One-third of Gaza’s mosques destroyed by Israeli strikes

The Israeli onslaught on Gaza demolished 73 mosques in 51 days, while 205 others were partially destroyed, a government report said.

According to a committee formed by the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Construction, the damages caused by Israeli aggression on houses of worship, tombs, and charity offices amount to $40.4 million.

The only two churches in Gaza were also hit and partially damaged, while the gates of 10 tombs were destroyed.

The affected mosques represent one-third of Gaza’s mosques, the committee said.

Among the destroyed mosques were historical ones, particularly Al-Omari Mosque in Jabalya which dates back to 649 AD.

The mosque was built 1,365 years ago during the rule of the Muslim leader Amr Ibn Al-’As and was named after him. It is also called Manarat Al-Zaher.

It consisted of three floors and its area was greater than 3,000 square metres. It could accommodate more than 2,000 worshippers.

Al-Omari Mosque was previously hit by Israeli strikes in 2008 and 2009 and later renovated, but it was completely destroyed in the most recent assault.

The report added that most of Gaza’s mosques were built thanks to donations by citizens since donor countries exclude houses of worship from reconstruction aid.

The targeting of mosques by Israeli warplanes in the latest offensive was three times higher than in 2008 and 2009, the report said

Middlesbrough Street brought to standstill during rooftop protest

A teeside community was brought to a standstill after a man staged a rooftop protest.

Emergency services were called to Costa Street in Gresham, Middlesbrough, at 1.55pm today after the man scaled a house and refused to come down.

He could be seen hurling bricks and other items at the ground below.

A large police cordon was put in place around the scene where crowds gathered to watch the drama unfold.

Some people were shouting at the man to get down but this prompted him to moon the crowd and then go on to pull the famous Usain Bolt pose.

One onlooker told The Gazette that the debris, which could be seen on the floor, had earlier hit a police vehicle.

The man eventually came down following negotiations.

A Cleveland Police spokesman said the man was detained at about 5.30pm and was taken to a police station to be questioned over the matter.

Redcar chef wrongly claimed £17,000 in benefits while working for hotel in North Yorkshire

A hotel chef claimed more than £17,000 in benefits without telling the authorities he was working, a court heard.

When government investigators asked William McLuckie whether he was married, he said: “Nothing to do with you whatsoever.”

When he was shown a marriage certificate, he said: “Oh yeah, we got married. We don’t live together.”

Facebook had shown the couple socialising together, with their families and on holiday in Thailand.

McLuckie, 51, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court for a benefit fraud spanning a two-and-a-half-year period between 2010 and 2012.

He claimed incapacity, council tax and housing benefits as a single man who did not work and did not have a partner living with him, said prosecutor Kieran Rainey today.

In fact, he worked as a chef for a hotel in Reeth, North Yorkshire.

He also worked for a hotel in Bainbridge, Wensleydale and for a leisure company in Cockermouth, Cumbria.

And he lived with his partner, whom he married in July 2012.

In total, he was overpaid £17,174 in benefits - £7,894 in incapacity benefit, £9,279 in housing and council tax benefits.

He said he worked only for short spells lasting a matter of weeks.

McLuckie, of Newcomen Grove, Redcar, admitted four charges of failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions and Redcar and Cleveland Council of a change in his circumstances affecting benefits.

He is now repaying the money gained from the offences between March 2010 and November 2012.

He had a previous similar conviction from 2010.

Julian Gaskin, defending, said McLuckie worked for about 22 weeks during the two-year period.

He said McLuckie couldn’t work due to severe depression, but tried to get back into work without telling the authorities.

The offences happened as McLuckie thought he was fit for work but found he couldn’t continue.

Mr Gaskin added: “He tried to kid himself he could work.

“He should have declared it.”

He said McLuckie and his partner were separated and lived apart for some of the time.

He argued McLuckie, who had character references, was now working and the only way for him to pay back the money was to allow him to carry on.

Judge Tony Briggs said this was the “decisive” factor in passing sentence.

He told the defendant: “When I first saw these papers my immediate reaction was to send you immediately to custody, bearing in mind the previous conviction that you have.”

He did not jail McLuckie in light of his guilty pleas at the first opportunity and the fact he was making repayments.

He gave McLuckie a four-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He added: “You have to understand it’s a very close run thing.

“It’s only because you seem to have turned a corner and are now in good work where others seem to depend upon you, and where you are now highly thought of.”

Redcar store manager jailed for secretly filming teen in the shower with his mobile phone

A store manager has been jailed for secretly filming a teenager in the shower with his mobile phone.

David Briddick, 42, videoed the girl on three occasions after asking to use the bathroom before her at her home.

She reported him to the police when she found the mobile propped up to catch her naked.

Prosecutor Sue Jacobs told Teesside Crown Court the girl said in a Victim Impact Statement that she was now wary of men.

Briddick, the father of two boys, who ran a food store in Redcar, made no reply when he was arrested and questioned.

Graham Silvester, defending, said Briddick could not explain why he had done it.

He added: “Why a man of his age and with his good work record and his obviously good points in being able to raise a family should do this is as bemusing to him as it is to the rest of us.

“He is disgusted with himself and has lost his self-respect.”

Mr Silvester said the offences passed the custody threshold, but he urged the judge not to impose an immediate prison sentence.

The girl had said in a letter to the judge that she wanted him spared from jail for the sake of his boys.

Judge Peter Bowers told Briddick: “What you did is shameful. You were spying on her, and although you say that there was no sexual motive, I can’t think of any other reason why you would want to do it.”

The judge added: “In the circumstances, she asks me not to send you to prison, and the probation officer asks me the same.

“I can’t accede to that, but I can reduce the two year sentence which is what I had in mind.”

Briddick, formerly of Loftus but lately of The Causeway, Darlington, was jailed for 15 months after he pleaded guilty to three charges of voyeurism and two of taking indecent photographs. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and given a 10 year ban restricting his contact with girls under 16.

Billingham House: Site of infamous demolished eyesore bought by neighbouring firm

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Billingham House demolition

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The site of the once infamous Teesside eyesore Billingham House has been bought by a neighbouring firm.

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies has bought the land with a medium to long term view of further expanding its business and facilities on Billingham’s Belasis Avenue.

The move has been welcomed by Stockton Council, which stumped up £1.2m to demolish the building after its owners left it derelict for several years.

Demolition of the ten-storey former ICI-headquarters was completed in December 2012 - to the jubilation of long-suffering local residents who were sick of the sight of the decaying building.

The work was the culmination of a lengthy legal wrangle, which had previously prevented the council pressing ahead with demolition plans.

Stockton Council had been pursuing the building’s owners Bizzy B Management Ltd through the courts to recover legal and demolition costs associated with bulldozing the building.

The demolition cost had spiralled from the £500,000 originally estimated.

But after it emerged London-based Bizzy B had gone into administration the council started working with the liquidator for the land to be sold on the open market to recover the costs from its sale.

Stockton Council’s Leader, Councillor Bob Cook, said news of the sale to Fujifilm was “really encouraging”.

“We are very pleased the site has been bought by a local company and look forward to hearing more about Fujifilm’s ambitions for it,” he said.

Seimi Satake, chief operating officer at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, said: “We are pleased to have been able to buy this land with a medium to long term view of further expansion of our business and facilities.

“Our current multiple R&D, manufacturing and support facilities are on a site on the other side of Belasis Avenue that is landlocked with limited room for further expansion.

“Being able in the future to develop the newly purchased land will be hugely beneficial in terms of logistics, communications and integration.

“We look forward to sharing the next stages of our exciting growth plans with the Council and local community in the near future, which we anticipate will not only contribute to the revitalisation of the immediate vicinity, but also benefit the wider area in terms of business development opportunities.”

Watch: Aitor Karanka discusses the visit of Reading to the Riverside

Boro head coach is not expecting an easy game against Reading at the Riverside tomorrow.

"It's a very difficult game, a very dangerous game and it's a very important game," he told the club's YouTube channel.

The match is the final game before the international break and Karanka is looking to go out with three points.

But he warned: "It's not going to be an easy game because they have got a very good team."

You can read all the information about injuries and likely line-ups at out pre-match pack here.

You can also follow the match through our live blog from 2pm tomorrow.

Boro's head coach has already said that Tomas Mejias is likely to start in goal.

Man assaulted by three men with pieces of wood in broad daylight Eston Square assault

Three men attacked a 33-year-old with pieces of wood in broad daylight on a Teesside street.

The man was in Eston Square, Eston, when he was assaulted.

Three males approached the man and an altercation took place, in which pieces of wood were used as weapons.

The victim suffered significant bruising to his face and body and was taken to James Cook University Hospital for treatment before being released.

Three men aged 28, 37 and 40 have been arrested on suspicion of assault and have been bailed pending further enquiries.

Police are now appealing for witnesses to the incident, which took place at around 3pm on Sunday August 24.

Any witnesses to the incident are asked to contact Detective Sergeant Amy Campbell on the non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.