Benefits Street: Kingston Road residents urged to quit controversial TV show by MP

Stockton residents being filmed for Benefits Street are being urged by their MP to quit the controversial TV show.

Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham has written to every resident of Kingston Road asking them to “think again” about taking part in the Channel 4 documentary.

The Labour MP has already suggested the makers of the programme, Love Productions, should “get out of the town” after accusing them of setting people up for “entertainment purposes only”.

And yesterday he paid a visit to the street in Tilery to make sure residents “understand exactly what they have got themselves into.”

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Gallery: Benefit Street continues to be recorded in Kingston Road in Stockton

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Read all our coverage on Benefits Street series 2 in Kingston Road

He told the Gazette: “I spoke with several residents who told me they and their neighbours were opposed to the programme and wanted no part of it.

“They said just a few people wanted it, but the area was already suffering from troublemakers coming in from other areas to play up to the cameras.”

The MP said he left the street after two Love Production camera crews “followed my every step”.

In his letter to the residents he says: “The television executives claim a high moral purpose to give people who they say don’t have a voice a chance to speak out about their problems and how they feel let down.

“But what they haven’t outlined is the immense intrusion there will be into participants’ lives by themselves and large parts of the media who won’t be there to do the people of our area any favours.”

He goes on: “I hope that if you are one of the people thinking of taking part that you will think again, recognise what it will really mean for you, your family and local residents, and tell Love Productions their programme isn’t for you or our community.”

Helen Goodman MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Culture, was in Stockton yesterday visiting Preston Hall Museum and took time out of her schedule to meet Louise Baldock, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Stockton South, to discuss Benefits Street.

Helen said: “A lot of good things are happening in Stockton at Preston Hall and the Arc, so why does Channel 4 persist in perpetuating these dreary negative stereotypes? Benefits Street is not a serious documentary and serves only to make entertainment out of poverty and hardship.”

The new series of Benefits Street will reportedly feature 48-year-old grandmother-of-six Dot Taylor.

Known as ‘Orange Dee’ because of her fake tan, she is tipped to become the star of the new series when it airs next year

Taliban storm Afghan intelligence base

A least six people have been reported killed in a Taliban attack on an Afghan intelligence building in the eastern city of Jalalabad, sources have told Al Jazeera.

The attack early on Saturday began with a suicide car bomb. A gun battle between those inside the building and an unknown number of Taliban fighters was reported to be ongoing.

A spokesman for Nangarhar’s governor confirmed the attack.

Hospital officials told Al Jazeera that at least six people have been killed in the attack, and 45 wounded. Both civilians and members of the military are among the dead.

The building targeted belongs to the country’s intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security. The Taliban told Al Jazeera that it was behind the attack

Billingham Stars confident they can shine under new format

The Billingham Stars continue their build up to the new season with a friendly against Scottish National League outfit Aberdeen Lynx this evening.

After a busy summer of transfers and competition format changes, the Ultimate Windows-sponsored Stars are ready to take on all-comers as they look to avoid three seasons on the spin without a trophy.

The Teessiders have seen quite a few comings and goings throughout the summer. The major blow is the loss of top scorer Stephen Wallace, who takes a sabbatical from hockey.

His loss is offset somewhat by three big new signings.

Canadian Thomas Stuart-Dant and Chris Sykes - both high-scoring forwards - were signed from League rivals Sutton Sting, while Billingham-born defenseman Tom Keeley returns after three years playing in North America.

Billingham have made sure they have a squad large enough to cope with the rigours of an exciting new cup competition by retaining the bulk of last season’s team.

The National Ice Hockey League North competition has reverted to a two division format with promotion and relegation after the perceived failure of the more regional Conference system.

For the Stars this will be a shortened league programme after the late withdrawal of Telford Titans. However, the prospect of real competition at both ends of the table will mean that every point is critical.

Fewer games in the league is more than compensated for by the creation of the new English Challenge Cup, a competition that will see Billingham take on four teams from the higher level English Premier League – Manchester Phoenix, Peterborough Phantoms, Sheffield Steeldogs and Telford Tigers - as well as current rivals Solway Sharks and Blackburn Hawks.

The playing field will be levelled by restricting the EPL teams to icing only one import - different rules regarding non-British trained players cover the two leagues – which should make for some very exciting hockey at the Forum.

The Stars’ general manager Allen Flavell has big expectations of his strengthened side as they go for league and cup glory.

“Our target in the league is play-offs as a minimum but we really should be challenging for top spot,” he said. “I think we’ve put together a good enough team to win the league.

“I was always conscious that the EPL crossover cup competition was likely to happen, the rules are that the EPL sides can only ice one import at a time so we should be of a similar standard.

“They may have the better of the British players but I feel that we will be competitive and I’m sure the lads and all the fans will be right up for it.

“We’ve picked up a few really good players this summer,” he added. “Stuart-Dant and Sykes both posted good stats at Sutton last season so I’m expecting a lot from them. At the back we’ve picked up Tom Keeley – he’s looked really impressive in training.

“We’ve kept pretty much everyone else from last season so we’ve got some real talent in the squad. I’m expecting to pick up silverware this season.”

Flavell sees tonight’s game against the Lynx game as an ideal opportunity for the Stars to get some early momentum to take into what he believes will be a massive season.

The fixture faces off at Billingham Forum at 6.30pm.

Tickets can be bought from the box office from 5.30pm priced at £8.00 (adults), £5.50 (concessions) and £25 (family 2+2).

George Galloway left 'badly bruised' after being punched by man shouting about the Holocaust

Controversial Respect MP George Galloway was left badly bruised after being attacked in the street tonight, his spokesman said.

Mr Galloway was posing for pictures with people in Golborne Road, Notting Hill, London, when a man shouted a comment about the Holocaust and laid into him, the spokesman said.

Police were quickly on the scene and made an arrest.

Mr Galloway was making a statement at Notting Hill Police Station, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said: "George was posing for pictures with people and this guy just attacked him, leapt on him and started punching him.

"It appears to be connected with his comments about Israel because the guy was shouting about the Holocaust."

The spokesman had no idea whether the attacker was an Israeli, an EDL-supporter or had some other motivation for attacking the Bradford West MP.

Mr Galloway was interviewed earlier this month by West Yorkshire Police following a speech in Leeds in which he claimed Bradford was an Israeli-free area.

The spokesman added: "George is badly bruised but OK. He has bruising to his head and face and is in a pretty bad shape."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Police were called at approximately 1940 hours this evening to Golborne Road, W10, after a man was assaulted in the street.

"Officers attended. The suspect was found a short time later and stopped.

"He was arrested on suspicion of ABH and taken to the south London police station where he remains."

In 2008 Mr Galloway was pelted with a rubber stress ball as he was campaigning in an open-top bus in London.

The firebrand politician received medical treatment but was not taken to hospital.

A man was arrested and cautioned by police over the incident.

Aitor Karanka confirms Jason Steele has been offered chance to leave Boro

Aitor Karanka has confirmed that Jason Steele has been offered the chance to leave Boro.

However, the Spaniard also revealed that the former England Under-21 keeper opted to stay and fight for his place.

Karanka admitted Steele is not his first or second choice goalie as things stand, so it’s still possible the 24-year-old could have a change of heart and move on before the transfer window closes on Monday night.

The Boro boss is keeping an open mind, saying: “Jason knows the situation. I said if he has a good choice to go then for me it wasn’t a problem, but he decided to stay here and if he is here after Monday he will be available for selection.

“I told him one or two months ago if he had another choice (option) he could go. For this reason he knows that he is not my first choice or my second choice but if he decides to stay he is under contract and he is our keeper.”

Steele is third in the pecking order behind Spanish stopper Tomas Mejias and Greek goalie Dimi Konstantopoulos, though those rankings haven’t met with universal approval from a section of the Boro support.

Mejias has yet to convince the Riverside faithful that he warrants a regular place in the starting XI but Karanka insists his compatriot has his unqualified support.

“I have a lot of confidence in him,” he said. “I trust 100% in him and I would prefer it if the supporters would criticise me if they don’t agree with the selection, not the player.

“The goalkeeper position is a different position and I have to be very careful with my decisions. It’s not like the striker position, where you can (regularly) take one out and move one in.

“We have eight or nine months in front of us where we will play a lot of games and I have to be very sure about my decision but I trust 100% in Tomas, in Dimi and in Jason and Connor Ripley because they are all my keepers.

“Sometimes the crowd have doubts about one player and it’s better for me if the criticism comes to me. The players I choose, I want the crowd to support them.

“I want the crowd to support the 11 players I select and if they want to criticise, then they criticise me. All the players deserve the support of our crowd.”

Karanka signed Mejias earlier this summer from Real Madrid on a two-year contract and thinks the 25-year-old will soon adapt to the rigours of the English Championship.

“Tomas is learning,” he said. “He’s from Spain and it’s a different way of playing out there but I can’t change keeper every game.

“I have to bring one keeper in thinking of the entire season.

“I have no doubts that Tomas will develop and be a good keeper for us for a long time,” he added.

Six-year-old girl chokes to death after waiting double the target time for ambulance

This is the first picture of a six-year-old girl who choked to death on holiday as an ambulance took double the target time of eight minutes to reach her.

Jasmine Lapsley's distraught family revealed their daughter made a wish at a well on the day of the tragedy which 'she never had the chance to see come true.'

The youngster collapsed at a holiday home on the Welsh coast last Tuesday evening where she was staying with relatives.

The Welsh Ambulance Service is now probing why paramedics arrived to treat the girl after 16 minutes in Morfa Nefyn, north Wales.

Her dad Robert said: "She was full of love, life, energy and enthusiasm for her family, friends and her so many interests.

"She was truly a shining light in our lives.

"On the day Jasmine passed away she made a wish at a wishing well whilst on a day out with ourselves and her brothers and she never had the chance to see the wish come true."

Frank Maudsley, former bassist from Liverpool new wave band Flock of Seagulls, said: “She was an angel.

"She would come into my shop and just stand there and smile.

“When it was her birthday I gave her a china tea set from the shop.”

An off-duty ambulance employee and police officer tried desperately to save the schoolgirl until help arrived.

An RAF rescue helicopter, from Prince William's former HQ in Anglesey, flew Jasmine, from Anfield, Liverpool, 20 miles to hospital at Bangor where she later died.

The Welsh Ambulance Service said: "We will be looking into the circumstances to ensure we have a proper understanding of exactly what happened.”

It is the latest controversy for the troubled service after this month's scandal that hundreds of patients in Wales, including a baby who later died, were taken to hospital by police because ambulances were unavailable.

Israeli forces declare Nablus village ‘closed military zone’

NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Thursday declared the Nablus village of Madama a closed military zone, citing security reasons, witnesses said.

Israeli troops set up checkpoints at all exits to the village and prohibited residents from leaving or entering, locals told Ma’an.

An ambulance was allowed to enter the village only after a lengthy inspection by Israeli soldiers.

The village is located adjacent to Burin, which was raided by Israeli soldiers on Wednesday.

Israeli troops fired tear gas and sound grenades in an elementary school in Burin after a youth in the area allegedly threw rocks at a settler vehicle