Local News

Police are carrying out investigations following a report of rape in Middlesbrough.

A government department has been accused of a “cover up” over mass crab deaths on Teesside’s coast.

...and The Queen’s Baton Relay is coming to Redcar and Cleveland tomorrow.

Police are carrying out investigations following a report of rape in Middlesbrough.

Officers are in the Saltersgill area after receiving a report of the rape of a teenage girl on Monday night.

An 18-year-old man was arrested last night on suspicion of rape and he is currently in custody facing questioning.

The victim is being offered specialist support while enquiries continue, and neighbourhood officers remain in the area conducting reassurance patrols.

A government department has been accused of a “cover up” over mass crab deaths on Teesside’s coast.

But Defra has insisted joint investigations into the deaths were thorough.

Unrest, debate and protests over huge piles of dead crustaceans on Teesside’s coastline have rumbled on since problems first started last autumn at Seaton Carew, South Gare, Redcar, Marske and Saltburn.

An algal bloom was deemed to be the likely culprit by a Defra-led study.

But this was countered by an independent report which was commissioned by those concerned in the fishing industry.

High levels of a chemical pyridine were noted in the report, which also said algal blooms did not occur naturally in our coastal waters in October because the temperatures were too low.

However, Defra officials ruled out chemical pollution as a potential cause for the mass deaths in the initial studies - with a review of dredging and water samples finding “no evidence of a link between the disposal of dredged sediment and the deaths”.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is coming to Redcar and Cleveland tomorrow.

The Baton will be visiting the Saltburn Pier and Tramway from 8am and the Redcar seafront from 8.40 am starting from Granville terrace.

Some of the highlights of the visit of the baton include music from Apollo Arts, and dance performances from the Imaginarium Studio

There will also be a number of eye-catching decorations made in partnership with the Festival of Thrift.