Five Teesside stories you may have missed this week
A soon to be 80-year-old mountain rescue volunteer, a statue unveiling of a cat that became a "local celebrity" and two brothers who competed in the TV series Race Across the World share their experience. Here are five stories from Teesside you may have missed this week.
'You just do it because it helps people'
Most people celebrating their 80th birthday do not run the risk of being called away to a work emergency - but that will be a possibility for Gari Finch. The soon-to-be octogenarian from Great Ayton, in North Yorkshire, has been a volunteer at Cleveland Mountain Rescue for 54 years, and so far he has at least 1,500 call-outs to his name.However, Mr Finch's teammates know better than to suggest that after this latest milestone, he should hang up his distinctive red uniform and enjoy retirement.Read more about Mr Finch's service to Mountain Rescue here
Boats back in leaky lake ahead of further repairs
Boats are sailing once again in an historic, but leaky, lake ahead of further repairs.The lake, at Newcomen Terrace in Coatham, Redcar, has had low water levels for years, forcing a model boat club to race radio controlled cars there instead.A test refill in April failed, prompting an investigation, and more repairs to a pump and the structure's base will be carried out this month.Read more about the mini vessels here
No translation help for riot forms, PCC says
The office for a police and crime commissioner has said the Home Office did not help translate riot compensation forms to help those affected by last summer's disorder.In the wake of a stabbing attack in Southport, rioting broke out across the country, with disorder in Hartlepool on 31 July, followed by Sunderland on 2 August and Middlesbrough on 4 August.A spokeswoman for Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) said that many of those affected did not speak English and so they would have expected some translation help with the forms designed to offer support.Read what the office of Cleveland PCC said here
Crowds gather for cat statue unveiling
A cat that became a "local celebrity" has had a statue unveiled in its honour.More than £4,000 was raised to place a bronze statue on Saltburn's pier in Redcar and Cleveland, where Hendrix was a familiar face - often visiting cafes and arcades.The feline, who previously lived in Whitley Bay and was known to hop on Metro trains, was much-loved by locals and tourists alike.Owner Nathan Bye thanked the people of Saltburn, Hendrix's international social media fanbase and Redcar Council who had supported the campaign to memorialise him.
Race Across the World 'surreal' for brothers
Two brothers who competed in the TV series Race Across the World say the experience and associated public recognition still does not feel real.Melvyn and Brian Mole, who are both in their 60s, formed one of five teams who raced more than 14,000km (8,700 miles) across China, Nepal and India to try to win £20,000.Ahead of Wednesday's final episode, Melvyn, a driving instructor who lives in Middlesbrough, said appearing on the show was "a surreal journey" which did not end with filming.Read what else Melvyn and Brian say here
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- BBC News
Woman charged £4,586 for parking in Slough multi-storey
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Windrush scandal victims got less compensation due to lack of legal advice funding, review finds
Survivors of the Home Office Windrush scandal have received significantly less compensation than they may be entitled to, due to the lack of government funding for legal advice during the application process, a study has found. A review of 17 applications to the compensation fund revealed that claimants who challenged their awards after taking legal advice received huge increases in the amount offered. One woman's payout rose from £300 to £170,000 after a lawyer assisted her, and a man who was initially refused any compensation received a £295,000 settlement after legal support from a charity. Other people's awards rose from zero to £95,000 or increased from £10,000 to £150,000, with legal help. The scheme denied compensation to two-thirds of applicants, according to the study, co-written by the law reform charity Justice, the University of Sussex and the law firm Dechert, which calls for funded legal assistance for claimants. While the Post Office and infected blood compensation schemes both offer applicants legal advice, the Windrush scheme is an exception among state compensation programmes in not providing this support. One claimant who was born in the late 1950s in the Caribbean and came to the UK as a child, given the pseudonym Jerome in the report – called People Need Legal Help – lost his passport in the 1970s and did not replace it because he had no plans to go abroad. He worked in the building and steel industries until the early 2000s, when he switched jobs but found himself unable to re-enter the workforce because he could not prove his right to live and work in the UK. He was unable to find work for 17 years, before finally being granted British citizenship in 2019 after the Home Office was forced to admit that it had wrongly classified thousands of Windrush-era residents as immigration offenders. He applied for compensation by himself that year, but his application was rejected because he struggled to provide documentary evidence proving that his job applications had been turned down as a result of his inability to demonstrate lawful immigration status in the UK. When a pro bono lawyer assisted him to challenge the refusal, helping him gather the required letters from former employers and job rejections, he was awarded £225,000 for denial of access to employment between 2002 and 2019 and £70,000 in recognition of the impact this had on his life. Emunah Baht Gavriel arrived in the UK in 1979 from Trinidad and worked for decades as an NHS nurse in hospitals in London, Leicester, Bristol and Peterborough. Her passport containing the stamp stating she had indefinite leave to remain in the UK was stolen in 2000; when she submitted her new passport to the Home Office in 2007 to get a new stamp, the department lost it. This left her unable to prove her immigration status, and she had to leave her job. She experienced significant financial hardship, falling into rent arrears, and at times was forced to scavenge for food. She was unable to travel abroad to visit her terminally ill mother or attend her funeral. Her daughter, who was born in the UK, was also threatened with deportation because of her mother's uncertain status. An initial offer of £20,000 compensation was challenged by pro bono lawyers from United Legal Access, and the payout was subsequently significantly increased. 'I was incandescent at the original award. I needed legal help to get through the technical processes,' she said. Her lawyer, Sibon Phiri Twaibu, said there was a 'culture of disbelief' within the Home Office, where officials seemed inclined to attribute claimants' challenges to reasons other than their unresolved immigration status. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Marcel Carry, a graphic designer born in the US who came to the UK as a young child, and who lost work for more than five years because he was unable to prove his immigration status, also received an increased award after pro bono legal assistance from the Southwark Law Centre in London. 'It doesn't make sense that legal aid is not available. The process causes so much trauma. They keep asking you for more and more evidence, which most people can't provide,' he said. A Home Office spokesperson said there had been a reset of its approach to assisting those affected by the issues. 'This government is determined to ensure that victims of the Home Office Windrush scandal are heard, that justice is sped up, and that the compensation scheme is run effectively. Earlier this year, we launched a £1.5m advocacy support fund to provide dedicated help from trusted community organisations when victims are applying for compensation. 'However, we recognise there is more to be done, which is why ministers are continuing to engage with community groups on improvements to the compensation scheme, and will ask the new Windrush commissioner to recommend any further changes they believe are required.'
Times
2 hours ago
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Woman and instructor die in tandem skydiving accident in Devon
A mother-of-four and her sky diving instructor have died in a tandem parachute jump as the woman's partner looked on. Belinda Taylor, 48, from Totnes, died in the incident at an aerodrome in Devon on Friday, her family said. Emergency services were called to the scene in the vicinity of Dunkeswell airfield near Honiton 'following concerns for the welfare of two people', Devon and Cornwall Police said. The instructor who died alongside Taylor is Adam Harrison, it was reported. Harrison had worked as a skydiving instructor since September 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was also training as a chiropractic student. The two skydivers were confirmed dead at the scene, and the British Skydiving Board of Inquiry has begun an investigation. Taylor's partner, Scott Armstrong said that he saw Taylor and Harrison's bodies on the landing strip, which were 'still together'. According to him, they were both 'clearly dead'. Armstrong later revealed that he bought the tandem jump as a gift to his 'adrenaline junkie' girlfriend. He told The Mirror: 'Belinda was my absolute world. She was so kind and giving and would do anything for anyone. 'My nine-year-old son recently came to live with us, and she welcomed him with open arms and was brilliant. As a thank you present, I decided to buy her the tandem skydive. She was absolutely buzzing about it.' Police attended the scene SWNS Armstrong also wrote on social media on Sunday: 'I want answers. Today, they took my world away.' He added: 'I miss you so much, you were my best friend, thank you for everything you done for me. From making my children feel at home to putting up with my mess. 'I'm so lost without you. There's just so much that I don't have the words to express it. I feel so lost I don't know where home is without you.' Her eldest son, Connor Bowles, told Devon Live that Taylor was a mother of four children, three adult boys and one teenage girl, and a grandmother to two young children. 'She was a selfless woman who wanted only the best for others and especially her loved ones', Bowles said. 'She will be deeply missed and will leave an everlasting impression on all those she has met in life.' Witnesses who were at the site on Friday have described the scene, with one saying: 'My husband and I were there when this awful tragedy happened. 'He was all harnessed up ready to do the next jump when they cancelled it and evacuated the area.' Police are appealing for information about the incident, but said in a statement that emergency services were called at 1pm on Friday and 'it was reported that they were skydivers'. 'They were sadly both confirmed deceased at the scene and their families have been informed,' the force said. 'Scene guards remain in place and inquiries are ongoing by the relevant agencies.' Another skydiver at the airfield jumped moments after Taylor and watched helplessly from above as the tragedy unfolded. They told The Sun: 'Belinda jumped out, all the safety checks were done, all the parachute checks, the handles and goggles were pulled.' The seasoned jumper revealed that her instructor finished the dive 'quicker than usual' after noticing the 'commotion' on the ground. The diver was then told to get away from the airfield as quickly as possible, but saw Armstrong attempting to find Taylor. They said: 'Her partner jumped in his car to get to the other airfield to see what was going on. They weren't providing updates to the partner. He found out for himself when he saw the bodies. He could do nothing to save her. 'Everyone was visibly upset and distressed.' Devon in Sight, a local charity, said that it had suspended its upcoming skydiving events while the investigation was ongoing. Grahame Flynn, the charity's chief executive, said: 'Having undertaken two skydive challenges in 2018 and 2022 I know how meticulous the team at Skydive Buzz are in their training. 'In view of this tragic news our events planned for Saturday June 21, Wednesday June 25 and Saturday July 5 are suspended pending investigation. 'Our Jump for Sight challenges have raised significant funds for our work over the years. 'At this time, our thoughts are with the instructor and student who lost their lives and their families, friends and colleagues.' Robert Gibson, British Skydiving's chief executive, confirmed that an investigation had been launched and his organisation was assisting authorities. In a statement, he said: 'Today British Skydiving has been notified of a tragic accident in which two jumpers lost their lives. 'Our deepest condolences go to their families, friends and the entire skydiving community. A British Skydiving Board of Inquiry will investigate the accident. Once complete, a report will be submitted to the coroner, the police, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the British Skydiving Safety & Training Committee and any other relevant authorities. 'No further details will be provided at this time. We respectfully ask for privacy for all those affected.' A spokesman for the CAA said: 'We are aware of the incident and of our thoughts are of course with the friends and family at this difficult time. 'We will work closely with the relevant authorities to understand what happened and are awaiting the report into the incident.' The incident comes weeks after a highly experienced skydiver, who had completed more than 400 previous jumps, died after her parachute did not open during a jump near the village of Shotton Colliery, Co Durham, on April 27. Jade Damarell, 32, a marketing manager, who was believed to have taken her own life, had recently split up from her husband and was living with a new boyfriend, her friends said.
