Local News

Tributes have been paid a soldier from our area who has died during an Army training exercise;

Eight people have been arrested and drugs and cash seized in a series of raids to tackle organised crime;

...and Police are appealing for witnesses to a two-vehicle collision on Ormesby Road around 9:30pm on Friday.

Tributes have been paid a soldier from our area who has died during an Army training exercise.

Private Jethro Watson-Pickering, who served with the first Yorkshire Regiment, tragically lost his life after an incident on Salisbury Plain Training Area on Friday.

The 23-year-old, who was originally from Boosbeck, attended Outwood Academy Bydales and was a part of Prince Charles' visit to SSI Redcar blast furnace in 2013.

Emergency services were called to the scene in Wiltshire after reports of a serious collision on Friday.

It is understood that a tank rolled over during the incident, leaving a soldier with significant injuries and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Eight people have been arrested and drugs and cash seized in a series of raids to tackle organised crime.

Neighbourhood officers alongside Cleveland Dog Unit, Operational Support Unit and colleagues from the North East Regional Specialist Operations Unit were targeting alleged organised criminal gangs in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool.

Drugs warrants were carried out at addresses on Boswell Street, Kelsall Close, Hillingdon Road and Downside Road in Middlesbrough on Friday.

A number of people were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and enquiries are ongoing.

The warrants were carried out under Project Adder, which gives additional funding to authorities in Middlesbrough to tackle drug misuse.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a two-vehicle collision on Ormesby Road around 9:30pm on Friday.

The collision involved a red Renault Clio and a black Volkswagen T-cross.

A 26-year-old man, the driver of the Clio, and a 52-year-old woman, the driver of the T-Cross, were taken to James Cook University Hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life threatening.  

Three passengers from the T-cross, two men aged 60 and 74 and a 71-year-old woman, were also taken to hospital with various injuries and a 2-year-old boy, who had also been in the vehicle, was checked over and released from hospital.

Any witnesses or anyone with CCTV or dash cam footage are asked to contact the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit on the non-emergency number 101.