Latest news with #CoDurham
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Shopkeeper hit with spate of thefts forced to TACKLE shoplifters himself as courts ‘just let them off the hook'
A SHOPKEEPER fed up with a spate of thefts has been forced to tackle shoplifters himself, saying the courts 'just let them off the hook'. Andrew Board, 39, who runs a convenience store in Durham, Co Durham, has become a local have-a-go hero - chasing down thieves, physically dragging them back into the shop, and banning dozens from stepping foot through the door again. 5 5 5 After six years of running his Premier store, the retailer had reached the end of his tether at being robbed blind while courts dish out slap on the wrist punishments to shoplifters. He said: "It's just got worse and worse because there's no deterrent. Crime pays at the moment. "The police have bent it over backwards to try and get all these criminals put before the courts, and they're as frustrated as we are, that they're basically just letting them off the hook. "They might get a caution or a rehabilitation order, but there's very little to stop them just going out and doing it again." Andrew has chased suspects around the estate and recently dragged a man who swiped a crate of Fosters back into the shop. After his brave citizen's arrest, police arrested the thief - only to spare him prosecution and hand out a community resolution instead. Andrew said: "The outcome was that he would just pay for the beer and it would be forgotten about. Despite him being on an electronic tag at the time. "How is that justice? What kind of message does that send if the worst-case scenario is they just have to give the stuff back?" CCTV footage shows thieves being caught in the act - including a woman sliding tubs of Lurpak inside her coat and another nicking a bottle of wine. Other clips show Andrew and his staff grappling with shoplifters and hauling them back into the shop to await arrest. Moment Co-op worker grabs fleeing shoplifter by the THROAT to stop him making off with arms full of stolen items Shoplifting at the store has become so rampant that some products have been pulled entirely. Lurpak, Nescafe, tubs of fabric softener and even Spam have been removed after being targeted by drug addicts keen to pay off their debts. Andrew said: "We had one prolific thief who was in constantly, shoving Lurpak down her coat. "She wears a lined coat, like a pro. She's been in court over and over again, but not once has been gone to prison." The store's banned list has grown to over 40 names. Andrew knows many having grown up and lived in the area all his life. He has chased thieves around the estate, through back lanes and over fences. Andrew said: "There's no stereotypical shoplifter, I've had eight-year-olds stealing. Middle-aged people stealing to pay drug debts. Pensioners in their eighties stuffing things down their coat. "There's no set sort of character of what makes a shoplifter now." Andrew credits the police for trying but says officers are shackled by rules and red tape. He is in a WhatsApp group with other retailers who track offenders and warn each other when someone's on the move. But police officers are not allowed to use WhatsApp. So while the group moves in real time, officers can be left catching up. Andrew told how the scourge of shoplifting had taken a toll on his staff, none of whom signed up to facing down criminals. Andrew said: "I've got some tools of the trade on me. I don't give them a chance to react. I work on shock tactics. "I do have some restraint where it's needed. I would only retaliate if someone was volatile with me. I'm forceful in the immediate stage, but then if someone was going to pull a scrap with me, then I would hold my own. "I tell the staff to challenge but only if they feel safe. 'Often they'll ring me because I only live nearby. "My wife knows that I can handle myself and I do have a sensible head on my shoulders. But she's always going to worry in case anything does happen." Nationally, half a million shoplifting offences in England and Wales were recorded by police last year, up 20 per cent from 2023. Andrew says shoplifting is having a major impact on small business struggling with ever-shrinking profit margins. He said: "These people are stealing out of my pocket because this is my business and I won't have it anymore. "Small businesses now, they're closing left, right and centre, because all the extra expenses we're now subject to, all the extra regulations we're now being bound by that we've got to fork out our own pockets for. "Wages and overheads are all going up. National insurance payments have gone up. "So we're being hammered left, right and centre. And now all these thieves are just coming in like it's a free-for-all. "People think acquisitive crime is harmless but if I go under, then the post office in the shop goes too. The community loses out and that's not fair. "Shoplifting will not go down until something in the legal system changes." In a Facebook post in April, the store warned: "We aren't one of those large corporate stores making millions and can absorb losses due to theft. We're a small, local, family run business that does its best to cater for the community. "All thefts are a theft direct from our pocket and jeopardise our ability to trade and serve our community. Because of this, we absolutely WILL protect and defend ourselves against thieves and anyone caught will be dealt with accordingly." A Durham Police spokeswoman said: 'Shoplifting is a significant issue nationwide, and County Durham and Darlington is no different. 'We take this type of offending extremely seriously and work hard to tackle the issue across our force area. 'A large proportion of shoplifting offences are opportunistic and committed by people with drug or alcohol addictions. 'That's why, as a force, we must look at the bigger picture and find out why individuals offend in the first place and seek to address the underlying reasons for their offending." 5 5
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Vile Ian Huntley moans he's ‘being picked on' as prison officers ‘turn over' his cell after sick taunt about his victims
SOHAM child killer Ian Huntley has had his red Manchester United-style shirt seized by jail bosses — after The Sun revealed he was strutting around in it. Officers stormed into his cell and confiscated the top, which has a white No 10 on the back in an apparent sick reference to his schoolgirl victims. 5 5 We told yesterday how lags had complained about the top — similar to ones worn by ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman on the day he murdered them in 2002. Guards also seized framed pictures of Huntley with ex Maxine Carr plus other items including DVDs. And source said: 'They turned over Huntley's cell and confiscated the shirt. "He won't be getting it back and has been warned about his vile behaviour. 'The raid was a proper one. They went through all his belongings. 'People had also complained about the Maxine Carr pictures being inappropriate. "It was like he was revelling in what happened. 'Huntley was moaning that he was being picked on and treated unfairly. 'But neither the staff or other inmates had any sympathy and are pleased he can no longer taunt his victims and others by wearing the shirt. "It is about time he was treated a bit more harshly in jail.' Sources said Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood had been made aware of Huntley's shirt — and was happy bosses had now seized it. Cons at Co Durham's HMP Frankland, where Huntley is serving two life sentences with a 40-year minimum term, had complained he was 'strutting about' in the top. Pals Holly and Jessica were wearing matching Man Utd shirts when they were snatched and killed by school caretaker Huntley in a crime that horrified Britain and which Carr helped him to cover up. A snap of Holly and Jessica in Man Utd shirts – taken on the day Huntley lured them into his house – was the last haunting image of them. Huntley, now 51, is believed to have ordered the plain red sports top, with a white number on the back, from Sports Direct. Prisoners are barred from wearing replica shirts of teams as they can cause conflict. But sources said Huntley had made his top as close to a Man Utd one as he could. One told The Sun: 'Prisoners saw him wearing it when he was being taken to the gym. They shouted that he was a sick b***ard. But he just gave them a thumbs-up.' The Prison Service said: 'We cannot comment on individuals.' 5
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I was first to see UK's biggest live action show with 1,000 time-travelling performers – it's as incredible as Disney
THERE' S a little corner of England that's bringing the epic tale of Britain to life every Saturday over the summer - and I was one of the first to watch their new show. If you've never heard of Kynren in Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, you're not alone. 4 4 But this summer spectacle, featuring more than 1,000 performers, animals, historic vehicles, music, special effects and pyrotechnics, has been so successful over its first decade that it's expanding to include daytime shows and interactive experiences next year. Over an hour and a half, scenes that tell the tale of our homeland, history and heritage come to life across the 7.5-acre outdoor stage. The 1,000 professionally trained volunteers might be amateurs, but this incredible cast put on one of the best shows I've seen, one that really has to be seen to be believed. It's the sort of performance that you could watch time and again and still spot something new every time. The very high standards of everything at Kynren, from the food and interactive Viking village pre-show to the powerful performance itself with historic Auckland Castle as its backdrop, means I can't wait to see its next chapter - the Storied Lands, which will open next year and gradually expand to 11 themed villages, all capturing a different era of our isles. The Victorian village from the much-loved Flambards theme park in Cornwall, which closed last year, will find a new home here. We even had a sneak peek of what's to come when the site's most recent residents, the feathery flock from its bird show, made an appearance before the main performance. As well as birds of prey, parrots flew overhead and grey crowned cranes flapped in to forage for food on the grass. The Lost Feather will be one of the first five daytime shows on offer next summer. My boys aged 12 and 10 were absolutely enthralled by the evening's entertainment from start to finish. The UK attraction reopening this summer without any rides or rollercoasters – but parents say their kids love it I think you know you've found a real winner when every family member struggles to pick just one scene or moment as their favourite. The whole event is epic - from Viking ships rising from the water to the recreation of a magnificent stained glass window in the spray of a fountain. Battle scenes, stunts, celebrations, historic moments, lines from Shakespeare - it's sometimes difficult to know where to look at there's so much to take in from one moment to the next. It was such a high-quality perfromance, I'd say it rivaled a live Disney show too. I really enjoyed seeing the steam engine chugging along complete with passengers, to mark 200 years of train travel after the launch of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in this very part of the world two centuries ago. 4 Drawing on the local community is a key part of Kynren, with the warm and welcoming folk at every turn making visitors feel right at home. If you're looking for somewhere to stay to make a weekend of it, you can't beat the Park Head Hotel, part of the Auckland Project, a regeneration scheme that's breathing new life back into the tourist spots of this historic town. Our two-bedroom suite was perfect for larger families and there were lots of little nods to Kynren at this recently refurbished 18th-century coaching inn, including quirky Quentin Blake parrot wallpaper in the toilets and a chapel stone from Auckland Castle that put my boys in mind of the story of Arthur and the sword in the stone. There won't be any rides at the new Storied Lands, but I've no doubt it will have all the wow factor it needs to keep visitors entranced, entertained and immersed in history. The name Kynren is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for generations and it suits this awe-inspiring spectacular, rooted in the past, perfect in the present and looking forward to its future. Tickets cost from £30 per adult and £20 per child - use code July10 to get 10 per cent off if you book before the end of July. 4
Telegraph
27-06-2025
- Telegraph
Teacher who bit child can still work ‘because her record is otherwise unblemished'
A primary school deputy head teacher who bit, slapped and scratched a child can continue to work because she 'otherwise appeared to have an unblemished record'. Claire Herbert, who worked at the Red Rose Primary School in Chester-le-Street, Co Durham, got into an argument with the girl that became physical on June 18 2022. The child was left with reddening and bruises on her skin after the row, according to a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) tribunal. When visited by police three days later, the girl said the teacher had caused two bite marks to her hand and head, scratched her with false nails and called her fat. Photographs of the child's injuries showed various red marks, scratches and bruising to parts of her body, including her face, neck, leg and hand, the tribunal heard. The incident took place outside the education setting, and alcohol appeared to have been involved. 'It is a blur' In an email responding to the incident in October last year, Miss Herbert said: 'I have read and considered the attached paperwork, and I will admit to all allegations listed although it is a blur.' She had worked at the school since April 2019 and also held the role of deputy safeguarding lead, the tribunal heard. Miss Herbert accepted a conditional police caution in December 2022 for the offence of common assault on the child. A TRA panel found the teacher guilty of unacceptable professional conduct that could bring the profession into disrepute. However, it stopped short of recommending a permanent banning order for Miss Herbert as she 'otherwise appeared to have an unblemished record'. 'The panel was mindful that this was an isolated incident which it considered, taking into account the mitigating circumstances and wider context, sat at the less serious end of the possible spectrum of severity,' it said. Character references provided to the panel commented positively on Miss Herbert's abilities as a teacher and said that she normally demonstrated high standards of personal and professional conduct. 'Limited risk of repetition' Miss Herbert, who also sustained injuries from the incident, had shown 'genuine and significant regret, remorse and insight' for her conduct and had been honest about what happened, the panel said. Marc Cavey, the TRA chief executive acting on behalf of the Education Secretary, said: 'In my judgment, the extent of the insight and remorse demonstrated by Miss Herbert, when considered alongside the isolated nature of the misconduct found and the mitigating circumstances that were present, means that there is only a very limited risk of the repetition of this behaviour. 'I have therefore given this element considerable weight in reaching my decision.'
Daily Mail
04-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE First date from hell: Woman finds herself accused of dine and dash scam - as suitor insists their £58 curry bill will be paid in full
A woman who agreed to go on a first date with a new man thought she was going for a romantic restaurant meal but ended up with her face plastered all over the media after he failed to pay the bill. The blind date from Hell happened last Thursday at Cafe Spice, a family-run Indian restaurant in Darlington, Co Durham. The blonde woman in her thirties had agreed to meet a man she had chatted to online for the first to see if they could strike up any romance - on the understanding that he would be picking up the £58 bill. The pair chatted while dining on butter chicken, samosas, bhajis, rice, and drinks before a bill was presented - and the woman then left without realising it hadn't been paid. And that was because her date had, he insists, suffered an incredible run of misfortune: He had his debit card swallowed by an ATM just before he went to meet her for the first time Then his online bank closed his account without his knowledge. His phone was disconnected without his knowledge because of issues around paying bills The furious restaurant responded by leaking CCTV images of the first date pair to first local and then national media, including MailOnline. Today the man, who declined to be named, told us: 'I took a girl out - it's an absolute nightmare. 'She never knew. She went to the car. She has no idea.' He went on: 'I had no intention of doing a runner, mate. I never went back because it was too late by the time I searched for the funds. 'I've been begging to get the cash because my bank account has shut. Anyway it is what it is. It will be paid as soon as I get the cash in my hand. 'I'm having a nightmare. I'm going to be there as soon as I can with the cash. It's rather embarrassing to be honest and I'll be there to pay as soon as possible. 'I do not make a habit of doing this. It's one of those things – an innocent thing. The police rang me earlier and I informed them of the same thing. 'It will be paid. Simple as that. 10,000 percent.' Cafe Spice, a regional winner at the National Curry Awards, said the pair arrived separately on Thursday night - with the man entering first, and the woman joining about 20 minutes later. Restaurant manager Ishy Miah, 22, said the male told staff his card had been swallowed earlier by a cash machine and asked if he could pay by bank transfer. Workers agreed, but once the meal ended, the man said he would 'nip out' to get cash instead - but the pair never came back. The man denied deliberately fleeing, insisting: 'I went to try and get cash but it was too late [to go back to the restaurant] by the time I ran all over, panicking. I was trying to borrow cash. I was trying to get hold of money.' He claimed the phone number he gave the restaurant was his secondary mobile, and that it had been disconnected without his knowledge after a missed bill. He added: 'I have two numbers and because my bank's blocked, it's been cut off. My number got cut off because I couldn't pay my bill.' 'I'm going to pay the bill and with interest.' The restaurant, which shared CCTV images of the pair online, said the total cost of the meal was £58 - including tandoori butter chicken, special rice, chips, poppadoms, bhajis, samosas, and Cobra beer and Pepsi drinks. Mr Miah claimed: 'They didn't act suspiciously at all, they seemed normal. That's why we let them go to get cash. 'He said he was going to get cash from the cashpoint. He claimed he worked at the Bannatyne Hotel in Darlington and gave us a mobile number. 'But they just never came back. 'Since then, he's been messaging us saying, 'I'll pay on this day,' or 'I'll come in at this time,' but it's all rubbish.' The restaurant obtained the man's correct phone number from their records when the table booking was made last Thursday. Mr Miah says he tried contacting the man - who responded by claiming repeatedly that he would be returning shortly to pay but failed to do so. Mr Miah said the man had messaged with a series of unfulfilled promises. As of this morning, the bill still remained unpaid. This is not the first time Cafe Spice has been targeted by dishonest diners. In 2023, a group of three men skipped out on a £108 bill, and another couple walked out on an £83 tab after saying they were going out to vape. Mr Miah said: 'You do your best to run a business and then people take advantage like this. Running a restaurant's hard, especially these days. With bills, wages, rates – everything's going up.
