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 17th December, 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.

Middlesbrough national chip shop finalist on key industry visit

The owner of one of the UK’s best fish and chip businesses in Middlesbrough visited the ‘white fish capital’ of Europe - Peterhead - to see where Britain’s top dish starts its journey.

Whale Hill and Eston chip shops, Pelican Jacks, is shortlisted for Best Newcomer in the 2015 National Fish & Chip Awards.

John Reeves opened the shops on Birchington Avenue and Eston High Street within months of each other in 2013, and now employs a staff of 12.

The company is also the first and only Middlesbrough-based Fish & Chip shop to be awarded the prestigious ‘Quality Award’ by The National Federation of Fish Fryers,

John has just returned from this year’s 2015 National Fish & Chip Awards educational study trip to North-east Scotland, courtesy of Seafood Scotland and The Scottish Seafood Partnership, with the other finalists.

The two day all expenses paid trip gave the finalists the opportunity to learn about the supply channels for haddock and cod from Scotland to the rest of the UK and further afield, gaining insight into North-east Scotland’s key role within the UK fishing industry for the landing and processing of major whitefish species.

John said: “The trip was brilliant, one of the things that was really important for us to see was the journey that the fish takes from ocean to plate, and the fresh fish being landed at the port in Peterhead.

“As a result of that, we’re trying to introduce more fresh fish into our shops and explore opportunities to stay a step ahead.

“We carried out a trial last week, and managed to get fresh Scarborough cod; the response from customers was very positive. The recognition with these national awards raises our profile with suppliers.

“We always try to sell local products and support local businesses; our pies are from Petch’s at Great Ayton and we use a Middlesbrough processor for our chips. And we will continue to re-invest money into the business to grow, and keep employing local people - that’s the name of the game.”

Paul Williams, Chief Executive of Seafish, said: “Scotland is a key producer of seafood, landing around 400,000 tonnes each year and boasting more than 60 different species of fish and shellfish amongst the catch.

“Most fish and chip shop owners will be familiar with cod, haddock, plaice and a few other species, but we want to open their eyes to the wider range of seafood on offer, while informing them about supply chains, so they have a strong grounding of the wider seafood industry.

“This trip is a great way of supporting and improving industry knowledge of our fish and chip shops. It’s a rare opportunity to get some real insight into what it takes to get fresh fish from sea to plate.”

The awards finals take place on January 20.

Middlesbrough-based pawnbroker Ramsdens Financial suffers £8.4m drop in pre-tax profits

Pawnbroking chain Ramsdens Financial has suffered a dramatic £8.4m fall in profitability due to tumbling gold prices.

The Middlesbrough-based firm, which operates 120 branches across the North East, Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales, saw pre-tax profits fall from £9.1m to £1m.

Ramsdens underwent a management buyout in September, which saw the departure of former owner and chairman Stewart Smith.

The deal was supported by private equity firm NorthEdge Capital and was said to be readying the firm to add new stores to its portfolio.

Accounts filed at Companies House, for the year ended March 31, 2014, show Ramsdens’ turnover fell from £71.1m to £42.2m.

Writing in a report accompanying the accounts directors said they had halted expansion and introduced cost-cutting measures to brace the firm.

The report said: “The trading environment in the year under review has been difficult against a background of a 29% fall in the gold price of which most occurred in April 2013 – the start of the financial year.

“This has had a significant impact on the trading results particularly as 50% of the store estate is immature and therefore is building its pawnbroking loan books that underpin core trading.

“As a result the group adopted to safety first approach to trading by pausing expansion of the branch estate, rationalising the cost base and managing liquidity.”

The conditions prompted Ramsdens to write down £498,904 on assets.

Despite the difficulties faced by the North East firm, directors said it was well placed to capitalise on opportunities arising from the rationalisation of the pawnbroking market.

The report continued: “The group will seek to take advantage of any opportunities as and when they arise as a result of the consolidation taking place in the market.”

During the 12 month period detailed in the accounts Ramsdens grew its workforce, including back-office, management and shop staff, from 458 to 545.

In 2010, Ramsdens chief executive, Peter Kenyon, said the firm had considered stock market listing and private equity funding to support growth. Instead the firm opted for multi-million pound refinancing facility with HSBC.

Looking to the future, gold prices remain subdued as international markets anticipate the raising of interest rates by the US Federal Reserve. Higher interest rates impact upon gold prices because investors are encouraged to move their money into vehicles that produce a yield, whereas gold does not produce a yield.

Prices are expected to fall further into 2015 in accordance with the Federal Reserve’s expected action, although some analysts believe there could be a surge due to historically low oil prices.

Boro Walkers Association hand money over to Teesside charities

When a dad-of-three decided to set up a walking club to raise funds for a cause close to his heart, he could never have imagined how much money it would collect.

Pete Livingstone, from Thornaby, formed The Boro Walkers Association with his friends and although the club has only been running for 14 months, it has already raised about £27,000.

Yesterday, club members visited different areas in Teesside to hand over the money they have raised over the last year.

Staff and pupils at Priory Woods School in Netherfields, Middlesbrough were thrilled to receive £5,000 from the walkers, while another £10,000 was donated to Teesside MS Society.

Both charities were chosen because of the personal link they hold with the club’s members.

Pete, 44, said: “A friend of ours has a little boy who goes to Priory Woods which is why we decided to raise funds for them.

“We chose the MS Society because my partner, Sarah Northridge, has suffered with it for 18 years but over the last few years her condition has worsened and she is more or less wheelchair-bound.

“We found out last year that the Stockton MS group was at risk of closing down this year because it could not generate the funds it needs to stay open.

“With the money we are handing over today and in the future, it will be able to remain open which is great news.”

Money was raised by the group - which has over 200 members - through completing two charity walks.

In 2013, 30 walkers trekked all 84 miles of Hadrian’s Wall in two days, from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend.

This year, 33 walkers covered the same walk but in reverse.

MS sufferer Linda Carse, 49, joined Pete and other members at Middlesbrough’s Gateway Building to receive the cheque on behalf of the society.

The mum-of-two, from Nunthorpe, was diagnosed with the condition 20 years ago and told how donations like this are a lifeline to others like her.

Former secretary, Linda, said: “There are regular activities that the group do which not only allow us to exercise but mean that we have the chance to get together and support each other.

“These activities cost money and the funds we are getting today from The Boro Walkers Association will keep that going,

“We rely massively on donations like this to keep our support group together.”

Teesside brothers create new jobs with parcel delivery firm expansion

Teesside franchisees for a parcel delivery specialist are set to create a raft of new jobs after expanding into a bigger warehouse facility in Gateshead.

Brothers Glen and Steve Watson, franchisees for Interlink Express, have acquired a premium warehouse facility in Gateshead to keep up with the increase in business.

They have been based at Teesside Industrial Estate for more than 16 years, after taking over the business which was previously run by their parents.

Earlier this year, after a period of rapid growth at their Interlink Express operation on Teesside, the brothers took the step of expanding further north after buying their second Interlink Express franchise depot at Drum Industrial Estate, Gateshead.

They were helped in their plans by a funding deal of £240,000 from Barclays and other financial resources of almost £100,000, The pair employs more than 40 staff across the two depots, but new jobs will be created as part of the expansion, although figures have not been confirmed.

Within six months, however, the second facility is already bursting at the seams, prompting the duo to expand into Aquarius, a 17,897sqft warehouse in Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, after securing a ten year lease on the premises.

Glen Watson said: “We recently took on the Gateshead franchise of Interlink Express but found that the existing depot was simply too small to cope with the volume of business and there was no capacity to expand the operation.

“This new facility on Team Valley provides almost twice the floor space and is easily accessible both for deliveries and customers collecting parcels. It will greatly enhance Interlink’s presence in the region.”

Shirley Simpson, a senior lettings surveyor at UK Land Estates, said: “This letting illustrates how popular Team Valley as a location remains and Aquarius was the last large unit we had available on the estate.

“We are bringing forward major new industrial schemes on Team Valley at both Kingsway North, the former Huwood’s site, and Dukesway Central and this letting is a clear endorsement of our company’s drive to provide further new space.”

Simon Haggie, partner of joint letting agents Knight Frank, added: “Both our joint agents Naylors and ourselves have received considerable interest in this unit but it seemed to be the perfect fit for Interlink Express, combining the advantages of an attractive prominent building with a dedicated secure yard, an essential requirement for a transport business of this nature.

“We are now down to the bare bones in terms of modern stock of this size in the Tyneside conurbation and desperate for new development to come forward.”

Palestinians mourn another martyr in Qalandia Camp

21 year old Mahmoud Udwan was shot and killed by Israeli special forces in Qalandia refugee camp near Ramallah earlier today. The Israeli forces attacked the camp in the early hours of this morning during an arrest raid. Palestinian youth are reported to have attempted to resist the invasion by throwing stones at the Israeli forces, but Mahmoud Udwan is said to have been standing on the balcony of his house when shot and killed.

Following the carrying out of an official autopsy in Abu Dis, Udwan’s body was returned to Qalandia camp were he was carried through the camp’s streets by mourners. Thousands of people gathered to join the funeral procession to Udwan’s family house and then to the central mosque.

Mahmoud Udwan was finally laid to rest mid-afternoon following prayers in the mosque. Udwan is the fourth Palestinian from Qalandia camp to have been killed by Israeli forces this year and according to the United Nations, the 47th Palestinian killed by Israel in the West Bank in 2014.

Jihadist Child-Sacrifice – on The Glazov Gang

[Subscribe to The Glazov Gang and LIKE it on Facebook .]

In the recent Taliban terror attack against a school in Peshawar, Pakistan, Islamic terrorists killed more than 130 children. The atrocities include the beheading of children and the Taliban dousing a teacher with gasoline, burning her alive in front of her students who were forced to watch.

The horrifying nature of this latest Taliban atrocity serves as yet another reminder of infanticide and child sacrifice being key ingredients of Islamic terror. The long and grotesque record of Hamas’ and Arafat’s child-killing machines serves as a morbid testament to that phenomenon.

To shed light on why Islamic Jihadists target children, Frontpage is running The Glazov Gang’s special two-part series with Dr. Anna Geifman, the author of Death Orders and one of the world’s leading experts on child-sacrifice by death cultures.

In this special series, Dr. Geifman delivers a profound analysis on Hamas and Terrorists’ Child Sacrifice, explaining why Islamic terrorists — and totalitarians in general — target children. Though her main focus is on Hamas as well as on Soviet terror, her analysis gives us a profound insight into the infrastructure of the Taliban mind and how its savagery against children in a Pakistani school satiates its yearnings.

Dr. Geifman’s research unveils the true nature not only of the Islamic death culture, but of all death cultures, and explains why they sacrifice their enemy’s children — as well as their own.

See both interviews below:

Part I:

Part II: (Focus on child-sacrifice starts at 10:30 mark)

To watch previous Glazov Gang episodes, Click Here .

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Egypt: Eight female activists referred for military trial

Eight women have been referred by Egypt’s general attorney for the Ismailia Appellate Court for military trials on charges of protesting.

The women are:

• Sarah Saber, 18


• Sarah Abdel Meneim, 19


• Esraa Abdelhady, 18


• Menatallah Ahmed, 19


• Hagar Al-Nagdy; 20


• Hagar Al-Tobgy, 45


• Yasmin Hassan, 20


• Shorouk Nasser, 19


• Maha Gamal

On Sunday, Egypt’s prosecution referred ten cases of protesters for military trial. The cases comprised approximately 30 supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi who had been arrested while taking part in protests against the ruling regime.

The sources confirmed that the women were held in a police station for periods ranging from between three to eight months, but they were released on bail that ranged between 1,000 and 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($140-$1,400).

Huge umbrellas to be installed at Makkah Grand Mosque

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has approved a project to install about 300 sunshades in the courtyards of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, similar to the ones at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah thanked the king for the royal gesture that would reduce the difficulties of worshippers who pray in the mosque’s courtyards under the scorching sun.

“We have decided to install more than 300 umbrellas in the courtyards around the Grand Mosque including

the newly expanded areas,” said Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques.

He said the umbrellas would cover about 275,000 square meters of open space surrounding the mosque.

The Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah has nearly 250 umbrellas for the comfort of the pilgrims. Like blooming flowers, the umbrellas are programmed to fold and unfold in minutely delayed sequence to avoid collision between their moving parts. Their near-silent operation is automatically aligned with changes in the daily temperature. They open each morning, creating a translucent ceiling, and retract each evening in less than three minutes.

In summer, the open umbrellas provide daytime shade and reflect away much of the sun’s radiant energy. When closed at night, they allow residual heat absorbed by the stone floors and walls to escape back into the atmosphere. The process is reversed in winter. When temperatures are relatively low, umbrellas are closed during the day to allow the winter sun to warm the site, and opened at night to retain heat near ground level.

The mosque itself is air-conditioned. Lowering temperatures in the surrounding courtyards reduces the demand for cooling inside. Shading the courtyards accomplishes this, plus providing more comfortable areas for pilgrims and worshippers

15,000 join anti-Islam protest in eastern Germany

A record 15,000 people marched in eastern Germany against “asylum cheats” and the country’s “Islamisation” in the latest show of strength of a growing far-right populist movement.

Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier cautioned Germans against falling prey to xenophobic “rabble-rousing”, reacting to the nascent movement called “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident” or PEGIDA.

“The people are with us!,” the group’s founder Lutz Bachmann shouted at the crowd, celebrating a 50-percent rise in attendance since their last “Monday demonstration” in a series of rallies that started only in October.

“Everywhere now, in every news rag, on every senseless talkshow, they are debating, and the most important thing is: the politicians can no longer ignore us!” Bachmann told the mass of people, many waving the black-red-gold national flag.

“We have shown by taking another ‘little stroll’, and by growing in numbers, that we’re on the right path, and that slowly, very slowly, something is beginning to change in this country,” Bachmann bellowed to loud cheers yesterday.

Since the protests have rapidly grown in size and spawned smaller clones in half a dozen cities, a debate about immigration and refugees has gripped Germany, a country whose Nazi past makes expressions of xenophobia especially troubling.

Politicians have been stunned by the emergence in the city of Dresden of the nationalists who march against what they consider a broken immigration and asylum system and who vent deep anger at the political class and mainstream media.

The demonstrations have flared at a time when Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, has become the continent’s top destination for asylum seekers, and the world’s number two destination for migrants after the United States.

The influx of refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and several African and Balkan countries has strained local governments, which have scrambled to house the newcomers in old schools, office blocks and army barracks.

One demonstrator, Michael Stuerzenberger, said he does not oppose asylum for refugees but asserted that “70 percent of people claiming political asylum here are economic refugees. We don’t want to stay silent about this anymore.”

“We don’t want a flood of asylum seekers, we don’t want Islamisation. We want to keep our country with our values. Is that so terrible? Does that make us Nazis? Is it a crime to be a patriot?”

While several known neo-Nazis have been spotted in the PEGIDA crowds, the rallies have been dominated not by jackbooted men with shorn heads but by disenchanted citizens who voice a string of grievances

James Cook University Hospital receives £2.1m in NHS money to see it through winter

Extra doctors are to be recruited after the Government gave Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital an extra £2.1m to cope with looming winter pressures.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, was awarded the extra funding as part of a £300m grant for the NHS nationally to see it through the difficult winter period.

Middlesbrough Council’s health scrutiny panel yesterday discussed measures put in place to mitigate the effect of winter pressures.

Hospital chiefs told how a new eight-bed “surge” capacity is due to open to cope with the expected influx of patients with some discharge facilities also in place to support the A&E department.

Mandy Headland, managing director for integrated medical care centre at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The intention is to create a discharge lounge located with the surge beds to allow us to staff it closely so that the patients are catered for during the time before discharge.

“On average we discharged 200 patients a month from medical beds last year.

She said: “The system should help us with the immediate flow of patients we receive each morning.”

She added that the money will be spent on additional staffing, including additional doctors, as well as nurses and therapists and an ambulatory care unit to support the care of patients who turn up the emergency department.

The Government has come up with additional NHS cash as hospitals throughout the country report increasing numbers of patients turning up for emergency treatment.

As well as the new beds, GPs and community health workers will be based in the hospital’s emergency department to treat people who do not require urgent treatment.

The out of hours services have also been reviewed in order to provide better information for deciding whether to admit a patient to hospital.

Dr Mike Milner, urgent care lead at South Tees CCG, said: “While ambulance patients with minor injuries are a problem in A&E, they are not the main problem.

“The problem is created by elderly people who are increasingly sick, going to the A&E department in an ambulance. The flow and management of those patients throughout the hospital that is key to getting the hospital working effectively and efficiently. It is an patient education process.”

Eddie Dryden, chair of the health scrutiny panel, said problems during a severe winter in 2012 were not a “one-off”.

“We’ve become successful in keeping people living at home longer independently, and by the time they get to hospital they are far more vulnerable.

“It is reassuring to know things are in place and pressures are being dealt with.”

Middlesbrough Mayor's latest beggars rant splits opinions across Teesside

Mayor Ray Mallon’s latest attack on the town’s beggars has split opinions across Teesside.

Last week Mr Mallon launched an unprovoked rant about those who beg for money on Middlesbrough’s streets, declaring they “are not homeless, they are criminals,” and later adding that they “diversify from crime to begging because it pays well.”

His views - which were expressed during a meeting of Middlesbrough Council’s Executive - split opinions of Teessiders who took to social media sites to make their feelings known.

Teesside Homeless Action Group (THAG) have backed the comments which were condemned by local anti-capitalist campaign group, Teesside Solidarity Movement (TSM).

Francis Owens, manager of THAG, said: “I agree with the comments made by Mayor Mallon.

“The people begging in Middlesbrough and elsewhere are no more homeless than the people they are cadging money from.

“It is easy money for people who have no conscience about exploiting people’s compassion for the poor.

“In the past we at THAG have campaigned against the large numbers of beggars in central Middlesbrough who claimed that they were homeless.

“At first we tried to help them but soon realised that they wanted no help from our organisation because they already had homes.

“THAG gave up doing outreach work in Middlesbrough years ago because there were no rough sleepers to be found.

“This problem is almost all year round but at Christmas the streets seem to abound with young men sitting crosslegged asking for spare change, some have dogs usually a sleeping bag is positioned close by as if that is their only shelter from the elements whilst sleeping rough.

“I met a beggar on Redcar High Street recently, sitting with his dog.

“People were giving him money and food for his dog so I approached him and asked if he was homeless to which he replied, ‘No, I’ve got a home but I do this because I can’t hold down a job and it’s easy.’

“Needless to say the people nearby put their money back into their pockets.”

But TSM representative Lawrie Coombs said: “Even given official figures, we know that begging has increased by 70% in many areas but this is down to Government Policy not criminality.

“Millions are being sanctioned, using foodbanks and homelessness is becoming a common experience for many young people in particular.”

The former Nightshelter project worker, who has direct experience of working with homeless young people, added: “Ray Mallon goes for easy rhetoric, says nothing and does nothing about the real criminals in society.

“At a time when our rulers are encouraging division, we know that Mr Mallon’s loose talk may well result in vulnerable people facing persecution rather than having their needs met.

“His comments ratchet up the agenda of scapegoating people on benefits.

“He may well think people down on their luck are scum but we think the tens of thousands of people surviving on benefits across Teesside are heroes, performing miracles getting through every day.

“Being hard up is not a crime.”

RSS poisoning in Meghalaya

“I want to join the Army and fight Pakistan,” says 15-year-old Dhangapaya.

And what if he doesn’t get selected? “I will join the Bajrang Dal and protect the country.” From whom? “Terrorists, anti-nationals, those promoting western culture…” he rattles off in faultless Kannada.

Dhangapaya is one of the 70 children from Meghalaya who are receiving free education at the Sri Rama Vidya Kendra – an institution run by the RSS in a small town near Mangalore called Kalladka.

Locals in this unremarkable town in Dakshina Kannada district often say that Kalladka is famous for two things – KT and KP

Dhangapaya is one of the 70 children from Meghalaya who are receiving free education at the Sri Rama Vidya Kendra, an institution run by the RSS, in Kalladka, Mangalore (Photo: HT)

KT or Kalladka Tea is a special tea preparation and KP stands for Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat. The head of the Sri Rama group of institutions, Bhat is described as the most powerful RSS leader in south India and the architect of the first BJP government here. His admirers call him the Bal Thackeray of Karnataka for his fiery speeches. Detractors say he is the reason coastal Karnataka has seen an upsurge in communal violence since the 1970s.

There have been seven major Hindu-Muslim flare ups in Kalladka town this year. Bhat’s students have been listed as accused in at least three of these cases. In two cases, registered in March, Muslim victims alleged that students from Meghalaya pelted stones at their houses. The names of the accused students are being withheld as all of them are minors. Although he wasn’t part of it, Dhangapaya says the violence in March was a response to provocation by the Muslims who live just outside the school campus. “They attended a Congress rally where they said insulting things about Guruji (Bhat),” he says.

“Dhangapaya is one of our star students. He will be a great leader one day,” says a beaming Bhat of the boy who came to him at the tender age of five. Dhangapaya is proficient in the Hindu scriptures and in martial arts and is an ace sportsman. Brimming with the Sangh’s ideology, he feels Love Jihad is one of the biggest problems facing the country.

“Why can’t Muslim and Christian men find women in their own communities?” he asks, “All they want is to convert our women.” Dhangapaya’s polemic sounds like an echo of an incendiary speech, targeting Christians and Muslims, that Bhat delivered just ahead of the parliamentary elections this year for which he was booked by the police. Here’s the irony: Dhangapaya’s father is Christian and his mother follows a tribal faith.

Like Dhangapaya, hundreds of students from the north east have passed out of the Sri Rama Vidya Kendra in the last 15 years. “Ours was one of the first RSS-run institutions in Karnataka to host these children,” says Bhat, “The project was started by Thukaram Shetty, one of our pracharaks, in the 1990s with the help of the [Meghalaya-based] Lei Synshar Cultural Society.” He estimates that today there are at least 5,000 students from all over the north east in schools run by the RSS and its affiliates in Karnataka.

In 2009, an investigation conducted by the Child Welfare Committee of Dakshina Kannada found that children from the north east were being illegally trafficked without proper paperwork by the RSS “to be trained and indoctrinated in Hindutva”.

The committee found that, in most cases, the children had been listed as orphans and that Thukaram Shetty had posed as their sole guardian. The CWC’s report, which was shared with the State governments of Karnataka and Meghalaya, said that the parents were told that their children were being taught in English medium schools. In reality, they were put in Kannada medium schools.

The report stated that in violation of the UN Convention on the rights of the Child, which stipulates that children must stay with their parents until the age of eight, children younger than six were being brought. Most of the children had forgotten their native language and culture. The CWC also found that the facilities in most of the RSS-run schools were extremely poor and that they did not qualify as fit institutions as prescribed by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000.

Following the report, the CWC came under extreme pressure from the then BJP State government and was eventually dismissed, says Geo D’Silva who was then a member of the CWC. “In December 2009, the Joint Director and Deputy Director of the Karnataka Department of Women and Child Welfare barged into our office and took away important investigation files. We never saw the files again,” he says

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Residents pull together to spruce up home of pensioner victim of alleged attempted murder

Residents are rallying together to spruce up the home of a pensioner who was the victim of an alleged attempted murder.

Harry Campbell was found in his Boosbeck flat with serious head injuries in October.

The 66-year-old was taken to Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital where he remains in a poorly but stable condition.

Now, the “tight-knit” community where he lives have put their heads together in the hope they can bring the living room where he was found back to a suitable condition.

They are raising funds for new carpets and also hope to give the room a lick of paint.

They are also working to fill Harry's fridge in time for his discharge from hospital expected to be next month.

“The good news is that Harry is recovering,” said Boosbeck resident Nev Brown.

“It is hoped he will be back home some time in January and so we want to make sure his home is back to normal for him.

“The house was in such a state and we couldn’t have let him come home to that.”

Nev, along with his wife Marlene, Harry’s friend John Birtley, and local councillor, Dave Williams, are among those who have got together to raise funds.

They are hosting a prize bingo and raffle at The Boosbeck Hotel tomorrow night from 7pm.

And people have also been offering their services to help - with Paul Kane from P&K Decorators in Middlesbrough among those who are kindly offering to give up time to help with the redecoration of Harry’s home.

Shock waves were sent through Boosbeck when Mr Campbell was found on October 25.

“It devastated us,” said Nev, who has lived in the village all his life.

“Boosbeck is a close-knit community and people have really taken this to heart - nothing like this has ever happened before.

“If you can’t help someone in this situation, when can you?”

Glyn Sullivan, of The Garth, in Whitby, has been charged with attempted murder, theft of a motor vehicle and drugs offences, in connection with the incident.

The 40-year-old appeared at Teesside Crown Court on December 10 and was remanded in custody until February 20. He is yet to enter a plea.

A 37-year-old man, who was also arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, remains on bail pending further inquiries.

Police are continuing to appeal for any witnesses that may be able to assist with the investigation to contact them on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Prophet’s Mosque expansion work goes apace

In a race against time, over 6,000 individuals, from engineers to construction workers, are pooling their efforts to complete the expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque. That huge work force is supervised by the committee of expropriation, which is part of the project initiated by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to expand the mosque and develop the surrounding areas.

The team is preparing the infrastructure in the eastern and western sides of the mosque and have already removed more than 100 properties in the central area, including the Ansar market, Awqaf building and the old children’s hospital, while work is under way to remove the King Abdulaziz Library and a number of major hotels.

The total space of expropriated property is estimated at 12.5 hectares, with compensations reaching a total value of SR25 billion.

The company implementing the project is preparing the eastern side to take more than 1.8 million worshipers, which is the biggest in the history of the Prophet’s Mosque. Among the many renovations, are the addition of a new building beside the mosque that surrounds it and connects with it from the north, east and west. Other expansion plans include the establishment of a lower floor to house air conditioning and other equipment.

The project is now in its fourth phase, after the supervising committee finalized assigning properties for the expansion

Motorcyclist, 22, in critical condition after suffering leg and head injuries in Stockton collision

A motorcyclist is in a critical condition in hospital after a collision in Stockton.

The 22-year-old man was at the junction of Hartburn Avenue and Hartburn Lane when the incident happened at 4.35pm yesterday.

It involved a black Volkswagen Golf and a motorcycle.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said the motorcyclist suffered leg and head injuries in the incident.

He is currently in Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital and is described as being in a “critical” condition.

The force is urging anyone who witnessed the collision to contact PC Alison Fawcett on the non-emergency number 101, quoting event number 220413.

Two Boro fans and Derby supporter bailed to appear before magistrates

Three football fans are due to appear before Teesside magistrates in connection with disorder at Saturday's game between Boro and Derby County.

Three Middlesbrough fans and a Derby supporter were arrested at the weekend.

Two of the Boro fans, aged 23 and 51, have been charged with a public order offence and been bailed to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court on December 30 and January 9 respectively.

And a 40-year-old visiting supporter will also appear before the court on December 30 for a public order offence.

Elsewhere, a juvenile who was arrested on suspicion of assault has been released on police bail.

The Gazette reported on Sunday how four arrests had been made after Boro's 2-0 win over the Rams at the Riverside on Saturday.

A number of dispersal notices were also handed out by Cleveland Police officers.

North East Ambulance Service raises operational status to 'severe pressure'

Teesside's ambulance service is under “severe pressure”, it was announced today.

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has raised its operational status to “severe pressure”.

There are six levels of alert and today, NEAS was the eighth ambulance service out of 10 in England to declare its status at level four.

This means that while they try to operate a normal service, their response standard to potentially life-threatening calls is deteriorated.

Paul Liversidge, NEAS chief operating officer, said: “We are experiencing severe pressures in responding to emergency calls and with additional pressures across the wider NHS network causing delays in ambulance turnaround times at hospitals we have taken the decision to move the service to level 4 to protect our most vulnerable patients.”

“This means that some patient transport service vehicles will move onto emergency care front line services; paramedic trainers and other clinical staff working in support services will return to front line duties; and clinically qualified managers will be made available for front line duties.

The public can help NEAS reach those patients most in need during this time by using 999 wisely. If someone has an injury of ailment which is not an emergency, they can call NHS 111, or seek help from their GP, pharmacist or local walk-in centre.

Boro fan Julie Phillips defends behaviour at number of away games at banning order hearing

A Boro fan told a court her life has “completely changed” since she was convicted of ripping up pages of the Koran at an away game.

Julie Phillips, 51, is back in court today to oppose a football banning order.

This morning she gave evidence to Teesside Magistrates’ Court defending her behaviour at a number of away games.

She said she had been a Boro fan since she was seven.

She said she used to drive minibuses to away games then began using a coach company. She said she would speak to police every time to let them know her plans.

In April this year Phillips was convicted at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court of committing a religiously aggravated public order offence after she was involved in a incident in which a Koran was ripped up at Boro’s 2-2 draw against Birmingham City last season.

Referring to the incident today, she said that football fans often rip up paper for confetti and she didn’t know the paper was part of the Koran. She said her life has “completely changed” and resulted in her losing her job at Middlesbrough Council “due to the publicity”.

When asked in court about her behaviour on a train back from London after Boro’s 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace in November 2009, she said she was “being loud” but any swearing would have been within her group of friends.

Phillips, of Kenmore Close, Thorntree, said that a policewoman asked her into the train vestibule took a bottle of Diet Coke off her and asked for ID. She said the policewoman threw her season ticket off the train and pushed her off at Grantham. She received a 12-month conditional discharge and £85 fine at Grantham Magistrates Court in February 2010.

Referring to the Millwall game in February 2013 at the Riverside Stadium, she told the court she called stewards “Little Hitlers” because they were picking on three members of the Red Faction supporters group. She said stewards were laughing at her. She denied calling a steward a “P***”.

Regarding the Hartlepool pre-season friendly match in 2013 she said she had been shouting at members of “Boro Youth” because they were “showing themselves up and antagonising police” .

Proceeding

Housebuilder donates wooden seahorse sculpture to Redcar school

A house builder has cemented a relationship with a Redcar school by donating a wooden seahorse sculpture.

Earlier this year, various sculptures were carved during an open day held by David Wilson Homes at its luxury Grey Towers Village development in Nunthorpe. One of the sculptures was of a seahorse - the emblem of Redcar’s Ings Farm Primary School.

And now, after the firm decided to donate it to the school, the seahorse stands proudly in front of the Ings Farm entrance.

Ings Farm headteacher Tim Bethell said: “We were very intrigued to get a call from David Wilson Homes regarding the sculpture and when it arrived, we were thrilled with our new mascot.

It’s a beautiful carving and the students are already enjoying the addition to the entrance of the school. I’m sure it will be enjoyed by our students for years to come.”

Fenton Hewitt, sales director at David Wilson Homes North East, said: “Ings Farm Primary School is a fantastic education provider in the area and we are pleased to have been able to donate the sculpture to them. This is probably one of the more novel things we’ve donated to the local communities around our developments and the children certainly seem to be enjoying it.”

Boro fan convicted of tearing up pages of Koran at away match opposes football banning order

A Boro fan who was convicted of tearing up pages of the Koran at an away game is back in court to oppose a football banning order.

Julie Phillips is at Teesside Magistrates’ Court today for the banning order hearing.

Phillips, 51, was convicted of committing a religiously aggravated public order offence when she was involved in a incident in which a Koran was ripped up at Boro’s 2-2 draw against Birmingham City last season.

She was convicted at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court in April this year.

She was fined £300 with £430 costs but was spared a football banning order.

Detective Constable Jamie Smith told Teesside Magistrates’ Court today that supplementary evidence to support the banning order was not given to magistrates in Birmingham at the time.

He told the court that on February 23 2013 Phillips allegedly racially abused a steward at the Riverside Stadium when Boro lost 2-1 to Millwall.

Det Con Smith said an Asian steward said Phillips called him a “P***” and other stewards “Little Hitlers”. He said Phillips was arrested but the steward later withdrew his statement.

Det Con Smith also gave details of Phillips’s behaviour during Boro’s 0-0 pre-season friendly against Hartlepool in July 2013.

He said that after the match in Hartlepool Phillips, of Kenmore Close, Thorntree, got into an argument with youths on the train back to Middlesbrough which led to a fight at Middlesbrough Train Station.

He said there was also trouble involving Phillips on the train back from London after Boro’s 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace in November 2009.

Det Con Smith said she was repeatedly warned for swearing, had a coke bottle with alcohol in it taken off her and swore at other train users and some Sunderland fans.

She was ejected from the train at Grantham and received a 12-month conditional discharge and £85 fine at Grantham Magistrates' Court in February 2010.

Middlesbrough Football Club have already banned Phillips from attending matches. He said: “This ban does not stop her travelling to away games and drinking with fellow Boro fans, then not attending at the ground. This would be seen as a problem for police."

Last month she was spotted by a Cleveland Police officer in a pub in Glasgow when England won 3-1 against Scotland. The officer spoke to her and she said she was on a shopping trip.

Proceeding.

No Ambedkar would be allowed to become Buddhist in future

Sushant Kar is an eminent Bengali Blogger and activist from kachhar, Assam. He writes about the game of RSS to press for Anti Conversion Law so that Manusmriti Rule would become a permanent settlement and nobody should be allowed to escape from the Hindutva net.

Baba Sahib Declared that the flag bearers of Hindutva are not ready to annihilate the caste and doing everything to boost the caste system and opted for Buddhism.

RSS Never liked conversion to Buddhism AND CO OPTED A CONVERSION LEADER UDIT RAJ.

Sushant Babu`s blog Eeshaner Punjo Megh and his translation, Felani has a big fan flowing.

He explains in nut cell that Hindu imperialism is not only against Islam and Christianity, it also intends to wipe out Buddhism, Sikh religion and Jain religion.

He clarifies, if the anti-conversion law is passed, no Hindu would be allowed to convert as Buddha, Jain or Sikh. It means every Hindu has to live and die with and within caste system to become subjected to racial apartheid.

No Ambedkar would be allowed to become Buddhist in future. It is biggest conspiracy.

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Stockton car dealers deliver bootful of present to Zoe's Place baby hospice

Santa may deliver his gifts on a sleigh but a Teesside car dealership chose a snazzy Honda Civic to take a bootful of presents to the Zoe’s Place baby hospice.

Benfield Honda on Stockton’s Preston Farm estate has been supporting the Normanby hospice for the past 18 months in a variety of ways, including auctions, a staff Olympics and several employees doing the Great North Run.

With Christmas approaching, Benfield staff decided to collect as many selection boxes and other gifts as possible for its chosen good cause.

A Christmas tree was put up weeks ago to encourage customers to be generous.

They didn’t disappoint, with scores of selection boxes and other items, including sensory toys, donated.

And the perfect way to deliver the gifts was in a white Honda Civic, spruced up to spread the Zoe’s Place message across Teesside and beyond.

To the delight of youngsters like Josie Robson, three, the white car arrived at the hospice yesterday, its boot choc-a-block with goodies.

And Benfield Honda dealer principal Sheldon Cockburn said the car had turned a few heads as it drove around the area.

He added: “Each Benfield dealership has its own charity and after getting feedback from our staff, there was resounding support for Zoe’s Place. It’s definitely a relationship we want to continue with.”

Zoe’s Place corporate fundraiser, Elaine Dunning, said: “At Christmas time we always send the children home with a bagful of presents from Santa so we can treat their siblings too.

“We don’t have the money to buy all the presents, so the help we’re getting today is invaluable.”

Your Club: Middlesbrough Amateur Boxing Club

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Club name: Middlesbrough Amateur Boxing Club

Address: North Ormesby Hub, Derwent Street, North Ormesby, TS3 6JB

Tell us about your club: We are a volunteer-led club which teaches the art of boxing to people as young as nine.

This helps them to communicate through sport, gives them self-esteem and self confidence. It is also goal-setting and gives mutual respect to hopefully become role models.

We travel all round the country to compete.

How often does the club meet? Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with junior sessions from 6-7pm and adult sessions from 7-8pm.

No. of people in club: 20.

When did the club start? It was re-established in 1993 and moved to North Ormesby in 1999.

What are the club’s key achievements or have you or your members won any awards? Since 1998 we have won three National School Boy titles, three NCYP titles, a National Junior Novice title, two National Novice Senior titles, a National Junior ABA title, one National Senior ABA finalist who has gone on to join the GB squad.

Some members have gone on to box for England, with honours and numerous regional champions over the years.

In 2013 we entered four seniors in the Haringay Box Cup, winning three gold medals.

Any other information? Club member Joe Maphosa, 20, has been selected to join the Great Britain squad. It makes me very proud to take a young lad who has never boxed before and see him reach his goal.

Club contact name and number: Tony Whitby Snr ABA (coach) on 07402 711478.

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2nd Billingham Scout Group are hoping readers' Wish tokens will help to repair their hut

A Billingham scout group is hoping that The Gazette’s readers will help to improve its hut.

The 2nd Billingham Scout Group has been running for more than 45 years.

Welcoming those aged between six and 18, young people can enrol with the scouts as part of the Beavers, the Cubs, the Scouts or the Explorer Scouts.

The group offers everyday adventure to its young members and believes it is responsible for the wellbeing, education, citizenship and skill learning of all those involved.

With passionate and dedicated leaders, the group meets every week as well as organising camps and visiting different parts of the community with the aim of educating the scouts on a variety of topics.

Last year, the scout group used the support they received from The Gazette’s Wish campaign to help fund new guttering at the hut.

With regards to this year’s campaign, Colin Beall of the group, said: “We intend to spend this year’s Wish money on repairs to our hut and a trip out.

“We are desperate for a new roof, toilets and general repairs. We try hard to raise money but it is a struggle in this economic climate. Our parents are a great support and our leaders are the driving force in fundraising.”

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 daily in The Gazette. The last token will appear on January 21.

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

To help the 2nd Billingham Scout Group, send your tokens to: 98 Beamish Road, Billingham, TS23 3DY.

Indian court allows dead guru to ‘meditate’

Devotees of a dead guru who has been in a freezer in northern India since January won a court battle delaying his cremation for at least another seven weeks.

Supporters had approached the court in Punjab state seeking a delay on an earlier order for the cremation of Hindu “godman” Ashutosh Maharaj, whom authorities declared dead on January 29.

“The division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the cremation till February 9,” Swami Vishalanand, a spokesman for the guru’s ashram told AFP on Monday.

Followers have insisted their spiritual leader is not dead but in a state of deep meditation, and will eventually return to lead them.

Maharaj, reportedly in his 70s, was one of India’s many gurus and headed the Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan (Divine Light Awakening Mission) that claims to have millions of followers around the world.

Devotees have invoked the right of freedom of religion under India’s constitution as reasons against his cremation, which was originally sought in the courts by a man claiming to be the guru’s son.

A two-judge bench on Monday delayed the cremation order made by a single judge of the same court on December 1.

Ahead of its decision, thousands of followers massed at the guru’s ashram in Nurmahal at the weekend in a show of support for the guru whom they said should be allowed to continue his “samadhi”, the highest level of meditation.

The case is reminiscent of something similar that happened in eastern West Bengal state in the 1990s, when followers of another spiritual leader, Balak Brahmachari, refused to cremate him after he died, saying he would come back to life.The police then moved in and forcibly cremated his body

Christmas comes early for British Touring Car Championship fans at Croft

Christmas is coming early for fans of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, with discounted packages on tickets to the 2015 Croft Circuit race meeting on June 27-28.

The BTCC is arguably the most fiercely-contested tin-top championship in the world.

Reigning champion Colin Turkington and his title-winning predecessor Andrew Jordan shared the spoils between them at Croft last summer when a bumper crowd was treated to a typically action-packed meeting.

The series returns to the venue, just outside Darlington, next year when support races are provided by the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Ginetta Junior Championship, Renault UK Clio Cup and new MSA Formula championships.

And anybody purchasing tickets for themselves or as gifts between now and Christmas will benefit from special discounts.

Race day tickets are down from £27 to £20, with weekend passes reduced from £33 to £30.

Grandstand seats are on sale at £8.

Accompanied children aged 15 and under are admitted to the track free of charge.

“The BTCC is Britain’s most popular motor racing championship for a very good reason – it’s pure entertainment,” said Croft circuit manager Mike Cantelo.

“The doorhandle-to-doorhandle racing is superb, the drivers are characters in every sense of the word and the support series make sure there is never a dull moment.

“It’s a real family-friendly weekend, with plenty of opportunities to meet the stars of the show and grab an autograph or ‘selfie’.”

For further information or to purchase tickets, call 01325 721815 or visit http://ift.tt/1uMCIcU.

Morning headlines: Aussie gunman not on watchlist; England-only votes plan; UKIP in EU cash move

The gunman at the centre of the siege at a Sydney cafe was not on a terrorism watchlist, Australia's prime minister has said, as police began a wide-ranging probe into the events.

Three people died after the 16-hour siege, which came to a dramatic end when armed police stormed the building.

The 50-year-old "lone gunman" at the heart of the hostage crisis, Iranian refugee Man Horan Monis, was also pronounced dead in hospital.

World Cup tops Google search lists

The World Cup in Brazil, Ebola and the iPhone 6 where the biggest trends and news stories UK users searched for on Google in 2014.

The search engine giant has revealed the things we've been using Google to find out, and it includes the answer to the question "who is Banksy?", as well as "what is ALS?".

The deaths of Peaches Geldof, Robin Williams and Rik Mayall also featured in the top 10 trending searches list, alongside mobile game Flappy Bird, the Grand National and actress Jennifer Lawrence.

England-only votes move outlined

Proposals for allowing English MPs a "decisive say" over legislation affecting national laws are expected to be outlined by the Government.

Commons leader William Hague, who led cross-party talks on the issue, will present the options for reform as the Conservatives push for a ban on Scottish representatives blocking laws which do not apply north of the border.

Since the Scottish independence referendum result and the promise of further devolved powers north of the border, there have been calls for English-only votes on English-only legislation.

UKIP bids to secure EU cash

Ukip is set to secure control of a £1.5 million pot of European taxpayers' cash by forming a new political party in a move which has triggered a fresh internal row.

The funding follows the formation of the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe (ADDE), a pan-European political party which is dominated by Ukip.

East Midlands Ukip MEP Roger Helmer said if the Eurosceptic party did not take the money it would go to "integrationist organisations" promoting ever-close union.

Terror threat grilling for Cameron

David Cameron will face questions from senior MPs today about the Government's efforts to tackle the threat posed by extremists.

The Prime Minister is expected to be challenged on controversial anti-terror measures currently going through Parliament which can block suspected British jihadis from returning to the UK.

Appearing before the Liaison Committee, he is also expected to be questioned on the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (Tpims) regime, which is being beefed up with reintroduced powers to relocate suspects across the country.

Warning over planning policy

The Government's flagship planning policy is leading to "inappropriate and unwanted housing development", MPs have warned.

The cross-party Communities and Local Government Committee also raised concerns that town centres were not being given proper protection against the threat from large out-of-town retail developments.

They called for the Government to scrap rules allowing small shops and offices to be converted to housing without the need for planning permission, arguing that the changes could lead to town centres becoming "an unattractive place to visit or, indeed, live".

Voters oppose NHS in trade deal

Most voters in the constituencies of the Prime Minister and Health Secretary are opposed to the NHS being included in a controversial new trade deal between the European Union and the United States, according to a new report.

A poll of 2,000 voters in David Cameron's Witney seat and Jeremy Hunt's South West Surrey constituency, showed that four out of five didn't want health services to be part of the so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

The Unite union said its survey showed "massive opposition" to the trade deal, which opponents have claimed will lead to the privatisation of NHS services.

Faulty electrical goods advice probed

Shoppers could be receiving misleading advice from retailers about returning faulty goods this Christmas, a survey has claimed.

Consumer rights group Which? made visits to six of the UK's major electrical retailers to find out what information they gave out about returning products.

According to the survey Argos fared worst, despite improving from last year, with only three out of 12 visits rated fair or better and only five out of ten managers they spoke to rated fair or better.

Arterton highlights gender pay gap

Made In Dagenham stage star Gemma Arterton will visit Parliament today to highlight the gender pay gap, which Labour claimed resulted in women earning £210,000 less over a lifetime than men.

The actress is playing the lead role in the West End musical adaptation of the story about the female workers at Ford's Dagenham plant who went on strike over equal pay in 1968.

Former Bond girl Arterton and veterans of the Dagenham protest will join politicians at a rally timed to coincide with a Labour bid to force big firms to publish the difference in pay between male and female employees.

Designer's shock after Christmas experience closure

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has expressed his shock at the closure of a Christmas experience he designed after a major financial backer pulled out with nine opening days left.

The celebrity interior designer told the Press Association he was "extremely surprised" after finding out on Twitter the Magical Journey, based at the Belfry Hotel, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, had shut down as of today.

The attraction had run into trouble before when it was forced to close one day after opening in November, following negative feedback from visitors on social media.

MP warns Teesside 'pacer' trains could be replaced with ageing London Underground trains

A Teesside MP has warned that the Government’s Transport Ministry may look to replace Northern Rail’s “pacer” trains with equally ageing former London Underground trains.

Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Tom Blenkinsop, has joined in calls for improvements on routes served by the trains, which go no faster than 60mph on Northern and Trans-Pennine Express routes.

Easington MP Grahame Morris has called for a firm commitment from the Government on replacing the “outdated, uncomfortable and cramped” trains after Chancellor George Osborne said the re-franchising of the East Coast mainline next year would include “a substantial package of upgrades including new services and modern trains”.

Now Mr Blenkinsop, who uses the trains which operate from Middlesbrough and Darlington to Nunthorpe and Saltburn, said: “The influential railway industry source, the Rail Business Intelligence Bulletin has become aware of a proposal to convert London Underground District Line D78 units - that were already 30-years-old and being decommissioned by London Underground - into diesel engine carriage sets for use on North of England commuter lines like the ones in my constituency.”

Mr Blenkinsop said the only winner if a deal was brokered would be London Mayor Boris Johnson “who will get a Christmas present of some cash for trains he was going to scrap anyway”.

He continued: “This worries me as a local rail service user, we don’t want to see veteran trains replaced by equally ageing old London Underground trains which will be nothing more than vintage carriages with a diesel engine bolted on to them.

“I have a simple message to coalition transport ministers - just get rid of the Pacers.

“They are an embarrassment to our rail system and the regular commuters who have to be sardined in them on a daily basis.

“Give people on Teesside the longer trains and comfortable carriages enjoyed in the south. Only then will you see passenger numbers really increase on local routes instead of today’s steady decay.”

Ice Hockey: Derby draw for Billingham Stars at Whitley Warriors

Billingham Stars battled their way to a point as a late equaliser secured a 1-1 draw with local rivals Whitley Warriors in a National Ice Hockey League (North) Moralee Division One clash on Tyneside.

The first period saw end-to-end action as both sides fought to get the upper hand.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between however, and scoring opportunities were limited.

The closest the Ultimate Windows-sponsored Teessiders came was in the 16th minute when Michael Elder hit the post after being set up by Andy Munroe.

The period had a sting in the tail for the visitors as with less than two minutes to play Jamie Tinsley put the Warriors ahead, finishing a clever pass from behind the net from youngster Callum Queenan.

The middle session was scrappy from both teams.

Billingham appeared to be getting the measure of their hosts but the playing conditions made it very difficult for either side to make the most of any opportunities created, the ice surface itself looking uneven and tough to play on.

The better of the few chances fell to the Stars, Elder missing a one-on-one opportunity in the 35th minute, while Michael Bowman forced a save from Whitley netminder Richie Lawson on the breakaway a minute later.

Early final period chances for the Warriors to put the game to bed were squandered as the home side hit the post and Stars’ netminder James Flavell made a great save to keep his side in it.

After that it was Billingham who made all the running as they went to search of an equaliser.

Scott Ward missed a breakaway chance in the 46th minute and Chris Sykes put one wide in the 50th minute.

The visitors looked to be running out of time, but when Warriors’ Rob Wilson was called for cross checking in the 54th minute, Billingham made the most of the man advantage and it was James Moss who finally put the puck away after a scramble around Lawson’s net a minute later.

The final four minutes belonged to the visitors who tried to grab a winner, and were denied a gilt-edged opportunity when linesman Craig Davidson incorrectly called offside with the Stars three-on-one.

Billingham director of coaching Terry Ward was pleased to see his side grind out a point on a difficult playing surface.

“I think the ice dictated the game, it was choppy - the guys did well to control the puck on both sides,” he said. “We made a game of it - we were getting beaten 1-0 in the first period, maybe a bit against the run of play.

“Second period we tidied it up. We knew our chance would come in the third because we knew we’d have the legs on them and we did.

“I think a one-all draw is probably a fair result because they had chances and we had chances.

“It was an open, scrappy game because of the ice.

“We played the lines and players we did because we wanted to get a result.

“We knew we’d need all the experienced guys out there - I think that paid off in the end.”

Thornaby woman hit by bus on Stockton High Street now recovering at home

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A woman who was left fighting for her life after being involved in a collision with a bus on Stockton High Street has been released from hospital.

Hannah Baxter, 32, from Thornaby, was hit by a bus at Maxwell’s Coroner, in Stockton town centre on October 21.

She was taken to Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital with serious injuries before being transferred to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

Hannah - who is now recovering from her injuries at home - said: “I would like to express my thanks to the members of the public who stopped to help at the scene and to all of the emergency services who assisted with the collision and my care.

“I would also like to say thank you to the staff at James Cook University Hospital and the CCU at the Freeman Hospital and to everyone who sent supportive well-wishes to my family.”