Local News

Volunteers from the Cleveland Mountain Rescue team were called into action yesterday;

A local MP will today present a bill in the House of Commons to create new laws designed to stamp out the problem of used drug needles being left in public places;

...and police are reminding dog owners to keep their animals on a lead when walking in farmer's fields, as lambing season begins.

Volunteers from the Cleveland Mountain Rescue team were called into action yesterday.

At around 7.30 yesterday evening the team were called out by the North East Ambulance Service to assist an Ambulance crew reach a dog walker with a lower leg injury on Eston Moor.

Team members responded to the incident in their off road and four wheel drive vehicles.

However a nearby Fire Brigade crew had also responded to the incident and were assisting the man to the waiting ambulance as team members arrived.

A local MP will today present a bill in the House of Commons to create new laws designed to stamp out the problem of used drug needles being left in public places.

Simon Clarke, the MP for Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland, will present a Bill urging the Government to create a new criminal offence of recklessly or intentionally discarding used drug needles in a way that places the public at risk.

The move comes after Simon's four-year-old constituent, Riley Ashton, was injured by used drugs needles whilst in an East Loftus play park last October.

The needles had been left in a children's den in the park by a local heroin addict, and it was feared that Riley may have contracted HIV or Hepatitis. Riley was only found to be clean after a terrifying three month wait and undertaking a series of blood tests.

The incident led Simon to review what criminal sanctions exist for people who put the public at risk in this way.  The only offence with which an individual who discards used hypodermic needles can currently be charged is that of general littering.

Police are reminding dog owners to keep their animals on a lead when walking in farmer's fields, as lambing season begins.

Posting on their Facebook page, officers from the Guisborough Neighbourhood Policing Team have issued a request to all dog owners to be aware that lambing season has now begun and when walking dogs through farmers fields when sheep are present dogs must be kept on their leads.

Police are reminding the public that farmers are within their rights to protect their live stock under the Animals Act of 1971.