#OnThisBoroDay 1996: Boro are humiliated at home to bottom club Bolton - their eighth defeat on the bounce

Four goals leaked in a thumping at the hands of Bolton, an eighth defeat on the bounce, Boro were engulfed in a mid-season crisis.

An impressive first half to the season meant Robbo’s men still had a nine-point cushion on the dreaded drop zone but the current run of form was a real worry.

Since Christmas Boro had conceded four at Everton, three at home to Arsenal and five at Chelsea but the surrender at home to bottom club Bolton on this day in 1996 was the worst of the lot.

When Jamie Pollock cancelled out Nathan Blake’s opener, Boro put themselves in a good position to go on and stop the rot against the basement boys, who hadn’t won away from home all season before their visit to the Riverside

Instead, they capitulated. Simon Coleman’s goal on the stroke of half-time left the hosts devoid of the belief they needed to get back in the game.

Fabian de Freitas and David Lee rubbed salt into the wound in the second half on a dull, uninspiring and concerning afternoon.

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“A record eighth consecutive league defeat and humiliation by the Premiership whipping boys has left Boro wondering where the next win is coming from,” reported Eric Paylor in the Gazette.

“They’re still clear of the relegation dogfight but only thanks to their excellent form in the first half of the season.

“But a relegation battle it is and that’s how the rest of the Premiership programme should be approached.”

The eye-catching results earlier in the season had demonstrated that Boro belonged at this level.

Pollock and Hignett in the engine room and Steve Vickers and Big Nige at the back weren’t the type to shirk a battle.

Boro had the stomach for the fight but just needed to find a way to grind out that one result to halt the slide.

It came, thankfully, next time out as Robson’s side held on for a stalemate at Coventry City.

And although that was followed by two more defeats, a five-match unbeaten run including a 1-0 win away at Leeds was enough to ensure Boro safely avoided an immediate return to the First Division.

Tomas Mejias will play again for Boro before the end of the season, says Aitor Karanka

Boro's cup quest may be over but Tomas Mejias can expect to play more games this season, Aitor Karanka has promised.

The Spanish keeper played in all three of the club’s FA Cup ties, winning the man of the match plaudits at Manchester City and Arsenal.

It’s been a huge change in fortunes for the former Real Madrid goalie, who was dropped in September after making a shaky start to the season.

Following a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates, Boro can now fully focus on securing promotion from the Championship.

Action Images

Arsenal's Wojciech Szczesny with Middlesbrough's Tomas Mejias

Dimi Konstantopoulos is Karanka’s current first choice keeper for Championship games, but the head coach says he’ll give Mejias more game time before the end of the season.

“If someone is thinking that Tomas is not going to play more games because we don’t have more cup games they are making a mistake,” he said.

“I don’t just have Tomas and Dimi I have Connor Ripley who is doing very, very well so now it’s Dimi and I trust him but I trust all of my players.”

Teesside developer invests £2m in business centre to support small firms

An office development to support new and growing small businesses is underway in Middlesbrough.

Teesside entrepreneur Geoff Hogg has invested £2m in the Central Point Business Centre through his company, Linthorpe Developments, which has also launched an ‘Angel Investor’ programme to support small firms.

Central Point, in the former Midland House building on the corner of Southfield Road and Linthorpe Road, offers serviced office spaces for start-up and expanding enterprises.

Geoff has been involved in a portfolio of development projects across Teesside and has invested more than £15m across the North-east. His companies have carried out residential schemes including Cambridge Square and Albert Gate in Linthorpe and the Longlands Social Club site on Marton Road and the historic former Uncle Albert’s pub in Exchange Place in Middlesbrough.

Other ventures include the town’s TFM Soundworks.

Through its equity finance scheme, Linthorpe Developments’ angel investor service will purchase a minor stake in businesses at Central Point and provide support, advice and guidance.

The project is transforming the building, which is originally the site of the Grand Opera House, to provide high specification office space from 160-3,000 sq ft.

Central Point is fully serviced with rents including rates and utilities, and the offices are available under flexible terms.

It also boasts its own private underground car park and flexible storage facilities; secure off-site storage units of up to 2,500 sq ft.

Five retail units also occupy the ground floor.

Linthorpe Developments is one of Middlesbrough’s leading private commercial property developers. Mr Hogg, with more than 20 years’ experience in the property sector, has built a strong portfolio of established retail, office and residential schemes.

He also acts as an angel investor in a number of North-east businesses.

He said: “Taking office space for the first time is a huge step for a small business and we have created Central Point to make the journey easier and hopefully act as a springboard to help turn great ideas into successful enterprises.

“Offering ‘easy in, easy out’ terms offers peace of mind to smalls firms that don’t want to be tied into long-term agreements and have to work very hard to control costs.

“However, Central Point isn’t just about providing office space. We want to create a supportive business community that helps nurture new enterprises. Our Angel Investor programme provides a new dimension to this idea.

“Central Point is also perfect for more established businesses that need centrally-located, high quality office space in a thriving part of Middlesbrough.

“This part of the town is enjoying a real renaissance and the development of Teesside University’s new building close to Central Point highlights the continuing investment being made in this area.”

Alex Hayward - 'Now is the time for North Sea suppliers to export'

Now is the best time for North Sea suppliers to move into overseas markets, a Teesside executive has claimed.

Alex Hayward, managing director of Phusion, says the recent collapse in the global oil price is turning investors off from expensive exploration - meaning there’s never been a better time for supply chain firms to think about exporting.

And although overseas trade requires a “firm commitment” and effort from companies, ultimately it’s worthwhile she claims.

The Billingham-based engineering information management specialist has tripled turnover since it decided to focus on export markets in 2008, in the wake of a downturn in North Sea capital expenditure.

The growth was achieved ‘almost exclusively’ through exports, which now represent more than 90% of its sales - and led to Phusion being given a Queen’s Award for Export in 2012.

Alex said: “It is reported there are still many years of work left in UK waters for the offshore industry, indeed, the North Sea saw an all-time record investment in 2013 of £13.5bn.

“However, production must inevitably decline.

“Exporting is considered a natural way to grow your business and now, it could be argued, is a particularly opportune time for companies operating in the North Sea supply chain to use its rich experience to expand into growing overseas markets, which have a huge demand for such expertise.

“We’ve had particular success working on large energy projects in Western Australia, but there are worldwide opportunities.

“Of course, while selling overseas may be lucrative, it requires careful planning.

“Whilst Phusion had some previous experience of exporting, it’s fair to say our approach was fairly tactical, exploiting ad-hoc opportunities that came our way.

“We realised we needed a well-researched and carefully planned strategy if we wanted to achieve sustainable growth in an overseas market.

“Working in foreign markets also requires firm commitment. Be prepared for overseas business to swallow up a huge amount of senior executive’s valuable time.

“Be prepared to meet people on their terms. Western Australia is eight hours ahead of the UK and until we got our office established over there we handled a lot of conference calls in the early hours.”

Available support from organisations like UKTI and NOF Energy is “valuable” she says.

“It’s true exporting requires a lot of effort, but it’s inevitably worth it. Not only will you be able to expand your company, but also make it stronger.

“The lessons to be learned from handling the challenges of overseas requirements will also enhance your business in the domestic market.

“With a growing skills shortage in the engineering and manufacturing fields, you will find that having a foothold in the global market place is a great incentive for recruiting and retaining staff.”

Overseas contracts won by Phusion have included managing engineering information on the massive $34bn Ichthys LNG project, Western Australia.

Is Criticism of Islam a Hate Crime?

After every terrorist attack, the news goes through the usual checklist of excuses. Muslims aren’t responsible. It had nothing to do with Islam. Asking Muslims to condemn or disassociate themselves from the attack is racist and you should be ashamed of yourself for even asking them to do it.

The Chapel Hill shootings reversed the spin. The media switched from warning us that we shouldn’t blame Muslims for Muslim terrorism, to blaming atheists for a parking dispute turned violent. Their evidence was Craig Hicks’ Facebook page quoting prominent atheists attacking, mainly, Christianity.

The Washington Post headlined its story, “Chapel Hill killings shine light on particular tensions between Islam and atheism”. A more accurate headline would be that they shine a light on tensions between atheists and the left. Though atheists aren’t necessarily on the left, the Western left used to view them in a friendly light due to its own hostility to Christianity and Judaism. But recently that began to change.

The media’s official story is that the catalyst for the conflict came from “New Atheists” like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens who were too strident and extreme. Like most of the media’s official stories, this one is a fairy tale. Atheism has always had its strident rhetoric. It certainly did not turn strident a mere few decades ago. The New Atheists however were more willing to criticize Islam.

And the left has become increasingly intolerant of any criticism of Islam, whether from Christians or Jews, or from atheists even if they, like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, are ex-Muslims. Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins haven’t said anything about Islam that Bertrand Russell didn’t say. The difference is that they said it at a time when the left had become joined at the hip to Islam and criticism of Islam was being censured.

The New Atheists are far more focused on Christianity than any other religion, but even their occasional comments on Islam have infuriated the rising Muslim activists of the left and their non-Muslim allies. The attacks on them have come from the farthest corners of the left which would once have been militantly atheist. Today it is at best a politically correct atheism that criticizes Christianity, not Islam.

The debate had been initially fought out in the pages of The Guardian and The Independent, before migrating into the loonier corners of the American left, namely Salon, which became notorious for its unhinged rants about New Atheists hating women, smearing Muslims and mutilating cattle.

The initial critics had ties to Middle Eastern terror states that abused women, supported terrorism and blatantly discriminated against non-Muslims.

Al Jazeera, Qatar’s pet propaganda outlet, ran a piece accusing Richard Dawkins of “Scientific Racism” for describing Al Qaeda terrorists destroying a library as “Islamic Babrarians”. Nathan Lean, the research director for the Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Center, has spent more time attacking the New Atheists on Salon for Islamophobia than he has FOX News.

Why makes the New Atheists even scarier to Islamopologists than FOX News?

They are on the left making it impossible to ridicule them away as “Faux News”. Most of them have no interest in foreign policy so they can’t be denounced as warmongers. Their scientific credentials make it difficult to dismiss them as ignorant. The usual attacks Islamopologists launch against critics bounce off.

And their criticisms of Islam are often more cutting and direct than anything viewers are likely to hear on FOX News. Consider Sam Harris writing, “Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn’t, we will kill you.” That didn’t appear on a right-wing site, but in the virtual pages of the Huffington Post.

It’s not hard to see why shutting them up has become a major priority of the Islamopologist left.

Bill Maher’s comments on Islam took the debate into the prime time, but the Chapel Hill shootings have made it possible for the first time to accuse the New Atheists of murder. Depicting the parking dispute as a hate crime is about more than just the usual need to manufacture Islamic victimization, a bad habit which has already produced at least one post-shooting Islamophobic hoax hate crime in Texas.

It’s also about warning atheists against criticizing Islam.

The hate crime case against Craig Hicks rests heavily on his Facebook page with its quotes on atheism, even though its contents mainly criticized Christianity. The implication has become that atheism is in and of itself proof of a bias motive. This position has dangerous consequences. If an atheist and a Muslim were to get into a fight, the atheist’s criticism of Islam might retroactively prove a hate crime.

The Islamopologists have claimed that raids on Muslim charities funding terrorism were criminalizing their beliefs. Now they are criminalizing someone else’s beliefs.

The Washington Post’s Michelle Boorstein was quick to drag in Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins into the shootings, while misstating a quote from Dawkins. Boorstein was unable to show that Harris or Dawkins had in any way advocated violence, only that they had accused Islam of being violent.

The New Republic’s Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig contended that, “The Chapel Hill Murders Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Atheists”. Again Harris and Dawkins were dragged in without actually showing that they had called for the murder of Muslims.

CNN ran a Muslim piece claiming that Hicks had been motivated by atheism. NPR quoted Reza Aslan demanding that atheists confront “extremists” in their community. (If Reza Aslan did that in his own Islamic community, he would have a full time career on his hands.)

All of this is in sharp contrast to what happens after every Muslim terrorist attack when no amount of assertions by the very killers themselves can ever convince the media that it was Islamic terrorism. The media will disregard evidence of Islamic terrorism, as it did with the Fort Hood massacre, and in the same way it will disregard the lack of evidence when making the case that Muslims are the victims.

Non-Muslim neighbors described Hicks as threatening and obsessed with parking spaces. A development resident said that he was fueled by “equal opportunity anger” and that Hicks made “everyone feel uncomfortable and unsafe.”

But the case has already ceased to be about Hicks. Local shootings don’t usually lead to condemnations from the White House or trending hashtags. Sandwiched between Muslim killings of non-Muslims, the Chapel Hill shootings have become a rare opportunity for Muslims and their allies to play the victim.

Blaming New Atheists for the Chapel Hill shootings may be wildly dishonest, but so is pretending that Islam has nothing to do with the Islamic State.

Atheism in the Muslim world is a crime. The Islamopologist attempt to treat atheism as proof of a hate crime imports the theocracy of Islamic law into the United States. And if it is allowed to stand, how long until Christian criticism of Islam suffers the same fate so that the only allowable attitudes to Islam are either belief or the mindless secular admiration that politicians and reporters display all the time?

Criticism of Islam, obnoxious or otherwise, is legal in the United States. It is illegal in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Gaza and Iran. Recently we’ve seen Muslim efforts to impose this law through murder in Paris and Copenhagen. What the terrorists have tried to do to Charlie Hebdo by force, the Islamopologists are attempting to do here by associating the New Atheists with a crime they did not commit.

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Middlesbrough-based domestic violence charity to get £1/2m from the lottery

Two projects in Teesside have scooped £800,000 of lottery funding.

Domestic violence charity My Sister’s Place, based in Middlesbrough, has been given just under half a million pounds while Endeavour Training’s BOOST project for people with learning difficulties has received more than £300,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.

My Sister’s Place will spend its funding of £499,262 to continue its work tackling domestic violence through practical help, legal advice, counselling, personal and property security measures, housing advice, financial help, dealing with debt, welfare and benefits claims, crisis grants, advice on returning to work and training opportunities.

The project aims to help 1,500 women, including those at risk of forced marriage or so-called honour-based violence.

Boost is a new project to help increase the confidence, independence and job skills of people with mild to moderate learning difficulties across Teesside and Durham.

It will provide young people with challenging and creative activities such as rock climbing, trekking, orienteering, canoeing, music, drama, film, photography and making cards.

Sessions will also cover finance, budgeting, bank accounts, interest rates, loans, how to budget, communications skills and team work. The project will also involve selling goods, market and cake stalls, furniture stalls, online sales, jumble sales, advertising, stock management an marketing.

Gavin Hosford, director of operations, said: “The grant will enable Endeavour to deliver a three year project in areas such as Tees Valley, Middlesbrough, The Trimdons and Peterlee.

“The project will aim to develop self-confidence and independence through challenging activities such as rock climbing, orienteering and canoeing.

“Our aim is to help at least 300 young people with mild and moderate learning difficulties to have more positive life opportunities over the next three years.”

In total, eight good causes in the North-east will benefit from the latest lottery grants.

Lyn Cole, Big Lottery Fund deputy England director, said: “Our Reaching Communities programme helps communities and people most in need and we are very pleased to make awards to these worthwhile projects across the region.”

Motorcyclist taken to hospital after collision in North Ormesby

A motorcyclist was taken to hospital with a head injury after a crash in North Ormesby tonight.

The incident involving a white Luton van and a motorbike happened on Beaumont Road close to Tunstall Street and Sadberge Street at 5.25pm.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident.

Police officers and scenes of crimes officers have been at the site since the collision and a police cordon has been put in place.

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Middlesbrough DJ Sam Harris appointed as a Deputy Marshall of Dodge City, Kansas

There’s a new Deputy Marshal in Dodge - and it’s 82-year-old Middlesbrough DJ Sam Harris!

The community radio presenter was appointed to the surprise position after he interviewed Marshal Allen Bailey from Dodge City, Kansas, on his show.

It is the second honour of 2015 for Sam, a presenter for CVFM Radio in Middlesbrough, who was also given an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list.

Sam is the host of the Big Band, Crooners & Jazz show every Thursday and CVFM Country every Saturday, and it is during his country show he regularly interviews country music artists and other personalities in America and other parts of Europe.

Sam has a big following across the pond, where the programme is rebroadcast on an American radio station.

Whilst congratulating Sam for his MBE, awarded for services to sea angling, Marshal Bailey surprised him by also appointed him as the Deputy Marshal of Dodge City, during the live Skype interview.

The Marshal is also a singer in a band called the Silver Bullets and Sam had no idea he was a real lawman.

“I thought Marshall was his first name,” he laughed.

“The Marshal said he’d heard about my honour from the Queen and said he was going to give me another honour.”

Marshal Allen Bailey from Dodge City, Kansas

And so with his right hand raised in the studio of the Victoria Road station in Middlesbrough, Sam took the oath and was appointment to his new ceremonial position.

“I’ve been in radio for well over 45 years and its the first time I’ve been speechless on air!” he laughed.

“When I received the news that I was on the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list and was to be awarded an MBE, I was totally humbled and a little surprised.

“However being appointed the Deputy Marshal live on CVFM radio was a total shock.

“I have had people from all over the world, literally getting in touch to congratulate me, with some puns and jokes about being the Deputy Marshal.

“I’ve been to the US a few times but never to Kansas. I would love to walk down the street in Dodge City wearing my Stetson and Deputy Marshall’s badge.”

Middlesbrough DJ Sam Harris

A fascinating character, Sam, of Old Shotton Village, has many years’ experience in the sea angling world where he has headed committees and organised many competitions within the sport.

Sam still writes a weekly sea angling column in the Newcastle Chronicle and is also published in a national angling magazine on a regular basis.

He has organised competitions and social events, which have raised thousands of pounds for charities such as the RNLI, National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen and many others.

Sam is now part of the Silver Jockeys team, a lottery funded project which supports senior citizens to play an active part in the community through media and broadcasting which is hosted the community radio station.

Idrees Rashid, director of CVFM Radio, said: “Sam is a dedicated member of the team and his contribution to the Silver Jockeys project and radio programming is invaluable. He very much deserves this MBE for the fantastic work his does for so many causes.

“I’m not sure what his role as the Deputy Marshal of Dodge City will entail but I can envisage him playing the part well.”

• You can hear Sam Harris live on CVFM Country every Saturday 12pm-2pm on 104.5FM in Middlesbrough and surrounding area, Online via www.cvfm.org.uk and also via TuneIn mobile App.

Wealdstone Raider gives his views on Boro, the Geordies - and Piers Morgan

He's the 5ft 2ins internet sensation who’s mobbed wherever he goes.

And today, the Wealdstone Raider - aka Gordon Hill - dropped by at the Riverside Stadium to give a few choice opinions about Boro, our North-east rivals Newcastle and Sunderland - and Boro’s Arsenal-loving, Middlesbrough-misspelling nemesis, Piers Morgan.

Over the past six months, 49-year-old Gordon has become a worldwide internet hit thanks to a 33-second video of him ranting at a non-league game.

Fag in mouth and beer in hand, Wealdstone FC-loving Gordon’s hilarious outburst contains the phrases which have become his catchphrases, including “You want some?”, “You’ve got no fans” and “I’ll give it ya.”

The video went viral and has racked up nearly 8m views on YouTube alone.

He even made a charity single, Got No Fans, which reached number five in the Christmas week singles chart.

Juninho gives Philippe Albert a telling off in 1996

Last night, he was doing a charity personal appearance at a students’ night in Newcastle and, as usual, was mobbed.

And after meeting up with Teesside photographer Terry Blackburn, he stopped off in Middlesbrough today for a parmo at the Manjaros restaurant before, naturally, taking a look at the Riverside Stadium.

Even as he entered the Riverside car park, the occupants of two vans, which had followed him to the ground from Middlesbrough town centre, tumbled out to get selfies with this most unlikely of internet sensations.

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Injuries take their toll as Billingham Stars sunk by play-off rivals Sutton Sting

Billingham Stars’ injury-hit squad were put to the sword on Sunday as they were beaten 6-1 by fellow play-off chasers Sutton Sting.

Missing key players from every position, the Ultimate Windows-sponsored Stars moved youngster Jack Emerson up to the first line to replace Thomas Stuart-Dant, while Luke Brown got the nod on the second with James Moss also out.

Injuries took their toll as the Stars were sunk in the National Ice Hockey League (n) Moralee Division One clash, and afterwards director of coaching Terry Ward bemoaned the team’s selection crisis.

“We knew coming into the game that we’d be under pressure straight away,” Ward said.

“We had injury problems and guys who were unavailable. In every department we were short. We had guys who were injured but came out and played anyway.

“Then we lost Paul Windridge and Jack Emerson took one to the ankle – it’s a shame because he’d taken his chance on the first line really well up until then.

“Sutton are a good side, let’s take nothing away from that. You’ve got to play what’s in front of you and they did that.

“I thought Sutton played really well. They were intense on their own ice and adapted their game to the poor ice conditions better than we did.”

Billingham got off to the worst possible start on three minutes when Slovakian defenseman Ivo Celar’s speculative shot from just inside the blue line trickled between netminder Mark Watson’s pads.

The Stars came back with an immediate response, but Sting netminder Dmitri Zimozdra produced a fine snap save. Penalties littered the second half of the period but neither side capitalised and the session closed at 1-0.

Billingham got themselves back into the game when Michael Elder shot straight through Zimozdra to bring the sides level in the 25th minute.

But the visitors’ joy was short-lived as Sutton were back in front a minute later when Celar beat Watson on his stick side.

Just before the halfway point, a defensive error in front of the Billingham net saw the puck fall to the unmarked James Spurr, who shot past Watson from point-blank range.

The Sting eventually extended their lead 44 seconds before the interval buzzer when Spurr tipped the puck past Watson’s glove for 4-1.

The Stars saw their short bench get even smaller in the final session as first captain Paul Windridge (hand) and then Emerson (ankle) were forced to retire injured. With their guests struggling, the Sting put their foot back on the gas and scored two quick goals through Vjaleslavs Mokvo in the 49th minute, followed by Mark Turner putting the puck past Watson’s outstretched glove and into the top corner a minute later.

The result puts Sutton above Billingham in second place, with the two teams tied on points but the Stars with a game in hand.

Billingham face a double header this weekend as they travel to Manchester on Saturday take on the Minotaurs (face off 5pm), followed by the visit of Solway Sharks to the Forum on Sunday (face off 6.30pm).

Yorkshire bolster batting order by signing Pakistan star Younis Khan

Yorkshire have bolstered their batting order ahead of their title defence by signing Pakistan’s Younis Khan.

Khan, 37, will join Yorkshire in April and will be available for the LV= County Championship opener at New Road against Worcestershire.

The Pakistani right-hander returns to the White Rose county where he starred in 2007. In 19 Championship innings for Yorkshire, he scored 824 runs at an average of 48.47, including a top score of 217 not out against Kent.

“We have been looking for a world-class batsman to strengthen our batting department at the start of the season”, said Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket.

“Younus fits the bill and will add real quality to our top-order.

“It also helps that he understands the culture of the club and what it means to play for Yorkshire. That was a major factor in signing him.

“We are well aware of his qualities and we hope his vast experience will enable us to continue our efforts from last year and give us a great opportunity to get off to a winning start in the Championship campaign.

“He will be with us for the first part of the season and we will then replace him with Aaron Finch, another proven international player, once Aaron’s Indian Premier League commitments come to an end.”

Khan, who has been selected in the Pakistan 2015 World Cup squad, is excited to be returning to Headingley where he made a positive impact as Yorkshire’s first-ever overseas star from Pakistan.

“This is one of the finest cricket clubs in the world,” Khan added.

“Yorkshire are going well and deserved to win the title last year. I hope my experiences help them maintain their position at the top.”

Stockton oil jobs under threat as MHWirth announces closure of Preston Farm base

Teesside staff at oil drilling services firm MHWirth are facing an uncertain future after the firm announced the closure of its Stockton base.

Around 18 jobs are under threat, amid plans by the firm to close its Preston Farm Industrial Estate operation just three years after it talked of employing 200 staff at the site.

The firm wants to cut 750 jobs worldwide, in the face of an abrupt decline in drilling jobs caused by recent falls in oil price.

A spokesperson for MHWirth confirmed the Stockton office would close by the end of Q2, 2015, due to the “market situation”.

MHWirth, which is the largest unit within Norway’s Akastor, and was split off from Aker Solutions last year.

The drilling technology division currently employs 15 permanent members of staff and three contractors, although MHWirth said it was still too early to confirm what would happen to these jobs.

In 2012, when the Stockton operation was still part of Aker Solutions, plans were announced to bring headcount to 200 with the opening of a new drilling services office.

Aker planned to employ product engineers to work on topside drilling equipment to feed its deepwater drilling services activity.

At the time bosses cited “excellent oil and gas engineering competence in the North East of England” but market conditions in the oil industry have since deteriorated due to falling prices.

News of MHWirth’s restructuring follows manoeuvres by several other North-east oil and gas supply chain operators hit by shrinking project spend among large oil firms.

In December oil field services firm Archer abruptly closed its Blyth office, while subsea umbilicals specialists Flexlife confirmed their Newcastle operation was under review.

International reorganisation at subsea engineering firm DeepOcean is expected to spell job losses in Darlington, and earlier this month the Norwegian parent company of Stockton’s Reef Subsea UK filed for bankruptcy, calling into question the future of the North-east operation.

Jobs pruning at MHWirth comes as parent company Akastor aims to save around £51.8m.

Norwegian media has reported that between 200 to 300 jobs of the 750 globally will be axed from Akastor’s Norwegian operations.

The company currently employs a total of 4300 staff in 20 offices worldwide, including Oslo, Stavanger and Bergen in Norway.

Until last year Aker had a presence in Stockton since 1986. In 2012 the base employed around 100 staff to handle global IT, finance, accounting and HR and its specialist recruitment agency functions.

Widow of former Longlands chemical plant worker receives settlement following his death

The widow of a former chemical plant worker who was exposed to asbestos has secured a settlement after his death.

John Gerald McLeod, known to friends and family as Ian, died in August 2011 aged 66 after a long battle with lung cancer caused by exposure to the deadly substance.

The Longlands dad-of-two had been exposed to asbestos while employed at Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Billingham and Wilton plants between 1967 and 1970, and again from 1979 to 1994.

And now, following a legal battle, lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have secured Ian’s widow Eileen a significant undisclosed settlement.

ICI did not admit liability but a number of witnesses came forward with crucial information about the conditions Ian was exposed to and the measures in place to prevent his exposure to asbestos.

Eileen, who was married to Ian for 45 years, said: “I am delighted and relieved that our legal battle in Ian’s name is over and we have received a settlement after a lot of hard work from our legal team at Irwin Mitchell.

“No amount of money will bring Ian back or help us forget the pain and suffering he went through as a result of being exposed to asbestos during his working life, but we feel that justice has now been done.

“The whole family would like to thank Ian’s former workmates who came forward with the information our legal team needed to secure a settlement. We hope that these proceedings will encourage companies to take the dangers of asbestos dust and fibres seriously and ensure workers are protected from the deadly substance.”

During his employment with ICI, Ian, a grandad of seven and great-grandfather to two, was exposed to the deadly dust in his role as a rigger, which required him to erect scaffolding to allow colleagues to lag the pipework with asbestos at ICI plants.

He was also required to remove asbestos lagging and before his death recalled that scaffolding would become covered in debris and asbestos dust, which he was required to handle on a daily basis.

Roger Maddocks, a partner and an expert asbestos lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Ian worked at ICI’s plants for a number of years and a lot of his time working for the company was spent in dusty environments where he would regularly come into contact with and inhale asbestos dust and fibres.

“Unfortunately, he was not warned of the dangers of asbestos and was not provided with the equipment required to prevent inhalation of the hazardous substance. It is completely unacceptable that workers were simply not protected or warned of the dangers of the dust which have been known since the 1930s.

“I would like to thank those who came forward with information about the working conditions Ian was exposed to at ICI’s Billingham and Wilton plants. They played a crucial role in securing a settlement for Ian’s wife Eileen and their family.”

Fifty Shades of Grey: Seven of 10 screenings sell out in opening weekend at cinema

Have you seen it yet?

Looking at the numbers of Teessiders who have already caught the - ahem - on-screen action in Fifty Shades of Grey it sounds like you could be in the minority if you haven't!

Cinemas in our area - including in Middlesbrough and Stockton - sold out for the majority of screenings of the show over the weekend.

A spokeswoman for Middlesbrough’s Cineworld, on Marton Road, said: “On Friday night, seven out of the 10 screenings showing Fifty Shades of Grey at Cineworld Middlesbrough sold out.

“And on Saturday - six of the nine screens showing Fifty Shades sold out.

"It’s been very popular!”

A spokeswoman for Stockton’s Showcase, at Teesside Park, said the cinema had a similar response from Teesside’s filmgoers.

“Because of the unprecedented volume of advance bookings for Fifty Shades Of Grey, we were able to plan for an extremely busy Valentine’s weekend," she said.

“Adding extra shows meant that even with several sold out screenings, we could meet the demand and ensure that all guests were able to see one of the most talked about films in years.”

Fifty Shades of Grey started life as a erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James released in 2011.

It stars former Teesside University student Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele.

And if you’ve not yet caught the flick you still can - details of screenings for Fifty Shades of Grey in Teesside are as follows:

Cineworld, Marton Road, Middlesbrough

Showcase Cinema, Teesside Park, Stockton

The Regent Cinema, Redcar

Bargain Buys to open a store in Middlesbrough shopping centre creating 20 new jobs

New discount brand Bargain Buys will open a further store in Middlesbrough - creating 20 jobs.

The latest branch at Hill Street Shopping Centre is the second Middlesbrough store the retailer has opened in as many months following its Cleveland Retail Park store, which opened in January.

The new store will open its doors on February 20 next to fellow value retailer Primark.

The huge Bargain Buys store will have more than 25 departments, including branded groceries, cleaning products, stylish home wares, pet care, gardening and toys.

The fast-growing retailer will also open a further five stores across the North-east in the next six months with locations including Newcastle and Cramlington.

As part of the opening celebrations, Bargain Buys is teaming up with Zoes Place Baby Hospice, which provides respite and palliative care to babies and infants who have life threatening and life limiting conditions.

Diane Degnan, store manager at Bargain Buys said: “It’s fantastic to be unveiling a new store in Middlesbrough at Hill Street Shopping Centre and we’re really excited to open our doors.

“We hope we’re able to help local shoppers save more on their weekly shop with our incredible deals and we’re confident our new brand will go down well with Middlesbrough bargain hunters. We’re expecting a very busy opening weekend.”

Bargain Buys is a new value brand to join the UK market. Created by the same father and son team behind single-priced retailer Poundworld, the store at Hill Street Shopping Centre will be the 31st to open in the UK.

Revealed: The 1.5-mile route home taken by boy, three, after he went missing from playgroup

Watch little Cain Trainor talking about the route he took home (above)

The mum of the three-year-old boy who walked home alone from playgroup today relived the terrifying moment she learned her son had gone missing.

Gemma Trainor says the phone call to say her son Cain had been lost on his first day at the Little Owls playgroup was the “worst moment of my life.”

In the 40 agonising minutes he was missing, little Cain somehow negotiated the 1.5-mile route to find his way home.

Despite suffering every parent’s worst nightmare, Gemma says she still wants him to attend Little Owls after being reassured by its response to the drama and the tighter procedures it plans to put in place.

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Gemma, of Ainsdale Way, Saltersgill, said the horrifying phone call she received as she drove home on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 3 began “a few minutes of total panic”.

She raced to the playgroup, which is on the same grounds as Newham Bridge Primary School on Cayton Drive, Acklam, where Cain had spent the afternoon in the nursery, to find distraught staff in tears.

Incredibly, the youngster had walked home alone - following a route he barely knew and oblivious to the panic behind him.

Gemma, who works for Cleveland Housing Advice Centre, said: “I had no reception on my phone but when I got outside, I saw the school and Little Owls had been trying to call me several times.

Little Owls playgroup, based at Newham Bridge primary school

“They started the conversation with something like: ‘I don’t want to worry you, but we seem to have lost Cain.’

“I felt sick - there aren’t words to describe that feeling of something terrible happening which is totally out of your control.

“I rushed to the school and when I got there, they were all in tears.

“The headteacher came running over, saying they didn’t know what had happened.

"Then within seconds, I got a phone call from my next door neighbour saying Cain had arrived home. I burst into tears with relief.”

Cain had only just transferred to Little Owls from a previous nursery.

“We moved him because it’s on the grounds of the school, it was cheaper, he likes it, his little best friend goes there - it all made sense really,” Gemma said.

Cain went missing at 3.20pm during the changeover from the school nursery to the Little Owls after-school session.

Mum-of-two Gemma, 31, said: “Most kids would have cried or screamed, but it looks like he’s just thought ‘I can’t find who I’m meant to be with, I know where I want to go, so I’ll go’.”

She says the “Devil’s Bridge” route Cain chose - a mix of roads, cycle paths and woodland - is one he is barely familiar with, only using it during summer bike rides with his dad, maintenance engineer Ross Trainor.

Cain Trainor on the route he took home

“In a funny way, I’m actually quite proud that he managed to find his way home," Gemma said.

“We’ve talked to him about ‘stranger danger’ but I was surprised he went that way because we hardly ever go there.

"We’ve told him not go down there in case there are 'mucky misters' around.

“When I got back from the school, the first thing he told me was ‘I used the lollipop lady’.

Google

Cain Trainor's route home

"He even dropped in at the Sainsbury’s shop to see if I was in there buying milk.

“But when he was cuddled into me that night, I couldn’t sleep. I just kept thinking of what could have happened.”

In a statement, Little Owls playgroup manager Kate Murphy expressed gratitude that Cain’s family had been “entirely understanding of what happened” and that they continue to send Cain there.

Kate Murphy

“We are always looking at all our safeguarding procedures and policies and will be working with Ofsted and Middlesbrough Council in order that we always have best practices in place,” she added.

And Gemma, 33, confirmed she and Ross still intend sending Cain to Little Owls.

“The nursery couldn’t apologise enough and said they would put in various safeguards to ensure it wouldn’t happen again, so at least something positive has come out of this in terms of security," added the mum.

“I want to keep a good relationship with the nursery and the school.

"I still don’t know the details of how it happened.

"The statement the nursery gave said he ran into a crowd and out of sight, but I’m still not sure at what point they lost him.

Cain Trainor with mum Gemma

“The nursery has been great, though, ringing every day and keeping me informed.

"I don’t know what more they can do, to be fair, apart from perhaps getting a few more staff. But I’m still happy for Cain to go there."

Gemma said that what clinched it for her was the emotion showed by staff that day.

"They gave the emotion a parent would have given and you can’t stage or rehearse that.

"For me, it showed how much they genuinely cared - they were genuinely remorseful and knew it was their fault.

"That’s what’s swung it for me in favour of Cain going back there.

“I certainly don’t want them to be slated - I don’t think that would be fair.”

Patrick Bamford: 'We've got to pick ourselves up - Birmingham is where we redeem ourselves'

Boro's players are relishing the packed fixture schedule and can’t wait to be unleashed at Birmingham, says striker Patrick Bamford.

Aitor Karanka’s side return to Championship action on Wednesday, only 72 hours after the gruelling 2-0 FA Cup defeat at Arsenal.

The match at St Andrew’s marks the start of a hectic spell that sees Boro play four league matches in 10 days - but Bamford insists he and his Boro teammates actually prefer the demanding schedule.

“It’s not too bad,” Bamford said. “When you get to the end of the month having played two games each week then you feel bit tired, but I actually prefer it that way.

“There’s nothing better than playing a game. Sometimes it seems like you’re waiting forever to play if there isn’t a game during the week, so it’s something as a player that you like.

“It can be tiring, particularly after a game like Arsenal when you don’t have much of the ball. It will have drained a few of the lads’ legs but we’ll be back on it for Wednesday.”

Patrick Bamford in action for Boro at Arsenal

The Championship promotion race continues to heat up with Bournemouth taking advantage of Boro’s FA Cup exploits to take top spot on Saturday.

But their 1-1 draw with Huddersfield means they are only above Boro on goal difference, having played one match more.

Derby could go top of the Championship tonight if they win at Rotherham, but whatever that result, Boro know a win at Birmingham will see them return to the summit.

“I was watching the results on the train down to London on Saturday,” Bamford admitted.

“When I saw Bournemouth were 1-0 up then I thought they would run away with it, but it was nice to see them drop points.

“We’ve now got to pick ourselves up and Wednesday is a way for us to redeem ourselves.”

Benefits Street unlikely to reach TV screens before General Election in May

Benefits Street now looks unlikely to air before the General Election in May.

The second series of the controversial series has been filmed on Kingston Road in Stockton’s Tilery Estate.

It was previously understood that the series was set to air in March, after sources close to the show suggested it would be around that time.

However, due to tight broadcasting rules of what airs in the run-up to a General Election, it could now be after voting has taken place in May.

Anything deemed as politically contentious needs to stick to strict broadcasting guidelines.

It’s not clear if Benefits Street would fall into this category or whether this would prevent Channel 4 from screening it as adaptations can be made to ensure it adheres by any rules.

But it was reported in The Guardian’s Media Monkey column that it will be a six-episode series, going out after the election.

“Channel 4’s Immigration Street may have been derailed by protesters (it’s down to a single film) but the second run of Benefits Street is still very much on track – six episodes will be aired about an estate in Stockton-on-Tees after the General Election," it stated.

“It seems the new series will also cover the media kerfuffle the show has created: Love Productions’ Benefits Street crew has filmed the crews sent by other broadcasters including the BBC, who in turn were sent to film them filming the residents.”

Read all The Gazette's content about Benefits Street HERE

Middlesbrough to get ANOTHER new micropub - if planning permission is given

The former site of a well-known tearoom could soon be the home of a new micropub - if a planning application is given the green light.

A premises licence is being sought to transform the former site of the Olde Young Tea House on Grange Road in central Middlesbrough into a new bar.

The Olde Young Tea House was voted the nation’s favourite independent business in August 2014 and moved next door to larger premises last year.

Now the current owner of the unit, Michael Hill, has applied for permission to turn the address into a micropub catering for real ale enthusiasts.

The 33-year-old, from Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, said: “We’re planning to call it The Infant Hercules after the famous quote from William Gladstone.

“We already run the Longlands Club and it’s something we’ve been wanting to do for a while.

“It’s an alternative to the big pub chains and something for the enthusiasts to enjoy.

“You can come in and talk to someone you’ve only just met - that’s something you lose with a town centre big pub or club.

The Olde Young Tea House, with its former building next door

“We’re currently renovating it and getting the bar installed. We just hope our application goes through and we can get started.”

The application, currently being considered by Middlesbrough Council, requests permission to play recorded music and sell alcohol from 1pm until 11pm daily.

There has been a growing trend in the popularity of micro pubs in recent years on Teesside.

In Middlesbrough, micropubs such as Dr Phil’s in Linthorpe, Devil’s Advocate on Borough Road, and Sherlocks and Twisted Lip, both on Baker Street, have proved very popular.

And in Billingham, The Green Hops on West Road continued the trend when it opened in December while in Stockton, The Golden Smog was the first in the town to enter the fray back in August.

Middlesbrough Council is currently considering the application for the premises licence for the Grange Road unit and will accept comments and representations from the public until March 6.

The application can be viewed here.

Read more about pubs and restaurants on Teesside here

Pancake Day: How to cook the perfect pancake - by MasterChef finalist David Henry

Frying pans at the ready!

Watch top chef David Henry ace two delicious pancake dishes - one sweet and one savoury - in time for Pancake Day.

Both will be on sale at The Crathorne Arms, Crathorne, near Yarm, tomorrow - a restaurant ran by former Tontine owner Eugene McCoy.

David, 34, said: “They are both definitely dishes that anyone could give a go!”

Here are the ingredients you will need.

David and his savoury pancake

Basic pancake batter:

2 eggs

200ml milk

110g plain flour

Use this mix for sweet and savoury pancake

Savoury pancake:

2 grilled field mushroom

2 slices of streaky smoked bacon

150g wilted spinach

200g of strong cheese - David used Collingwood, a soft cheddar that’s been washed in Newcastle Brown Ale

Mix into a white sauce (info below)

25g butter

25g plain flour

600ml milk

Melt butter in a pan add flour then add milk cook out till saucy

Sweet pancake:

200ml whipped cream

60g caster sugar

Half a vanilla pod (scrape out seeds)

Toast 8 hazelnuts and crush

8 Amaretti biscuits crushed

20g Hazelnut praline paste (Mix into the cream and put into pancake)

Pour over 25 ml of Disaronno

Your Nursery: Levendale Primary School - Yarm

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School/nursery name:  Levendale Primary School Nursery

Address:  Mount Leven Road, Yarm TS15 9RJ

Number of pupils in nursery class:  Maximum 26 places on a morning and 26 on an afternoon. We currently have 20 on a morning and eight on an afternoon.

What projects have you been doing with the pupils?   At Levendale we put our children’s current interests and fascinations at the heart of our thematic planning, finding out what the children would like to learn about, and what they already know.

This ensures that the children are always fully engaged in the learning opportunities that we provide. This week we are learning about “people who help us”, notably the emergency services. We have found out what to do in an emergency and how we can call for help.

Contact name and number:  Alex Stonehouse, early years leader, on 01642 783684.

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Boxer Simon Vallily 'does a runner' from police car after failing breathalyser

Boxing star Simon Vallily was sentenced to do unpaid work today after admitting he had “done a runner” from a police car when he failed a breathalyser test.

The 29-year-old - who won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games - handed himself in five days later after a pal opened the door of the squad car and allowed him to escape.

But Vallily had already shown the officer his passport as ID - and he was on the CCTV footage at a Middlesbrough filling station where he had stopped for petrol at 2.30am.

The cop smelled alcohol on Vallily’s breath when he parked his black Seat Leon on the Park Lane forecourt on April 19 last year.

He failed the B-test with a reading of 61 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the limit is 35.

He should have taken a second test at a police station but he avoided that.

Teesside Crown Court

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby told Teesside Crown Court that Vallily attended Middlesbrough Police Station on April 24 and he said he had “done a runner” because he suspected that there was a warrant out for him for non-payment of fines - and he did not want to spend Easter in custody.

His lawyer told the judge that there was not a warrant out for him.

Vallily had served four years detention for violence, and he had two convictions for threatening words and behaviour, and drug possession and criminal damage.

But he is now using his criminal past and boxing stardom to keep other youngsters out of trouble.

Richard Bennett, defending, said: “He had a terrible record but there has been a remarkable transition since his release from prison in 2008-9 and he started training impressively as a boxer and won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Simon Vallily at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

“It allowed him to spend many hours in the company of local youngsters who might choose that particular path.

“He for them is a role model because he comes from the same background as many of them.”

Mr Bennett said that Vallily now worked with young and adult offenders and their families, counselled and supported them using his experiences to teach them where they should go.

He goes to local boxing and wrestling gyms to spread the message about avoiding drugs and he also advises at an Acklam drop-in centre on keeping out of trouble.

Mr Bennett said that Valilly had two fights lined up for March 8 with a £2000 purse and April 4 in Sunderland for a £4,000 pay cheque.

Mr Bennett said to the judge: “May I ask you to allow him to continue his career and all the good work that he has been doing.”

Vallily, of Cambridge Square, Linthorpe, was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was also told to do 150 hours' unpaid work, disqualified for 12 months, and ordered to pay £1,500 in prosecution costs after he pleaded guilty to doing an act tending or intending to pervert the course of justice.

Chip Week 2015: What's the best thing to have on top of your chips?

How do you eat yours?

Lashings of gravy? With cheese? Or with a splash of curry?

It’s Chip Week 2015 - and to celebrate we want to know Teessiders' favourite chippy condiment.

Let us know in the poll below - and if you have an exotic combo then drop us a line at mieka.smiles@trinitymirror.com

This time last year we asked readers where their favourite fish and chip shop was.

The winner was the Seaview in Saltburn.

Watch: Highlights from Boro's 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in the FA Cup

Two quick-fire goals from Olivier Giroud dumped Boro out of the FA Cup in the fifth round.

Aitor Karanka's men were dreaming of another cup upset after sending Man City packing in the last round but awesome Arsenal had too much class on the day.

The goals in the first-half ended the game as a contest and Boro didn't look like launching an unlikely comeback.

Aitor Karanka was disappointed with his side's first half display but said his squad will learn from the experience of playing against the world class players on show at the Emirates.

Care home residents 'return from hospital with bedsores', according to staff at council health meeting

Elderly care home residents returning from hospital stays have come back with bedsores and in deteriorating health, according to staff.

The issue was raised by Middlesbrough care home staff at a meeting looking at the safeguarding of vulnerable adults in residential care.

Emma King, staff nurse at St Mary’s Nursing Home in Linthorpe, who has worked in the care industry for 10 years, said: “I don’t feel they (hospital) give us enough information. We have to chase them up.

"And they go in without a mark on their body and come out with pressure sores.”

Diane Maughan, manager at Dalby Court Care Home, Coulby Newham, said sometimes she doesn’t receive a full discharge sheet, which means the home staff do not know if the resident’s needs have changed.

Rachel Mawer, contracts and commissioning implementation manager at Middlesbrough Council, told the social care and adult services scrutiny panel that the issue was on the agenda of the care homes’ forum.

Cllr Mick Thompson, chair of the council’s social care and adult services scrutiny panel, said he would raise the issue with the authority’s health scrutiny panel.

But a spokesman for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We have no record of these homes raising such issues through our complaints procedure.

“If they wish to do so, we would be happy to hear these concerns.

“A patient cannot be formally discharged until they are declared as clinically stable by their consultant.”

The meeting also looked at the numbers of safeguarding alerts made to the council, the reviews the council makes at the 29 care homes in the borough, and what powers the authority has if “serious” concerns are raised.

As reported, five vulnerable adults a day were “alerted” to the authorities as being at risk of abuse or neglect in Middlesbrough care homes.

In 2013/14 there were 1,100 alerts from care homes, of which 312 were referred into full safeguarding procedures.

Referrals can vary from serious medication errors, concerns that carers have abused or neglected a resident, or concerns that family members are financially abusing a resident.

Ms Mawer said the majority were “A on B” situations – where one resident has hurt another – and Miss King added that this was extremely common especially among people with dementia.

“We see alerts as a good thing, we would be more concerned by a home which didn’t make any,” said Ms Mawer.

This was supported by the care home managers who agreed they had a good working relationship with the authority and could “even ring if we weren’t sure if something merited an alert or not”.

Mike Sharman, safeguarding adults co-ordinator at Middlesbrough Council, said: “50% were substantiated or partially substantiated.”

Vanessa Fryer, strategy and delivery manager for mental health and safeguarding at Middlesbrough Council, said the worst case she had ever seen was due to “fault on both sides” of the hospital that had discharged a man and the care home he went home to.

“He had some behaviour problems and staff felt unable to help him bathe or eat,” she said.

She admitted that “at that particular point in time” she would have “liked to close that home down”. She said in “extreme situations” the council “should have the authority” to close particular care homes.

A member of the Care Quality Commission was invited to the meeting but no one from the organisation attended.

Permanent tribute at Stockton Mobility Centre for much-loved Stockton man Keith Hayes

A permanent tribute has been paid to a popular Stockton man who “loved to socialise”.

Keith Hayes passed away last month aged 65 after complications with diabetes.

He was a well-known figure around the shops of Stockton town centre, and in particular inside the Stockton Mobility Centre on Bridge Road, where he was “a good friend as well as customer” to the staff, after he began using the service following the loss of his leg to his condition around seven years ago.

Now the staff, led by manager Daniel Barwick, of Thornaby, have installed a touching memorial to Keith, in the form of a plaque bearing his name and picture, along with the words “Volunteer and customer. Will be sadly missed. R.I.P.”

Although Daniel was planning to pay for the tribute from his own pocket, all staff insisted on contributing to the cost as a way of remembering Keith, who helped with voluntary duties in the shop as well as chatting to other customers.

Keith’s ex-wife Alison Hayes, who had become very close to Keith again since he helped her through the loss of her long-term partner Michael two years ago, was invited to the unveiling of the plaque along with the couple’s son Andrew, 31.

Plaque unveiled at Shopmobility, Stockton, in memory of Keith Hayes

Alison, 58, of Fairfield, said: “Keith passed away very suddenly. It was a big shock to us all because he wasn’t expected to die.

“He’d been in hospital after getting an abscess on his hand.

“Keith was really there for me after Michael died and we became very close again. I never fell out of love with him really - we were married for 17 years but we’d got married quite young.

“He was such a lovely man.

“I just can’t thank the staff enough for the plaque. Keith would have been really chuffed. It’s such a lovely thing to do and a great way to remember him.

“This shop and the people in it were such a big part of his life.”

Keith worked as a book binder for many years after leaving school, then went on to work for Stockton Council’s grounds department after being made redundant in the late ‘90s.

Plaque unveiled at Shopmobility, Stockton, in memory of Keith Hayes

Son Andrew, who lived with and cared for his dad in recent years, said: “He enjoyed that job very much. Unfortunately it was there that his problems started really - he injured the bottom of his foot on a piece of wood and kept getting infections. He ended up having the leg removed, and actually got a lot of his mobility back after that.

“I can’t stress enough how sociable he was - he was compulsively social. He had to get out of the house every day.

“There was a core to him that was very loving and friendly, and he was very generous.

“The plaque is indicative of how strong the feeling towards him was.”

Keith was also close to his auntie Audrey and her family.

Shop manager Daniel added: “Keith meant a lot to me, as well as being a customer. He was a good friend.”

John Powls: Boro were comprehensively beaten at Arsenal but the damage was limited

There’s no way of putting a gloss on it - Boro were comprehensively beaten by a very good Arsenal team and made matters worse by being far from their best especially before the break.

But the demoralising rout that threatened when the imperious Gunners went two up with a brilliant brace from Giroud in two first half minutes didn’t materialise.

There were no daft yellow cards that threatened more suspensions and it didn’t appear that Boro picked up any injuries beyond badly bruised egos.

So, damage was limited for the only priority for the season - the Championship campaign that they can now concentrate on, as the cliché runs.

Should Karanka and his men get back to their best and channel FA Cup frustrations into a table-topping win at St. Andrew’s on Wednesday yesterday’s debacle will soon be put behind them.

Amongst the many downsides we won’t dwell on, there were just a few good things that came out of Sunday’s game that can be taken on to that game.

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Fredericks – with more reason than most to perform well at The Emirates – had a decent game in defence but also got forward when he could.

His run and cross for Kike to head against Szczesny’s post in added time was far and away Boro’s best moment.

Gorgeous did well on the other flank too and at least looked as though he wanted to make a contest out of it.

Tomas Mejias couldn’t be faulted with either of the two he conceded and made one worldie save, a clutch of other very good ones and showed his development over the season by taking crosses confidently.

He did repeat one technical error from early in the season when he rushed out at an Ozil run feet first but didn’t make the red card contact he risked.

The deflection he got on the German’s chip was enough for Clayts to get back and clear from near the line.

Overall, though, the Spaniard is showing he can be an able deputy to Dimi.

Tomas Mejias saves

Lastly, Adam Reach showed way more intent, direct running and threat in the 35 minutes he got from the bench than he did in the timid full ninety he had at the seaside.

For the rest, best to draw a veil.....

Though they’ll want to be back at The Emirates next season in the Prem, Boro can console themselves that they won’t be facing anything like a Cazorla inspired Arsenal again on Wednesday.

But St. Andrew’s has always been a tough place to visit for Boro and though the Rowett revival has faltered a little in recent games, Brum come into this one with eight days rest since Ollie’s strugglers turned them over in the second city.

With Dimi back between the sticks, will Woody replace Omeruo who defended reasonably at Arsenal but whose ball distribution was poor – a fault that many in the Championship have already noted.

In the front four, I think Bam-Bam and Vossen should start with Adomah and Reach either side with Tomlin benched.

Away or not, Boro should start fast, front foot and free-flowing and go for the Blues from the off and sustain it all the way to three points.

C’mon Boro!!!!