened yesterday at about 1.50pm.

A spokesman for Cleveland Police said the baby had the keys in his hand when the car was locked.

He added: “The child’s mother tried to get him to unlock the car but he was not understanding.

“We got the call at 1.50pm and the child was out of the car by 2pm.”

Officers then taped up the broken window.

Hundreds of Muslims visit convert (dying with cancer) after message goes viral

World Bulletin / News Desk

British Muslim convert Peter Chatfield, is being held in Queens Hospital, Sahara Ward B5, due to spine cancer that has left him paralysed from the chest down. Doctors have given him an estimate of six months left to live.

Chatfield called upon Muslim brothers to surround him through his rough period of time, as he doesnt have many Muslim friends.

The response he received was amazing. Not long after the message spread via social media, hundreds of Muslims from all backgrounds went to visit Peter in the hospital.

“I am truly blessed,” Peter was quoted saying by Ilmfeed. “I don’t turn anyone away. In the last few days I have had over 400 visitors. It’s madness, and I’m so thrilled and feel so blessed to be so loved. That is the most important thing here – love.”

Peter has recieved an astonishing response to his cry out to the Muslim community. A visitor flew in from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, just to see him and fly back. The day before a family from Penaylvania, USA came to spend some time with him.

Peter said “I know I haven’t long left, I’m ready to go and I hope anyone I have hurt or upset can forgive me before I leave you all.”

“Am I scared about leaving life? No, I’m at peace and surrounded by so much love. In fact I had to temporarily block my phone as I couldn’t handle the calls and messages I have received. I have not had one moment of doubt of where I’m going. Blessed be those who visit me.”

He added, “I wish everyone here a speedy recovery. There’s so much you learn about human nature and life. Some people don’t receive a single visit and I have hundreds.”

“It’s so sad but that is the reality of life. People need to take a minute and spend some time with their loved ones – doing the important things in life – it’s a lot more than just a working, eating, sleeping routine for 60 or 70 years.”

Here are the details to his hospital, please call the ward before visiting him:

Peter Chatfield, Queens Hospital, Sahara Ward B5

Queens hospital.

Rom valley way, Romford, Essex RM7 O9A

01708435000

Visiting times 10:30am – 7:30pm

'I think his sickness is over and he's in a good mood': Karanka pleased with Kei Kamara in training

View gallery

Gallery: Kei Kamara

View gallery

Kei Kamara is fit and well and ready to push for a place in the Boro first team.

That’s the view of Aitor Karanka, who has been pleased with how the Sierra Leone striker has applied himself since returning for pre-season training.

Kamara’s Boro future was very much in doubt last month after he criticised the club on Twitter.

He revealed that he had been suffering from malaria and implied that the club and his national association had not offered sufficient levels of support.

But, according to Karanka, the player’s mood and wellbeing has improved greatly and he’s working hard on the Rockliffe Park training pitches.

“He’s training very well,” said the Boro head coach, “as are all the players in the team.

“I think his sickness is over and he’s in a good mood.”

It’s been a frustrating year so far for Kamara, who made an impressive start to his Boro career after joining the club from Sporting Kansas City on transfer deadline day in August 2013.

His progress was stalled by a knee injury suffered at Birmingham City in December and, on his return, he struggled to win back his place in Karanka’s starting line-up.

The Gazette understands that both player and club believe the best way forward for both parties is for Kamara to move on to pastures new if a mutually-agreeable offer is received.

Morning news headlines: Tour de France heads south for Mall finale, May to make statement on abuse claims

TOUR HEADS SOUTH FOR MALL FINALE

After millions of people turned out to watch the Tour de France in Yorkshire at the weekend, the world’s most famous cycle race moves south today for a stage ending in the centre of London.

The third stage of the Tour will take the riders from Cambridge to the capital via parts of Essex.

The 155km stage follows a weekend which saw at least 2.5 million people watch the teams battle through Yorkshire’s city streets and country lanes.

MAY IN STATEMENT ON ABUSE CLAIMS

Home Secretary Theresa May will today make a statement to MPs on allegations of organised child sex abuse at Westminster in the 1980s amid growing calls for a full public inquiry.

Former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Tebbit fuelled the clamour over the weekend when he said there “may well” have been a political cover-up at the time in order to protect “the system”.

His incendiary claim followed the admission by the Home Office that more than 100 files relating to historic organised child abuse over a period of 20 years had gone missing.

MILIBAND VOWS MORE COUNCIL POWERS

A Labour government would begin to reverse a “century of centralisation” with legislation to return powers and billions of pounds of funding to local councils in England, Ed Miliband has said.

The Labour leader said he would chart a new course away from the “old top-down command model” towards what he called a new era of “people-powered public services”.

Writing in The Guardian ahead of the publication today of the report of Labour’s local government innovation taskforce, Mr Miliband said that at the same time he would insist on a new system of checks and balances to ensure council chiefs are properly held to account.

INQUEST DUE ON SEX ABUSE VICTIM

The death of a gifted violinist who killed herself days after she gave evidence at a sex abuse trial will be examined at an inquest today.

Frances Andrade, 48, died at her home in Guildford, Surrey, a week after giving evidence against former music director Michael Brewer in January 2013.

Her death prompted a debate over how victims give evidence in trials and how they are cared for by the legal system.

300,000 WARTIME RECORDS RELEASED

More than 300,000 First World War records are being released by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) to show how Britain came to commemorate its war dead.

The commission, founded in 1917, is releasing some of its original documents online for the first time today as it launches two new resources designed to help the public get a better understanding of those who lost their lives in service during the war.

The unveiling of its recently-completed online archives, as well as a brand new Discover 14-18 microsite, are hoped to make finding and visiting memorial sites of relatives and loved ones killed in the war easier than ever before.

NETWORK RAIL ’FAILS ON PUNCTUALITY’

Network Rail (NR) “failed to deliver” on major commuter and long-distance route punctuality last year, with many thousands more late trains than there should have been, rail regulators said today.

Committed to deliver average punctuality levels of 92% on long-distance passenger services in 2013/14, NR “fell significantly short” with a figure of 86.9%, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) said.

As a result, under an order made by ORR in 2012, NR is having to return £53.1 million to the Treasury in what is effectively a fine.

£90M PLEDGED FOR FASTER TRAIN WI-FI

Tens of millions of pounds will spent on speeding up internet access on commuter trains across England and Wales.

Passengers on the busiest routes will be able to connect to wi-fi which is at least 10 times faster than facilities currently available under proposals estimated to cost around £90 million.

Access to the new services is expected to be free.

PASSENGERS MUST KEEP PHONES CHARGED

Air passengers flying to the United States will have to make sure their mobile phones and tablets are charged as part of increased precautions due to the threat of terrorist attacks.

The new restriction means that any electronic device that has a flat battery will not be allowed on to the flight, the Department for Transport (DfT) advised.

Yesterday, US authorities announced that airport security staff may ask travellers to turn on their electronic equipment to show they have power.

HEDGEHOG-FRIENDLY GARDEN REVEALED

A hedgehog-friendly garden which shows nature lovers how to help the spiky species is featuring among the exhibits at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

The “Hedgehog Street” garden aims to raise awareness of the plight of the threatened mammals, whose populations have plummeted by more than a third in the last 10 years, and how to help them, the conservationists behind the display said.

The garden is one of many exhibits at this year’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Hampton Court Flower Show, which also features turf sculptures, a floating rose crafted from cranberries and a luxury tree-house.

REGIONAL INVESTMENT PLANS REVEALED

The Government is today setting out plans for £5 billion of investment in building homes, improving transport links and opening up new training opportunities in projects across England.

Ministers said the spending - to be allocated to local authorities and businesses through a series of local “growth deals” - would create thousands of jobs in the regions and help re-balance England’s over-centralised economy.

The investment - from the £2 billion-a-year local growth fund - will not kick in until after the general election and will cover the five years from 2015/16. It comes on top of the £1.1 billion already allocated to projects in the first year of the next parliament.

Hundreds turn out to remember Nunthorpe student Matthew Jordan in charity match

View gallery

Peter Reimann

Pictures: Matthew Jordan charity football match

View gallery

Hundreds of people turned out to remember tragic Middlesbrough youngster Matthew Jordan at a charity football tournament yesterday.

Friends and family of the popular Nunthorpe 20-year-old, who died after he went missing in the Lake District in March, gathered at the Dorman’s Social Club on Oxford Road, Linthorpe, for the tournament.

Sixteen seven-a-side football teams, plus supporters, gathered at the tournament ahead of another charity event tomorrow at the club - both are raising money for the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team who led the search for Matthew for more than two weeks.

Matthew’s mum Clare said: “I can’t believe how many people have came along, it shows you just how loved Matthew was.

“Everyone is just trying to get on with things day to day, but being involved in something like this really does help. It lets you focus on something.

“Matthew loved his football, he used to organise a game between his friends every week and he would always be on the phone.

“He would have loved something like this.”

The event was organised by Sam Williams, a friend who worked with Matthew at the Dorman’s club. He has also set up a charity evening tomorrow, for which all 350 tickets have already sold out.

“We just wanted to do something. It has been stressful, but I have had a lot of help and it is all worth it. The main thing was to remember Matty and raise money for the rescue team,” said Sam, 21, of Acklam.

“I think from the football teams alone we have around £500, and by the end of the day - and with the charity night on Tuesday - I hope we get at least a couple of thousand.”

Popular Teesside University student Matthew was found at Lake Windermere on April 15.

He had last been seen leaving a pub in Bowness in the early hours of Thursday, March 27.

Hundreds joined the search party in the Lake District, including Sam, while thousands joined a Facebook group set up to try and find the former Nunthorpe School pupil.

“It has been hard at first. As soon as we got the call about a body, we knew. It has been hard for his friends since then I think,” continued Sam.

“He was into his football and all his sports really. He was just a great lad.”

Teams featuring friends of Matthew from all over Teesside - including Middlesbrough bar Flares, teachers from Nunthorpe School, the Dorman’s club and elsewhere - competed to win a special shield sponsored by the Co-operative funeral care in what is hoped will become an annual event.

Local businesses have donated prizes for an auction at tomorrow’s event, which is already sold out, while Middlesbrough FC donated a signed shirt and a pair of boots.