Aitor Karanka: 'Boro must be more clinical to sustain Championship promotion push'

Boro must be more clinical in front of goal if they are to sustain their Championship promotion push, admits head coach Aitor Karanka.

Ten points from a possible 15 over the busy Christmas period was a decent return for the Teessiders, but the stalemate at Blackburn last time out saw Boro slip five points behind Championship leaders Bournemouth.

Last weekend saw Boro brush aside League One side Barnsley in the FA Cup, but it could have been different had Conor Hourihane’s free-kick crept under the bar shortly after Adam Clayton’s dismissal.

Karanka is well aware that Boro could have paid the price at Oakwell and fears further points could be dropped if his team don’t finish teams off at the earliest opportunity.

“I think the last game against Barnsley was good for us to learn,” Karanka said.

“We could have beaten them in the first half 3-0 or 4-0 easily, but then had they scored the foul when (Adam) Clayton was sent off we would have been in trouble.

“We need to learn and score the opportunities we have. But our thinking now is about Reading, not Barnsley.

“(Reading) beat us in the last game and when we played (at the Madejski Stadium) last season, so we know we’re going to be playing against a good team.”

One man who should feature is winger Albert Adomah, who was left out of Ghana’s squad for the upcoming African Cup of Nations.

The flanker was initially named in Avram Grant’s 31-man squad for the competition which gets underway this month, but will now stay on Teesside.

Karanka admitted the availability of Adomah, who was Boro’s top scorer last season with 12 goals, is a big boost.

“It was very big news because Albert is not just a good player, everyone knows the player he is, but he’s a very important player for us in the changing room and in the training sessions.

“He’s a winner and I like him, and it’s good news for us.”

Egypt to remove border city Rafah for buffer zone

CAIRO (Ma’an) – The Egyptian authorities have decided to remove the city of Rafah on the borders with the Gaza Strip completely, says the governor of North Sinai district Abd al-Fattah Harhour.

In a news conference Wednesday, Harhour said it would be necessary to remove Rafah city completely in order to create a buffer zone on the borders with the Gaza Strip.

“A new Rafah city is being established with residential zones appropriate to the nature and traditions of the residents of Rafah.”

He confirmed that engineering units have already been asked to start work on the new city.

The governor’s remarks came ahead of the second stage of evacuation of Rafah houses in preparation to create a buffer zone between Egypt and Gaza. According to the original plan, 1,220 houses were slated for evacuation.

Some 2,044 families live in those houses

More than 5,000 Boro fans set to watch the club's FA Cup tie at Manchester City

Boro are almost certain to be backed by their second biggest following of the season when they take on champions Manchester City at the Etihad.

And they won’t be paying over the odds for the privilege of seeing their heroes in FA Cup fourth round action on Saturday, January 24.

City are charging adult Boro supporters just £15 to watch the tie from the lower tier of the stadium’s South Stand and £17.50 from the upper level.

Only Oldham have charged supporters less for a competitive Boro game this season, pegging prices at just £10 for August’s Capital One first round tie at Boundary Park.

Season card holders paid £15 to watch the FA Cup third round clash with Barnsley at Oakwell, but non-season card holders had to shell out £20.

So City’s prices are the second cheapest for non-season card holders so far this season.

It’s fair to say Boro would sell their allocation for the fourth round tie had tickets cost twice as much.

The club’s support away from home has been nothing short of sensational and the City match is a mightily tempting trip for fans who’ve endured five and a half seasons of Championship destinations.

Boro’s biggest backing so far on the road is the 6,988 turnout at Blackburn on December 28.

The Etihad allocation of 5,423 will jump into the charts at No2 with a bullet if, as expected, they all sell out, with the 4,893 that attended the Wigan game pushed down to third.

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Boro’s away following and adult ticket prices so far this season

Fixtures (Championship unless stated)

Aug 12: Oldham (Capital One Cup 1st rnd) 1,087 (£10)

Aug 16: Leeds 1,945 (£34)

Aug 19: Bolton 1,297 (£25)

Sept 13: Huddersfield 3,514 (£24)

Sept 16: Cardiff 368 (£25)

Sept 23: Liverpool (Capital One Cup 2nd rnd) 2,800 (£26)

Sept 27: Charlton 1,967 (£24)

Oct 18: Brighton 1,376 (£26.50-£30)

Oct 21: Wolves 520 (£27)

Nov 1: Rotherham 2,618 (£23)

Nov 22: Wigan 4,893 (£20)

Dec 6: Millwall 1,399 (£23)

Dec 20: Ipswich 1,111 (£28.50-£35)

Dec 28: Blackburn 6,988 (£26)

Jan 3: Barnsley (FA Cup 3rd rnd) 3,366 (£15 season card holders/£20 non-season card holders)

Total: 35,249

Average per game: 2,350

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DETAILS of Boro’s allocation for the FA Cup tie at Manchester City on Saturday, January 24 (kick off 3pm).

Tickets for the fourth round tie at the Etihad go on sale to season card holders on Monday.

Any remaining seats will then be made available to Boro Pride members on Wednesday and go on General Sale from Thursday.

Boro have been allocated 5,423 tickets and the price depends in which tier of the stadium’s South Stand the seat is situated.

Prices are as follows:

Level 1 (3,670 tickets): Adults £15, over-65 £10, 16-21yrs £10, under-16 £1

Level 2 (1,753 tickets): Adults £17.50, over-65 £15, 16 – 21 £15, under-16 £5

Seats are on sale from the Riverside Stadium ticket office, the club’s website and over the phone by calling 0844 499 1234.

Phone and internet purchases can be made until 4.30pm on Wednesday, January 21.

Over the counter sales will be available until noon on Friday, January 23, depending on availability.

Pictures: Half of stand now demolished as work continues at Clairville Stadium site

The stand at Clairville Stadium has been half demolished as work continues at the site.

These new pictures also show how the housing development is progressing.

The 51-year-old stadium closed its gates for the final time at the end of October to make way for the new £18m Middlesbrough Sports Village.

In January last year the green light was given for 153 homes to be built on the Clairville site.

Middlesbrough Council granted Miller Homes permission to build high quality two, three and four bed family homes, with building work due to start later this year.

The stadium hosted a wide variety of international events including the 1991 British Isles Decathlon and Heptathlon Championships, as well as scores of national, northern and North-eastern fixtures.

#FreeTheBoob: Mum's breastfeeding selfie goes viral on Facebook

A mum who posted a breastfeeding selfie snap in a bid to ‘normalise’ it in public has received support from across the globe.

Lucy Atkinson, 28, had been feeling self-conscious feeding her baby Maya, eight weeks, in public so took to Facebook to make a New Year’s promise.

The picture she posted has since gone viral on the social media platform, receiving support from people across the world - including as far away as Texas.

The graphic designer from Linthorpe, had written alongside the picture why she felt compelled to post the snap, as well as juxtaposing it with a picture of a bikini-clad model.

“It’s really important to me to be able to feed my baby wherever, whenever she needs but I’ve found myself running away from crowded places, scared of what people might think, say and do,” wrote Lucy, who lives with her partner Aaron Cuzzocrea, 34, a business banker for Barclays.

“I know I just need to bite the bullet so here is my New Year’s resolution: to not be scared any more.

“I know it will still be scary but I will try.

“I want to be apart of normalising this so mothers never feel the need to lock themselves away in order to feed their babies, ever again.

“For those who do feel shocked or uncomfortable, that’s not my intention here and would like you to consider this picture of a raunchy model that is displayed in magazines everywhere, up high streets, on billboards, showing no less of herself than me!

“Here’s to boobies everywhere! #FreeTheBoob. Happy 2015! P.S. Sorry Dad!”

#FreeTheBoob is used across the world in the campaign for normalising public breastfeeding.

The debate hit the headlines again recently when UKIP leader Nigel Farage made comments that have since been widely criticised.

He said it was up to venues to decide their rules and that some people were uncomfortable with “ostentatious” breastfeeding.

Businesses may ask mothers to “perhaps sit in a corner”, he suggested.

He was asked about his views on the issue in light of an incident at luxury hotel Claridge’s hotel in London where a mother was asked to cover up with a napkin while feeding her baby daughter.

Lucy, who has gained support with breastfeeding from the Breast Buddies Facebook group which helps breastfeeding mothers from across Teesside, said: “I never expected to feel this way but public breastfeeding but I was feeling more and more nervous and scared to do it - and it was of the most important things for me to do for my baby.

“But I hated it and found myself really scared and running away and thinking ‘somebody’s not going to like me doing this.’

“Breastfeeding is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to and to worry about how people are going feel makes it even more difficult.

“I have had people looking at me but I don’t take that as negative.

“It’s just about normalising it - to have your breasts out for the purpose.

“The more people that do it, the more people will be used to seeing it and don’t feel offended by it or uncomfortable.

“I am very happy to do it for that reason and I want to be a part of normalisation.

“I have no idea how many times the post has been seen but I have had people contacting me from all over the country.”

She added: “I have been really happy with the reaction as it’s been mainly positive.”

:: ‘I couldn’t understand mums who didn’t breastfeed... until I’d had my second child’. Read more on breastfeeding here.

'Boro unlikely to bring in new goalkeeper this month', says Aitor Karanka

Boro are unlikely to scour the January transfer market to bring in a new goalkeeper, says Aitor Karanka.

The club have recently allowed Jason Steele to make his Blackburn Rovers stay permanent, while Jamal Blackman returned to Chelsea after making only one appearance for the Teessiders.

As a result, some Boro fans have expressed their concern over the club’s back-up options to Dimi Konstantopoulos and feel they must recruit a new stopper this month.

In The Gazette’s half-term survey published this week, more than 30% of Boro fans felt a new goalkeeper should be the club’s transfer priority in January.

But with Konstantopoulos, Tomas Mejias and Connor Ripley on the club’s books, Karanka suggested a new goalkeeper isn’t top of his wish-list this month.

“In football you never know what will happen, but at the moment I’m happy with the three goalkeepers I have,” Karanka said.

Boro have looked to move quickly in the January transfer window to avoid any late rush for business.

Tomas Kalas looks set to sign on loan from Chelsea, with a deal hoped to be completed in time for tomorrow’s Championship clash at Reading.

The future of Tottenham midfielder Milos Veljkovic also needs to be resolved, with his current loan spell at the Riverside set to expire later this month.

The Serbian looks set to start for Boro at the Madejski Stadium tomorrow, and Karanka confirmed earlier this month that he has already decided if he wants to Veljkovic’s Teesside stay.

“Milos is improving and I have to think (if he will start at Reading),” Karanka said yesterday.

“I don’t know at the moment if he is going to play but he’s playing well, and we need to think about his (long-term) future as well.”

Adam Clayton is suspended for Boro’s trip to Berkshire tomorrow, while Ryan Fredericks (thigh) remains on the sidelines.

Flying full-back Fredericks hasn’t featured for the Teessiders in five weeks after limping off against Blackburn.

Meanwhile Rhys Williams (Achilles) will miss the rest of the season, while Damia Abella (cruciate) remains a long-term absentee and Emilio Nsue is on international duty with Equatorial Guinea.

Councillor threatened with knife and racially abused after coming to aid of woman in Middlesbrough

A Middlesbrough councillor was threatened with a knife and racially abused when he went to the rescue of a woman being terrorised in the street by her boyfriend.

Sajaad Khan ignored the danger to himself in central Middlesbrough, and the man was given a suspended jail sentence yesterday.

The boyfriend Shaun Gillespie, 21, told police who arrested him that he was “bang out of order”.

Prosecuter David Brooke told Teesside Crown Court that Councillor Khan was walking in Crescent Road, Middlesbrough, on August 2 when he heard the couple arguing, and he saw Gillespie with a 6-inch kitchen knife and heard the woman say “No don’t”.

Councillor Khan, an independent who represents Gresham, walked between them and Gillespie said something like “What are you looking at,Paki?

“I’ll knife you, now walk away”.

Mr Brooke added: “At one point the knife was brandished towards him, and he put his hands up and walked away.

“Because of his position in the community and the knife he decided to go back, but he phoned his brother.”

The woman was alone but the man re-appeared saying “I’ll get the knife”. He did not get the knife, but then he ran off.

Gillespie was well-known, and when he was arrested for the two offences he said that he was “bang out of order for both”.

He said that he was having an argument with his girlfriend and the man came along and intervened.

The man left and returned with another man, and Gillespie said that he pulled out the knife.

He pleaded guilty on the basis that he had a knife in his hand and he called the man names. He accepted that in the heat of the moment he called the man Paki but he said he was not a racist.

Mr Brooke said: “It seems accepted that Mr Khan intervened and the defendant held the knife threatening him and he used the word Paki more than once.”

Andrew White, defending, said that Gillespie had an argument with his girlfriend, and the door was kicked-in. He got the knife to make some repairs.

Gillespie accepted that he swore at Mr Kahn, waved the knife and called him names. He left the scene and he ran away when Mr Khan returned with his brother before any escalation took place.

The judge told Gillespie that if he had any previous convictions for violence or public disorder he would have gone immediately to jail.

Recorder Howard Prosser said: “There are many people who think that anybody who commits offences in the street involving a knife and threatening behaviour with a racial aspect should receive a sentence which is immediate.

“I am just standing back from that but you won’t get another suspended sentence if you act in this way again.”

Gillespie, of Wicklow Street, Linthorpe, was given a six months jail sentence suspended for two years with 12 months supervision and 200 hours unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and racially aggravated threatening words and behaviour.

The judge ordered the confiscation and destruction of the knife.

Two killed and five held hostage in latest Paris incidents

Five people are reported to have been taken hostage and two people have been killed in the latest news coming out of Paris.

A shoot-out took place around the Hypercasher Vincennes in Porte de Vincennes in the east of the capital.

It comes after the hunt for the Charlie Hebdo gunmen developed into a siege.

It has been reported that the perpetrator behind the latest incident is suspected of shooting dead a policewoman yesterday in the Parisian suburb of Montrouge.

Police have issued an appeal for help tracing a man and a woman who they said are believed to be "armed and dangerous" i n relation to yesterday's killing.

They are Amedy Coulibaly, 32, and Hayat Boumeddiene, 26.

Police said they are being sought as part of the investigation following the "voluntary homicide" carried out in Montrouge in connection with a "terrorist enterprise".

A Twitter user called David who said he was in a restaurant near the scene at Porte de Vincennes reported hearing gunshots.

He wrote: "Everyone is under the tables. The atmosphere is changing between nervous laughter and the first signs of stress."

He posted images of armed officers crouched at the side of a car, with the message: "Facing hypercasher."

Today the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was "closely monitoring the situation".

A spokesman added: " We are in close contact with our counterparts in France, the Conseil Representatif des Institutions juives de France (Crif), and stand with the French Jewish community in steadfast solidarity at this difficult time."

Tickets for Boro's Manchester City FA Cup match priced from £15

Boro season ticket holders can buy tickets for the FA Cup fourth round tie at Manchester City from Monday.

The club today confirmed they had received an allocation of 5,423 for the game on Saturday, January 24.

Tickets are priced from £15 - £17.50 for adults with concessions for Over-65s and Under-21s ranging from £10 - £15.

Under 16s can watch the action at The Etihad for just £1.

The tickets will go on sale to Boro Pride members from Wednesday with any remaining seats going on general sale the following day.

The game kicks off at 3pm and will not be broadcast on live TV.

7,500 new Middlesbrough homes must be built to raise cash for council - Mayor Ray Mallon

Thousands more homes must be built to safeguard Middlesbrough’s future and help tackle a predicted budget black hole of £145m by 2020.

That was the stark message from Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon today as he warned: “Middlesbrough Council must be self financing like we have never been before.”

To help achieve this the mayor wants to see 7,500 new homes built on greenfield sites like Nunthorpe and Marton as well as brownfield sites by 2029 - an average of 440 per year.

The mayor told a special meeting of the authority’s Overview and Scrutiny Board that “our best friend now is housing developers”.

“They will help us sustain Middlesbrough,” he said.

At the round table discussion at the Riverside Stadium, which included leaders of partner agencies and key stakeholders, the mayor said Chancellor George Osborne’s Comprehensive Spending Review speech in 2010 continued to impacted on the council’s finances.

He said it had been estimated the authority needed to save between £121m-£145m between 2011/12 and 2019/20.

The mayor then set out his strategy on how the authority can increase income into the town, including by reversing the population decline.

This would see an increase in the Government formula grant, which is paid per head of population.

“It isn’t jobs that bring people into the area, what brings people into this town to live is houses,” he said. “If we haven’t got houses they cant live here.

“We did not build the right kind of houses as a council so people moved away to places like Ingleby Barwick to get a better house.

“We need to re-balance housing and we need to get more band D housing. We have got to bring more council tax into the town.”

Ben Wilson: World-wide support continues for young man jailed for attacking abusive father

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Support continues to grow for a Billingham man jailed for attacking his abusive father.

More than 34,000 people from across the world have signed an e-petition calling for Benjamin Wilson to be freed from prison.

Wilson was jailed for six years for beating his dad Craig with a hammer.

The 46-year-old was left with brain damage and holes in his head.

A court heard this week that Wilson was defending his mother when he went into his father’s bedroom in the Blackett Avenue home and beat him with the lump hammer.

Wilson, a new dad himself, had grown up in an atmosphere of violence, fear and intimidation” and had seen “excessive and extreme violence and threats of violence” by his father, and was subjected to violence himself.

His jail sentence has sparked a global public outrage with an online petition titled “Free Ben Wilson” gaining 34,000 signatures in just two days.

A Facebook page titled Help Free Ben Wilson has 13,000 followers.

One person who signed the petition wrote: “I’ve been through domestic abuse and violence and have seen the affect it has had on my eight-year-old son. He was protecting his mother. Maybe a suspended sentence would have been more appropriate.”

A supporter from Australia said: “No one who protects another human being from a threat should be punished.”

A woman from Belfast said: “I’m signing because it’s a disgrace this man has gone to prison for protecting his Mother. Who knows what could of happened to her had he not intervened.”

Hundreds of comments have been posted on the Gazette Facebook page.

One Teesside woman said: “He should not have gone to prison he had already had a sentence the life he’d had.”

Another man said: “Get this lad out of jail sounds like he’s suffered enough.”

Wilson, of Waldridge Grove, Billingham, was jailed on Tuesday after admitting wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Teesside’s top judge, Simon Bourne Arton QC, gave Wilson the lowest sentence he could after deciding the severity of the offence under the sentencing guidelines.

During the court hearing on Tuesday, Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC said the case was a sustained attack with a “fearsome weapon” on a defenceless man.

But he said the alcoholic father, described in court as a “violent nasty drunk”, had subjected his family to domestic abuse, and the son had been the victim of such abuse and violence.

The attack happened on May 31 last year. Mr Wilson Snr drank heavily and was being verbally abusive and making threats at a family party at the parents’ Norton home.

When the son heard crashing, shouting and commotion from the bedroom, he armed himself with a heavy lump hammer from his tool bag.

He hit his father at least five times to the head and face with the weapon then left the house.

Mr Wilson Snr, 46, was described in court as a “Jekyll and Hyde”, who once served a two-year sentence for assaulting his wife.

During that assault on New Year’s Eve 2007, Wilson Snr put both hands around his wife’s neck and pressed so hard her eyes bled and she passed out.

Nightlife in Pictures - The Empire and Atik

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Photographers Nicola Thompson and Matthew Skelton provide you with a snapshot of Teesside nightlife.

This week features three nights from two Middlesbrough venues.

We have scenes from The Empire and Atik.

Take a look and see if you are one of the many captured on a night out.

Find dozens more nightlife pictures on our About Town page.

Steve Clarke: 'Boro are a good team but we have nothing to fear'

A rejuvenated Reading have “nothing to fear” against Boro tomorrow, according to new boss Steve Clarke.

The former West Brom manager took over at the Madejski Stadium last month after a dismal start to the season under Nigel Adkins.

The Royals, who beat Boro 1-0 at the Riverside back in August, have since improved under Clarke and are now targeting a third straight win tomorrow.

Clarke admitted Aitor Karanka’s side are “one of the better teams in the division” but insists his players hope to make Boro’s trip to Berkshire a miserable one.

“They’re a good team and they’ve been in the top six for most of the season,” Clarke told the Reading Chronicle.

“But we’ve beaten them already this season and we’ve got nothing to be afraid of.

“We’re trying to match those teams at the top because that’s where we feel we should be.

“The progression in terms of our results is quite good. The performances over the four games has been quite steady and I think we can get better.

“It won’t happen overnight but over a period of time I think the way we work, and the way the players take on board how we work, means we can improve quicker.

“They’re a difficult opponent but we feel we’re slowly improving. We’re looking to go out Saturday and give a good account of ourselves against one of the better teams in the division, and get another win.”

Boro will be keen to get back to Championship business tomorrow with leaders Bournemouth five points ahead of the Teessiders at the top of the table.

Middlesbrough v Reading at the Riverside stadium, Middlesbrough. Lee Tomlin goes down in the box

Karanka admitted he is well aware of Clarke’s credentials as a manager, with Reading’s new manager having previously worked with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.

“Sometimes results improve when a team changes manager and I think with Steve at Reading they are improving,” Karanka told the club’s website.

“Jose told me about Steve when we worked together in Madrid and said he is a very good manager, a very good person and he’s doing well.

“I know it’s difficult for him but the team is now more organised now and it’s going to be a difficult game for us.

“Reading have already beat us at the Riverside this season and we lost at their ground last season.

“They’re a team we have struggled to win against lately. We want and need to beat them.”

Redcar and Acklam prepare to lock horns in promotion tussle

Redcar can take a giant leap towards promotion tomorrow as they host arch-rivals Acklam at Mackinlay Park.

With Ponteland marching towards the title with a 12-point advantage at the summit, realistically only one promotion spot remains for the challenging pack in Durham and North Two.

The Seasiders currently occupy second place and lie six points ahead of third-place Acklam going into tomorrow’s eagerly-anticipated derby, but having played one game more.

That means victory for Richie Young’s side tomorrow could pave the way for a promotion party come the end of the season, but Acklam themselves could muscle into second spot with an away win.

A defensive masterclass saw Redcar win 19-13 in the reverse fixture in September, and Young expects a wounded Acklam side to come out firing with revenge on their minds.

“We defended really well at their ground and capitalised on their mistakes, so we need to bring a lot more to tomorrow’s game to get the upper hand against what will be a very determined Acklam team,” Young said.

“I’m sure they will be desperate to avenge their loss at home.

“On any derby day, past results and performances count for nothing. It’s a one-off game and all about who wants it more.

“It’s going to take a massive effort from the lads but we are confident we can do it.”

Redcar go into tomorrow’s showdown in better form than their Teesside rivals, having won their last five matches.

But Acklam are a dangerous animal who have shown plenty of bite in recent weeks, and could count themselves very unfortunate to be sunk by Ponteland at Talbot Park before Christmas.

Johan Otker’s side bounced back with a convincing 65-5 victory over Seaton Carew last weekend, and have identified three must-win games in the second half of the season to achieve promotion.

The first of those is tomorrow at Redcar, and an away win could see them seize the momentum and become an unstoppable force.

Ross Everett retains his place after a dazzling start to his Acklam first-team career six days ago, while Ricky Scott will make his debut in a back line already boasting plenty of talent.

Veteran Andrew Cruickshank will start at number eight for Acklam, forming an exciting back-row combination with James Ffitch.

Elsewhere in the pack, Danny Moss again partners Tim Savage at second row.

Meanwhile hosts Redcar face further frustration due to the unavailability of a number of players.

However, Philip Dyball - enjoying his best season at the Seasiders - comes back in at hooker.

A reshuffle in the back three sees Rob Bryce start at full-back in place of the unavailable Charlie Templeman.

In the pack captain Steve Johnson returns to the second row and replaces injured Chester Reed, who broke his collar bone in last weekend’s 15-14 win at Hartlepool.

Guisborough hope to avoid complacency as top spot beckons

Complacency is the only thing that can halt Guisborough’s surge to the top of Durham and North One with calm heads needed after their Morpeth success.

The second-placed Priorymen moved to within one point of their Northumbrian rivals following last weekend’s 26-15 win at Belmangate, but that will count for nothing if Trevor Edwards’ side slip up at Novocastrians tomorrow.

Guisborough have won 11 of their last 12 league matches, at a time when Morpeth have started to show clear signs of weakness.

Although irresistable at home, it is Guisborough’s away form that thwarted their early-season charge with defeats at Hartlepool Rovers, Morpeth and Durham City.

And any slip-up tomorrow could come at a big cost as the Priorymen hope to continue breathing down the leaders’ neck.

In the same division Stockton could charge into the top four with a victory at Consett.

The Station Road outfit ended a run of three straight defeats last weekend as they put in a superb away display to beat Darlington 35-12.

In National Three North, Billingham are on the road again as they travel to league leaders Sandal.

Defeat at Sheffield Tigers last time out ended Billingham’s three-match winning streak, but they will have no fear as they go to one of the division’s powerhouses.

A home match with struggling Beverley awaits at Greenwood Road next weekend, meaning Chris Hyndman can take his side to West Yorkshire as underdogs with nothing to lose.

Meanwhile in Yorkshire One Boro must surely win at Malton and Norton if they have any chance of promotion this season.

Ian Heslehurst’s men dropped to fifth following last weekend’s 17-17 draw with Hullensians, and are 19 points adrift of tomorrow’s second-placed opponents.

In Durham and North Three Yarm resume their league campaign after the festive break with a home tie against Prudhoe and Stocksfield.

Siege underway in Dammartin-en-Goele, France as French police attempt to arrest brothers

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French security forces stormed into a small industrial town to capture two armed brothers. The brothers appear to be holed up in Dammartin and a siege appears to be underway as police attempt to capture two heavily-armed brothers suspected of the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

The two heavily armed brothers suspected in the deadly storming of a satirical newspaper in Paris have been cornered inside a printing house near Charles de Gaulle airport and appear to have taken a hostage, officials said.

Hundreds of French security forces backed by a convoy of ambulances streamed into the small industrial town of Dammartin-en-Goele, north east of Paris, in a massive operation to seize the men suspected of carrying out France's deadliest terror attack in decades.

At least three helicopters hovered above the town, near Charles de Gaulle airport. Two runways were closed to arrivals to avoid interfering in the standoff, an airport spokesman said. Schools went into lockdown.

Shots were fired as the brothers stole a car in the early morning hours, said a French security official.

Tens of thousands of French security forces have mobilised to prevent a new terror attack since the Wednesday assault on the offices of Charlie Hebdo in the heart of Paris left 12 people dead, including the chief editor and cartoonist who had been under armed guard with threats against his life after publishing caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. His police bodyguard also died in the attack, which unfolded during an editorial meeting.

Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi were named as the chief suspects after one of the two apparently left Said's identity card behind in their abandoned getaway car.

The pair were holed up today inside CTF Creation Tendance Decouverte. Xavier Castaing, the chief Paris police spokesman, and town hall spokeswoman Audrey Taupenas, said there appeared to be one hostage inside the printing house.

Christelle Alleume, who works across the street, said that a round of gunfire interrupted her coffee break this morning.

"We heard shots and we returned very fast because everyone was afraid," she told i-Tele. "We had orders to turn off the lights and not approach the windows."

Prime minister Manuel Valls has said both men were known to intelligence services.

A senior US official said the elder Kouachi had travelled to Yemen, although it was unclear whether he was there to join extremist groups such as al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which is based there.

The younger brother, Cherif, was convicted of terrorism charges in 2008 for his links to a network sending jihadis to fight American forces in Iraq.

Both were also on the US no-fly list, a senior US counterterrorism official said.

French president Francois Hollande called for tolerance after the country's worst terrorist attack in decades.

"France has been struck directly in the heart of its capital, in a place where the spirit of liberty - and thus of resistance - breathed freely," Mr Hollande said.

Nine people, members of the brothers' entourage, have been detained for questioning in several regions. In all, 90 people, many of them witnesses to the grisly assault on the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, were questioned for information on the attackers, interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement.

A third suspect, 18-year-old Mourad Hamyd, surrendered at a police station on Wednesday evening after hearing his name linked to the attacks. His relationship to the Kouachi brothers was unclear.

The Kouachi brothers - born in Paris to Algerian parents - were well-known to French counterterrorism authorities. Cherif Kouachi, a former pizza deliveryman, had appeared in a 2005 French TV documentary on Islamic extremism and was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for trying to join up with fighters battling in Iraq.

Charlie Hebdo had long drawn threats for its depictions of Islam, although it also satirised other religions and political figures. The weekly paper had caricatured the Prophet Mohammed, and a sketch of Islamic State's leader was the last tweet sent out by the irreverent newspaper, minutes before the attack. Nothing has been tweeted since.

Eight journalists, two police officers, a maintenance worker and a visitor were killed in the attack.

Charlie Hebdo planned a special edition next week, produced in the offices of another paper.

Editor Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb, who was among those killed, "symbolised secularism ... the combat against fundamentalism", his companion, Jeannette Bougrab, said on BFM-TV.

"He was ready to die for his ideas," she said.

Authorities around Europe have warned of the threat posed by the return of Western jihadis trained in warfare. France counts at least 1,200 citizens in the war zone in Syria - headed there, returned or dead. Both the Islamic State group and al Qaida have threatened France - home to Western Europe's largest Muslim population.

The French suspect in a deadly 2014 attack on a Jewish museum in Belgium had returned from fighting with extremists in Syria; and the man who rampaged in southern France in 2012, killing three soldiers and four people at a Jewish school, received paramilitary training in Pakistan.

Recap: 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 7th January 2015.

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.

Wearside League: Captain Lance Skelton back for Redcar Athletic's trip to Boldon

Redcar Athletic were knocked out of the Shipowners’ Cup by Stockton Town last week, yet the manner in which they performed will give them confidence for next Tuesday’s big home game against York City in the North Riding Cup.

Redcar lost 2-0 at Stockton in the Shipowners’ semi-finals but have a Wearside League game at lower-midtable Boldon tomorrow where they can put that reverse behind them and sharpen up for the Minstermen fixture.

Club captain Lance Skelton should be back to marshal Redcar after missing the Stockton defeat, and Jamie Lee is available again after serving a one-match ban.

Right-back Chris Bivens will be better for getting through his first 90 minutes against the Wearside League leaders since returning from long-term injury, and winger Sam Webster should be able to play despite picking up a knock.

Basement boys Wolviston face Whitehaven in the league at home with New Year spirits still high after recording their first win since November 1 against Jarrow.

The Villagers had lost five in a row and only travelled with 11 players last week, but dug deep to reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup with a comprehensive 3-0 victory.

Making their home debuts will be new signings Matthew McKenna - returning to the club after a year working offshore - and central defender Matthew Bayston, who has been signed from local football in Durham.

Both played a major role in the win at Jarrow, while former Billingham Town and Norton attacking midfielder Christian Selby returns to the Wolviston squad.

Wearside League-leading Stockton Town could name the same side which beat Redcar Athletic for their trip to Sunderland West End.

Stockton have beaten West End twice in the last two seasons to win the Wearside League title, and a 20th win of the campaign there would take them a step closer to retaining the championship.

Tony Johnson is still out after injuring his back at work, and Scott Meehan is being eased back to full fitness who will be given all the time he needs after limping off at Hartlepool last month.

Christ the King Primary School wishing for help to make its dream come true

Pupils are hoping for help in taking their learning into the open air.

Key Stage One youngsters at Christ the King Primary School in Thornaby love working outside their classroom.

And the staff are hoping to make the experience even better for the pupils by developing their outdoor learning environment.

To help them do this they have signed up to the Gazette Wish campaign - and they need readers to help them by sending them their tokens.

Teacher Angela Carson said: “We want to develop out outdoor learning environment and would like your help to make our dream come true.”

Every year, The Gazette’s Wish campaign gives away thousands of pounds to not-for-profit groups 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.

Christ the King took part in last year’s campaign and raised money which was also spent on the outdoor area.

To help them this year send your tokens to Christ the King RC Primary School, Tedder Avenue, Thornaby on Tees, TS17 9JP.

North-east ambulances fail to reach target for getting to life or death emergencies

Ambulances in the North-east failed to meet targets for getting to life or death emergencies in November, new figures show.

But for an average extra 35 seconds, the North East Ambulance Service says the target would have been met.

The NEAS saw 67.4% of Red 1 emergency calls - the highest priority - arriving within eight minutes. The target is 75%.

The trust also failed to meet the same target for Red 2 category calls - all other blue light calls - with 71.6% arriving within the eight minute target.

One in seven emergency callers (14.5%) given advice over the phone by NEAS were back in contact within 24 hours - the highest proportion in England.

But a NEAS spokesperson said that when looking at red performance as a whole in November, 75% of patients were reached within eight minutes and 35 seconds. And of all Red 1 cases, 95% received an ambulance response within 14 minutes and 22 seconds – up from just over 16 minutes in October.

The spokesperson said: “Like ambulance and other A&E emergency services across the country, we are currently experiencing a high level of demand, putting us under severe pressure.

“Throughout November 2014, our 999 Contact Centre answered 34,115 calls – nearly 5,000 more than November 2013. Along with an increase in calls, we have also seen a growth in demand for our response to life-threatening emergencies, which take highest priority.”

Almost half the service’s overall activity in November was made up of the 15,311 “Red” incidents.

The spokesperson added: “We plan for winter pressures, together with our NHS colleagues, well in advance and operate a number of initiatives to mitigate pressures. Nevertheless, all NHS emergency services are experiencing extreme pressure this winter, with some of the highest levels of demand we have ever seen. Inevitably, this has meant that in some cases, our response times have been affected.

“We would like to take this opportunity to remind members of the public to please think before you call us and reserve 999 for life-threatening emergencies only. Non-life threatening calls can be made through the NHS 111 service and many conditions can be treated via alternative pathways, such as visiting your GP or your local pharmacist.”

Across the country, 71.8% of Category A Red 1 calls saw an ambulance arrive within eight minutes. Three trusts achieved the Red 1 75% standard: West Midlands, South East Coast, and Isle of Wight. London (64.3%) had the smallest proportion for the fourth month running.

70,000 left without power after strong winds batter the country

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Up to 70,000 people have been left without power and most rail services in Scotland suspended after strong winds battered the country.

ScotRail suspended all services "for safety reasons" for a time this morning, although some services in central Scotland were restored from around 8am.

It said that Network Rail would need to inspect rail lines across the network for damage this morning before allowing passengers to travel on routes.

Cross border trains were still running.

A gust of 113mph was recorded at Stornoway, the strongest gust there since records began in 1970.

The high winds have left tens of thousands of people without power in the highlands and islands.

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution said that around 69,000 customers are off supply across the north of the country.

Engineers have been dispatched to deal with around 150 faults caused by the high winds.

A company spokeswoman said: "We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience this is causing and thank them for their patience."

Amber warnings have been issued by the Met Office for the north and central belt of Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, as an Atlantic jet stream reaches land.

Gusts between 60mph and 70mph are expected in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where the Met Office has put in place yellow ''be prepared'' warnings

The Forth Road Bridge was closed to all vehicles after a van blew over just before 1am, reopening to cars at around 8am, while many roads around the country have been affected by fallen trees.

Police in Inverness said that several roads and bridges, including the Skye Bridge and Dornoch Bridge, have been closed in northern Scotland.

Flood warnings are in place in central and northern Scotland and all schools in the Western Isles and Orkney have been closed as a precaution, with ferry and train timetables reduced because of the winds.

Heriot Primary in Paisley, Renfrewshire, will be closed today as its roof has been damaged by the weather.

Several CalMac and NorthLink ferry services have been affected by disruption or cancellations.

Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ''The winds will be at their strongest through the early hours of Friday and this brings the potential for disruption across Scotland, but there is a chance that strong, gusty winds could persist into the early part of the morning rush-hour as well.

''We'd advise anyone planning to travel during the early part of the morning and into the early rush-hour to be prepared for some transport disruption and check traffic and travel conditions before heading out to ensure you can make your journey safely.''

A gust of 110mph was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands, the Met Office said.

Lashing rain is also to continue along the west coast today and over the weekend as a second storm is predicted to bring more gale-force winds tomorrow.

The ferocious gales have been stirred up by an extra-powerful jet stream triggered by plunging temperatures in the United States hitting warmer air in the south.

The bad weather led to delays to CrossCountry trains running between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Newcastle while in Kent a broken-down train at Westgate-On-Sea caused hold-ups to services between Margate and Chatham.

On the roads, high-sided vehicles were advised to avoid using the Ouse Bridge on the M62 in Yorkshire.

All schools in Orkney and several in the Highlands have been closed due to the weather.

Police said that travel conditions in the Highlands and Islands areas are "hazardous" and advised against travelling along causeways or low-lying coastal roads.

The Churchill Barriers in Orkney have been closed.

A police spokesman said: "Police are advising that conditions for travel in the Highlands and Islands areas are hazardous and caution should be exercised as there are high possibilities of road closures due to fallen trees and debris. Members of the public are urged to regularly check partner agency websites and listen to radio reports for further updates.

"If you are travelling, you should ensure you and your vehicle are adequately prepared for the conditions, making sure you have sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food and water in the event you are delayed for several hours.

"Charge your mobile phone and plan your route as well as alternative routes."

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) said it had reconnected a further 18,000 customers who were without power overnight.

Around 6,000 Scottish Power customers are without power in areas including parts of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. It has reconnected another 6,000 overnight.

On the railways a reduced service was restored between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley at around 9am, with trains every half hour.

A ScotRail spokeswoman said: "For safety reasons, this morning it has been necessary for Network Rail to inspect rail lines across the network before allowing passengers to travel.

"Some services have already been restored in a controlled manner, and we are continuing to assess the situation. Please check our website for regular updates."

Police shut the A1 between Durham and Chester-le-Street in both directions after a lorry lost its load.

A member of the road policing unit tweeted: "It's very windy folks, please take care."

Auction sells first Elvis record for 80th birthday

The ballad My Happiness was bought for 300,000 dollars (£200,000) by an undisclosed Internet buyer at Graceland, the museum and tourist attraction that was Presley's former home, in Memphis, Tennessee.

The 78 rpm record, with its tattered yellow label, sold for 240,000 dollars (£160,000). But the total buyer's price includes a premium of 25%, or 60,000 dollars (£40,000) that goes to the auction house, Graceland Auctions. Bidding for the record started at 50,000 dollars (£33,140).

Other items in the auction, held on what would have been Elvis's 80th birthday, included scarves worn by Presley at concerts, gold necklaces with the initials TCB (short for the slogan "Taking Care of Business"), prescription sunglasses made for Presley, and his first driver's licence.

But the big prize was the My Happiness record, which is highly valued because of its place in the career of Presley, who died in Memphis in 1977. The acetate is in original condition and the record is playable.

Presley recorded the song in 1953 at Sun Records, the Memphis studio operated by Sam Phillips. Presley, then 18, paid 4 dollars (£2.65) for the recording.

As the story goes, Presley - whose family did not have a record player - left Sun and went to the home of friend Ed Leek to listen to it. But Presley left the record at Mr Leek's house.

Mr Leek kept the record in a safe for six decades. After he and his wife died, their niece Lorisa Hilburn inherited it. Ms Hilburn, of Rockledge, Florida, contacted Graceland, and it was offered for auction.

She said after the auction that she did not expect the record to sell for such a large amount. She has already "splurged" on an iPad, but plans to invest the rest of the money, with some going to pay for college for her two sons.

"I'm very happy," she said. "There was adrenaline beforehand ... but when it was over, I was numb."

Before he became the "King of Rock n' Roll," Presley was a shy young man who had moved to Memphis from Tupelo, Mississippi, with his parents.

He liked to sing and one day summoned up the courage to walk into Sun Records.

Phillips was not there that day, so Presley was helped by his assistant, Marion Keisker.

Presley sang the ballads My Happiness, which was the A-side of the record, and That's When Your Heartaches Begin, which became side B.

Both are slow-moving and stop short of suggesting a singer ready to help open the way for the emergence of rock 'n' roll.

After the record was cut, Ms Keisker wrote down Presley's name and phone number and jotted a note that said he was a good ballad singer.

In 1954, Presley recorded the more up-tempo That's All Right at Sun Records. That song became Presley's first hit, and it catapulted him to a successful career that included hit songs such as Hound Dog and Suspicious Minds, and to making popular films such as Jailhouse Rock.

The story about the My Happiness recording is told to visitors who take the tour of Sun Records, now a museum. Along with Presley, Phillips also recorded music legends Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins at Sun.

Before the auction, fans of Presley gathered outside Graceland in sub-freezing temperatures for a cake-cutting ceremony.

Priscilla Presley, who was married to the singer, and their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, attended the morning event.

Yellow weather warning for strong winds in place across Teesside

A yellow weather warning for strong winds across Teesside is currently in place.

A vigorous depression is producing a period of very strong westerly winds across much of Teesside which started at around 10pm last night and will continue into the weekend.

It is expected to become progressively very windy this morning, with gales in places.

Further wet and very windy weather spreads to all parts during the afternoon.

Despite this it will be unusually mild with a maximum temperature of 13C.

The Met Office has stated that “The public should be aware of the potential for disruption, for example to transport and power supplies.”

Grangetown mum who took drugs into prison was 'frightened woman doing something that frightened her'

A troubled mum who took drugs into prison for her son has avoided being locked up herself.

Amanda Keenan, 43, took Class C drugs into the jail at Holme House in a “misguided” effort to help her son, who was serving time for assault.

She was caught at the prison with 63 tablets of the heroin treatment drug Subutex and 68 diazepam tablets on July 14 last year.

Graham Brown, defending her at Teesside Crown Court, said: “This was a frightened woman doing something that frightened her.

“It was against her better judgment, that her internal desires had overridden.”

Keenan, of Cresswell Road, Grangetown, pleaded guilty to conveying the drugs into the prison. She had no previous convictions.

Mr Brown said she was the sort of person you would not expect “in a month of Sundays” to get involved in such criminal activity.

He said she did not act in a cold, calculated way or “embark on a course or programme of criminality”.

She got “out of her depth” through a “toxic combination” of circumstances and a background fraught with problems including depression.

He said she had otherwise been “an entirely proper member of our society” and provided stability for her three children.

Mr Brown said it was an exceptional case and Keenan would benefit from a suspended sentence.

Judge John Walford said a letter from Keenan told of “a catalogue of unhappy events with you and your family in recent times”.

He told her: “Those who are caught introducing substances like this into prison must expect a prison sentence.

“There’s no doubt about that because this is currency. These are items which disrupt the life of prison, inevitably, and cause all sorts of problems.

“That’s why the courts view these offences seriously.

“There has to be a custodial sentence, but I say immediately that I’m not going to impose an immediate custodial sentence today.

“I do take account of the misguided thinking that you applied in committing this offence.

“You might have been better concentrating your efforts on diverting your son away from activity which led him to be convicted and go to prison, rather than committing this sort of serious offence and trying misguidedly to help him.

“I hope that’s something you’ll think about in the future.

“For the moment I’m prepared to treat this offence as a one-off.”

He gave her a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years with 18 months’ supervision and a thinking skills programme.

Keenan thanked the judge as she was released from the dock.

Grandmother woke to find burglar stealing grandaughter's bike from her bedroom

A grandmother woke in the early hours to find a burglar taking her grandaughter’s bike from her bedroom.

Marjorie Harvey, known as Madge, initially thought the man in her Middlesbrough home was her son-in-law Mark - and even shouted to him as he left “I’ll be glad to get rid of that bike”.

But she panicked when she talked to her daughter Lee-Anne that evening, after realising a burglar had made away with the bike belonging to her 13-year-old grandaughter Dana.

Mrs Harvey, 77, said: “I feel a bit stupid now, but I thought it was him. I thought it was a bit strange that he was there that early, but he works nights and I just didn’t realise.

“He was the same build as Mark, but when I spoke to Lee-Anne she said he hadn’t been here, and then she started screaming for me to ring the police.

“I panicked a bit then, my grandaughter Dana was absolutely distraught because she had lost her bike and then she realised what could have happened to me.

“You know, I didn’t think but she said I could have been murdered in my bed.

“The way I look at it, you’ve got to laugh really. If I didn’t, then I think I would be more worried.

“But I don’t want anyone to think that they could come back here again.

“And nobody will drive me from my home.”

Mrs Harvey said that she had kept Dana’s bike on the patio of her ground floor flat at Elder Court in Middlesbrough town centre, but had been asked to bring it inside for the winter.

She said that she heard her kitchen door creak at around 5.25am on Wednesday, and thinking it was her son-in-law she shouted “how have you got in?”.

The burglar replied “with a key”.

Mrs Harvey described the intruder as around 5’3”, slightly built, wearing a short jacket and a woolly hat.

The bike was a ladies adult bike, with white crossbars and red writing.

Mrs Harvey, whose daughter, son-in-law and four grandchildren live in Coulby Newham, continued: “I am lucky because I have a great family to support me, and some good friends round here.

“My nephew Ryan came to stay with me as well, but I’m perfectly fine.”

Cleveland Police are reminding residents to keep their homes as secure as possible following several burglaries in the area over the past four weeks.

If residents saw anything suspicious they should contact Cleveland Police on 101.

Live: Breaking news, traffic and travel across Teesside

The Evening Gazette's live breaking news blog brings you regular updates, pictures, video, tweets and comments covering the latest Teesside and North Yorkshire traffic, travel, weather, crime and council news for today, Friday 9th January 2015.

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.