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, Wednesday 22nd 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.

Why Republicans Don’t Get It

A new poll this week shows 2012 presidential nominee and 2008 primary candidate Mitt Romney leading the field of potential 2016 Republican candidates. According to ABC News/Washington Post, 21 percent of Republican voters would vote for Romney in the primaries; Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee tie at 10 percent, followed by Rand Paul, Chris Christie and Paul Ryan. Altogether, some 44 percent of Republican primary voters want an “establishment” candidate — by which we mean a candidate for whom social issues are secondary, immigration reform is primary and economics dominates.

The establishment donors on the coasts see this poll and believe that a consolidated funding effort mobilized behind the Chosen One (Romney, Bush, Christie or Ryan) could avoid a messy primary and keep the powder dry for a 2016 showdown with Hillary.

The conservative base knows this, and they groan.

That’s because the conservative base understands that what motivates them is not the marginal tax rate — nobody in the country knows, offhand, his or her effective tax rate — but values. And none of the top priorities for Republican donors match the fire-in-the-belly issues that motivate the folks who knock on doors, phone bank and provide the under-$50 donations that could power a Republican to victory.

The divide between the establishment and the base represents a divide between the wallet and the working man, the penthouse and the pews, the Ivy Leagues and the homeschools. Which is why Republican leadership quietly assures its top donors that should Republicans win the Senate, their first legislative push will encompass corporate tax reform and immigration reform.

They will not push primarily for border security, or for protection of religious freedom, or for repeal of Common Core. They will not use their opportunity to govern as an opportunity to draw contrast between conservatism and leftism. Instead, they will seek “common ground” in a vain attempt to show the American people that efficiency deserves re-election.

And the American people will go to sleep, conservatives will vomit in their mouths, and leftists will demonize Republicans all the same.

Conservatives understand that politics simply reflect underlying values. That’s why they are passionate. They don’t vote their pocketbooks. They vote their guts, and their guts tell them that leftism is immoral on the most basic level.

Republicans, on the other hand, believe that politics are just business by other means. That means that Republicans think Americans, left and right, share the same underlying values. That’s a lie, and it’s a self-defeating lie at that.

Until Republicans begin to appreciate the moral conflict between right and left, they will dishearten the right and provide easy targets for the left. The nominee won’t matter; elections won’t matter. And the alienation of the American conservative will deepen and broaden, until, one day, it bursts forth with a renewed fire that consumes the Republican Party whole.

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Recap: Wolves v Boro from Molineux

Boro go into tonight's Sky Bet Championship game at Wolves unbeaten in seven games.

Saturday's win at Brighton took the Boro up to third in the league - and they will be looking to continue the good form at Molineux.

Wolves go into the game in seventh place - three points behind the visitors. The live blog opens at 7pm and kick off is 7.45pm.

Live: Wolves v Boro from Molineux

Boro go into tonight's Sky Bet Championship game at Wolves unbeaten in seven games.

Saturday's win at Brighton took the Boro up to third in the league - and they will be looking to continue the good form at Molineux.

Wolves go into the game in seventh place - three points behind the visitors. The live blog opens at 7pm and kick off is 7.45pm.

Preview: Gateshead v Boro Under-21s

Defender David Atkinson will return to Boro’s Under-21 ranks on Wednesday as the Teessiders look to extend their unbeaten run to seven games.

Paul Jenkins’ side travel to Gateshead Reserves for a tasty Final Third Development League Cup clash five days after a thrilling 3-3 draw at Reading in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League.

Atkinson - who has returned to the Riverside following a loan spell at Hartlepool United - will be involved alongside Dael Fry, who became an unlikely hero with a dramatic last-gasp equaliser in the South-east last week.

England Under-19s duo Bryn Morris and Bradley Fewster are also in contention - but may not be risked as Jenkins looks to give some of his fringe stars a chance to impress.

Jenkins said: “We’ve said from the beginning that the cup will be a good opportunity for some players who haven’t yet broken into our first-team to be given a chance to perform.

“We have spoken in the dressing room about maintaining our high level of football and we want to keep the unbeaten run going.

“We want both a good result and good performance, but sometimes in football that isn’t possible. Sometimes you play well and don’t get the result you deserve, and other times you don’t play well and you take a draw.

“That’s what happened at Reading on Friday. We were all disappointed with the performance but we showed real character, resilience and a good work ethic to get back into the game.

“At Reading it was nice to have Emmanuel Ledesma and Luke Williams in the team, who are both players with plenty of first-team experience. Our younger players need to embrace the opportunity to play with these kind of players and learn from them.”

However, Boro’s draw in Berkshire came at a cost with winger Tom McAloon suffering ankle ligament damage that will rule him out until the New Year.

Meanwhile defender Kieran Weledji continues to battle with tendonitis in his knee, and is unlikely to be risked at the International Stadium.

Andy Halliday will also not be involved having joined Bradford City on a one-month loan, but Lewis Maloney (illness) should be available.

Luke Williams in action for Boro's Under-21s against Brighton

With challenging league fixtures looming against leaders Newcastle United and Arsenal next week, Jenkins admitted Boro’s young guns face a demanding schedule in the coming weeks.

“The cup is of equal importance to us as the league - of course we want to win both”, Jenkins said.

“We want to get a good result at Gateshead and it’s only after that when we can start to think about Newcastle and Arsenal.

“Hopefully we can stay clear of injuries. We have a demanding week coming up next week and I have to manage the players carefully to give us the best possible chance of winning.”

Tomorrow's match at the International Stadium in Gateshead kicks off at 2pm.

NHS spending on private ambulances quadruples in North East

NHS spending on private ambulances has quadrupled in the North-east to almost £3m.

Spending on private ambulance services by the North East Ambulance Service, which covers Teesside, has soared between the financial years 2011/12 and 2013/14.

In 2011/12 the total amount spent was £639,820, but this rose by 353% to £2,898,275 in 2013/14, Freedom of Information requests by the Labour Party found.

Over the same period, average ambulance response times - the period between a logged call and the vehicle’s arrival - increased by 51 seconds in the North East.

A North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman said: “While it’s true that average ambulance response times have increased over the last three years, so too has the volume of calls being dealt with by our contact centre.

“Despite this marked increase in activity, the North East Ambulance Service remains one of the best performing in the country for reaching those patients most in need.

“To put it in perspective, our average response time to an emergency in 2011 was 5 minutes 11 seconds. In 2014, it is six minutes. Both of which are well within the national target of eight minutes.

“Organisations such as Red Cross and St John have been used to a greater extent over the last year, again as a consequence of demand.

“There is also a national shortage of paramedics due to the longer three-year-period it now takes to complete the required degree. NEAS hopes to have an extra 140 paramedics by 2016.”

Tom Blenkinsop, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said: “I’ve raised my concerns previously at the sharp rise in the use of private ambulance operators and the warning signs have been apparent for over two years, yet this Government has continued to ignore this.

“In the North-east, we have witnessed a quadrupling of expenditure on private ambulance services.

“Questions around whether their staff have sufficient training and if they are fully equipped have, rightfully, been raised.

"It was only in August this year that figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre showed that complaints against ambulance crews had increased by more than 28% in the last year.

“Instead of denying there is a problem, the Government urgently needs to reassure people that when they dial 999, they will be getting a blue-light service they can rely on.”

Official NHS figures show that across the country even ambulances for the most serious cases are taking over a minute longer to reach patients than three years ago.

NHS ambulance services across England are now spending close to double the figure on private ambulances when compared to 2012, with parts of the country seeing a tenfold rise.

Wolves skipper Danny Batth hopes to emulate Boro's defensive platform

Leaky Wolves hope to take a leaf out of Boro’s book tonight - according to centre-back Danny Batth.

Boro head to Molineux with the best defensive record in the Championship, conceding three times in their last seven league matches and only nine times all season.

In contrast Wolves have leaked 11 in their last four games, including three during a second-half collapse at Millwall on Saturday.

As Aitor Karanka’s side prepare to launch an offensive on the Championship top two, captain Batth believes Wolves need to tighten up at the back - starting tonight against Boro.

We’ve got players capable of conceding zeros and ones and we can hopefully use that to build on,” Batth told the Express and Star.

We’re a team that was built on clean sheets last season. Coming up a level, that’s what we’re trying to replicate here but the last few games we have been caught cold a few times.

“We’ve got a strong squad here and players that are biding their time waiting for opportunities.

“When they come along players are willing to come in, like Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Tommy Rowe did, and give a good account of themselves.

“It’s a case of maintaining performances and making sure you’re consistent. Players have to know that every Saturday when they’re going out wearing the gold shirt that they’ve got to deliver.”

Batth added the unpredictable nature of the Championship makes tonight’s showdown a tough one to call.

He said: “You look at recent results and who would have backed Cardiff to have beaten Forest? Anything can happen – it’s the Championship.”

Nifco UK gets six-figure Government grant to invest in workforce

Eaglescliffe plastics manufacturer Nifco UK Ltd has secured significant Government cash to invest in its growing workforce.

The car parts company has been approved for a £300,000 grant from the Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS).

And boss Mike Matthews says the cash will be used to help address skills shortages, that remain a ‘real threat’ to the sector.

The funding from BIS’s Employer Ownership Fund (EOF), will be awarded on the basis of Nifco investing some of its own cash into the development of its people, and meeting a number of measures and milestones along the way.

Nifco plans to use the funding to provide staff with programmes of extra training in areas such as maintenance, quality and principles. The programmes will take three years to roll out across the business, which now employs more than 400 staff.

The company celebrated a £12m expansion to its factory at Eaglescliffe last year.

Mike Matthews MBE, managing director and European operations officer at Nifco, said: “We’re committed to helping our staff develop and improve their skills, something that we believe is absolutely fundamental to spur on the growth of the business.

“Nifco employs talented people, but we believe that ensuring their skills remain at the cutting edge is essential if we are to continue to innovate and create products that meet the demands of the market.

“This grant allows us to push our development strategy further.

“We’re delighted that we’ve been offered it, and we will put it to really good use to ensure that we further the positive effect Nifco has on the local and regional economy.”

The business, which manufactures functional plastic parts that are used in the engines of cars produced by Nissan, Ford, Honda, and Jaguar Land Rover among others, is aiming to double its turnover to £100m by 2020.

Mike Matthews added: “We cannot grow the business without the support of all of our colleagues and continue to appreciate the efforts from all teams.

“I have no doubt we will see a positive return on investment from this funding and Nifco UK will continue to grow.

“Investing in people is a vital part of our effort to address the skills gap that still remains a real threat to businesses in this sector. Supporting employees to develop their skills is a responsibility that all businesses should take seriously, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure our team is given every chance to be the best it can possibly be, through training and development.”

Five spooktastic events for children and families this Halloween

It looks set to be a scary week for little monsters all over Teesside.

For there are events aplenty to keep the smallest members of the family entertained - and some big kids too - from frightening fun in time for Halloween to exhibitions, crafts, festivals and more.

Here’s a Halloween round up - and don’t forget to check out our round up of what else you can do to keep the little ‘uns happy this half term.

1. Dare you go down to the woods tonight?

Halloween Haunting at Guisborough Forest and Walkway Centre promises a dose of deliciously scary fun and things that go bump in the night.

The event will be held on Friday October 31, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm. Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult, tickets £3 per person.

Park and ride shuttle buses will be running from Belmont House car park in Guisborough and parking is available for £1 in a neighbouring farmer’s field - weather permitting - follow the signs on the night.

“Venture out through the woods this year and you will come across wearwolves, zombies and even mad axemen!

"Don’t forget to bring a torch – and whatever you do – don’t look behind you!” said ranger Cath Bashforth.

2. Scary goings-on will be happening at Preston Park

The ‘once upon a nightmare’ themed spooky walk will see a host of weird and wonderful characters inhabit Preston Park Museum and Grounds for one night only on October 31.

Ticketed wristbands are available for three walks, 4.30pm to 5.30pm, 6pm to 7pm and 7pm to 8pm.

The earlier walk is a new attraction for this year aimed at young children under five and their families, full of activities and entertainment.

Wristbands are £4.50 each, under 5s are free available from Preston Park Museum and Grounds, Rediscover Stockton Shop on Stockton High Street and the Customer Contact Centre at Stockton Central Library.

Access to the event is by Park and Ride ‘ghost coaches’ included in the price of the wristband, with pick up points at Tesco car park, Ingleby Barwick, Stockton High Street (outside the Swallow Hotel) and Stockton Garden Centre (formerly Peter Barratts.) There will be limited disabled parking on site.

3. Venture into the terrifying tunnels

Tales in the Tunnels at Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum in Skinningrove promises another hauntingly good night of fun and scares on October 31.

Take a tour with a difference through a ‘haunted’ mine with characters telling scary tales along the way.

The tours with tales start from 6.30pm, with the last one leaving at 8.30pm.

Whilst waiting for, or after, their tour visitors can sit and listen to folk rock group Stormcrow and some of their associates with songs picked to match the mood; with pirates and monsters. Entry is £2 children and £4 adults.

4. Spooky sights and sounds at shopping arcade

Chills, thrills and spine tingling scares are on offer at Dundas Market, Dundas Arcade, Middlesbrough tomorrow from 10am – 3pm.

Little ghouls and ghosts can join in the free Halloween fun with a creepy creatures petting zoo (until 1pm), frightening face painting and a Spooktacular Disco.

5. Have a look in the creepy kitchen

Halloween Happenings will take place at the Haunted Hall, Kiplin Hall, near Richmond, from Sunday, October 26 to Wednesday, October 29, gardens and tea room from 10am; hall from 2pm.

Tickets from £5 adult, £2 child.

There’ll be ‘nasty’ things to make and do in the Families’ Activity Room, spooky trails to follow in the gardens and hall and the Play Ship, Bog Garden and woodland to play. Go to the website for more information.

There are also a few places left on the Torchlight Ghost Tour at 6pm on Thursday October 30, Call 01748 818178 to book.

Driver gave false details after crashing into taxi - before being recognised when cabbie picked him up six months later

A man who lied about his identity was recognised by the taxi driver he crashed into - after ordering a cab to his house.

Corey Alison had driven into the back of a taxi on Low Grange Avenue, in Billingham, on August 5, 2013.

The 18-year-old - who has 16 convictions for 31 offences, including driving matters, as a youth - gave false details to the taxi driver, and drove away from the scene in a green Peugeot 307.

When the taxi driver went to the address he was given, he realised he had been duped.

But more than six months later, prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court today, Alison ordered a taxi and the same driver turned up.

The cabbie recognised Alison and notified police.

An identity parade was carried out on April 25 this year, and Alison, of Norton Road, Stockton, was arrested.

Mitigating for Alison, who had pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by giving false details after an accident, Duncan McReddie said: “He has a very regrettable record, but what I would say is that, although it sounds like a cliche, he has turned a corner.

“A report from the housing association where he and his partner are looking for a property has used the word 'excellent'.

"He has matured since the incident and now has steady employment.

"For a man of his background, that his significant.”

Judge Michael Taylor sentenced Alison to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

“This clearly passes the limit for a custodial sentence, and the courts take attempts to pervert the course of justice very seriously," he said.

“But as I have heard, you have found employment and it is the first time you have held down a job.

"For this reason, I can suspend your sentence.”

Writers Harry Pearson, John Nicholson and Daniel Gray to speak before Boro match

A hat-trick of Boro football writers will be holding a talk on the beautiful game before Saturday’s Boro match.

Authors Harry Pearson, John Nicholson and Daniel Gray are taking part in the talk at the Reference Library at Middlesbrough’s Central Library on Saturday from noon to 2pm before Boro take on Watford at the Riverside Stadium in a 3pm kick-off.

The talk - organised by Boro fanzine Fly Me to the Moon’s editor Rob Nichols - is part of the Discover Middlesbrough festival which includes open days, walks, talks and exhibitions.

Great Ayton-born Boro fan Harry Pearson is best known as the author of The Far Corner, a book about North-east football which has been named as one of the 50 Greatest Sports Books of all Time.

He is also a former sports columnist with the Guardian and When Saturday Comes.

Football365 columnist John Nicholson, from Stockton, is the author of Who Ate All The Pies and also Teesside-based crime novels, the popular Nick Guymer series, on which a library talk was held earlier this year.

Daniel Gray's recent Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters is a travelogue through the football towns that make up the lifeblood of English football.

“Although Harry, John and Daniel have given different takes on the game through their writing they all share a good sense of humour and the ability to tell a story," Rob said.

“I’ll be posing a few questions and encouraging them to spout off about football and their take on the Boro.

“They are all local and big Boro fans so it should be the perfect start to a Saturday before the top-of-the-table clash with Watford at the Riverside.”

Ruth Cull, library development officer for Middlesbrough Council, said: “Middlesbrough Libraries held a very successful crime writing event with John Nicholson during our Crossing the Tees Book Festival in June so we’re delighted to welcome John back to talk about his other passion - football.

"We’re sure he, Harry and Daniel will hold a really interesting talk.”

Tickets to the Three Boro Writers event are available on 01642 729001 and cost £2.

Billingham Foodbank hoping for a taste of Wish token success

A Billingham support group that provides emergency food for residents is hoping for a taste of token success in this year’s Wish campaign.

Billingham Foodbank, works with The Trussell Trust and is part of a UK-wide network of food banks.

By providing three days of emergency food to those in need, the Teesside foodbank helps to ensure that local people don’t go hungry.

Since opening in 2012, the foodbank has helped over 4,500 people.

Food is donated by groups and organisations such as schools, churches and businesses. Supermarket collections are also held where volunteers give shoppers a foodbank shopping list and ask them to buy an extra item.

Once food has been collected it is then sorted into boxes ready to hand out to those in need.

Care professionals in the area such as doctors, social workers, health visitors and police then identify those in need and issue them with a foodbank voucher. The vouchers can then be brought along to the foodbank and redeemed for three days of emergency food.

Those attending the foodbank can also meet with the volunteers for a hot drink or a free hot meal and discuss any longer-term issues that they have with the hope of been pointed in the right direction.

Jill Coyle, of the group said: “Any money we receive from this year’s Wish campaign will be used on office equipment.

“We need some office equipment such as a photocopier, a printer, tables and a laptop computer.

“Also, we always need more food and toiletries.”

Every year, The Gazette’s Wish campaign gives away thousands of pounds to not-for-profit groups and organisations benefiting the Teesside community.

Each registered group will be guaranteed a share of our £40,000 fund.

The more tokens a group collects, the bigger its share of the prize pot.

Tokens are now appearing in The Gazette. The last token will appear on January 21.

Submissions for tokens will close at 5pm on Monday, February 23.

To help Billingham Foodbank, send your tokens to: Billingham Foodbank, New Life Church, Low Grange Avenue, Billingham, TS23 3DP.

Morning news headlines: Spinal paralysis breakthrough, Kate back on Royal duties, designer passes away, Gonzalo disruption expected

A man completely paralysed from the waist down after his spinal cord was sliced in half in a stabbing attack is able to walk again after undergoing pioneering surgery.

The 38-year-old Bulgarian patient, who suffered his injury in 2010, is believed to be the first person in the world to recover from complete severing of the spinal nerves.

Darek Fidyka can now walk with a frame and has been able to resume an independent life, even to the extent of driving a car. Sensation has returned to his lower limbs.

Kate set to greet Singapore president

The Duchess of Cambridge is expected today to take part in her first royal engagement since it was announced she is expecting her second child.

The president of Singapore will be formally welcomed to the UK by the Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as he begins a historic state visit.

Tony Tan Keng Yam, 74, is the first Singaporean head of state to make a state trip to Britain and he will spend his four-day trip conducting a busy round of meetings, visits and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister David Cameron.

Family vows to stand by Pistorius

The family of Oscar Pistorius say they will stand by the decorated Paralympian when he arrives in Pretoria for sentencing today for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Carl and Aimee Pistorius said they would support their famous brother, "regardless of the outcome", who was cleared of murder but convicted of culpable homicide.

In an interview with ITV News yesterday, Aimee said: "I do not doubt my brother at all. I have the privileged position of knowing his strengths and his faults, as you do when you are close as we are.

Gonzalo set to disrupt air travel

Thousands of air passengers face severe travel disruption today after a glut of flights were cancelled due to high winds and heavy rain.

Heathrow staff said 10% of flights with the 20 biggest carriers into and out of the London airport will be cancelled, as the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo arrive in the UK.

Gusts of up to 75mph in coastal areas and 65mph inland will tear across much of the country bringing disruption to many areas, particularly to those needing to travel.

Designer De La Renta dies

Former US first lady Laura Bush has led tributes to Oscar de la Renta, the worldly gentleman designer who shaped the wardrobe of socialites and Hollywood stars for more than 40 years.

De la Renta, 82, died at his home in Connecticut surrounded by family and friends and "more than a few dogs", his stepdaughter Eliza Reed Bolen and her husband Alex Bolen said.

"While our hearts are broken by the idea of life without Oscar, he is still very much with us. Oscar's hard work, his intelligence and his love of life are at the heart of our company," their statement said.

Greening to visit Sierra Leone

International Development Secretary Justine Greening is joining British troops heading to Sierra Leone to help with the fight against Ebola.

The Cabinet minister will fly out from RAF Brize Norton with around a hundred soldiers from the Royal Army Medical Corps.

The UK is leading the international response to the disease in the country, and has pledged a £125 million aid package including support for 700 treatment beds.

Ombudsman critical over on-the-runs

Police in Northern Ireland can offer no satisfactory explanation for why they reviewed the cases of 36 republican terror fugitives whose status was changed from wanted to not wanted, a watchdog has found.

Police ombudsman Michael Maguire said an incorrect interpretation of the law had potentially seen a higher threshold for arrest applied to dozens of so-called on-the-runs (OTRs) when their files were subject to re-examination in 2007 as part of an administration scheme set up by the Government to establish whether certain individuals could return to the UK without fear of detention.

Dr Maguire questioned why the exercise had been conducted, given the historic cases had already been looked at as part of the process during the previous six years.

EU imposes more sanctions on Syria

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has hailed fresh EU sanctions against the Syrian regime, describing Bashar Assad as the "cause of instability and conflict" in the country.

The new package of measures was agreed by Mr Hammond and his counterparts at a meeting in Brussels.

Another 18 individuals and entities, including some suspected of supplying the administration with oil, will be subjected to restrictions.

New iPhones ring tills for Apple

The record-breaking launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus means that technology giant Apple has reported net profit of 8.5 billion dollars (£5.3bn) for the final quarter of 2014.

That figure is one billion higher than the same quarter last year, and revenue was also up by almost five billion dollars (£3.1bn)

Announcing the results, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said: "Our fiscal 2014 was one for the record books, including the biggest iPhone launch ever with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Russia runway crash kills Total CEO

The chief executive of French oil giant Total has been killed in a crash at a Russian airport.

Christophe de Margerie's corporate jet, which was taking off for France, collided with a snow removal machine at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport.

Total "confirms with deep regret and sadness" that chairman and CEO Mr de Margerie died in the crash, the company said on its website.

Salisbury on top 10 world cities' guide

Historic Salisbury has made it into a top 10 world cities' list chosen by travel guide Lonely Planet.

The small city in Wiltshire, which has a population of around 41,000, takes its place in among the best places to visit in 2015, along with the likes of Washington DC, Milan and Toronto.

According to Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2015: "For too long travellers have considered Salisbury a short stop on the way to Stonehenge.

Delevingne makes young rich list

Model turned actress Cara Delevingne has become the highest new entry in an annual list of wealthy young stars.

The 22-year-old - whose latest film The Face of an Angel is inspired by the trial of Amanda Knox - is estimated to have amassed earnings of £7.49 million, according to Heat magazine Rich List of under 30s.

Chart-topping stars One Direction retain their position at number one with a combined fortune of £77.52 million according to the magazine, having piled on £18.19 million over the past 12 months.

Kevin Procter denied back-to-back British Rallycross Grand Prix victories on home track

Kevin Procter was denied back-to-back British Rallycross Grand Prix victories on his home track by a startline issue.

Procter, from nearby Leeming, gave a Croft Circuit debut to his newly-built Ford Fiesta Supercar.

He finished third in the MSA British Championship A final on day one behind winner Ollie O’Donovan in his Tony Bardy-prepared Ford Focus and new title holder Julian Godfrey.

Procter qualified on pole position for the Grand Prix final on day two, but was left on the startline as the rest of the field shot away.

Steve Hill (Mitsubishi) took advantage and led the way going into the first corner.

But Godfrey found a way through on the back straight and went on to record a convincing win.

Hill took second place with Mark Flaherty (LD Motorsport DS3) third.

Northallerton’s Dave Bellerby gave a typically determined display in his Lotus Exige to finish fourth while Procter at least managed to show how quick his Fiesta is once he got it going.

Benidorm and Emmerdale actor Kelvin had a reasonable weekend but ended up in the the gravel pit in his last race on Sunday.

Stuart Emery won the British Suprernational title on Saturday although he was troubled by a misfire all day.

Subject to a formal contract with the MSA, the British Automobile Racing Club and Lydden Hill Motor Club have been jointly appointed to spearhead the promotion and operation of the British Rallycross Championship and British GP.

The MSA has jointly tasked BARC and LHMC with co-promoting both the championship and GP as part of a minimum three-year deal