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, Friday 3rd October, 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.

Apple pickers support fight to reopen Middlesbrough's Nature's World

Picking fruit in a neglected orchard in one of Middlesbrough’s “secret gardens” has sparked a local group to fight to reopen Nature’s World.

The Middlesbrough ecocentre closed in January 2013 after a fall in visitor numbers and funding cuts.

Cllr Ron Arundale, who represents the Kader ward, asked Scarlet Pink, of local group Hands on Middlesbrough, if they could rustle up some volunteers to pick apples for charity so the fruit was not left to rot.

Cllr Arundale said after seeing the apples on the floor, he came up with the idea of people using the apples for good causes rather than them going to waste.

“After clearing things with the Mayor’s office I initially asked both the cadets and scouts to get involved but they showed no interest so thankfully Scarlet was able to bring others on board and an enjoyable and fruitful outcome was achieved,” he said.

On Saturday afternoon around many families - joined by Middlesbrough councillors Ron Arundale, Chris and John Hobson and Brenda Thompson and Teesside Homeless Action Group (THAG) - visited the orchards on Ladgate Lane.

They collected crates of apples with most donated to the Middlesbrough and Redcar branches of THAG with some being able to be taken home.

Scarlet has set up a petition to bring Nature’s World back into use.

So far the group has collected around 200 signatures since setting up the petition at the weekend.

“We want to get community interest in it again, it’s like a secret garden and people have forgotten it exists,” said mum-of-two Scarlet, who is hoping to hold more family-friendly events at Nature’s World.

Cllr Thompson said: “I thought it was a great afternoon with so many of us picking apples for various good causes.”

Nature’s World was opened 22 years ago by famous botanist David Bellamy but shut in January 2013 resulting in eight people losing their jobs.

Middlesbrough Council revealed in December that the facility could be used as a centre for children with special educational needs.

It is believed that the council’s executive is due to meet in the next few weeks to discuss the future of Nature’s World.

The petition is at: http://ift.tt/1rzJPt9

Woman bit partner after drinking six litres of cider - before grabbing kitchen knife to puncture his bike's tyres

A woman who pulled a knife on her partner after drinking six litres of cider was told that her story was the sort heard at murder trials.

Alison Wing said she intended to puncture her on-off boyfriend’s bicycle tyres when she grabbed a kitchen knife.

The 41-year-old came to his home and accused him of sleeping with the woman who was drinking with him, Teesside Crown Court heard today.

She went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife with a five-inch blade hours later, at about 1.20am on May 31.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said he blocked her with his bike and she shouted: “I’m going to kill you.”

Wing called the female visitor names, dropped the knife but continued to be aggressive, threatening to stab the man’s bike tyres.

She grabbed his hand and bit down on his finger until he had to prise her mouth off it, leaving a graze.

The defendant had been in a relationship with him for 11 years, “on and off” for the last three years.

Wing, of Anderson Road, Thornaby, admitted affray and assault.

A judge, Recorder Mark McKone, told her: “According to what you told the probation officer you’d drunk six litres of cider.

“It’s clear that you were drinking far too much, and the drink caused you to behave in a very foolish way on that occasion.

“There was an argument. You went into the kitchen and picked up a kitchen knife.

“That’s the sort of account that is heard in these courts when people are on trial for murder.

“When somebody picks up a knife what happens thereafter is very unpredictable and dangerous indeed.

“If you’d caused any injury at all with that knife I would have had to send you to prison today.”

The judge gave Wing a one-year community order with supervision and an alcohol treatment programme.

'I was taking it for a test drive' claims man caught at 12.30am doing 60mph in 30mph zone in stolen Audi A5

A rogue driver in a stolen car who drove through a red light to escape from police was told he could have killed himself.

Anthony Cox was also warned that he could have killed somebody else and ended up in court on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

The 23-year-old from Middlesbrough said he was having a midnight test drive in the Audi A5 when he tried to outrun a police car pursuing him with sirens and flashing lights.

Prosecutor Emma Atkinson told Teesside Crown Court that the Audi had been stolen in a house burglary before it was spotted in Mandale Road, Acklam, on December 2 last year.

The two officers saw it double-parked with the engine running at 12.30am but it drove off at 60 miles an hour in a 30mph zone.

It went through traffic lights on red causing other traffic to break to avoid a collision, before it suddenly stopped to await the police arresting him.

Cox said that he had just taken it out for a test drive after being offered it for sale by a man he could not name.

He admitted that he had no licence or insurance, and in custody he was found to have a wrap of cocaine in his sock.

Miss Atkinson said that the car had been stolen in a burglary, and when Cox was interviewed he said that he knew nothing about it.

He said that he thought it belonged to the mother of one of the men in a car parked alongside when police originally arrived on the scene.

The police pursuit lasted for a mile, and he had a conviction in 2010 for a similar set of offences for which he was given a community order which was later extended for a breach.

Rachel Dyson, defending, said that Cox maintained his account of how he came to possess the car, despite a probation officer who interviewed him for a pre-sentence report telling him that he did not believe him.

She said that Cox’s home life was unsettled, and he was sleeping on the sofa at his mother’s property after he lost his flat through rent arrears when he was made redundant.

She said that Cox brought the car to a halt when he realised that he was being stupid, and he would benefit from a community order which gave him some supervision.

Judge Peter Armstrong told him: “This episode of dangerous driving at this time of night in the circumstances was extremely stupid and extremely serious and not only could you have killed yourself you could have killed somebody else going through a red light.

“This court has to deal with people who kill people in similar circumstances with such stupid behaviour.

“I’m not going to lock you up today, but in my view this driving was so serious that it does warrant a custodial sentence.

"Had you been convicted after a trial it could have merited a nine months prison sentence.”

Cox, of Tindale Walk, Acklam, was given a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years with 12 months supervision, 100 hours' unpaid work.

He was disqualified for 12 months and until he passes an extended driving test, after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, no licence and insurance and possession of a Class A drug (cocaine).

Israel approves construction of new settler units

The Israeli regime has recently approved the construction of more than 2,600 illegal settler units in East al-Quds (Jerusalem), a watchdog says.

The Israeli non-governmental group, Peace Now, said in a statement on Wednesday that the construction of 2,610 units was approved last week.

The settler homes are to be built in the neighborhood of Givat Hamatos.

According to Peace Now, the project ruins any chances of a possible two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“Givat Hamatos is destructive to the two-state solution…. It divides the potential Palestinian state and blocs the possibility to connect the Palestinian neighborhoods in south Jerusalem with the future Palestinian state. Netanyahu continues his policy of destroying the possibility of a two-state solution. He is doing so in the West Bank, and he is doing so in East Jerusalem (al-Quds),” Peace Now added.

Meanwhile, Palestine Liberation Organization leader, Hanan Ashrawi, also slammed the construction of more settler units, saying that Israel was more interested in “stealing land than making peace.”

More than half a million Israelis live in more than 120 settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank including East al-Quds in 1967.

The Israeli settlements are considered to be illegal by the United Nations and most countries because the territories were captured by Israel in a war in 1967 and are thus subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.

SZH/AB/SS

Child sex exploitation described as a 'growth industry' in Middlesbrough as report identifies dozens of potential victims

Vulnerable children as young as 11 are being groomed for possible sexual exploitation in Middlesbrough, a new report reveals.

Dozens of young people have been identified as potential victims of child sex exploitation (CSE) in the town, a report compiled by Middlesbrough Council’s Community Safety and Leisure Scrutiny Panel says.

The panel’s report, to be considered at Tuesday’s executive meeting, aimed to assess the extent of the problem in Middlesbrough, see how it is being tackled and suggest additional measures which could be put in place.

It gathered evidence from various groups, including Cleveland Police, Barnardo’s and the Middlesbrough Safeguarding Children Board. And after hearing concerns that CSE is on the rise, locally and nationally, the authority is being urged to ensure it remains “one of the council’s top priorities.”

A deputy headteacher told the panel CSE was a "growth industry" in the town.

The 35-page report, which includes nine recommendations, heard from Barnardos that children as young as 11 have been groomed via the internet, social networking sites, in parks and even by the perpetrator befriending their parents first.

The report tells councillors: “The bottom line is...protecting children from CSE is everyone’s responsibility.

“The topic often gets highlighted in the media when there is a high profile case, as has happened in Middlesbrough, then once the furore has died down and media attention dissipates, it becomes yesterday’s news. It does not mean that it is not happening, it is real, it’s here and preventing it from happening must continue to be one of the council’s top priorities.”

The panel was “reassured” by the establishment of a Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing and Trafficked (VEMT) group.

Part of the Middlesbrough Safeguarding Children Board, the group meets every six weeks to discuss young people identified as being at risk. It was created after concerns that exploitation had been identified as an “emerging issue” in Middlesbrough and the numbers were “significantly higher” than in the other Tees Valley areas.

At the time the panel met, 42 vulnerable young people were being monitored by the VEMT but, during the past year, the number had been as high as 68. Another group which also meets regularly to help identify potential victims had identified 50 to 60 young people.

The report notes that every Middlesbrough secondary school has a member of staff trained to spot the signs of CSE.

It also recommends that the work done by Acklam Grange School in training staff to recognise the potential signs of CSE should be adopted as a model of good practice.

The school’s assistant headteacher, Martin Burnett, told the panel that CSE in Middlesbrough was a “growth industry” and extremely prevalent in the town, but schools were not “burying their heads in the sand” and were developing ways to address CSE.

The report also recommends the extension of a scheme where, for 20 nights a year between 10pm-4am, a van crewed by two police officers, a social worker, Barnardo’s and a youth worker travels around Middlesbrough, looking for children and young people walking the streets at night.

And it calls on the Government to tighten a legal loophole where taxi drivers have their licence suspended if caught grooming a child in their car, yet they remain free to apply for a PSV licence and legitimately drive a minibus.

Multi-agency working and the sharing of information is seen by the panel as a key weapon in the fight against CSE.

The report states: “Child sexual exploitation will not be tolerated in our area. Work will carry on seeking out, investigating and stopping perpetrators of this horrible crime.”

Could Ingleby Barwick get a swimming pool? Multi-million-pound plans for new leisure facility

A multi-million-pound swimming pool, library and customer service centre is being planned for Ingleby Barwick.

The new leisure facility is part of a major investment designed to support growth in the south of Stockton borough.

A further £800,000 is earmarked to improve car parking at Preston Park - Stockton’s most popular visitor attraction which now welcomes more than 600,000 people every year.

A £35,000 feasibility study will also look into designs for a wooden footbridge across the River Tees to provide a more direct route between Preston Park and Ingleby Barwick for pedestrians and cyclists.

And Yarm Library is to benefit from a £210,000 modernisation.

The proposals will be considered by members of Stockton Council’s cabinet when they meet next Thursday.

Cabinet will be asked to recommend that the authority earmarks £3.2m towards the Ingleby Barwick leisure facility

The council then plans to use its “strong working relationships” with Sport England and Tees Active to lever in additional funding.

Councillor Ken Dixon, the Council’s Cabinet member for arts, leisure and culture, added: “Ingleby Barwick has experienced huge growth over the years but lacks local public leisure facilities, particularly local access to a community swimming pool.

“What we are proposing will address that gap in provision.

“Some work will be needed to identify the best mix of facilities but we are looking at a centre with a 25 metre swimming pool, gym, fitness rooms, library and customer services facilities.

“Local people have been calling for this kind of facility for some time – we have listened and I’m sure this news will be warmly welcomed.”

The report also outlines ongoing work to help the south of the borough’s roads and schools cope with the increased demand Stockton’s growth will bring.

Hearings held for major offshore wind farm scheme off Teesside's coast

Hearings will begin this month for plans that could see hundreds of turbines built off Teesside's coast.

Offshore wind developer Forewind’s proposed Dogger Bank Teesside A&B wind farm plans will be examined at a series of events in Redcar.

Dogger Bank Teesside A&B comprises two 1.2 gigawatt (GW) wind farms, located 165 kilometres of the coast at their closest point.

The project is planned to connect to the national grid at the existing Lackenby substation near Eston.

The hearings are part of a six-month examination phase by the Planning Inspectorate, aimed to ensure that the application for the 2.4GW project can be discussed openly between Forewind and anyone with an interest in the development, including the local community.

The hearings will give people the chance to ask questions and ‘gain clarity’ on any aspects of the plans, according to Forewind.

Forewind’s consent manager Andy Guyton said: “Information about the hearings will be published in local newspapers, on the Forewind website and on the National Infrastructure Planning Portal, where agendas will also be published seven days before [the events].”

The hearings will all take place at The Council Chamber, Redcar & Cleveland House (Community Heart), on Kirkleatham Street, from October 14 to December 3. Dates are subject to change, and anyone interested in attending the hearings should register and check the schedule before attending.

The six-month examination phase is due to be completed by February next year and the outcome from that will be a recommendation to the Secretary of State who will make the final consent decision, expected around August 2015.

DVD or hard copies of the application documents are available to review at local libraries in Redcar & Cleveland and to download from the Forewind website www.forewind.co.uk .

To follow the progress of the development, interested parties can visit the National Infrastructure Planning Portal, CLICK HERE

Contender's next kickboxing show set to serve up a Dutch of class in Middlesbrough

Finishing touches have been put to Contender Promotions’ November 8 kickboxing show in Middlesbrough, with the bill featuring a distinct international flavour.

Three fighters who the Stockton organisation earmarked on a recent talent scouting trip to Holland are flying in from the celbrated Vos Gym in Amsterdam to showcase their skills on what will be a high octane night of kick and punch action at Eston Sports Academy.

Tarik Khbabez fights London’s Glory and SuperKombat veteran Daniel Sam for the Contender super-heavyweight title in the main event.

Facing Contender’s own Thomas Daniel at cruiserweight is Luciano Winter.

And Augin Masoud is competing in a four-man, one-night 70kg tournament with English duo Ian Robinson (Darlington), Adam Brindley (Runcorn) and Reinaldo Santos from Angola.

The 18-bout bill is split between professional and amateur contests which also include Teesside welterweight Andy Liddell and cruiserweight Jack Layton from Bellator mixed martial arts star Paul Daley’s Spirit Dojo in Nottingham.

“It’s very rare you get a kickboxing line-up in Middlesbrough of this quality,” said show promoter Garry Bell.

“I know I always say it, but this will be our best show ever. The fighters from Holland are all well worth watching - anyone who knows about top class kickboxing has heard of the Vos Gym.

“Thomas Daniel has got a tough test. I don’t believe in getting hand picked opponents but it’s one I think he can come through.

“Tarik Khbabez won a tournament in Holland at the weekend and Daniel Sam has just fought in Thailand, so they have both been active ahead of what is a well-matched main event. And I really can’t pick a winner of the four-man tournament.”

Tickets are £25 and £500 for a VIP table of 10 on 07825 184659.

Ormesby on track to retain Women's British Table Tennis League title

With convincing wins in all five matches last weekend Ormesby are firmly on track to retain the Women’s British Table Tennis League title.

For Ormesby, Karina Le Fevre produced the best results in Wolverhampton, winning all eight of her sets.

Among the Thornaby star’s greatest successes was a comfortable victory against Emma Vickers, the No 1 player for main challengers Draycott East Midlands, from Derbyshire.

New signing Sarah Berge also made a big impact, winning nine of her 10 sets in a comfortable manner and losing only in a spectacular match against Vickers.

Her defensive style proved to be a major problem for most of her opponents.

Playing most of the matches in the No 3 position, Maria Tsaptsinos was also outstanding and was successful in all 10 of her sets, which included big wins against Abbie Milwain and Natalie Slater in the Draycott match.

Chloe Whyte completed the Ormesby team and won both her sets against Leicestershire club Knighton Park.

Ormesby opened the fixtures with a 6-0 victory over Knighton Park, followed by a win by the same score against Burton Uxbridge.

The team’s third match also went exactly the same way, with Teesside’s table stars notching an impressive 6-0 success against Devon team YHL.

In this match Le Fevre, fresh from representing England in the Commonwealth Games this summer alongside fellow Teesside talents Paul Drinkhall and Danny Reed, won a very tight encounter with Yolanda King at deuce in the fifth set.

On Sunday morning Ormesby continued their fine form, defeating Merseyside club Halton 6-0 before dispatching Draycott East Midlands in the final 5-1.

And it was another fine display from Le Fevre, who went on to claim convincing victories against Milwain and Vickers, whilst Tsaptsinos excelled to win her two sets.

The impressive set of results put Ormesby firmly in charge at the top of the division having accumulated 10 points from their five matches.

With an important games average of 29 wins against just one solitary defeat, Ormesby find themselves in an excellent position ahead of the second round of fixtures to take place in Doncaster next February.

Steven Long is aiming to kick his way into the thai boxing big time

Former Teesside footballer Steven Long has made it his goal to become a main player in the Thai boxing major leagues, starting with a prestigious win on the October 11 Yokkao event in Bolton.

Billingham’s Long only took up Muay Thai to lose weight after suffering a series of ankle injuries playing football.

Fast forward eight years and the former Billingham Synthonia Juniors and Hartlepool St Francis player is ranked third in the country at 68kg and has ambitions to reach the top of the danger-laden combat sport.

Long has won 16 of his 18 fights and will open the door for golden opportunities if he beats Salah Khalifa on the Yakkao 10 and 11 double header at the Macron Stadium.

The event is one of the biggest of its kind to hit the UK with leading domestic fighters Jordan Watson and Dean James doing battle, along with elite Thais Pakorn and Runmai.

“It’s a massive opportunity for me to be on a show as big as this,” the 27-year-old said.

“Yokkao are promoting all over the world and they are only going to get bigger.

“It’s probably the biggest show this country has seen and good exposure for me. I’ll be doing everything to make the most of it.”

Long - who trains at Team Hanuman in Darlington and with Kiatphontip in Leeds - fought on Yokkao 8 in Wigan last year and lost a rematch against Manchester’s Josh Turbill on points.

The Craig Willis-trained super-welterweight damaged his rib when he fell out of the ring in the third round, and a leg infection forced the cancellation of his last fight after he had spent a month in Thailand training for it.

The former Teesside Muay Thai super-welterweight is now fully fit after spending a week in North Tees Hospital, and is ready to emerge victorious from his clash of styles against the more experienced Khalifa.

“Salah is good,” Long said. “He has got some belts and has had 30-40 fights.

“He has got more of a K-1 style where he likes to land kicks and punches from the outside.

“I’m more of a traditional Thai style where I like to throw knees from the clinch, so I’ve got to close the distance and stop him working.

“It’s probably a step up for me with the fighters who he has lost to like Yodsaenklai and Sudsakorn. They are two of the best in the world.

“It’s a tough challenge but I think I’m ready for it.”

Bigger things will be in the offing for Long if he wins in Bolton, but although he is hungry to go higher the Middlesbrough Fight Academy and Team Akurei in Grangetown trainer is only concentrating on the immediate task in hand.

“I want to go as far as I can in the sport and enjoy the journey along the way,” Long added.

“Thai boxing is a passionate hobby of mine, I love everything about it.

“Mike Egan is a WBC national champion and I’ve beaten him, so who knows how far I can go?

“I’m getting some big offers but I don’t like to look too far ahead. I just concentrate on what’s coming up next and my next fight is in on October 11.

Long is selling tickets for the Yokkao show (£30/£60). Contact him on 07891 970017.

Simon Vallily focused for Leeds fight despite match-making issues

Getting Simon Vallily an opponent for Saturday’s Sky Sports 2-televised show in Leeds has proved easier said than done.

The Middlesbrough cruiserweight was down to box five wins, one draw Paul Drago, but the Bolton-based Lithuanian backtracked on his original decision to take the fight.

Vallily’s trainer Michael Marsden tried unsuccessfully to arrange an alternative scrap against Courtney Fry, the savvy Liverpool veteran coming off a stoppage defeat to all-time great Roy Jones Jr.

That contest could still happen in Vallily’s next bout after this weekend, but in the mean time the Commonwealth Games gold medallist will now face an imported opponent in what will be his fifth professional fight - and first scheduled for six rounds - at the First Direct Arena.

Marsden knows modern day matchmaking is often a frustrating process for all concerned, but the former Central Area lightweight champion said Vallily is ready for whoever steps into the ring with him in West Yorkshire.

“Back when I used to box there was loads of fighters about,” Marsden said.

“A match would get made a month out and that’s who you would end up boxing.

“There was none of this ‘umming and ahhing’ you get now.

“But Simon is relaxed about the situation. He is in proper nick. Whoever he ends up boxing on Saturday, we are confident he will get another win.”

While Vallily tries to climb up the professional ranks with another victory on the undercard of Josh Warrington’s European title bid, there is a double bill of amateur action going ahead in the North-east this weekend with the Tyne, Tees and Wear Development Championships at Sherburn Leisure Centre on Saturday and Sunday.

View: Pictures from the Madison nightclub reunion night at the Dickens Inn

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Were you there?

Fans of the former Madison nightclub in Middlesbrough attended a celebration of all things ‘Mad House’ at the Dickens Inn .

And so successful was the event held on Saturday, September 27 at the Southfield Road pub that the organiser and former Madison DJ Steve Teasdale is already thinking about his next event.

Steve, 46, now a duty manager at a car showroom as well as a DJ, said: “We had approximately 300 people through the door - a pretty decent turnout considering Middlesbrough Live was on and some other events.

“I’m thinking I may do another one next year as people are already asking!”

It was also a reunion event for the Madison’s bar Macy’s.

Both were located near the Cleveland Centre, where Barclays bank on Corporation Road now stands.

Over the years soap stars - including Kimberley Davies who played Annalise in Neighbours and Dean Gaffney who played Robbie Jackson on EastEnders - made personal appearances there.

There were also a host of live acts such as The Real Thing, Jocelyn Brown and Edwin Starr who took to the stage during its heyday.

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Woman airlifted to hospital after a serious road smash near Crathorne

A woman has been airlifted to hospital after a serious road traffic accident.

The accident involving a car and a tractor happened at around 9.40am on Thursday on Garbutts Lane between Hutton Rudby and Crathorne.

Police, fire and ambulance crews attended.

The driver of the car, a woman in her 20s, was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

Her condition is as yet unknown.

Unauthorised scrap metal dealers face clampdown after complaints items are taken without permission

A clampdown on unauthorised scrap metal dealers is being undertaken by police following ongoing complaints from Teesside residents.

People from the Acklam and Brookfield areas of Middlesbrough contacted police saying dealers were taking items without permission.

Now officers have joined forces with Middlesbrough Council Licensing Officers to ensure that all scrap metal dealers operating in the town are licensed.

Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, anyone collecting scrap metal must obtain a licence from the local authority covering the area where the items are being collected.

On September 9 this year 44-year-old Mark Blackburn from Middlesbrough was convicted of collecting scrap metal without a licence after items including children’s bikes were wrongly taken from gardens in Acklam.

He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

And two days later a 70-year-old man was arrested after he had allegedly been collecting scrap metal without a licence and had reportedly taken charity bags.

His vehicle was seized as it was not insured and he has been bailed pending further enquiries.

PC Dawn Young, Neighbourhood Officer for Acklam, Brookfield and Kader said: “Middlesbrough Council checks scrap metal dealers’ suitability prior to issuing a licence, which they have to pay for.

“There are many licensed scrap metal dealers who provide an excellent service to the community by collecting unwanted metal from their homes.

“They have to pay for a licence in each local authority area where they collect scrap and therefore we are ensuring that those without a licence face the consequences.”

“In conjunction with Middlesbrough Council, we have run a number of successful operations to identify and prosecute anyone committing offences and these operations will continue.”

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: “Since the recent introduction of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, the Council carries out background checks on applicants for licences, which includes a criminal records check to assess their suitability.

“All licensed collectors must display a copy of the licence on any vehicle that is being used in the course of their business and we would recommend anyone engaging in a transaction to check this before proceeding.”

Dream Home: £875,000 Grade II listed six-bedroom Norton home is full of character

From stunning features to spacious rooms, a show stopper of a family kitchen to period style and grace.

This week’s Dream Home really does have it all.

In fact, it is hard to know where to start when it comes to describing what Norton Priory has to offer.

The Grade II listed six bedroomed home sits just off Norton High Street set in lush gardens and grounds.

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Pictures from more Dream Homes available on the Teesside and North Yorkshire markets

It has been painstakingly restored by its current owners, a family, who bought it seven years ago and have spent their time restoring and renovating to turn it into a spectacular family home that combines all the charm and elegance that period features and character bring.

“We just noticed how beautiful it was,” explains the owner, of what caught her eye about her home.

“At the time, it needed a lot of work doing - it had been, for a period of time in the 90s, a residential home and still had things like the fire alarm system inside.

“We could see it had beautiful features - the cornicing, the doors and the height of the rooms were just a few.

“We moved in and then spent a year deciding what we wanted to do, we got architects in and the conservation office gave us advice.

“We wanted to make it a family home but with all of its history and features where possible.”

The results are certainly stunning.

The house is set out over three floors and is filled with period features. Attention to detail is everywhere you look from the oval staircase, cornicing and cast iron radiator in the hallway onwards.

The 22ft sitting room has a curved bay window and French art deco style glazed doors leading to the gardens. There’s an open fire in an ornate period style fireplace and exposed wood flooring.

The ground floor is also home to a games room, a dining room that boasts a mahogany fire surround with tiled hearth and a family room that has a period leaded arched window and a fire surround with copper inset and cast iron grate.

The kitchen is a stunning room with features including a centre island unit, granite worktops and a twin Belfast-style sink unit with mixer and boiling water taps. There’s a range style oven as well as a built in oven, five ring hob and built in fridge/freezer, wine cooler and dishwasher.

Double doors lead to the garden, there’s underfloor heating and a connection to the home’s internal audio sound system as well as a walk in larder.

The first floor has five bedrooms - the master with a marble fireplace and cast iron grate and hearth, a dressing room and en suite bathroom that boasts a copper bath, feature his and her wash hand basins with matching mirrors and a shower.

There are two bathrooms and a study on this floor too.

Bedroom six is on the second floor and there’s also a living room up here too with a cast iron display fireplace and bathroom three.

Outside, the house has private gardens which are walled and lawned with trees and shrubs including a copper beech, wisteria and virginia creeper. There’s a gravelled patio area with stone balustrading and a timber summerhouse. Double wooden electric gates lead to an enclosed courtyard for parking.

“The family room and kitchen is where we spend all of our time, there are views out over the big garden,” says the owner.

“It feels like you are farther away but you have the convenience of everything on your doorstep, the best of both worlds.

“It is a lovely family home.”

Plans to move close to work, however, mean the owners have taken the decision to put their home on to the market.

Norton Priory is for sale for £875,000. For more information, contact the Yarm office of estate agent Michael Poole on 01642 788878.

Deaths in renewed Donetsk fighting

Rebels in eastern Ukraine are closing in on the government-held airport in Donetsk in fighting that has killed 10 people and further undermined a shaky truce.

The deaths were reported on Wednesday in residential areas caught in the crossfire between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian army.

Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for the country’s national security council, said that the airport was still under control of government troops who were “brilliantly carrying out their duty” and holding their ground.

However, Alexander Zakharchenko, a rebel leader, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that the rebels control 90 percent of the airport, which has been the focus of the worst fighting in the region for weeks.

“In two, or maximum three, days the Donetsk airport will come under our control,” said Zakharchenko.

Fight for the airport

While it was impossible to get within close range of the airport because of the ongoing fighting, an AP reporter in Donetsk saw that artillery fire hitting the airport was coming from government-held positions outside the city – an indication that the airport may no longer be under Kiev’s control.

The reporter also saw the bodies of three people killed after a shell exploded in a school courtyard in a residential neighbourhood near the airport.

The city council of Donetsk said that in total four people had died, and that about 70 children were in the school at the time, but that all those killed were adults.

Soon after the school was hit, another shell fell on a bus stop nearby. The AP saw two people who had been killed at the bus stop as well as another person on the crosswalk nearby.

A minibus that was also hit was still burning hours later. The Donetsk city council said the number of killed at the bus stop was six, and that several people were wounded

Source: Al Jazeera

New residents move in to controversial home for children with complex needs in Thorpe Thewles

A new children’s home which caused huge controversy in a Stockton village has welcomed its first residents.

Fairview, a detached bungalow on Durham Road, in Thorpe Thewles, has been converted into a care home for five children “who may have experienced trauma, neglect or family breakdown”.

Meanwhile, renovation is complete on another children’s home in Hartburn, and is about to start on a third property in Stillington.

The specialist care homes will be run by Scottish organisation Spark of Genius, which is also involved in running the King Edwin School for 20 children with special educational needs in Stockton.

Stockton Council said it is “continuing to explore options” for a fourth property but said no purchases are imminent.

VIEW GALLERY

The authority has been spending around £3.5m a year for children with complex needs to be looked after outside the borough and by bringing them back to the area hopes to save about £600,000 a year.

The Thorpe Thewles bungalow was the first to be purchased for the £2.75m initiative.

More than 100 Thorpe Thewles residents, from a population of around 550, objected to the plans when they came before Stockton Council’s planning committee in August last year.

Concerns included the potential for anti-social behaviour from the young people as well as traffic problems and the home’s impact on property prices.

But Councillor Mike Clarke, on the committee, said the children being helped were “victims of neglect, abuse and violence which our society has not been able to prevent”.

The children will be aged from eight to 13, the committee heard, and be looked after by a team of 17 trained staff.

As reported, there have been other furious exchanges at public meetings over the children’s care homes issue,

Councillor Ann McCoy, Stockton Council’s Cabinet member for children and young people, said: “The Spark of Genius project will generate significant savings for the council but more importantly, it will enable us to give our looked after children a better start in life.

“It gives us a wonderful opportunity to care for our looked after children not in Nottingham or Cumbria, but here in Stockton, their home.

“The project is progressing well. Spark of Genius recently welcomed its first new residents to the property in Thorpe Thewles. The renovation of the property in Hartburn is complete and is currently going through the process of being registered with Ofsted, while the renovation of the property at Stillington is about to get under way.

“Stockton Council is corporate parent to all of its looked after children. Like any parent, we want nothing but the very best for them and through this project, we believe we can give them the best.”

Middlesbrough mum's desperate plea after son goes missing from Cumbria boarding school for six days

A Middlesbrough mum is desperately appealing for help to find her 15-year-old son who has been missing for six days.

Natalie Roberts, from Middlesbrough, usually hears from her son, Bailey, every day but on Monday she found out that he had been missing from his Cumbria boarding school - Wings School in Milnthorpe.

“He went to the cinema in Lancaster with his friend on Friday night and halfway through the film he left and his friend went to look for him,” said Natalie, 34, who lives in Costa Street.

“His friend couldn’t find him so went back in and watched the end of the film. The bus came to pick them up after the film and he wasn’t there.”

She said Bailey has not been seen since.

“The police can only tell me he is still missing,” said Natalie.

“It’s like he’s fell off the world. He hasn’t got his phone or any money, he’s still in the same clothes he was wearing on Friday night. He hasn’t been on his Facebook page - his Facebook wall is full of messages from his friends asking him to come home.

“He has gone missing before but only for an hour, never for as long as this.”

Bailey is described as 5ft 9” tall, slim build with short dyed black hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie and jeans. He was also wearing a blue New York Yankees baseball cap and black trainers with a blue and red design.

Police are concerned for his welfare and are asking Bailey to get in touch if he sees this appeal to let everyone know he is safe and well.

If anyone has seen a boy matching Bailey’s description they are asked to ring Cumbria Police on 101 and ask for the on-duty Sergeant at Kendal.

Middlesbrough councillor Joan McTigue told to say sorry after lying to council officers

A councillor who lied to council officers has been ordered to apologise and retrain - or access to her council computer will be suspended.

Beechwood ward Independent Cllr Joan McTigue has been sanctioned over a breach of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct for “falsely notifying an officer that she had obtained a copy of the marked electoral register for the Clairville ward”.

If this was true then it would go against the Representation of the People Act and the Data Protection Act. Investigations found the claim was untrue and it was therefore alleged that the councillor had lied to a council officer.

Cllr McTigue said today the Middlesbrough Council officers were “petty” and accused them of “wasting time and money”.

The councillor, who did not attend the hearing, said that due to her ward being extended to include Clairville she had requested a copy of the marked electoral register - which indicates who has voted but not how they voted.

She said she was denied access as her ward did not yet include Clairville and because she was frustrated she remarked that she had already had them.

But this remark led her to be interviewed under caution by Cleveland Police.

Cllr McTigue admitted she did not have the document and the matter was referred back to the council. The committee concluded on Wednesday that she had lied and breached the code.

The sanctions are:

• Cllr McTigue has 28 days to provide written apologies to the officers and Cleveland Police;


• She must complete training in the Data Protection Act by the end of October and if she does not do so, her access to the council’s IT system will be suspended. The matter will also be referred to full council.

Cllr McTigue said she would not apologise to the council officers or the police until she was told what would happen to her if she didn’t.

“It simply shows how petty they are and how they are prepared to waste time and money,” she said. “I do my job my way to suit residents and if staff in Middlesbrough Council don’t like it, they can lump it.”

Cllr McTigue has been before the council’s standards board before.

In April she was found to have breached the code of conduct after leaking information from a licensing meeting.

In February 2013 she was censured over her “aggressive behaviour” to a developer. In 13 cases an investigation was undertaken and in nine of them it was found there had been no breach of the code of conduct.

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Chris was appointed editor of the Gazette in January 2012. He is also a former Gazette news editor. Chris has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and has previously worked in senior positions in Newcastle, Exeter and Nottingham.

Paul Drinkhall's great year ends in disappointment at European Table Tennis Championships

Paul Drinkhall’s hopes of ending a remarkable year on a high ended in disappointment at the European Table Tennis Championships.

There’s no doubt 2014 will live long in the memory of Drinkhall and his wife Joanne.

The couple won mixed-doubles gold at this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow while Paul also won team silver in Glasgow.

The 24-year-old from Loftus travelled to Portugal with England team-mates Liam Pitchford, Sam Walker and Darius Knight.

In Lisbon, the men’s squad were looking to emulate their achievement at May’s World Team Championships in Tokyo when they won the Challenger Division to return to the top tier (Championship Division).

But he was unable to sign off on a winning note in the European version of the event.

England’s men and women were bidding to top the Challenge Division and win promotion to the Championship Division which would seal a place at the 2015 European Games in Baku.

However, after coming through the group stage in Portugal, the men’s team were eliminated in the play-offs.

Drinkhall said: “It’s slightly disappointing, to be honest. We’ve had a great year with the Worlds and Commonwealths and we came here to go up and qualify for Baku, which obviously we didn’t do.

“It’s a disappointment, especially me as I don’t think I played near my level except in patches. But we’ll come back.

“We don’t want to let it affect us but it’s a warning that we need to stay focused and look to improve and keep moving forward.”

Arrested man still in police custody after car ploughed into front of Redcar house

A man arrested following a crash in which a car ploughed into the front of a house remains in custody today.

The 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving whilst disqualified and possession of an offensive weapon.

He was arrested in connection with a crash in which a car collided into the front bay window of a terraced home on Lord Street in Redcar last night.

Emergency services including Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade were called at 5.35pm.

A Vauxhall Corsa was reported to have mounted the footpath before ploughing into the bay window causing severe structural damage to the front of the terraced house which was unoccupied at the time of the incident.

A spokesman for Cleveland Police said a male occupant of the car was seen fleeing the scene.

He was then pursued by members of the public and detained by three or four people who restrained him until police arrived.

North Ormesby mum's new look on life earns Community Champion nomination

Nominate your local heroes in the Gazette Community Champions Awards

After undergoing a major operation, most people would be forgiven for indulging themselves in a long period of recovery.

They may then decide to grab life with both hands, making sure to live each day like its the last and satisfying their own wants and needs.

But a North Ormesby mum decided to use her new found lease of life to better the lives of others in her community.

Cheryl Dixon, who has lived in the area for 16 years, has spend the last three years working tirelessly to make North Ormesby a better place and to offer support to all those who live there.

The 31-year-old volunteers seven days a week, despite suffering from several chronic illnesses.

Cheryl’s amazing work has now been recognised by North Ormesby curate, Reverend Lyn Kenny, who has nominated her in The Gazette’s Community Champion Awards 2014.

Upon hearing the news the mum-of-two said: “It is nice to be nominated but I am a little bit embarrassed.

“I am just trying to help rebuild the community and make North Ormesby a better place for families and my own children as well.

“When I was younger, there was a great community feel to the area but over time we have lost that and I would love to see it back again.

“It is just about helping people to reconnect with the area and each other.”

Cheryl’s campaign started out with a suitcase full of toys which she would take around the streets of the neighbourhood for the children to play with.

She then started welcoming families into her kitchen, but when space became an issue, Cheryl turned to the Trinity Centre and The Community Hub to ask if they had room available for her to use.

She now holds two weekly drop-in sessions, helping 13 families and also lends a hand to the Tots Praise and Play session every Wednesday.

One of the most recent projects she has embarked on is the North Ormesby Community garden.

Cheryl was the driving force behind the creation of the garden and as chief gardener, works closely with Middlesbrough Environment City encouraging local people to learn more about the environment.

Cheryl makes herself available for support at all times and joked that even her mobile number isn’t private any more.

She said: “People can contact me at any time any day, whenever they need the support.

“They seem to connect with me as they know that I haven’t had the easiest of times and I try to teach them that being ill and having a tough time is not an excuse to not make the most of life.”

Nominating Cheryl, Rev Kenny, said: “Cheryl is a true credit to the community and a great example to all those who are living with disabilities or chronic illness that life can still be lived to the full.”

Grangetown man jailed after unprovoked glassing attack in Middlesbrough town centre pub

A scaffolder was left scarred and feeling “completely destroyed” after he was glassed in the face in a Teesside pub.

The unprovoked attack put 30-year-old Robert Lawson behind bars for the first time at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

Lawson exploded into violence after one of his friends was thrown out of Yates’s on Newport Road, central Middlesbrough.

He smashed his pint glass into the face of the 34-year-old man he had been speaking to, said prosecutor Harry Hadfield.

Then he followed the injured man, who retreated pulling bar stools to the floor to block his assailant.

The victim’s partner froze and saw a shocked friend spattered with blood at about 1.30am on December 1 last year.

She grabbed the attacker and pinned him to a door. Lawson said “you’re lucky you’re a lass” before he was taken out of the crowded bar by door staff.

Police came to the scene and found the victim with a three-inch cut to his forehead, a one-inch cut to the bridge of his nose and small cuts all over his face.

He was treated at a plastic surgery unit at James Cook University Hospital, the court heard.

He since said he felt “completely destroyed” and wore a hat feeling self-conscious, ashamed and embarrassed about his scars.

He took painkillers and sleeping tablets, had nerve damage, pain, numbness and depression, underwent counselling and could not sleep due to stress.

He was quoted as saying: “I feel I can’t face public situations again.

“There was no provocation to this horrific incident. I was not drunk and did nothing to deserve this attack.

“He could have blinded me. I dread to think what this man could have done if I hadn’t got away from him.”

Lawson was arrested near the scene shortly after the attack. He said he was not a violent person.

He told police he could not remember events as he had been drinking all day, rating himself as seven out of 10 on a scale of drunkenness.

He then confessed: “It was me.

“I’m devastated for him. I never meant to hurt him in that way.”

Lawson, of Eversham Road, Grangetown, admitted unlawful wounding. He had previous convictions for affray and threatening behaviour but no assaults.

Andrew White, defending, said Lawson: “He’s extremely remorseful. He’s disgusted and disgraced by his behaviour.

“When I showed him for the first time the photographs of those injuries, he was extremely upset by that. He was distraught when he saw the face of his victim.

“He suffered a serious assault himself nine years ago so he knows what it’s like.

“He wants to get across his sincere regret and apologises to the victim.”

He said the trigger for the offence was alcohol, Lawson “has not touched a drop” since and swore off drinking for life.

Lawson, who had a history of amnesia, depression and bereavements, had kept out of trouble and settled down with a law-abiding teetotal partner.

Mr White argued that if Lawson went to prison, he would lose his home and his unresolved issues would fester, storing up trouble for the future.

The judge, Recorder Mark McKone, accepted Lawson’s remorse was genuine and he would not have committed the crime sober, but said this was no excuse.

He said: “The public would be appalled if somebody caused injury with a glass and it did not result in a prison sentence.

“The courts have to send out the message that causing injury with a glass in a public house will not be tolerated.”

He jailed Lawson for 14 months. “I’ve kept that as low as I possibly can,” he added.

Resurgent Fulham head to Teesside confident of beating Boro

Boro are set to come up against a resurgent Fulham on Saturday after the Cottagers thrashed Bolton 4-0 last night to claim a third straight win.

Since Felix Magath was sacked as manager Fulham’s form has improved dramatically under caretaker boss Kit Symons.

Led by veteran skipper Scott Parker, Fulham have won three times in eight days, beating Doncaster and Birmingham 2-1 before last night’s mauling of the Trotters.

With calls for Symons to get the job full-time intensifying, Boro must avoid complacency and not read too much into a league table which shows Fulham in the bottom three of the Championship.

Instead, with Fulham targeting a fourth straight win, Boro are likely to come up against a very different beast on Saturday.

After last night’s win Symons told the club’s website: “We’ve got three wins on the spin now and I can’t remember the last time we managed to achieve that as a football club so it’s brilliant, but we’re taking small steps.

“We’re still down at the wrong end of the table and we need to work our way up, but I said to the players that the problem they’ve got now is those are the standards they’ve set themselves, and my job now is to make sure they maintain those.

“When I took over, my two things I really wanted to focus on was galvanising the club, getting everyone together, and winning games of football, and I think I’m doing that quite well at the moment.

“I’m just trying to bring the best out of the players. I was delighted tonight because of some of the great football but even more so with the defensive display. We looked really solid as a unit, as a team.

“We know we’ve got good attacking players but you need that solid base. If you combine the two, you’ve got a chance.

“We’ve got some really good players and we’ve got to try to get them playing somewhere near to the best of their ability.”

Boro go into Saturday’s match looking to make amends for Tuesday’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Blackpool. However, with Wolves missing the chance to go top of the division last night, the Teessiders remain only three points off the Championship’s top two.

Adam Clayton illness not thought to be serious and he could feature against Fulham

Midfielder Adam Clayton's illness is not thought to be serious and he could well feature against Fulham.

The selection of Clayton against Blackpool on Tuesday seems to have been a calculated gamble that failed to pay off.

Boro boss Aitor Karanka has revealed that he consulted the club doctor and the player before naming his team.

“He was ill, but we spoke with the doctor. He wanted to play and we decided to play him,” he said.

“In the end, he came off, but hopefully he will be ready again within a couple of days.”

Nick Griffin expelled from BNP for 'trying to cause disunity'

The British National Party has expelled former leader Nick Griffin for allegedly "trying to cause disunity" in a bid to destabilise the organisation.

A conduct committee, established by new BNP chairman Adam Walker, informed the ex-MEP in a letter.

It stated: "We believe that, since being given the title of honorary president, you have put all your efforts into trying to cause disunity by deliberately fabricating a state of crisis.

"The aim of this was to again embroil the BNP in factionalism designed to destabilise our party."

According to the committee, this included preparing a report which lied about key party personnel and finances and approving the leak of the allegations on the internet.

Mr Griffin has also been accused of harassing members of BNP staff, allegedly making physical threats in at least one case, and of bringing the party into disrepute through public statements.

In addition, it is claimed, he published or caused to be published untrue allegations against the party in the form of emails giving a false account of his bankruptcy situation and disobeyed instructions given by Mr Walker.

A spokesman for the committee said the "difficult decision" had not been taken lightly but stressed that Mr Griffin's behaviour had become "more erratic and disruptive".

He added: "Although we all appreciate that Nick has achieved a lot for our party in the past, we must also remember that the party is bigger than any individual.

"Nick did not adjust well to being given the honorary title of president and it soon became obvious that he was unable to work as an equal member of the team and alarmingly his behaviour became more erratic and disruptive."

Mr Griffin was chairman of the BNP for 15 years until leaving his position in July. He had previously lost his seat as an MEP and been declared bankrupt.

Mr Griffin took issue with the decision on Twitter, saying he had been "expelled without trial".

In a second message he wrote: "Only thing is that the ruling Wigton Soviet are operating outside the constitution so I shall ignore their plastic gangster games."

Madeleine McCann: Police investigating Twitter campaign against missing girl's parents

Police are investigating a dossier of offensive tweets targeting the parents of Madeleine McCann.

Kate and Gerry McCann have been subjected to disgusting attacks by trolls, some of whom have suggested the couple be tortured of killed.

The dossier, which includes 80 tweets, Facebook posts and forum messages, was handed to the Metropolitan Police by members of the public who feared for the McCann's safety.

One message board comment reportedly said: "These 2 [the McCanns] should burn in hell."

Sky News said other posts in the dossier included:"I hope that the McCanns are living in total misery" and "I want to see them smashed up the back of a bus or trampled by horses".

Some messages were said to have been directed at Madeleine's younger siblings, now aged nine.

The posts were gathered by people who are concerned about the abuse.

One campaigner, who did not wish to be named, told Sky News: "We're very worried that it's only going to take somebody to act out of some of these discussions, some of the threats that have been made, and we couldn't live with ourselves if that happened and we had done nothing."

The material is being assessed by officers who are liaising with prosecutors and the missing girl's family.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We can confirm we received a letter and documentation on September 9 which was passed to officers from Operation Grange. They are assessing its contents and consulting with the CPS and the McCann family."

Operation Grange is the name for the Metropolitan Police's involvement in the search for Madeleine.

She went missing in Portugal when aged three in May 2007.

So-called trolling is a mounting problem for the authorities. Last year Scotland Yard said around 1,500 additional crimes linked to internet abuse were being reported to the force each year.

Darlington-based Nobia Holdings UK report 8% lift in sales

Darlington-based Nobia Holdings UK has reported an 8% lift in sales due to rising consumer confidence.

The company said renewed optimism in the home improvement sector helped to drive the rise in revenue in the year ended December 2013, from £375.5m to £406.9m.

Its bottom-line profits were also transformed, placing the firm back in the black with profits of £11.8m from a loss of £710,000, while operating profit soared from £3.9m to £18.3m.

Reviewing the business, the directors said it operates in a competitive market place “where continuing growth is dependent on maintaining existing customer relationships and developing new business by offering high quality products and services.”

The firm also said it constantly carries out research and development into new kitchen products, and that it is exploring emerging markets.

The directors’ report said: “Competition within the markets is a continuing risk to the group, which could result in it losing sales to its key competitors.

“The group mitigates this risk by providing value added services to its customers, having fast response times not only in supplying products but in handling all customer queries and by maintaining strong relationships with customers.”