TODAY we reveal how despicable thieves targeted front-line medical staff as they attempted to save lives.

Shocking figures show hard-working doctors and nurses have had 88 items pilfered from them during the last six years.

Lockers were raided while surgeons performed in theatre and one medic even had their handbag stolen from an intensive therapy unit.

READ THE FULL STORY IN TODAY’S MAIL

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Email the {mailto:mail.news@northeast-press.co.uk|newsdesk}

]]> 1.4275919 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:57:39 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/pm_accused_of_nhs_deception_1_4275363

AN MP has accused the Prime Minister of using “weapons of mass deception” over NHS reforms.

The Government saw off a Labour-led attempt to force it to publish an internal assessment of the risks posed by the controversial NHS reforms yesterday.

MPs voted by 299 to 246 against Labour’s motion calling on ministers to release the risk register associated with the Health and Social Care Bill after an ill-tempered Commons debate.

The Information Commissioner Christopher Graham ruled that the document should be published, but Health Secretary Andrew Lansley challenged his decision.

Labour’s Easington MP Grahame Morris said Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron “has broken his promise of no top-down reorganisation by deploying WMD, weapons of mass deception, to conceal the true nature of his reforms.”

He added: “We know the danger to the future of the NHS with up to 49 per cent of work carried out in NHS hospitals done by the private sector and every service provided by the NHS put out to competitive tender, making it vulnerable to private sector takeover.”

EIGHT people have lost their jobs at a Peterlee clothing store – while staff at a sister store in Hartlepool have been told their posts are secure.

Staff at Peacocks, in Yoden Way, Peterlee, were among workers at 224 stores nationwide to lose their jobs when they closed suddenly last night.

The high street chain fell into administration last month. But joint administrators KPMG announced yesterday that 388 stores throughout the country had been sold to Edinburgh Woolen Mill.

Hartlepool’s Peacocks store, in Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, survived but the Peterlee branch was one of those not included in the sale.

Staff at the Peterlee shop were only told about the closure yesterday and declined to comment when contacted by the Hartlepool Mail.

A spokeswoman for KPMG said the sale to Edinburgh Woolen Mill has saved around 6,000 jobs in the UK, but resulted in 3,100 redundancies, including 16 at Peacocks’ headquarters in Cardiff.

Chris Laverty, joint administrator and restructuring partner at KPMG, said while it is unfortunate redundancies had to be made, the administrators are pleased to have secured the majority of businesses and jobs.

He said: “Like many other retailers, Peacocks suffered from a decline in consumer spending due to the tough economic conditions and this, combined with a surplus of stores and unsustainable capital structure led to the business becoming financially unviable.

“However, a strong brand presence and loyal customer following meant that Peacocks attracted a great deal of interest from both trade and private equity bidders, leading to the successful sale.”

]]> 1.4275954 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:05:01 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/it_s_your_vote_1_4275378

Should bankers still receive a bonus if their bank makes big losses?

Taxpayer-backed Royal Bank of Scotland remained at the heart of the row over bankers’ pay today as it unveiled total losses of £2 billion for 2011 at the same time as paying £785 million in bonuses to its staff.

RBS, which is 82% state-owned after receiving a £45.5 billion bailout at the height of the financial crisis, said the bonus pool included £390 million for its 17,000 investment bankers.

While the total pot is 43% lower than the previous year, it follows a period in which the bank announced thousands of job cuts as it scales back its investment arm Global Banking and Markets.

A FURTHER round of free healthy heart check sessions are being launched after a first batch of appointments was snapped up almost immediately.

Hartlepool Borough Council has joined forces with local NHS officials to offer the checks at a number of locations around the town.

A recent event at the Belle Vue Centre was a huge success and two others, one in the Community Safety Office in York Road on Wednesday, February 22, and another at the Hartlepool People’s Centre on Wednesday, February 29, are fully booked.

A second nurse has now been drafted in for the event at Hartlepool People’s Centre, meaning that twice as many appointments are available and can be booked by calling (01429) 861144.

Additional events are also planned for the Belle Vue Centre on Friday, March 2, and the Salaam Centre in Murray Street on Monday, March 19.

Appointments for the Belle Vue Centre can be made by calling (01429) 221832 and anyone wishing to attend the Salaam Centre should call (01429) 284297.

To be eligible for a check, people must be aged 40-74 and have no existing cardio-vascular disease.

They must not be on medication for high blood pressure or cholesterol and should not have undergone a check in the last five years.

Qualified nurses carry out the half-hour checks which involve measuring people’s cholesterol, height and weight, blood pressure, salt intake and alcohol consumption.

People will also be asked to complete a lifestyle questionnaire, and where necessary they will be referred on to their GPs for further treatment. Appointments are allocated on a first come-first served basis.

INSTRUCTORS and members at an award-winning fitness club are backing Race for Fitness and offering free sessions to encourage people to get in shape.

Charlie Featherstone is the chief instructor at the North East Tang Soo Do Family of Martial Arts and Fitness, based in the town, and is extremely passionate about getting people fit and healthy.

The group, which meets at Owton Manor Primary School and the Stranton Centre, was crowned the best fitness and activity group nationwide at the What’s On 4 Me awards last year.

And now Charlie, who is a full-time professional instructor, is offering free sessions for a week to encourage people to get behind the Mail’s Race for Fitness campaign.

The 46-year-old, who lives in the Rift House area of Hartlepool with wife, Diane, 43, a Slimming World consultant, said: “I am a firm believer that being active and having the correct balance of healthy food is not only better for your body but helps build your confidence and self esteem.”

Charlie runs two fitness and three martial arts sessions every week.

He says he is aware that people do not have a lot of spare time, so the fitness sessions are only one-hour long.

He added: “One hour is all people need. I encourage people to get active and basically just to move, it’s that simple.

“I try to encourage people to get off a bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way and to go up stairs instead of getting a lift, things like that.”

Charlie has the backing of more than 30 members who have thrown their support behind the Mail’s campaign.

Anyone who is interested in going along to a week’s worth of free sessions or for more information about the club should call Charlie on 07974 169229.

JOBS are being axed and library opening hours could be slashed after councillors voted to freeze council tax.

Durham County Council will not increase its portion of council tax bills, but is cutting spending by £26.6m for the next financial year.

That will see the axing of around 20 neighbourhood wardens, merging their work with dog wardens and increasing charges for various services.

Libraries are also facing having their opening hours reduced while community centres are under threat.

Durham Police Authority has frozen its precept, while County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority’s charge will rise by 2.97 per cent.

A HEAVY cannabis user has avoided instant jail after his own crop of plants was nipped in the bud.

Ian Galloway, who has a £100-a-week cannabis habit, was caught by police growing 43 plants in his home.

Teesside Crown Court heard the three-week-old crop could have produced up to £17,000 of skunk cannabis if the plants had reached their full potential.

But they were discovered at the 45-year-old’s flat in Ridlington Way, Hartlepool, when police went to follow up another cannabis farm at the same address.

Prosecuting, Sue Jacobs said: “Officers went to an address in Ridlington Way following up on inquiries in relation to a cannabis farm that had been found there the previous month.

“While making these investigations, they became suspicious regarding the flat occupied by the defendant.

“They could hear fans running, saw there was some ventilation equipment and once inside there was a strong smell of cannabis.” Galloway had also bypassed the electricity meter to fuel the heat and ventilation equipment in order to help the plants grow.

He illegally used £480 of electricity and caused £500 in damage.

Galloway, who has smoked cannabis for around 30 years, accepted he would have supplied some of the eventual drugs to family and friends.

He admitted production and possession of cannabis and abstracting electricity on June 13 last year.

Paul Cleasby, mitigating, said: “He accepts he couldn’t have possibly consumed all that cannabis for himself.

“He co-operated with the police and allowed them access to the property, eventhough he knew what they would find.

“It does not appear that the venture has profited him in any way.”

A probation report said the chance of Galloway re-offending was low.

He was given a 12-month prison sentence that was suspended for two years, with one-year probation supervision and 100-hours unpaid work.

He will also be electronically tagged for a three-month curfew between 10pm and 7am.

The judge, Recorder David Dobbin said: “While there were a number of plants and clearly a small commercial enterprise, it was not an industrial sized enterprise.”

HAVING thought long and hard about my response to the council’s recent amendments to the budget proposals, I decided to object to the amendments that were put forward at the council meeting nearly two weeks ago.

Every year there happen to be one or two last minute issues that need ironing out before the full budget gets agreed.

Almost always they come down to moving £20,000 or £30,000 from funding one thing to another and in a budget of over £200m it never really makes that much difference to the final outcome.

There are a couple of bits within the council’s amendments that are not that important in the bigger picture.

A ward fund for councillors and a new furniture project would cost about £200,000 and I wouldn’t lose any sleep if we ended up funding both of these.

I have not objected to the council’s amendment about setting up a fund to help retrain and upskill staff who are at threat from redundancy and in the redeployment pool.

I think it an extremely laudable suggestion but I do have a problem with us saying the funding is coming from the savings generated when the staff went on strike.

Through extremely good financial management during this last year, we have managed to come in more than £4m under spent on this year’s budget.

This retraining budget can be set up from any part of this saving.

It may seem like a small, pedantic point, but I think it is an important one. Again, it is almost inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

The one big sticking point in this whole thing, as I mentioned last week, is the amendment from the Council not to fund the upfront costs of outsourcing ICT/Revenues and Benefits.

I’m afraid I cannot just sit back and allow this amendment to go unchallenged. The potential consequences doing a U-turn at this stage could be disastrous and end up costing many people their jobs for a number of years.

If I didn’t object to this amendment, I would be doing the council, the staff and especially the public a huge disservice.

It is absolutely the correct course of action given the circumstances we are in.

To change now would not only leave the council’s reputation in tatters with any future partners, it would, and I can’t stress this point enough, it would leave dozens, if not hundreds of council staff jobs at risk over the next couple of years.

My fear is that many councillors do not fully understand the outsourcing process and therefore don’t appreciate the gravity of the situation.

In many meetings, they have seemed to choose to ignore council officers’ professional advice and there is definitely a sense that, because the cabinet are proposing this, it must be wrong and therefore opposed.

I have said since my first day in office that there should be no place for party politics in local government and this is a prime example of why.

Party political councillors are told how they have to vote despite what they might think themselves. I know for a fact that there are some councillors who totally agree with outsourcing these services but are being forced to oppose them by their party.

This cannot be healthy for democracy and is certainly not healthy for the future of the council.

I will continue to try and convince councillors right up until tomorrow night’s meeting that they are making a huge mistake by supporting this amendment.

I would suggest that each one goes and finds out for themselves the true facts about the decision they are going to make instead of listening to a few ring leaders.

It actually will come down to an individual choice of each councillor on the decision they are going to make.

If they can go to bed at night knowing that they have made their decision based on the facts and what they truly believe in, then fine, I’d be more than happy to accept the outcome.

If, however, they make their decision based on what others are trying to force them to do and going against their true beliefs and principles, then they are the ones who have to live with themselves and I will find it hard to respect or trust them again

]]> 1.4269703 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:00:54 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/mayor_no_decision_yet_on_cabinet_cull_1_4271549

HARTLEPOOL Mayor Stuart Drummond will wait until after the local election in May before deciding whether to reduce the size of his cabinet committee.

Mayor Drummond chairs Hartlepool Borough Council’s nine-strong cabinet committee.

But he has been quizzed over whether he would be reducing the size when the number of councillors is slashed by around a third from 47 to 33 after the election in May.

The shake-up is part of major electoral changes which will also see the number of wards reduce from 17 to 11.

Mayor Drummond responded to a question from Labour councillor Rob Cook at Monday’s cabinet meeting.

The cabinet met to discuss a series of proposals including plans to reduce the number of scrutiny forums and committees at Hartlepool Borough Council.

Coun Cook said: “Will the cabinet committee be reducing by a third?”

In response, Mayor Drummond said: “Possibly.”

He went on to say: “The size of the cabinet can be between two and nine as set out in the local government act and therefore it is at the disposal of whoever is mayor or council leader.

“I will make a decision on the size of the cabinet when we have seen the results of the election.

“I would be slightly wary of doing anything about that now.

“I am very aware that the size of the council is reducing and I’m not going to do anything to go against what we are trying to do here.”

The cabinet is made up of Labour councillors Chris Simmons, Peter Jackson, Jonathan Brash, Ged Hall, Robbie Payne and Pamela Hargreaves and independent councillors Hilary Thompson and Cath Hill.

Coun Cook said if the cabinet was reduced it would allow more members to take part in the scrutiny forums, which could reduce from six to four.

Cabinet backed proposals to merge the neighbourhood services and regeneration and planning services scrutiny forums and the health scrutiny forum and the adult and community services forum.

They also gave their backing to abolishing the constitution committee after the elections and the contract scrutiny committee.

Instead the monitoring officer will review the constitution, which Mayor Drummond said has been changed more times in nine years than the United States of America constitution has in 200, on a regular basis.

Councillors seminars could also be deleted from the council diary and replaced with ad hoc briefing sessions and a freeze imposed on councillor attendance where conference costs are incurred.

Cabinet members also backed plans to reduce the size of committees and forums to reflect the reduction in councillors.

Coun Cook, alongside Conservative group leader Ray Wells, presented a referral report from the scrutiny co-ordinating committee about the changes to the way the council works.

Scrutiny and cabinet clashed over some proposals with scrutiny wanting the constitution committee to remain and over plans to reduce the scrutiny forums.

But cabinet said they were confident it wouldn’t have an affect on the work of scrutiny and that the forums would have to prioritise.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Email the {mailto:mail.news@northeast-press.co.uk|newsdesk}

BINGO punters in one Hartlepool venue have won more than £4m in just 12 months.

Mecca Bingo in Hartlepool is celebrating having paid out £4.1m of prize money to customers throughout the whole of last year.

Regionally, the company has paid out £32.5m to customers in the North-East, contributing to a national club, online and mobile total of over £310m.

Gavin Lee, general manager at Mecca Hartlepool, said: “To pay out £4.1m worth of prize money to our customers in one year is fantastic..”

Club, online and mobile players in London and the South-East had the most reason to celebrate after taking home the biggest share of money last year – £64m.

In second place was the North-West, where customers won an equally impressive £53.6m, followed by Scotland with £50.7m, Yorkshire at £39.7m, the North-East, the Midlands with £34.6m, the South West with £14.7m, Wales with £10.7m, and £9.7m for the East of England.

A HARTLEPOOL businessman misled jobseekers into handing over tens of thousands of

pounds in an employment scam.

Training company boss James William Akin promised jobs earning £30,000 a year to those who signed up to his scheme.

But the work never materialised, leaving 20 people who had signed up to his online training scheme £70,000 out of pocket.

Akin, 58, admitted breaching trading regulations at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

But he was escaped with a community order and was ordered to pay £500 each to two of his victims - at a rate of just £5 a week.

His firm Kalmindon Ltd - which has ceased to trade - offered a course in internet search engine optimisation, which cost £2,500 plus £375 VAT.

It was advertised in Job Centre Plus sites nationwide throughout 2009 and 2010, and promised people signing up a guaranteed annual income of £30,000 and sufficient employment and business leads on completion.

But those who signed up found that training took longer than planned, and that no jobs materialised at the end of it, prosecutor Michele Stowe said.

Akin admitted he had grossly overestimated the likely demand for the company’s services.

Stockton Council, which the business was based within the boundaries of, prosecuted both Akin and his company for engaging in unfair commercial practices.

Both he and his company pleaded guilty to two offences of misleading actions in respect of guaranteed employment, face-to-face training, a guaranteed client base and that income would exceed £30,000.

The court was told of the 58-year-old’s life, and how he once owning a £2.5m seven-bedroom home in the private estate of Wynyard in County Durham but is now on benefits.

Akin has been ordered to pay two of the complainants £500 compensation each and complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Magistrates told Akin that the amount of compensation would have been more if it wasn’t for his current financial circumstances.

They ordered that £5 a week be deducted from Akin’s benefits.

The court heard that events out of Akin’s control led to the failure of his Billingham-based company Kalmindon Ltd, that he has been “humiliated” by the downfall and that he is now a man of “limited means”.

Akin and his wife now receive £105 a week in Jobseekers Allowance and £62 in housing benefit.

After the repossession of his Wynyard mansion, he now lives in a privately rented four-bedroom detached property in nearby Hartlepool.

He pays £1,100-a-month rent, which is subsidised with savings.

And despite the large sums raked in, jobless Akin was ordered to pay back just £1,000 in compensation to his victims, at only £5 a week.

Akin and Kalmindon also pleaded guilty to misleading omissions in a Job Centre Plus advertisement, which failed to disclose that no clients actually existed.

It also neglected to say that completion of the training depended on how quickly the instructor marked work and that the course was online, with no face-to-face mentoring.

Adam McGlison, defending, said Akin had used his experience as a successful businessman to create the training package.

But he said a combination of factors, including the recession and the fact that Akin’s brother - who was going to run the training course - took ill, had a “knock on effect”, meaning Akin couldn’t meet his “optimistic promises”.

Mr McGlison said, his client who had no previous conviction, had not been “lining his pockets” with the money.

He added: “He has gone from being a proud and successful businessman of many years to being in a position where he has nothing at all. His self confidence has been shattered.”

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and community Safety, said: “This case has affected people across the country, many of whom could ill afford neither the fees nor the lack of work at the end of their course.

“To make matters worse, much of what they learned would have been freely available on the internet.

“We will do all we can to assist any consumers who wish to pursue a refund. I hope this case will act as a warning to others who may be tempted to set up a scam.”

The Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 ban traders from using unfair commercial practices towards consumers and include a general prohibition on dishonest market practices along with sanctions for false or misleading actions which harm the economic interests of consumers.

]]> 1.4274167 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:31:37 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/no_age_barrier_in_race_for_fitness_1_4269715

ARE you on board with a Hartlepool Mail campaign to improve fitness?

We want to hear from hundreds of people in the Hartlepool and east Durham areas who plan to spend this year improving their wellbeing.

Our Race For Fitness project aims to get 2,012 people doing something to change their life for the better.

Our supporters so far include Hartlepool Borough Council which has highlighted its excellent range of services for all the family, including the younger generation.

And as the details below show, there’s plenty to do for all ages.

A council spokesman said: “Our outdoor activities team offers a range of events across Hartlepool and the Tees Valley. They are fully inclusive and led by qualified instructors”.

But it is not just close to home that the council runs activities. It also takes teams of people – led by experienced staff – to scenic places such as the Lake District.

The fun includes mountain biking, walking archery, canoeing, orienteering, climbing and abseiling at the very scenic location of St John’s in The Vale.

Groups can enjoy some of the best views available of Skiddaw and Blencathra, while sleeping in comfort in dormitory style rooms with en-suite bathrooms.

Those who have enjoyed the outdoor activities programme have so far included school parties, adult walking groups and foster care teams.

Closer to home, the council is holding swim tots sessions at the Mill House Leisure Centre on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

And the Summerhill reserve off Catcote Road offers a huge variety of activities such as indoor climbing in the visitor centre, nature studies, archery, a hands-on look at archeology, boulder climbing and craft sessions for groups which can include making mini beasts;

There are charges for the activities and more details are available from the centre.

The council’s principal recreation officer, Maxine Crutwell, said: “We are committed to enhancing the lives of the people of Hartlepool. Our aim is to get more people participating in sport and physical activity.

“We work with many key partners to achieve our aim such as schools, colleges, clubs, the Primary Care Trust and voluntary organisations.”

More details are available from.hartlepool.gov.uk, on twitter HBC Sport, and by email to sport.recreation@hartlepool.gov.uk

And anyone wanting to find out about events at Summerhill should contact (01429) 284584.

A COMMUNITY organisation says a multi-million-pound scheme to help young people into work has “narrow scope”.

The Wharton Trust, in Hartlepool, agrees the £126m Youth Contract scheme announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg yesterday will help young people “move forward”.

But trust bosses say extra should be done to help more young people, as the fund only targets 16 and 17-year-olds who have no GCSEs at Grade C or above.

Mr Clegg has pledged to deal with the “ticking time bomb” of teenagers who are not in work, school, or training, or “NEETS” – not in education, employment, or training.

At least 55,000 16 and 17-year-olds are set to benefit from the scheme, which will see charities and businesses invited to bid for contracts worth up to £2,200 to take young people on.

Carl Crossman, access to employment co-ordinator at the trust, based in Wharton Terrace, said: “Of course we welcome the announcement that there is money to be made available to support specific groups of NEET young people to move forward and believe that it will help some young people which is a good thing.

“However, we have real concern that there are many young people who will not benefit from the scheme due to the narrow parameters announced so far.

“Equally importantly, the scheme will not enable small organisations, such as the Wharton Trust, to be part of the delivery of this work.

This age range has been singled out because evidence suggests that unemployment early on can have a permanent effect on earning potential, according to the Department for Education.

The Hartlepool Mail reported earlier this month that the Access to Employment course, which has helped 300 people into work over the past two years, is under threat due to funding cuts.

It came during the launch of our Work in Progress campaign, which aims to highlight the plight of the town’s unemployed and help them into work.

Mr Crossman added: “The nature of the contracting arrangements appear to be on a results basis, which means that only organisations with large reserves will be able to take a risk on working with the young people on what is essentially a no win-no fee basis.”

Under the Youth Contract scheme, young people would receive an initial payment up front and more money when they show good progress.

The announcement comes days after the latest unemployment figures showed the number of jobless 16 to 24-year-olds increased by 22,000 to 1.04 million in the three months to December.

Last month in Hartlepool, 4,633 people claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance, with 1,460 of claimants being young people aged 18 to 24.

Mr Clegg said: “This problem isn’t new, but in the current economic climate we urgently need to step up efforts to ensure some of our most troubled teenagers have the skills, confidence and opportunities to succeed.”

POLICE are appealing for information after two alleged groping incidents on a bus.

They say a teenage girl was touched on the leg by a man on the number 52 Stagecoach bus between Stockton and Billingham on Friday, December 9, last year.

Another woman also complained of being groped on the back of her legs on the same route on Wednesday, December 21.

Both incidents are said to have happened at around 4pm.

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Andrew Hamilton, at Stockton CID, on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

SCORES of people turned out to honour a historic tradition that takes place every Shrove Tuesday.

Around 200 revellers took part in the annual Sedgefield ball game, upholding centuries of tradition since the medieval custom was first held more than 750 years ago.

Hardy battlers scrambled against each other during the event, which starts with a small ball being thrown into the market square and sees competitors race around until around 4pm with the overall aim of winning the ball.

The game started at 1pm at the bullring on the corner of High Street and Northend.

The ball was passed through the bullring and then thrown to the players who then battled for it in a fast and furious tussle until it was dunked into the water at the town goal.

Delivery driver Martin Lower, who got the ball back through the bullring to win the game got to keep the ball.

Originally contested by two teams, the tradesmen and the countrymen in the 13th Century, the game today is a free-for-all, with no boundaries or rules.

Shop shutters came down ahead of the madcap event and officers from Durham Police were on standby.

But police say there were largely no issues of concern during the event.

A respected village elder starts the game by passing the ball, made of hand-stitched leather, through the bull ring three times.

The honour of throwing the ball into the “ring” was given to 80-year-old Vera Iceton, from the village, who is well-known for her charity work in Sedgefield and who also ran her own hairdressing business.

Wayne Oliver, landlord of The Black Lion pub, in the village’s High Street, said the venue was packed out by people taking part in the game.

He added: “It was good-natured and there were no problems.

“It was heaving, as it is every year.”

● To order photos visit {http://northeastpress.newsprints.co.uk/|northeastpress.newsprints.co.uk|northeastpress.newsprints.co.uk} or telephone photosales on (01429) 239408.

TOP UK Olympic prospect Andy Turner showed his support for the Hartlepool Mail’s campaign to get people fit.

We sent him details of our campaign, to get 2012 people in shape by the time the London Olympics opening ceremony is held, through social media site Twitter.

Andy, a 110-metre hurdler who took bronze at the last World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, was asked by the Mail if he would support the campaign.

He then re-tweeted the message to his 7,000 followers.

He is among a range of sportsman and women who have backed the campaign including Lord Sebastian Coe, former Olympic javelin thrower Fatima Whitbread and Hartlepool’s own Olympic hopeful, boxer Savannah Marshall.

The campaign has also won the support of Prime Minister David Cameron, Minister for Public Health Anne Milton, project director of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, Tony Aikenhead, and Hartlepool-born Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling.

Why not follow their example and show your support?

We want to hear from at least 2,012 people in Hartlepool and east Durham who plan to spend this year improving their health.

You could quit smoking or drinking, take up exercise, or go on a diet.

Or do you have plans for a sponsored cycle, run, walk or swim?

It doesn’t have to be a Herculean challenge. The most important thing is that you take part in our Race For Fitness project.

Contact Chris Cordner by writing to him at New Clarence House, Wesley Square, Hartlepool, TS24 8BX, via email to chris.cordner@northeast-press.co.uk or by calling (01429) 239377.

A full list of people who are supporting the campaign and taking part can be found at www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk in the campaigns section.

A STAFF nurse who witnesses the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s every day says he is delighted the disease is being put in the spotlight.

Coronation Street has been running with a storyline that shows the hurt caused by the debilitating disease, which can leave people confused, forgetful and can even change personalities.

ITV soap character Lesley Kershaw, played by Judy Holt, has been suffering with the condition as her husband Paul, played by actor Tony Hirst, struggles to look after her.

The scenes have been dramatic but Neil Sutheran, a staff nurse in Hartlepool who cares for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, believes they have captured the mixture of emotions the illness can cause.

Mr Sutheran, who works at Gretton Court care home, in Heather Grove, Hartlepool, said: “The soap has done well to show the confusion and forgetfulness that are often the first signs of the disease.

“There are little things people can pick up on and the faster they can be spotted, the more intervention they can receive, so it is great that it is being shown on national TV.

“It is an illness that effects families. It can be disturbing to see a family member with it and it can have radical effects on a person, until they don’t recognise their children or partners and their personality changes.”

In the soap, Paul and Lesley have now both moved into the house of Eileen Grimshaw, played by Sue Cleaver, who is Paul’s new girlfriend.

Apart from the love twist dimension to the storyline, Neil says the scenes in the home showing the three struggling to come to terms with the disease echo real life.

He said: “I think in general families try and keep their loved ones at home for as long as they possibly can, but it’s often not possible to look after them there.

“Sometimes the symptoms can take hold quickly and it is a degenerative disease, so the longer they have it the more faculties they lose and the more difficult it gets.

“One of the main reasons why people are referred to the care services is they can no longer take care of their personal hygiene, and that can be very distressing for spouses and relatives.

“They need full-time care because of their forgetfulness. They are more prone to have accidents, leave things turned on and not realise dangers.”

TALENTED dancers are set to take to the stage for an annual show.

Raising the Bar will be performed by Nadine Kennedy’s Academy at the Town Hall Theatre, in Raby Road, Hartlepool, from Tuesday, March 13, to Friday, March 16.

Each show gets under way at 6.30pm.

Tickets, priced at £9 or £8 for concessions, are available by calling the venue’s box office on (01429) 890000.

HARTLEPOOL MP Iain Wright has joined the fight to have case files on the disappearance of a youngster who vanished 30 years ago to be released.

Mr Wright asked a Parliamentary question about whether the Government will release information on the investigation of the disappearance of Hartlepool girl Katrice Lee.

Katrice’s father Richie Lee, 62, appeared in the Hartlepool Mail last week urging people to sign a petition that calls for the Royal Military Police (RMP) to hand over the files.

Mr Wright confirmed he had met with Mr Lee and that the MP last week asked a Parliamentary question as to whether the Lee family can have access to the case files.

The town MP, who is expecting a response today, said: “Mr Lee said he was very concerned about the handling of the investigation at the very start.

“He said Katrice didn’t stand a chance in respect of some of the early decisions that were taken.

“Speaking as a dad I can’t think of anything worse.

“I think anyone who is a parent experiencing that moment of panic when you just can’t see your children in a supermarket – Mr Lee has had that for over 30 years.”

Katrice went missing from a NAAFI supermarket in Paderborn, Germany on her second birthday, November 28, 1981.

Richie, who was serving with the British Army at the time and lives in the Stockton Road area of town, appeared in the Mail earlier this month, after the RMP agreed to re-open the case using “modern techniques”.

The family has launched an online petition calling for the RMP to hand over the files and are calling for as many people as possible to sign it.

The petition, which has attracted more than 900 signatures since being launched two weeks ago, can be found by logging on to www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk and selecting the link at the bottom of this story.

DRIVERS across Hartlepool should expect delays being caused by three schemes affecting traffic flow.

Key routes in and around the town have been clogged up in recent days, especially at peak times, with several works taking place on main routes.

An eight-week scheme to carry out sewerage and reduce the risk of flooding in the Powlett Road area saw parts of Amberton Road and Lancaster Road closed last week.

Water board chiefs have apologised for any inconvenience and diversions will be put in place along Raby Road and along Middleton Road, back on to Marina Way, for the next seven weeks while the £650,000 scheme is worked on by Northumbria Water.

Motorists at the corner of Stockton Road and Oxford Road have also had to deal with roadworks while Hartlepool Borough Council widens the carriageway.

And drivers heading towards Seaton Carew from the town centre have also been faced with disruption after emergency work to repair a gas leak on Mainsforth Terrace saw a section of the road closed on the approach to Newburn Bridge.

A spokeswoman for Northern Gas Networks, which carried out the emergency work on Mainsforth Terrace, said: “Northern Gas Networks has been carrying out urgent work to repair a gas main on Mainsforth Terrace in Hartlepool. The lane closure currently in place was agreed with the council’s highway department which is responsible for co-ordinating all road-works.

“This work was not planned, it was in response to a gas leak, we cannot take chances with public safety and will always investigate and complete a full repair as soon as possible when a gas leak is reported. We also work hard to keep any disruption to a minimum while we are doing this.

“In this instance the repair was complex and required deep excavations and specialist digging equipment to get through the reinforced concrete road, it has taken around three weeks to complete and we have monitored the area consistently throughout this time.

“The excavation now needs to be filled-in and the road surface restored, we expect this to be finished by Friday.”

A council spokesman said: “In terms of the Stockton Road/Oxford Road scheme, utility works will be taking place over the next two to three weeks, following which the main part of the scheme will be able to start. This involves widening the junction to make it easier for vehicles to negotiate the corner, particularly buses.

“There will also be slight widening of the carriageway on the Oxford Road and Stockton Road (southbound) approaches, in order to allow for two lanes to be marked out. At present there is around one-and-a-half lane widths on these approaches, and the improvements will reduce congestion, particularly at peak times.

“The scheme is scheduled to be completed in April.”

• MOTORISTS faced delays yesterday after two different road smashes.

A four-car minor shunt on the northbound carriageway of the A19, near to Hutton Henry and Castle Eden, on the outskirts of Hartlepool, caused delays from 8.35am to 10am after one lane was closed.

Burn Road, in Hartlepool, was closed for 20 minutes after a heavy goods vehicle and a black Audi A5 were involved in a smash between McDonald’s and Tesco supermarket.

Police said no-one was injured in either of the crashes.

]]> 1.4270143 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:43:55 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/learned_her_lesson_over_benefits_claim_1_4269733

A WOMAN who falsely claimed more than £5,000 in benefits when she failed to tell officials her partner had moved in said she has “learned her lesson”.

Angela Isgate, 42, received £5,349 she was not entitled to in Employment Support Allowance and housing and council tax benefit.

She was paid the benefits on the basis of being a single parent but failed to tell officials her circumstances had changed her partner moved in.

Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court heard he started living with her in December 2010 to help look after her and her three children when Isgate was struck down with rheumatoid arthritis and depression.

She continued to receive the overpayment for six months from December 16 2010 until June 30 last year.

Isgate admitted two counts of failing to notify of a change of circumstances.

The court heard she has since paid all of the money back.

Neil Taylor, mitigating, said coming to court had been a “harrowing experience” for her.

He said Isgate’s partner assumed more responsibility for the children when Isgate was ill and often in hospital.

Mr Taylor said: “In the midst of this she didn’t tell anybody and change her benefits claim.

“It was done because of the rigours of normal day to day living at that time.”

Isgate, of Ridley Court, Hartlepool, told magistrates: “I’ve learned my lesson.”

She was given a six month conditional discharge.

WORKSHOPS are on the way to help firms make themselves more attractive to industry.

The Access to Finance workshops, which are being held at NETPark (the North East Technology Park), in Sedgefield, are aimed at new and early stage companies which want to improve their business prospects.

It will also help them to be well prepared for any investor who wants to support them.

The Durham County Council-backed events will be led by experts from Finance Tree in Newcastle and will look at the processes involved with investment finance.

Topics covered will include writing an effective business plan; the sources of finance available such as equity, loans, and grants; how investment deals are structured; and how best to pitch for funding.

Jenny Kwok, innovation development executive at County Durham Development Company (CDDC) which is the strategic investment arm of Durham County Council, said: “For any business looking for finance, it is important to look at the factors the investor will be considering in deciding whether to invest in a company.

“These workshops are aimed at helping businesses overcome any challenges entrepreneurs may face and to give them a better chance of securing the investment they need to grow.

“The businesses don’t have to be in the science, engineering or technology arenas. The workshops are designed for any companies which are innovative, potentially high-growth, and based in the North-East.”

The workshops will tackle different investment themes on each day.

On Thursday, March 1, they will look at deal structuring and valuations.

And on Thursday, March 22, the topic is titled Finalising and Presenting the Business Plan.

Each of the workshops run from 12pm until 4.30pm at NETPark in Sedgefield.

To book a place, or for more information, contact Jenny Kwok at jenny.kwok@durham.gov.uk or call (0191) 3708680. 

]]> 1.4268296 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/2_000_for_club_1_4271183

A RUGBY club has been awarded £2,000 to get young people at risk of crime and anti-social behaviour involved in the sport.

Peterlee Pumas have been given the cash by Sported which will enable the club to provide Rugby League sessions and also to provide an Active Listening service to help young people identify and tackle issues affecting their lives and behaviour.

STUDENTS got an insight into life at war as they welcomed a former child soldier and refugee into school.

The youngsters at St Bede’s Catholic Comprehensive School, in Peterlee, enjoyed the unique opportunity to speak to Bini Araia, an Eritrean who spent his childhood as a soldier before fleeing the country.

Bini was invited into the school in Westway, in Peterlee, to help the students with their citizenship programme and a recent Geography study on conflict.

Paul Dickson, assistant headteacher at the school, said: “We were delighted to welcome Bini into the school, he was excellent.

“It gave students the chance to explore how conflict occurs around the world and to look at how conflict can be avoided or resolved.”

Students also worked on a display to mark the annual Red Hand Day which took place earlier this month.

They joined millions of people around the world who took part in an activity to help draw attention to the fate of child soldiers.

Mr Dickson added: “At St Bede’s we place great emphasis on nurturing young people who can show compassion with other people around the world and in their immediate community.

“The work we do helps to make students aware of the world in which they live and, most importantly, empower them to participate in shaping a better future.”

TOWN hip-hop dance starlets Lil Diamondz caused a bit of a stir between the bickering Britain’s Got Talent judges.

According to reports in the national media yesterday, show supremo Simon Cowell and latest recruit Alesha Dixon disagreed as to whether the talented youngsters should be put through to the next round.

Simon had questioned Alesha after she said the group “hadn’t let her down”.

The former Mis-Teeq singer and Strictly Come Dancing judge knows the group well after they were crowned winners of her show, Alesha’s Street Dance Stars, on CBBC last year.

But she was apparently left furious after Simon put her down, saying: “Sorry, who are you anyway?”

The disagreement came as Lil Diamondz tried their luck at an early audition stage of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent.

The popular Hartlepool group made the trip to the International Convention Centre, in Birmingham, where they attempted to impress the judges.

Joining Simon and Alesha on this year’s panel is Amanda Holden and newcomer David Walliams.

The group are not allowed to say whether their audition was successful.

Lil Diamondz were hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous successful dance acts on the show including 2008 winner George Sampson and 2009 champions Diversity.

A BUSINESS forum holds its next meeting in Hartlepool later this week.

The Hartlepool Business Forum meets at Hartlepool College of Further Education to give delegates a chance to meet like-minded entrepreneurs as well as hear talks from leading industrialists.

The next meeting – titled How To Fund Your Business – will be held on Thursday, February 23.

Those interested in attending should arrive by 5.15pm for the buffet with presentations from 6pm.

For more information on January’s event, contact forum co-ordinator John Megson via Hartlepool Enterprise Centre, in Brougham Terrace, Hartlepool, TS24 8EY, tel (01429) 867677, fax (01429) 264304 or email john.megson5@ntlworld.com.

More details are also available by visiting www.hartlepoolbusinessforum.co.uk

l A UK business support organisation for the oil, gas, nuclear and offshore renewables sectors, is spearheading a market visit to Germany.

NOPF Energy is leading the visit between March 19 - 23 to Berlin, Leipzig, North Rhine Westphalia and Bavaria.

Its aim is to investigate opportunities for UK exporters in the German market with for the oil and gas sector as well as the re-emerging nuclear industry.

For more information or to book a place on visit please contact Kristie Leng at NOF Energy on (0191) 3846464 or email kleng@nofenergy.co.uk.

l CONSTRUCTION sites in the Tees Valley are being put under the safety spotlight as part of an intensive inspection initiative aimed at reducing death, injury and ill health.

The Health and Safety Executive has launched a campaign from now until March 16 to visit sites where refurbishment or repair works are being carried out.

Their primary aim will be to target high-risk activity such as working at height.

There were no deaths in the Tees Valley in the last financial year but more than 23 serious injuries were reported in Teesside.

There were two deaths and 132 serious injuries across the North- East.

Rob Hirst, HSE’s principal inspector for construction in the North-East, said: “The refurbishment sector continues to be the most risky for construction workers, all too often straightforward practical precautions are not considered and workers are put at risk. In many cases simple changes to working practices can make all the difference.

“Poor management of risks in this industry is unacceptable. As we have demonstrated in the past, we will take strong action if we find evidence that workers are being unnecessarily put at risk.”

Further information about safe-working in construction can be found online at www.hse.gov.uk/construction

]]> 1.4268295 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/a_deal_to_develop_homes_for_affordable_rental_1_4268308

AN affordable housing specialist has been appointed to build an £800,000 residential development in Hartlepool.

Ten two-bedroom bungalows will be built at Newholm Court, Ormesby Road, Hartlepool, in a project for the Vela Group to be carried out by Southdale.

Once completed, they will be made available for affordable rent, and two of them will be adapted for wheelchair use.

Darlington-based Southdale has promised to recruit labour from the Hartlepool area to work on the project, with a further pledge to link with local schools and colleges to provide work experience placements and apprenticeships.

And local sub-contractors will be taken on in the scheme which is part of Vela’s 2011-2015 affordable homes programme.

Work is expected to start on site, subject to planning permission, this month and be completed in November.

Regional director Trudie McCormick said: “Southdale is delighted to be working in partnership with the Vela Group in developing high quality and much needed elderly persons housing in Hartlepool.

“As with all of our construction projects, Southdale is committed to providing a number of apprenticeships and recruitment opportunities for local people. We are also looking forward to hosting a community consultation event to inform residents about the positive changes which are due to take place in their area.”

Sarah Fawcett, head of development at the Vela Group, said “We are looking forward to working alongside Southdale who have more than 20 years of house building experience together with a strong commitment to the communities in which it works.

“Southdale’s pledge to support the local economy in the provision of long-term employment, work placements, apprenticeships and utilising local sub-contractors from the area, gives real added value to this important development.”

]]> 1.4268308 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/call_to_have_your_say_on_homes_plan_1_4268181

PEOPLE are being urged to respond to major housing proposals before the deadline.

The Fens Residents’ Association will submit a group response to Hartlepool Borough Council’s Core Strategy planning blueprint which is currently out to consultation.

It is reminding people to make their views known even if they have responded in earlier rounds of consultation.

A meeting organised by the residents association on Tuesday, February 28, will be the last public chance for people to have their say before the Core Strategy is sent to the Government for approval.

It will be held at Fens Primary School, Mowbray Road, Hartlepool, at 7pm, and is due to be attended by Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond, planning officers and a representative from Yuill developers.

The blueprint includes proposals to create almost 2,500 homes in a south-western extension from the A689 to Brierton Lane.

But the residents association claims the plans are totally inappropriate in terms of size, location and predict traffic and flooding risks.

Association vice-chairman Robert Smith said: “This is not nimbyism. If there was an obvious need for this volume of new private housing and it could be provided without nightmare traffic scenarios and flooding concerns, then we would not be objecting.

“The town does have an undisputed requirement for more affordable social housing but this can be accommodated within the present urban fence in more sustainable locations.

“We believe that a lot of residents in places like the Fens, Owton Manor and Greatham have not yet realised how negatively they will be affected in terms of property values and traffic congestion if these plans come to fruition.”

The association has been working with planners to minimise the impact of any development.

Mr Smith added: “We need as many people as possible to come to our public meeting, hear what the mayor, planners and the developer have to say, and then get their comments in before the deadline of March 26.

“Provided that there is a generally common view amongst residents we can submit a group response on one form, so long as all parties have provided a signature and address to go with it.”

Comments will be sent to the Secretary of State along with the council’s final Core Strategy document.

A planning inspector will consider the plan and hold a public examination to look at the issues.

To be part of the group response contact Mr Smith on (01429) 870613.

THE future of two sheltered housing complexes is uncertain after a housing provider launched a consultation scheme.

Tremeduna Grange, in Trimdon Village, could be demolished as part of a housing review by livin, which was formerly Sedgefield Borough Homes.

Thurlow Grange, in Sedgefield, could also be demolished and redeveloped as bungalows under the scheme.

The complexes are two of 13 similar developments across the Sedgefield area, where residents are being asked for their views in a six-week consultation.

Bosses at livin say Tremeduna Grange, near Front Street, has a low occupancy rate, with nine units filled and 14 left empty.

Thurlow Grange, in Thurlow Road, has 10 occupied units and 21 standing empty.

Alan Boddy, executive director people and communities for livin, said on average, 30 per cent of livin’s sheltered housing schemes are empty, with some more than 50 per cent unoccupied and added this figure is expected to increase.

He added: “We fully appreciate the sensitivities when discussing the future of someone’s home and understand proposals may not be welcomed by all tenants.

“Rest assured, our team will be listening very carefully to tenants’ views and no decision will be made about the proposals until the consultation period has closed and all tenants will be given every opportunity to have their say on the proposals.”

Other options being considered include redeveloping the sites for new affordable homes.

Tenants and their families are being consulted on a one-to-one basis and are being given the chance to have their say and give feedback.

The consultation period ends at noon on April 20.

A final decision is expected at the end of May.

A COUNCIL is running courses in a bid to boost people’s job prospects.

Durham County Council’s adult learning and skills service offers a range of courses in subjects including customer services, retail skills, business and administration, team leading, first line management, IT, teaching and health and social care.

The local authority’s service also runs employability courses, giving people the chance to explore their career options.

Staff can also offer advice and guidance on choosing a course.

For more information email alss@durham.gov.uk or call (0191) 5862402.

TRIBUTES have been paid to a Hartlepool-born transport chief who died while preparing for his latest charity effort.

Peter Huntley, managing director of Go North East bus company, was born and grew up in town before embarking on a successful career.

He tragically died on Sunday aged 55 when he fell from a 200ft peak in the Lake District while training for a charity trek to the North Pole.

Peter’s cousin Carol Grayson paid tribute to him as a “very generous man” who lived life to the full.

She said all his family are “absolutely devastated” at his sudden death.

Carol, 52, said: “He was very kind-hearted and very supportive to me in difficult times.

“He did an awful lot of work for charity and raised thousands, as well as doing voluntary work both here and abroad.

“Peter put a lot back into the community and was very well thought of.

“He was also very hard working and innovative.

“From very early on he had a love of transport.

“We were all absolutely devastated when we heard the news.”

Carol remembered visiting Peter in Spring Garden Road, Hartlepool, where he lived with his dad, Les, and brothers Stephen and David.

He previously worked for Hartlepool Corporation Transport and left town when he was around 18.

Up until his death he divided his time between his family in Preston, Lancashire, and Gateshead where he worked with Go North East.

Carol, who also lived in Hartlepool, now lives in Jesmond, Newcastle, added: “We were very good friends all our lives.

“We had been planning to meet up soon and share our news and catch up.”

Peter was a keen walker, cyclist and loved the outdoors.

He also loved travelling and the cinema.

For his latest charity drive, Peter was planning to trek from Russia to the Arctic Circle in April.

He hoped to raise £10,000 for the national transport charity Transaid.

Peter leaves behind his partner, Jenny, as well as two sons and a daughter.

PEOPLE are being urged to join in a street party during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The town is hosting a five-day fun-packed Diamond Festival and will be holding its own street party – the Big Jubilee Lunch – in a large marquee in the car park of Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience.

Hartlepool Borough Council chiefs say all you have to do is bring your own food – the venue, the tables, the decorations and the entertainment will all be provided and there will be a bar where people can buy soft and alcoholic drinks.

Tickets for the event, on Sunday, June 3, from noon to 5pm, cost £1.50 per person.

As well as entertainment in the marquee itself, there will be lots to see and do in and around the venue, including street theatre, costumed characters, fashion shows, a funfair and music – all with a retro flavour reflecting the Queen’s many decades on the throne.

Lesley Strickland, the council’s cultural events officer, said: “We’re aiming to recreate some of that special atmosphere from the summer of 1977 when people across the country came together to celebrate at Jubilee street parties.

“We’re inviting people to bring along their food and we’ll do the rest! It’s sure to be a party to remember.”

The Diamond Festival is being arranged by the council, from Friday, June 1 to Tuesday, June 5, in partnership with other town organisations.

People will be invited to step back in time and relive some of the classic entertainment from the decade the Queen came to the throne and some of the later years as well.

Highlights include:

l A 1950s children’s wonderland with nods to famous television characters like Pinky and Perky;

l A tribute to classic TC show Sunday Evening at the Hartlepool Palladium, featuring 50s-style acts but with a contemporary twist;

l Reliving some Hartlepool dance magic at a re-creation of the town’s much-loved Queen’s Rink Dance Hall in the Borough Hall;

l A festival of classic 50s films including Lady and the Tramp, Jailhouse Rock and Some Like It Hot;

l Remembering the punk mayhem of 1977 with tribute band The Sex Pistols Experience;

l Greasemania – a celebration of the classic high school film.

The festival’s main sponsor is Niramax Total Waste Solutions and it is also supported by the Vela Group and TFM Radio.

A HORSE and cart tribute will be paid to a “lion-hearted” scrap dealer at his funeral on Friday.

John Robinson, of Robinson’s Scrap Yard, Easington Colliery, lost his battle with throat cancer after fighting the disease valiantly for about a year.

In the “perfect tribute” to the 72-year-old, his loving family have organised for two horses and carts to follow the horse-drawn hearse carrying his coffin to the church service.

Today, John’s younger brother, Gerald Robinson, 59, a father-of-four, said it is a gesture his brother would have wanted.

“Our family has been in the scrap trade for decades and we know this is what our John would have wanted,” he said.

“He was a good lad and I looked up to him for the way he’s battled on.

“He had a heart like a lion, he never gave in, never ever.

“He’ll be sadly missed by his family and friends and all those who knew him in the village and the area.

“He was well known, he was a proper character.”

John, of Easington Colliery, went to Easington Colliery Junior school, and Horden RC School, before leaving at the age of 15 to work in the coal mine.

He started work at the scarp yard, at Holme Hill Lane Allotments, in Easington Colliery, which was opened in the 1940s by his late father, John Robinson senior, at just 17 years old and went out on the horse and carts himself.

As the years went by the dad of three, who was married to Margaret, spent more time running the busy yard “which everyone went to”, and would go on to spend the rest of his working life there.

When he was 43-years-old, John (pictured) suffered a serious accident at the yard which left him with injuries that would last him a lifetime.

But, he battled on and continued running the business, with the help of his family, even caring for his horses, hens and dogs at the yard, up until a year ago when he was diagnosed with cancer.

He lost his fight for life on Sunday, at 3am, at the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

Gerald, of Easington Village, added: “He fought on for nearly 30 years after the accident in the yard, it was amazing.

“Everybody knows that. He’s done the same for the last year. He’s at peace now though.”

John’s funeral will be held at 11.30am at the Our Lady RC Church, in Easington Colliery, prior to internment in the village cemetery.

PEOPLE are invited to go along to a Hartlepool group’s next open meeting.

Guest speaker Tony Nicholson will give a talk titled Secrets of the Attic to the Hartlepool U3A.

The meeting takes place at Grange Road Community Centre, in Grange Road Methodist Church, Hartlepool, on Friday, March 2, at 2pm.

U3A membership is aimed at anyone who is retired or no longer in full time work and gives people an opportunity to share their knowledge, experience and talents with others.

The U3A – University Of The Third Age – is celebrating its 30th anniversary, having been founded in 1982 and now has over 270,000 members nationwide.

]]> 1.4269732 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:00:02 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/massive_increase_in_food_bags_for_needy_1_4271272

A PASTOR patrol service that helps vulnerable people has seen a four-fold increase in the number of hungry and homeless people it helps.

Over the past three months, the cafe at the Elim Living Waters Pentecostal Church, in Whitby Street, Hartlepool, has seen its distribution of food bags soar from between 15 and 25 over a weekend to between 60 and 100.

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The Hartlepool Mail has previously reported how members of the church have been helping those who have been marginalised by society, including drug and alcohol addicts.

But Will Semple, one of the pastors, puts the increase down to the economic crisis and says now it is not just these categories of people that are now being helped by the service.

He said: “I have been doing this for 12 years and I have never seen so many desperate people in Hartlepool.

“People say it is no different from anywhere else. But I have visited Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Darlington, and Hartlepool tops the list.

“We are now seeing prisoners, depressed people and people who are getting evicted.”

Mr Semple spoke out a week after the Mail reported that devastating Government cuts are seeing people in Hartlepool and east Durham having to rely on food handouts and could even leave people homeless.

The church, led by Reverend Colin Sawtell, is hosting an event at Peterlee Leisure Centre, in St Cuthbert’s Way, this Sunday from 10.30am-12.30pm to showcase their services and to gauge whether there is a need for a similar facility in east Durham, where the Food Emergency East Durham (FEED) project sees food parcels sent to families on the breadline.

Mr Semple, who fought a battle with drugs and alcohol for more than 30 years before, he says, finding God and going clean, is also manager of alcohol and drug services at the church, which is funded by donations from other churches and also provides temporary beds for the homeless.

He said: “It’s not getting any better. In the last three months I have never seen so many homeless people.

“There are people in their 40s homeless at the moment.

“With the economic climate, we are also dealing with people coming out of prison.

“Years ago, the prison would tell people where to get accommodation and now they stick £45 in their hand and send them on their way.”

He added that the church’s street angels, who patrol the Church Street area of town from 10pm to 3am each Friday and Saturday night to help protect revellers, have proved so successful that Cleveland Police have asked them to extend patrols to Thursday and Sunday nights.

The church is appealing for more people to be trained as street pastors, having seen the initial 21 volunteers dwindle to a dozen.

Anyone interested in becoming a street pastor or wanting to find out more about the church can call the Rev Sawtell on 07828093728.

A DEVASTATED daughter has slammed a gambling addict who fleeced her Alzheimer’s suffering mum out of her life savings and blew the lot in the bookies.

The conniving conman – ironically called Wager – systematically siphoned more than £11,000 from the unsuspecting pensioner behind his trusting partner’s back.

Kenneth Wager, 41, used a bank card he was trusted with to steal £11,585 belonging to the elderly Alzheimer’s sufferer, who was the mum of his then-partner.

Today his former partner slammed Wager who stole the cash to feed his addiction to gambling and slot machines.

She told the Mail: “He was intercepting the post. I never checked mam’s money because I though I didn’t need to as I thought nothing was being taken out.

“I was absolutely devastated. I felt sick. He took all my mam worked for, it was her life savings and he took it away.”

The former support worker for people with Alzheimer’s also stole £1,871 from his partner to feed a habit that saw him become a regular customer at the Coral Bookmakers in Station Lane, Hartlepool.

Wager’s lies came to light when his partner received a phone call from her bank saying she was overdrawn and thought: “I can’t be, there was more coming in than going out.”

A statement revealed there had been a number of ATM withdrawals, but she said she did not use the machines.

There had also been several payments to Coral bookmakers.

The woman, who we have not named to protect the identity of the elderly victim, added: “When I confronted him he admitted to stealing my money, but denied stealing my mother’s.”

The devastated woman ended the relationship and went to the police.

She added: “I thought I’m not letting him away with it. She has worked all her life.

“I didn’t realise his gambling was as bad as it was. I knew he put a bet on and I was told he was always in the betting shop on the roulette machines.”

Teesside Crown Court was told she had control of her mum’s estate as her mother suffers with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Wager was given access to bank cards belonging to both women to take out “small amounts” while he was living in Stirling Street, Hartlepool.

But the court heard he “breached that trust”, taking the money from his elderly victim between June 2010 and January last year and from her daughter between December 2010 and the following month.

Chris Attwool, prosecuting, said: “At first he made no comment in police interview, but then said he had appropriated the money from cash machines and Coral Bookmakers in Station Lane.”

James Withyman, mitigating, said Wager, who had pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, had never been in trouble before.

He added: “It was a period of six months when he was having difficulties with a gambling habit.”

Judge Peter Armstrong told Wager he faced up to a year behind bars.

He said: “The offences you pleaded guilty to are a breach of trust and carry up to 12 months in custody.

“Bearing in mind your guilty pleas, a short custodial sentence would be suitable, but in light of your good character, it’s just possible to suspend that sentence with requirements.”

Judge Armstrong had hoped to order Wager to carry out unpaid work, but had to adjourn the case when he heard Wager has a possible heart murmur.

That means he may not be able to be insured to do the unpaid work, so the judge adjourned the case to find out more about his condition.

Wager, who was granted bail and now lives in Arthur Street, Ushaw Moor, near Durham City, will be back in court on March 8 to be sentenced.

STOCKTON Borough Council is proposing to increase its council tax by 3.49 per cent for the next financial year.

It would mean the council, which provides services in Billingham, Wolviston and parts of Wynyard, rejecting a one-off Government payment if it froze the tax.

It comes as Hartlepool Borough Council looks set to freeze its council tax next year.

BUSINESSMAN Duncan Bannatyne is nearing a mountain summit in his bid to raise cash for wounded soldiers.

The Dragon’s Den star, 62, who lives at Wynyard, is climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, with a team of 20 other people, including soldiers who have lost their limbs, to raise funds for amputee charity Pilgrim Bandits.

The team started the climb on Friday and were preparing to set off on the final leg of their hike earlier today.

A CHOIR including a mum from Hartlepool failed to pick up a Brit award.

The Military Wives, which includes singer Sarah Clarke, 31, from Hartlepool, was pipped to a Brit award for Best British Single by boy-band One Direction.

Former High Tunstall College of Science pupil Sarah, who is married to Royal Marines Lance Corporal Tom Clarke, 25, stormed to the top spot in the festive charts last year with Military Wives’ single Wherever You Are.

But last night the group missed out on the prize to One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful following a public vote.

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Should Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond cut the number of councillors on his cabinet committee?

Mayor Drummond will wait until after the local election in May before deciding whether to reduce the size of his cabinet committee.

He chairs Hartlepool Borough Council’s nine-strong cabinet committee.

But he has been quizzed over whether he would be reducing the size when the number of councillors is slashed by around a third from 47 to 33 after the election in May.

IT’S proving to be a hard-working time for the Year 6 pupils at West Park Primary School.

Now they are in their final year, the youngsters are stepping their work-load up ahead of the SATs exams at the end of the year.

They are also working on a number of classroom projects and have homework to do as well.

Mail reporter Dominic Shaw caught up with the youngsters to find out how they are finding their final primary school year.

THE Year 6 pupils at West Park Primary School, in Coniscliffe Road, Hartlepool, are well into their final year at primary school.

Thomas Lister, 10, said: “We don’t get loads of homework, but we are getting more this year than we have done in the past.

“We mainly get literacy or maths and it’s just more practice for us.

“I try to get my homework done straight away when I get home.”

Natalia Carter, 11, said: “One of the projects we have done recently was really enjoyable.

“We were given one word which was food and had to then go away and do our own project.

“I made a poster and some models.

“The project was planned to prepare us for secondary school because we will do a lot of things like that when we leave primary.” Annabel Hall, 10, said: “We have been working harder this year.

“Some of us have been doing some extra work on a Wednesday lunchtime to help us get to a level five in our SATs exams.

“I think it’s important to do extra work in our final year and it has been really helpful.”

Sam Bird, 11, said: “If homework helps us out in the classroom then I think it’s a good thing.

“We don’t get too much homework so it’s ok, but we normally have to do some maths and some spelling.”

Sam joked: “My favourite subject is PE, I wish we could do homework for that.”

Thomas Harvey, 10, is working very hard this year.

He said: “I do my homework and I have a tutor as well to help me get the results I want in my SATs so I do have quite a lot of work to do.

“I go to school all day and then I go home and I have even more work to do.

“Hopefully it will all pay off though and I will get three level fives in my SATs.”

Aimee Littler, 11, said: “We do get quite a lot of homework, but I think it is very helpful.

“It has always helped me in the past.

“Year 6 is definitely tougher than every other year, but I do enjoy school.”

A FORMER chip shop worker has been awarded a four-figure compensation payout after a tribunal ruled she was sacked because of her race.

Kimberley Burrell worked at Joanna’s Fish Bar, in York Road, Hartlepool, for nine years.

But within two weeks of the shop being sold to new Kurdish owners, she was dismissed.

She said she was replaced by Turkish and Polish staff who provided “cheap labour”.

The 29-year-old, from Collingwood Road, took employers Dana Osman Tofiq and Zana Mahmoud Ahmed to an employment tribunal, won her case and was awarded £6,677 in compensation.

The tribunal judgement ruled that Kimberley was unfairly dismissed “by reason of her race” and that her employers had failed to give written reasons for her dismissal.

Mum-of-two Kimberley said: “It’s disgraceful.

“I can’t believe, it’s all about cheap labour.

“It’s a wonder Hartlepool people can get jobs when there are places like this employing other races for cheap labour.”

Kimberley said she even feared bringing a case against her bosses as she said she might be seen as racist.

But she said Simon Buckle, an employment specialist case worker from Hartlepool Citizens’ Advice Bureau, who represented her at the tribunal held at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, in Middlesbrough, said she was not being racist and it was all about her rights.

Kimberley, who has a partner called Martin Weatherill, 30, who does not work due to illness, has not managed to find another job since being sacked in June last year, and is mum to Victoria, 10, and four-year-old Wayne.

Kimberley, who worked a 16-hour-a-week contract, said: “We used to take the kids away for weekends with a caravan. “Now we can’t afford to do anything.

“I have worked since I left school and like providing for my children – I don’t like being on handouts.”

She said her employers initially offered her a two-hour shift but she said this was no good to her.

But Mr Ahmed said Kimberley had tried to change to an unsuitable shift and when he disagreed, he claimed she walked out.

He denied being racist regarding English employees and says he employs an English driver and three local girls.

Mr Ahmed is refusing to pay up and said he was prepared to go to court rather than pay the compensation.

Mr Buckle said the English workers currently at the shop had only been employed since Kimberley pursued her case.

He added: “It’s against the law to discriminate against a person on the grounds of race, religion or nationality.

“You can’t choose people and say you will get in foreigners cheaper who don’t know their rights.

“It’s a very obvious and clear-cut case of discrimination.”

As well as “compensation for injury to feelings in relation to racial discrimination”, Kimberley was also awarded costs for holiday pay, redundancy pay and failure to consult about a transfer of undertaking.

]]> 1.4268185 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:46:48 +0000 http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/street_dealer_is_locked_up_1_4266955

A HEROIN dealer who was twice caught selling drugs in the street has been jailed for four years.

Malcolm Bradley, 46, admitted selling the Class A drug in Hartlepool to fund his own addiction.

He was arrested on June 2 last year, when police saw four men acting suspiciously in Wynyard Road and suspected an exchange was taking place.

Bradley had 12 wraps of heroin between his buttocks, and five £10 notes were seized from him. A search of his home resulted in a list being found linking him with drug users.

Helen Masters, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, said Bradley initially denied dealing but admitted that he gave an unnamed friend a wrap in exchange for allowing him to use his house as a place to store drugs.

A man was then seen on October 9 last year, acting suspiciously in the town centre, making brief telephone calls and looking around. Bradley then appeared with a woman and a young child and the man walked towards him.

They stood close together and Bradley reached into his pocket and they swapped items.

When they were searched by officers, the man had three wraps of heroin, and Bradley had £125 in cash. Analysis of Bradley’s phone showed they had been communicating.

Bradley claimed that the cash had nothing to do with drugs and he said that he was going to the chemist with his girlfriend to collect methadone for her.

Paul Abrahams, mitigating, told Judge Howard Crowson that Bradley now accepts he was taking part in deals but has difficulty coping with emotions and problems in his life.

He added: “He acknowledges the problems from drugs of violence and acquisitive crime in the area where he lives.

“There is a far wider and greater impact not only to the community but also to his family.”

Judge Crowson told Bradley: “The finding of 12 wraps of heroin, some money and a list in your home led to the inevitable conclusion that you were involved in dealing at a low level, lastly because you were a user yourself.”

Bradley, of Wynyard Mews, Hartlepool, was jailed for four years after he pleaded guilty to supplying a Class A drug and possession with intent to supply.

HARTLEPOOL Mayor Stuart Drummond has revealed the reasons behind his objection to budget amendments.

Councillors will meet on Thursday night to thrash out the 2012-13 budget after Mayor Drummond objected to a series of amendments put forward by the Labour Group at the last full council meeting.

The amendments centred around proposals not to privatise the joint ICT, revenues and benefits contract due to the up-front costs involved.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Email the {mailto:mail.news@northeast-press.co.uk|newsdesk}

It would need Hartlepool Borough Council to agree a substantial six-figure, up-front cost associated with the contract.

But Mayor Drummond said it would save jobs, create jobs and save almost an eight-figure sum over the length of the seven-year contract.

The local authority needs to save about £6m in 2012-13.

Mayor Drummond, who objected on Friday afternoon, said: “A lot of work and effort has gone into producing a budget that protects jobs and services as far as possible, particularly around the ICT, revenues and benefits contract.

“The amendments mean that people in those departments are extremely vulnerable going forward with national changes and also the cuts that continue to be imposed on us.

“It also leaves other people within the council more vulnerable because the savings have to be made.”

Mayor Drummond, who said there was no “strategy” behind the amendments, added: “We made a decision that was best for the council, the staff and the town.”

A statement released by the Labour group said the council had agreed a balanced budget.

It added: “The Labour Group made their decision on the budget to offer a greater safeguard to our workforce and the most vulnerable families we represent.

“Our decision further gives the council the opportunity to explore all available options, including scrutiny co-ordinating committee’s recommendations for an in-house option for the delivery of revenues and benefits and ICT, to realise greater, robust savings for the benefit of Hartlepool.”

Conservative group leader Ray Wells said: “We feel that if the Conservative group did not support the amendment further jobs would be put at risk.

“To support the Mayor and cabinet’s proposals would cost this authority more and, in our opinion, would cost more in future years, which would lead to an increase in council tax.”

Something, he said, the Conservative group could “never support”.

Liberal Democrat group leader Arthur Preece was unavailable for comment.

On Thursday night, two thirds of the council needs to vote in favour of the amendments for it to stand.

If that is not achieved then the original budget will stand.

Other Labour Group amendments included supporting plans to create a £181,500 Ward Fund, which would see councillors given individual ward budgets and approving a £50,000 reserve for a Furniture Project.

Mayor Drummond also objected to those but decided not to object to plans to use £50,000 to retrain staff on the redeployment register.

The amendment proposed using the saving from the public sector strike in November but Mayor Drummond said he believes the money should be used from other savings.

The full council will meet at the Civic Centre, in Victoria Road, on Thursday, at 7pm.

A HOSPITAL trust paid out more than £3m in negligence claims is just 12 months.

Claims against North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust totalled £3,158,152 in the 2010/11 financial year.

There were a total of 94 claims paid out against the trust, 60 for clinical negligence and 34 where they have been non-clinical.

The figures, released by the NHS Litigation Authority, show that claims worth a total of £1,038,718 were paid out to patients following negligent obstetric treatment, the area of medicine relating to childbirth and maternity.

There have been no details released on the background and reasons that any of the claims were paid out.

It came after the trust, which runs the University Hospital of Hartlepool and the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, paid out £4,344,684 in insurance costs to cover such claims.

Director of nursing, patient safety and quality for the trust, Sue Smith, said: “The costs we pay are similar to people’s own insurance policies for their cars or homes, but obviously on a much larger scale.

“The insurance costs reflect the risks of providing services and cover the trust and compensate some patients when, sadly, things go wrong.

“We have to achieve a complicated set of risk management standards which help keep the costs down and our insurance payments are reduced because of the high standards we achieve. Maternity risk management standards are separate from the other areas of our services because of the risks associated with them.

“Over the years we have put in very many checks and balances to protect patients and staff. For example we use the World Health Organisation’s checklist before every operation begins. This is like a pre-flight check to ensure everything is as it should be before a flight takes off.

“Our organisation depends on all of us getting it right 100 per cent of the time. While this is the ideal, sadly things do go wrong and, when that happens, we are open with patients and their families. We explain what has happened and what, if it’s possible, we are doing to put things right.

“We also look at all our incidents so we can learn from them.”

In the same period, there was £20,330 paid out for non-clinical claims against NHS Hartlepool, compared to £30,155 paid in insurance contributions.

County Durham and Darlington PCT saw £33,662 in clinical claims paid out and £19,018 in non-clinical paid outs, a total of £52,680.

This is compared to £158,147 in contributions paid by the trust.

l Have you had a successful claim against the NHS? If so ring the Mail newsdesk on (01429) 239381.

POLICE chiefs have defended figures which show an increase in Taser weapon use by officers.

Durham Police has seen the number of uses of the high-voltage weapon rise from four in 2008-09 to 30 in 2010-11.

But police chiefs say the figure relates to the weapon being deployed to more officers last year and the Taser being used a number of times in a single incident last year near Durham City when a man barricaded himself in his home and attacked officers with a Samurai sword.

There were seven uses from 2007-08 and 13 in 2009-10.

Police say they do not accept Durham as having a higher than average Taser deployment.

A spokeswoman said Home Office figures covering a period between April 2004 and March 2010 show the force has having the 20th lowest usage out of 43 forces for Taser discharges.

She said the force was also the lowest of all the North-East forces apart from North Yorkshire.

Durham Police’s Acting Chief Constable Michael Banks said: “Initially the use of Tasers was limited to authorised firearms officers.

“But in 2010 Durham Constabulary followed the policy taken by many forces and extended their deployment to its road policing officers.

“Our officers are given specific training in the use of Tasers, to ensure that deployment is appropriate and proportionate under the circumstances and that it complies with national policy.”

Home Office figures show Cleveland Police officers fired Tasers six times from April to December in 2009 and once from January to March in 2010.

A MAN has been jailed for nine years for committing sex crimes against a child.

Andrew Pearson, 40, was convicted of two rapes and two counts of indecent assault after a Teesside Crown Court trial last month.

Pearson, of Sandringham Road, Hartlepool, has been locked up for nine years by Judge Tony Briggs.

The abuse is said to have happened when Pearson was living in Middlesbrough.

PEOPLE are being urged to enjoy a theatre show.

Rebecca Wheatley, of BBC TV’s Casualty, stars in Big Pants and Botox at Hartlepool’s Town Hall Theatre on Wednesday, February 29.

Penned by award-winning Girls Night writer Louise Roche, organisers say the new one woman show is hilarious, emotional, intriguing and uplifting.

Rebecca plays Barbara, who has just survived an eventful birthday, which has got her thinking about many things – not least the merits of big pants and botox.

Lesley Todd, of Hartlepool Borough Council’s cultural services section, said: “Rebecca Wheatley is on top form in this feisty new show which is sure to strike a chord with the audience.

“Join us for an emotional ride through Barbara’s colourful life which is sure to amuse and touch you.”

The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £10 or £9 for concessions.

To book call the Box Office on (01429) 890000.

FUNDRAISERS are going flipping crazy today to mark Pancake Day.

Today is Shrove Tuesday and two Hartlepool businesses have been heating up their pans ready to cook up tasty treats for a £3 donation.

The Place in the Park Cafe, in Ward Jackson Park, and the Grand Hotel, in Swainson Street, are holding pancake feasts for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The events are being organised by the Rotary Club of Hartlepool and will run until 4pm.

Maria Harrison, who runs the park cafe, said: “Anyone can come along to both businesses and have a bit of fun.

“The £3 gets you a drink and a couple of pancakes and goes towards helping out an important charity.

“I’ve been told by about 30 people that they will pop in, and I hope they and more do. It will be interesting to see how busy it is.

“I’m sure I’ll be pretty good at flipping pancakes by the end of the day!”

Shrove Tuesday is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, which Christians observe up until Easter Sunday.

Pancakes are eaten as they are made out of sugar, fat, flour and eggs, whose consumption was traditionally restricted during the ritual fasting associated with the period.

During Lent, some people commit to a form of fasting or give up certain types of luxury such as chocolate or alcohol.

A DISTRAUGHT pet owner has offered a reward for information leading to the return of his beloved dog.

Digger the Patterdale Terrier has not been seen since last Monday, when he went missing down a rabbit hole at Crimdon Dene.

Her owner, Joe Hepworth, 63, is not sure whether the 18-month-old pooch is still underground or made her way out.

He says the breed is expensive and he hopes if Digger has made her way out of the hole, which leads to a maze of rabbit warrens, whoever has got her will return her.

Ex-miner Joe, from Cotsford Lane, in Horden, said he took Digger for a walk near the stables at Crimdon on Monday, February 13, around 2.30pm, and the dog ran away after he let her off her lead.

Joe, whose grandsons Alfie Robinson, five, and Callum Robinson, seven, are devastated that Digger is missing, added; “I blocked the holes up slightly with sticks and stones to see if there was any sign of her getting out.

“But when I went back the next morning and opened it up and shouted her she wasn’t there.

“She’s a working dog, you can’t keep them on the lead all the time.

“I let her off the lead and she ran down the hole.

“She must have got a whiff of a rabbit, I don’t know whether she got out or is still down there.

“The kids are devastated.”

Joe contacted the fire brigade on Wednesday to see if they could help.

A crew from Peterlee Fire Station attended the scene and used thermal imaging cameras, but to no avail, as reported by the Mail last week.

Joe contacted the RSPCA to see if they could help, but sadly they could not.

He said Digger had gone missing before and she had been involved in a road accident, leading to her ending up at a vet’s in Hartlepool.

“She’s a lovely little dog,” he added.

“She dug her way out of Cotsford Park dene before and made her way to my daughter’s.”

Digger is a black, long-haired variety with a short tail.

Anyone who knows Digger’s whereabouts can call Joe on (0191) 5869417 or 07515487035.

NEARLY £16,000 was spent on a trip to the US by a chief constable and three other police officials, it has been revealed.

A further £7,300 was spent on a visit to Estonia by Cleveland Chief Constable Sean Price and the same three officials – his staff officer and future partner Heather Eastwood, police authority chairman Dave McLuckie and deputy chief executive Julie Leng.

It can also be revealed that restaurant bills totalling thousands of pounds were paid for on a police authority credit card issued to Coun McLuckie.

In addition, one month’s bill on Coun McLuckie’s authority-issued mobile phone ran to more than £1,600.

The Cleveland force and its police authority are currently at the centre of a major inquiry which is being largely staffed by North Yorkshire Police, with support from West Yorkshire.

It is overseen by the head of the new National Crime Agency, Ken Bristow. Cleveland Police Authority said it was unable to comment on the details of the overseas trips or the credit card spending while the inquiry, called Operation Sacristy, continues.

Mr Price and Ms Eastwood, who live together in North Yorkshire, said their attendance at conferences was fully justified on policing grounds. The chief constable, who is currently suspended from his post, has previously made clear they did not stay together overnight on trips. The couple’s relationship became public knowledge in 2010.

The trips to the US and Estonia in 2009 included attendance at conferences hosted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Mr Price and Coun McLuckie also went to the US on an earlier trip to support two officers receiving an award at a total cost in excess of £7,000.

Coun McLuckie’s credit card records include one restaurant bill in excess of £700 and others in excess of £300. He declined to comment on his attendance on overseas trips or the use of his credit card.

Julie Leng, who left the police authority in December, also declined to comment.

Sean Price was suspended after being arrested in August while Coun McLuckie resigned as police authority chairman last May after the beginning of Operation Sacristy was announced.

Both have categorically denied any wrongdoing.

In a statement, Cleveland Police Authority, chaired by Hartlepool mayor Stuart Drummond, said: “The Sacristy investigation is looking at many issues relating to a number of individuals. We cannot comment on specific issues at this stage.

“The authority has already publically accepted that there were failures within the authority and force. The new chairman, chief executive and temporary Chief Constable are undertaking a comprehensive review of all governance processes and many changes have already been made to ensure that such issues do not and can not happen again.

“In respect of corporate credit cards the authority has already tasked its auditors to carry out an independent and urgent review of the use of credit cards and we will make their report public and implement any recommendations that the auditors put forward. We expect that report to be completed within a couple of weeks and published at the end of February.”

Referring to recent findings contained in a national report into police integrity by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), the statement added: “In addition the Force has set up an Integrity Board to ensure the recommendations of the HMIC report, Without Fear of Favour, are implemented in the force. One of the issues that this is looking at is the use of corporate credit cards.

“The chairman of the police authority had made it absolutely clear that all allegations relating to the misuse of public money will be fully investigated without exception and that the findings or any such investigation will be made public as soon as we are legally able to do so.”

Revelations surrounding the spending came from information provided by Cleveland Police Authority under the Freedom of Information Act.

AFRICAN delegates speaking at an international conference alongside Mayor Stuart Drummond have expressed an interest in visiting Hartlepool.

Mayor Drummond last week delivered two presentations at the Urban & Housing Development conference in Cape Town, South Africa, as reported.

The elected Mayor was criticised in some quarters over the timing of the trip with the council’s budget plans still up in the air.

But on his return he said it was a great opportunity to showcase Hartlepool.

Mayor Drummond chaired the conference on the same day as giving two presentations about climate change and his Operation Cleansweep initiative.

He said there was genuine interest in Hartlepool from a number of delegates, including the Mayor of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda.

Mayor Drummond said: “The Mayor of Kampala said he was interested in sending a delegation over here to see what we are doing around the Cleansweep operation, community development, our work with the voluntary sector and neighbourhood management.

“They are a developing country and it appears that they have quite a bit of resource to develop those areas.

“It surprised me how well the presentation went down.”

Mayor Drummond had taken a week’s annual leave and was in Cape Town for four days.

His expenses were paid for by the event organisers.

He added: “This was an excellent opportunity to showcase Hartlepool to an international audience.

Operation Cleansweep brings together Hartlepool Borough Council, Cleveland Fire Brigade and Cleveland Police, under the banner of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership to spruce up different areas of town.

STUDENTS were warned of the dangers of kitchen-related fires as a campaign was launched to put a halt to alarming statistics.

During the three-year period between January 2009 and December 2011 Cleveland Fire Brigade raced to 102 fires in Hartlepool homes – 53 of which started in the kitchen.

The causes of the fires varied with 31 starting due to food being cooked unattended, six fires starting from a chip pan, seven from radiated heat, five appliance-related and four being caused by something other than those listed.

In an effort to raise awareness of the dangers of fires starting in the kitchen, Cleveland Fire Brigade launched Kitchen Safety Week.

Firefighters spent the day at Hartlepool College of Further Education yesterday where they carried out chip pan demonstrations and beamed a safety DVD on large screens around the building.

Fire chiefs chose the college as a venue to launch the campaign because they say it’s really important to get into safe cooking habits as early as possible.

Phil Lancaster, Cleveland Fire Brigade’s director of community protection, said: “The statistics are very clear.

“Over half of house fires start in the kitchen and of those fires almost two-thirds are caused by people leaving cooking unattended or using old-fashioned chip pans.

“This demonstrates that the kitchen is the biggest fire risk in the home and during the week we’ll be involved in a number of initiatives to help people stay safe.”

The week-long campaign which will last until this Sunday will also include competitions, the handing out of leaflets and radio advertising.

For free home fire safety visits call (01429) 874063.

People can also access an interactive kitchen safety house by visiting www.clevelandfire.gov.uk/kitchen.

LOVE had no bounds for Albert Thompson.

He was a Hartlepool man besotted with his wife, Ethel Kate Payne.

But there was one serious hurdle which stood in the way of love for Albert and Kate, as she preferred to be known. War broke out.

And because Albert was reported to have been of German birth, he was locked up in a camp somewhere in Hartlepool throughout the conflict.

The only time he ever got to see the woman he adored was when he was allowed out on day release.

He took full advantage of those precious moments of freedom. He would cycle through the streets of Hartlepool – taking nylon stockings and chocolates as treats for his sweetheart.

Sadly, no photographs remain of the loving couple. Every image, and most documents, were burned many years ago, said the couple’s granddaughter, Anne Thompson, 68.

But her own love of genealogy means the tale of romance can live on.

Anne admits: “I spend most of my time compiling my family tree.

“I have researched back to the 1600’s. We are mostly a family of seamen and that is how Albert met my grandmother”, said Anne.

It’s Anne’s grandparents who provide her greatest fascination.

Hopefully, with some help from Mail readers, we could be able to further build up Anne’s factfile on the doting couple.

Are there any photographs we could pass on? Can anyone provide us with precious memories that Anne may not know of?

Tell us more.

But first, let’s follow Anne’s research.

The story starts with Albert, who was born around 1881, sailing to Hartlepool from Germany years later as he reached adulthood.

Anne told the Family roots: “I have been researching my grandfather for 10 years. He was German so he was hush hush because of this.

“I have been told he sailed on the same ship as my great grandfather John Henry Payne. This was how he met my grandmother”.

The couple tied the knot on March 30, 1914. The details are confirmed on their wedding certificate, one of the few records which still remain of them.

In times of freedom, Albert lived in Windsor Street, West Hartlepool.

But in times of war, he was locked up, though few details remains as to where he was interred.

Anne added: “I have been trying to find out where he could have been interred during the Second World War and have been told that there is a possibility that there was a camp where Kingsley Avenue is today”.

Is she right? Let us know.

Albert and Kate had a son, Sydney, born in December 1914. He was their only child.

“According to my mother, no other member of the Thompson family spoke of my grandfather’s nationality because of the world wars”, said Anne.

“He was interred during both wars. During the Second World War he was allowed out and about on his bike. 

“He would travel to Lister Street to bring my mother stockings and chocolate.”

One other detail remains of Anne’s grandfather. He is known to have worked at Ward Jackson Park as a gardener until he retired and then did private gardening work.

Sadly, he died of a heart attack in Park Road, Hartlepool, on April 11, 1951, while he was cutting down a tree. “He had foolishly gone out with pneumonia”, said Anne.

We would love to find out more and help Anne with her research.

Do you know more about Albert?

Does anyone know where he was interred or more about his life.

And does anyone have a photograph of Anne’s grandfather?

Contact Chris Cordner by writing to him at New Clarence House, Wesley Square, Hartlepool, TS24 8BX, via email to chris.cordner@northeast-press.co.uk, or by calling (01429) 239377.

A WOMAN broke down in tears as she described how she cradled her dying boyfriend in her arms after he was stabbed by her brother.

Jade Blackburn, 20, told jurors how Cole Wilson said “I love you,” then kissed her moments before he died.

Her brother John Blackburn is being tried at Newcastle Crown Court for the murder of Mr Wilson in Peterlee, which he denies.

Prosecutor Mark Giuliani told the court Blackburn had warned he would stab Mr Wilson, before he delivered the fatal wounds to Mr Wilson’s head and chest.

Mr Wilson, bled profusely from both injuries and died within minutes.

The court heard the attack happened in the living room at Blackburn’s former girlfriend Kim McGuire’s house at Sledmere Close, last September.

Blackburn had brought his sister Jade Blackburn, and her boyfriend of three years Cole Wilson, who was also his friend, to spend the night.

After a “pleasant evening,” Blackburn and Miss McGuire went to her bedroom to watch a film while a “silly argument” broke out between Miss Blackburn and Mr Wilson.

The court heard the squabbling couple, who had been playing loud music, had been asked to be quiet but the noise and argument continued.

It was in the early hours of the morning Blackburn told Miss McGuire “I’m going to stab him.”

Miss Blackburn told jurors she saw her brother throw what she thought was a punch at her boyfriend, but that she never saw the knife and did not know where all the blood was coming from.”

She said her boyfried was later “on his knees and I was on mine, I had his head in my chest.

“I remember I was cuddling into Cole with his head in my chest and he looked at me, straight in the face and said ‘I love you’ and gave me a kiss.”

Despite efforts to save Mr Wilson, from Walker, Newcastle, he died as a result of blood loss.

Blackburn, of Holywell Avenue, Walker, denies murder.

Proceeding